The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Coastal Carolina Chanticleers face off in the 49th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Saturday.
Kickoff is 1 p.m. at Independence Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
Louisiana Tech (7-5) is making its second straight appearance and sixth overall in the bowl. The Bulldogs came in with a 5-7 record last year and fell to Army 27-6.
Louisiana Tech also appeared in 1977, 1990, 2008 and 2019.
This Coastal Carolina’s first appearance. The Chanticleers are 6-6. They finished third in the Sun Belt Conference East Division at 5-3.
This marks the sixth straight year they have played in a bowl game.
Louisiana Tech is moving from Conference USA to the Sun Belt by at least 2027 and possibly next season.
The matchup is the first ever between the schools.
Louisiana Tech Head Coach Sonny Cumbie expects a challenge and is hoping to have a lot of fan support.
“There are a lot of Louisiana Tech alumni who are in Dallas, East Texas, Houston, and the Shreveport area that I hope come over,” he said during Monday morning’s press conference.
“I feel so passionate about our players and Louisiana Tech, what we stand for and how we handle ourselves. We have had a great opportunity to engage with them. “We hope they have felt the same way. We are playing a great football team in Coastal Carolina, who have done the same thing.
“I think it is going to be a great football game. For a 1 p.m. game at Independence Stadium, it is going to be a great game from a weather standpoint. “There is nowhere else you would rather be that Independence Stadium if you are in this area. You are going to see two teams that are really tough and very well coached. They are going to play an exciting brand of football.”
Some of Coastal Carolina’s coaches have Louisiana Tech ties.
Interim Head Coach Jeremiah Johnson was Tech’s defensive coordinator last season. Defensive game coordinator and line coach Jacori Greer, secondary coach Keelon Brookins and linebackers coach Cortez Carter were all on Cumbie’s staff last season.
Johnson was named interim head coach after Tim Beck was fired in late November after three seasons. Former Missouri State Head Coach Ryan Beard was hired as his replacement earlier this month.
Louisiana Tech finished in a three-way tie for fourth in Conference USA. This is the first winning season in Cumbie’s four years as head coach.
The Bulldogs started the season 4-1 with the only loss coming at LSU. Tech lost four of its next five before closing the regular season with victories over Liberty 34-28 in overtime and Missouri 42-30.
Coastal Carolina started the season 3-3. The Chanticleers the won three straight before dropping their final three regular-season games.
Coastal Carolina hasn’t played since 59-10 loss to conference champion James Madison on Nov. 29.
Louisiana Tech won’t have safeties Michael Richard and Jacob Fields, and linebacker Mekhi Mason. All three have entered the transfer portal along with quarterback Evan Bullock, per media reports.
The secondary may be depleted some, but the Bulldogs still have All-America selection Jakari Foster and veteran Cedric Woods, who is playing in his 58th game at Tech.
Woods expects the newcomers to perform well.
“It has been about getting those guys reps,” he said. “In the film room, we have been teaching them and showing them different things.
“It is going to be a great challenge as they have a really good offense and really physical receivers on the outside. They do a good job of protecting the ball and a great job on the perimeter so we will have a great challenge ahead of us, so we are excited for that challenge.”
Blake Baker, who started eight games at quarterback, suffered a season-ending injury in Week 11.
Trey Kukuk, who started the final two regular-season games, is expected to start at quarterback.
Kukuk rushed for 172 yards on 16 carries and scored three touchdowns against Missouri State. He completed 8-of-13 passes for 87 yards.
Against Liberty, Kukuk rushed for 143 yards on 19 carries and scored two touchdowns. He completed 13-of-20 passes for 118 yards.
For the season, Kukuk has rushed for 488 yards on 79 carries.
Louisiana Tech is averaging 196.6 yards rushing per game on the season. Coastal Carolina is allowing 211.3.
Clay Thevenin leads the Bulldogs on the ground with 605 yards on 121 carries. He has scored eight touchdowns.
Omiri Wiggins has 468 yards rushing on 97 carries and four touchdowns.
Andrew Burnette has 458 on 78 and eight TDs. He ran for 132 yards on 16 carries and scored two TDs against Missouri State. He rushed for 93 yards and three TDs against Liberty.
Tight end Eli Finley is Tech’s leading receiver with 37 catches for 440 yards. Devin Gandy has 22 catches for 376 yards.
Coastal Carolina will be without offensive linemen Nick Del Grande (injury, transfer portal) and Joseph Hanson (transfer portal).
“The kids have been phenomenal,” Johnson said. “We have really only have only had four out of 105 that choose not to play. So that’s been really good.
“One of them chose not to play back in October. Only three since they made the change that didn’t want to play in the bowl.”
Coastal Carolina quarterback Samari Collier missed the final two games of the regular season with a knee injury. According to media reports, he could play Saturday. If he doesn’t, Tad Hudson is the likely starter.
Hudson played in 10 games. He completed 114-of-205 passes for 942 yards and four TDs with five interceptions. Collier completed 38-of-78 for 489 yards and seven TDs in seven games. He also rushed for 529 yards and seven TDs.
Javin Simkins leads the Chanticleers on the ground with 568 yards on 112 carries.
Four Coastal Carolina players have 197 or more yards receiving. Cameron Wright leads the team with 24 catches for 274 yards.
Defensive back Xamarion Gordon was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference second team. Defensive Zeke Campbell was named to the third team.