The Big Easy is hosting a clash of conferences this year, as Sam Houston and Georgia Southern collide in the New Orleans Bowl. Conference USA and the Sun Belt, the ‘undercard’ members of the FBS conferences, are sending some of their best to the Superdome. One enters without a head coach, and the other is the runner-up in their conference. Only one can walk away the winner.
New Orleans Bowl 2024 Preview: Sam Houston and Georgia Southern
Bearkats Scratched Up
In its second year in the FBS, Sam Houston is standing tall. After dominating former WAC powerhouse Rice in the season opener, the Big 12’s UCF completely cut up the Sam Houston defense. This year, however, one loss was not enough to deter the Bearkats.
While Oklahoma schools have struggled, Sam Houston has been stepping up big time. At 9-3, the Bearkats just barely lost out on competing for the Conference USA championship. Unfortunately, the offseason hasn’t been as kind.
On December 1st, FCS legend and Bearkat head coach K.C. Keeler announced he was immediately stepping down from the program. While Keeler heads to rebuild Temple, Sam Houston will look for someone to keep the ship straight. Offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen will coach the team for the New Orleans Bowl.
Eagles Soaring Above and Beyond
Pre-season polls predicted that Georgia Southern would finish fourth or lower in the Sun Belt’s East Division. Instead, the Eagles came in just behind the conference champion Marshall. They beat Marshall in Week Six. Indeed, the Georgia Southern Eagles are flying higher than some Big 12 or SEC teams at an 8-4 record on the season. In contrast to other teams, they’ve also seen very little outgoing movement in the transfer portal.
New offensive coordinator Ryan Aplin is credited with this success. Most will probably remember Aplin as the record-setting Arkansas State quarterback from just over 10 years ago. Every team that has Aplin onboard inevitably finds success with an agile offense, and that’s just what he’s done at Georgia Southern. With few outgoing players and a team of solid coordinators, the Sun Belt’s Georgia Southern is coming into the New Orleans Bowl with massive momentum.
Who’s On First For Sam Houston?
After its best season since winning the WAC in 2021, Sam Houston faces an uphill battle to end the season. The top three running backs, DJ McKinney, Jay Ducker, and John Gentry, are entering the transfer portal. Additionally, starting safety Caleb Weaver and defensive end Chris Murray are also leaving. Quite a few Bearkats are opting to head to the transfer portal.
Hunter Watson, the starting quarterback, is still in. At running back, they’re down to Adrian Murdaugh, a redshirt junior. Murdaugh has the speed and build to slip through the line, but he hasn’t seen much action over three years. Simeon Evans, at the top of the wide receiver depth chart, is entering the portal but has committed to playing in the game. Unlike the Oklahoma Sooners, the wide receiver group at Sam Houston is staying out of the transfer portal.
Defensively, the Bearkats are down quite a few of their best. Plenty of them are entering the portal, but not all. Issiah Nixon and Jevon Leon, both seniors, are staying in. The defensive backfield, however, is not so lucky. Unless more players come forward to play in the bowl game, the Bearkats face a seriously depleted backfield.
Georgia Southern’s Starting Roster
JC French may only be a sophomore, but he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the Sun Belt. After throwing for over 2,000 yards this season, French is somewhere in the top 100 quarterbacks nationally. He’s backed up by senior running back Jalen White.
At wide receiver, Georgia Southern has three 500+ yard receivers. Derwin Burgess Jr., Dalen Cobb, and Josh Dallas are all serious threats on any normal day- but against a depleted Sam Houston, they may be unstoppable.
Defensively there are solid, veteran talents up and down the line. There will be problems replacing this amount of talent next year but for the New Orleans Bowl this year? Georgia Southern is completely prepared.
Last Thoughts on the New Orleans Bowl 2024
There are plenty of great bowl games on tap this year. The New Orleans Bowl showdown is looking to be yet another one. For those who call the Lone Star State home, the obvious favorite is Sam Houston. The odds, however, are looking pretty dicey for the Bearkats.
If the veterans choose to play one last game in the orange and white, there’s a real competitive match-up here. If not, then this game will end up looking like the Army-Navy game. Georgia Southern is riding momentum and stability, and the Eagles will likely ride it all the way to a win. Whatever happens, Last Word On Sports will be there with the most comprehensive breakdown of the 2024 New Orleans Bowl.
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