Hopefully most of Louisiana Tech’s players didn’t start their winter break early.
If they did, chances are they had to head back to campus to prepare for the Independence Bowl.
The Bulldogs were a late selection to play in the game after it was announced that Marshall had withdrawn because of a lack of players available. The announcement came on Dec. 14, just two weeks before the Dec. 28 kickoff.
There were no remaining 6-6 teams in the FBS that would be eligible to play, so a 5-7 school had to fill in. Typically the 5-7 program with the highest Academic Progress Rate (APR) is chosen, but because of the timing and LA Tech’s proximity to the host site (70 miles), the Bulldogs made sense.
College football betting odds have Army as a 16.5-point favorite.
While Army might be one of the hardest teams to prepare for — especially on short notice — the Bulldogs might be more fit to go up against the Black Knights than some might think, mainly because of their solid rush defense.
The Bulldogs rank first in Conference USA, allowing 120.1 rushing yards per game. They also finished the regular season first in total defense, allowing 301.9 YPG and are tied with Sam Houston as the top scoring defense in the league after surrendering 20.5 points per game.
New Customer Offers at BetMGM
Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l Terms
Army finished the regular season atop the AAC with 298 rushing YPG. This offense can be explosive with AAC Offensive Player of the Year Bryson Daily at quarterback. The good news for the Bulldogs is that Army running back Kanye Udoh has decided to transfer to Arizona State and won’t be suiting up. He rushed for 1,117 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.
However, two starting LA Tech defensive linemen in David Blay (signed with Miami) and J’Dan Burnett have entered the transfer portal and will not be playing. This will hamper LA Tech’s chances of being stout against the run.
The Bulldogs’ defense was a big reason why they were competitive all season. LA Tech played in eight one-score games, and five of their seven losses came in one-score contests. This includes three overtime defeats. The only losses it suffered that came by more than one score were against Power Four programs (NC State and Arkansas).
This is nearly the complete opposite of Army, which played in only one one-score game all season and, behind its defense and rushing attack, was blowing teams out week in and week out.
The Black Knights allowed more than 28 points just twice this season — against Notre Dame and Navy. If LA Tech wants to have a chance, it’ll need to find a way to score points, whether it comes from special teams, a defensive touchdown, or freshman quarterback Evan Bullock finding ways to sustain drives and keep Army’s offense off the field.
Controlling the clock was one thing the Bulldogs were able to do this year, especially after Bullock took over midway through the Week 9 contest against Sam Houston. They won the possession battle in four of their final five games, including against Arkansas. The only time they didn’t was against Jacksonville State, which was less than a 60-second difference in an overtime defeat.
LA Tech might be 5-7, but I believe the Bulldogs are being overlooked. There’s no doubt Army deserves a better opponent following its terrific season, but I don’t expect the Bulldogs to just show up and go through the motions. I anticipate them to compete.
Independence Bowl Prediction
I predict Army will win but LA Tech will cover the spread as a 16.5-point underdog.
Like I mentioned above, the Bulldogs have been competitive all season and are 5-0 against the spread as an underdog.
They’re not going to make the trip just to let Army have its way. I think they will surprise some people with their ability to keep this game within reach.
