Texas Bowl: LSU vs Texas Tech: TV info, predictions and more
One of the nation’s best rushing offenses meets one of the weakest run defenses as LSU and Texas Tech square off in the Texas Bowl in Houston December 29.
It’s been a tale of two seasons for the LSU Tigers.
LSU raced out to a 7-0 record that included the No. 2 spot in the first College Football Playoff Rankings, with running back Leonard Fournette leading the charge as the heavy favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. However, a 30-16 loss to Alabama – in which Fournette was held to a pitiful 31 rushing yards on 19 carries that was by far his worst performance of the year – sent the Tigers into a tail spin that included losses to Arkansas and Ole Miss as well.
With head coach Les Miles’ job on the line in the season finale, the LSU defense shut down Texas A&M and the Tigers escaped with a 19-7 victory to finish 8-3 overall and 5-3 in SEC play. Ultimately disappointing after spending much of the year as a playoff contender, LSU landed in the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl where they will face Texas Tech.
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The Red Raiders are much happier to play a bowl game in Houston after going 4-8 in 2014. Riding one of the nation’s most explosive offenses, Texas Tech finished a streaky 7-5 season with victories over Kansas State and Texas.
Texas Bowl Information:
- Date: Tuesday, December 29, 2015
- Time: 9:00 PM ET
- Location: Houston, TX
- TV Channel: ESPN
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
- Spread: LSU -8
Texas Tech ranked second in the nation during the regular season by scoring an average of 46.6 points per game and amassing 594.5 yards per contest. The Red Raiders’ 389.7 passing yards per game also rank No. 2 in the country.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been the star of the explosive offense and has completed 65 percent of his passes for 4,283 yards, 32 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Although, the Red Raiders do offer great balance with running back DeAndre Washington, who ran for 1,455 yards and 14 TDs during the regular season – including three consecutive 100-yard performances at the end of the year. Over that three-game span, Washington averaged 174.3 yards on the ground.
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However, the Red Raiders will face a stiff test in an LSU defense that has surrendered an average of 24.0 points and 342.5 total yards this season – including just 131.5 rushing yards per game. The Tigers aren’t only solid statistically, of course, but also offer their usual stacked roster of NFL talent including defensive backs Tre’Davious White, Jamal Adams and Kevin Toliver II, linebackers Kendell Beckwith and Deion Jones and pass rushers Lewis Neal and Arden Key.
Prediction:
Texas Tech has proven capable of scoring against anybody, and the Red Raiders already have a victory over an SEC school having beaten Arkansas 35-24 in Week 3. However, Tech hasn’t been very good at stopping opposing offenses.
This year, the Red Raiders allowed an average of 42.6 points per game, which ranked No. 125 out of 128 teams – ahead of only New Mexico State, SMU and Kansas.
Texas Tech has also surrendered 540.2 yards of offense per contest, which ranks ahead of only Kansas nationally – and includes 271.8 rushing yards allowed that rank No. 127 overall.
Those numbers are bad news when looking at the talent LSU possesses on offense, particularly Fournette and his offensive line. Fournette finished third nationally with 1,741 rushing yards and tied for fifth with 18 rushing touchdowns.
Likely to be additionally motivated by being snubbed from the Heisman ceremony, the 230-pound sophomore should put up one of his best performances of the season against a poor Texas Tech defense – and the Tigers should pick up the victory.