‘Tis the season for intriguing bowl matchups, and the Isleta New Mexico Bowl will bring one of the more interesting games. TCU (8-4) will meet the University of Louisiana (10-3) for the first time in history on Saturday, December 28th. ESPN is televising the game at 1:15 PM CST.
The Ragin’ Cajuns of Lafayette are coming off an impressive regular season in which they won six consecutive games at one point. Head coach Michael Desormeaux was named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year, and ULL recently rewarded him with a five-year extension. Desormeaux has now brought the Cajuns to a bowl game in each of his three seasons at the helm.
Sonny Dykes is also finishing his third year as the head coach in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs bounced back from a 5-7 season in 2023 to finish in the top half of the realigned Big 12. Dykes made an impressive run with TCU to win a playoff game in 2022 and looks to have the program trending in the right direction again.
High Flying Frogs
As one should expect from a Dykes-led team, TCU has displayed an explosive passing offense. Quarterback Josh Hoover averages over 300 passing yards per game, and he has no shortage of weapons. Wide receiver and Lafayette native Jack Bech leads the team in receptions. The former LSU transfer developed into a go-to guy for the Horned Frogs and has over 1,000 receiving yards for the year.
6’5”, 225-pound receiver Savion Williams is a big part of the TCU offense, both literally and figuratively. Williams is second on the team in receptions but also second in rushing attempts. The athletic receiver doubles as a wildcat quarterback and even has a touchdown pass on the year. His role will grow (I know, hard to believe) in the bowl game due to the loss of running back Cam Cook to the transfer portal.
The UL defense could easily hold up physically against the Frogs better than expected. Linebacker KC Ossai plays a hard-nosed brand of football and is good enough to play at any level. Justin Agu is as aggressive as it gets in run support from the cornerback position. The Cajuns excel against the run, but the run game is not the strength of the TCU offense.
Stepping Up to the Plate
The Cajuns are hoping to get starting quarterback Ben Wooldridge back from injury for the bowl game, but we haven’t confirmed his return. Reserve Chandler Fields has gotten the majority of the snaps in Wooldridge’s absence. Fields has completed over 70% of his passes with only one interception in 87 attempts. He’s been more than serviceable, but the offense does not rely on Fields alone.
Freshman running back Bill Davis is a 5’9”, 240-pound bowling ball in the backfield. His low center of gravity helps his leverage and balance, but he also has a surprising ability to make defenders miss in the open field. Sophomore Zylan Perry provides the lightning to Davis’s thunder, averaging over six yards per carry.
Louisiana uses a significant amount of jet sweep action in its offensive play calling, but the receivers rarely run the ball. Not to worry; they get plenty of action in the passing game. Even with productive players like Harvey Broussard and Terence Carter in the portal, the Cajuns will play three receivers with over 20 catches.
Calling Our Shot
Bowl games often come down to who wants to be there the most. Fortunately, we don’t expect the New Mexico Bowl to have a disinterested team on either sideline. The Cajuns are hungry, coming off a 31-3 loss to Marshall. They also have a chance to win 11 games for the third time in school history. Conversely, TCU must maintain its positive momentum going into the off-season. The Horned Frogs only have six players in the portal currently, and that speaks to the buy-in within the program. There’s more parity than ever in the Big 12, and the Frogs could easily be a playoff team in 2025.
In the end, the Cajuns don’t generate enough pressure with their front four to slow down Hoover. Given time, he’ll have success through the air. The matchups on the perimeter are not in the Cajuns’ favor if they send extra rushers. UL presents a challenge with its run game. Those who haven’t seen Davis run are in for a treat, but the uncertainty at quarterback is concerning. We’re giving TCU the nod to come out on top in an evenly matched New Mexico Bowl.
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