Arkansas State Red Wolves vs. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
The R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl will be the last game of the first day of the 2015 college football bowl season and will feature two exciting non Power Five conference teams clashing off in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in the Arkansas State Red Wolves and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.
Former Florida Gators quarter back Jeff Driskel has been phenomenal all season for Louisiana Tech as he’s thrown for 24 touchdowns and run for five more. Bulldogs running back Kenneth Dixon has also been a weapon for Louisiana Tech. However, the Red Wolves have a vaunted attack of their own with their running game highlighted by Michael Gordon, Warren Wand, Johnston White, and quarterback Fred Knighten.
Details for Saturday’s game are below:
Date: Saturday, Dec. 19
Start Time: 9 p.m. ET
Location: New Orleans, LA
Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Superdome
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Here
Ticket information: For ticket info click here.
Keys to Victory
For Louisiana Tech, the key to this game is going to be maintaining balance offensively and staying in control of the flow of this game. With Arkansas State’s four-headed monster in the rushing game, the last thing that the Bulldogs can afford in the New Orleans Bowl is to let the Red Wolves dictate the pace. This means that both Jeff Driskel in the passing game and Kenneth Dixon in the running game have to move the ball effectively and ultimately not let Arkansas State have the opportunity to keep running wild.
It’s that rushing attack for the Red Wolves that will be vital to their success on Saturday night. For how impressive they’ve been in getting to 9-3 this season, they’ve been pretty one-dimensional in terms of their offense with nothing really to write home about in terms of a passing game. Subsequently, they’ll have to keep their running game moving—no matter which player it is that individually shines—if they want to get ahead and have a chance at a win.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs -1.5
Moneyline: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs -120, Arkansas State Red Wolves +110
O/U: 68.5
Prediction
This game should be one of the more exciting ones of the first day of bowl season, even if the programs involved aren’t held in the most revered light in all of college football. However, I think that Louisiana Tech’s more balanced offensive attack will ultimately play to their favor and push them to victory in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
Final Score: Arkansas State Red Wolves: 34, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs: 38