Miami Football: 3 takeaways from Independence Bowl loss to Louisiana Tech

Miami football was on the receiving end of the first shutout in Independence Bowl history. Here are three things we learned from the Louisiana Tech victory.

In seven of the past eight years, the Independence Bowl has seen the winning team score at least 40 points. This year’s version was entirely dominated by defense, as Louisiana Tech left Shreveport with a 14-0 victory over the Miami Hurricanes.

Never before in more than three decades of Independence Bowl history had a team been shut out before the Hurricanes suffered the dubious honor on Boxing Day. The 14 combined points also marked the second-lowest scoring finish in the bowl’s 34 editions, eclipsed only by the 12 total points scored in Air Force’s 9-3 victory over Ole Miss back in 1983.

For the first time at the FBS level, Louisiana Tech capped off a 10-win season just an hour west of Ruston in front of a heavily friendly crowd. Miami, on the other hand, walks away from Louisiana with their first losing season since 2014. For a team with dreams of competing once again for the ACC Coastal, it was an unconscionable downturn in Manny Diaz’s first season at the helm.

There is plenty to talk about after such a demoralizing loss for the Hurricanes. At the same time, there is plenty to wonder about how much motivation Miami really brought into the Independence Bowl. Louisiana Tech certainly showed up hungry for a victory, and the difference in enthusiasm made a huge difference.

What should we really take away from Miami’s Independence Bowl loss? Here are three lessons to hold as the Hurricanes head into the offseason.