All eyes will be at NRG Stadium this coming Tuesday as the LSU Tigers and the Texas Tech Red Raiders square off in the much-anticipated AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl. Les Miles may have escaped the chopping block in LSU but he surely could use a Bowl win as he’s 2-4 in his last six postseason games. Miles will have his work cut out for him, however, against a Texas Tech side that’s ranked No. 2 nationally in points, total yards and passing yards this season.
Can the Tigers end their season on a high? Or will the Red Raiders outgun them and spoil their party this coming Tuesday? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this Texas Bowl clash and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of the Arizona Bowl and the Belk Bowl.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl Preview
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston
When: Tuesday, December 29, 9:00 PM ET
Line: Texas Tech Red Raiders (+7) vs. LSU Tigers (-7); total: 73.5– view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-5, 4-5 Big 12)
Texas Tech will head to its Bowl showdown with LSU with momentum on its side after the Red Raiders edged past crosstown rivals Texas, 48-45, in their regular-season finale last Thursday. It was a fantastic victory by the Red Raiders who grabbed their first road win in the rivalry in 18 years.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Leading the way for Texas Tech in that game was DeAndre Washington. He ran for 173 yards and two scores. Washington has been a beast for Texas Tech all season, racking up 1,455 yards on the ground this campaign. He ran for 421 yards and four touchdowns over Texas Tech’s final two games.
Also stepping up for the Red Raiders against the Longhorns was Patrick Mahomes. He passed for 372 yards and a touchdown in that contest. Mahomes’ 4,283 passing yards this season ranked third in the entire FBS – as did his 517 attempts. He will need to limit his errors, though, if the Red Raiders are to record a major shock against the Tigers. He led the Big 12 conference with 14 interceptions, eight of those coming in four games against Top 25 opponents.
Texas Tech may have exceeded expectations with its offense (second-ranked in the nation) but the same can’t be said about its abysmal defense. The Red Raiders are fourth-worst in the FBS in scoring defense, allowing a whopping 42.6 points per game this season. They struggled mightily, in particular, against ranked opponents, giving up mind-boggling averages of 62.8 points and 677.3 total yards.
The good news for the Red Raiders is that they will face an LSU side that’s faltering on the offensive end of late. The Tigers enter this Bowl meeting having failed to score 20 points in four consecutive games for the first time in Les Miles’ tenure.
The Red Raiders have won their last four Bowl games.
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Betting on the LSU Tigers (8-3, 5-3 SEC)
What in the world happened to the LSU Tigers?
After starting the season 7-0, many were wondering whether the Tigers had it in them to launch a creditable College Football Playoff bid. Those playoff dreams, however, went up in smoke, as the Tigers stumbled to three consecutive losses that all but doomed their title aspirations.
They will look to salvage their season with a bowl victory over Texas Tech this coming Tuesday. For the Tigers to grab the win, they will need star running back Leonard Fournette to step up his play. He averaged 193.1 rushing yards per game and 7.7 per carry with 15 touchdowns during LSU’s 7-0 start but his performances tapered off during the Tigers’ three-game skid. Fournette was held to just 230 yards in that span, including 31 on 19 carries against the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The good news for head coach Les Miles is that Fournette is showing signs of returning to his early-season form. He ran for 159 yards in LSU’s regular-season finale against Texas A&M. He needs a career-high 259 yards against the Red Raiders to become the 14th player in the past two decades to grab 2,000 rushing yards in a single season. Fournette will fancy his chances of accomplishing that feat as he will face a Texas Tech side that’s third-worst nationally against the run, allowing a whopping 271.8 yards per game on the ground this season.
The Tigers have lost three of their last four Bowl games.
Writer’s Prediction
LSU (-7) eases past Texas Tech, 45-34.
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