New Orleans Bowl 2015: Arkansas State vs. Louisiana Tech TV Schedule, Time, Odds
If a game were to personify the idea of two teams heading in opposite directions, it would be Saturday's R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl between the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Arkansas State Red Wolves.
The 9-3 Red Wolves look almost unstoppable under the guidance of head coach Blake Anderson, having rattled off eight wins in a row to seize the Sun Belt Conference behind a turnover-happy defense and strong quarterback play from Fredi Knighten.
Louisiana Tech, on the other hand, rests at 8-4 after losing its final game of the season in 58-24 fashion while turning the ball over seven times.
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Of course, none of this is to say the seemingly evenly matched teams won't play a close contest. In fact, Las Vegas seems to think they will, so here's a look at everything to know about what could be quite the underrated showdown.
Game Details
When: Saturday, December 19, at 9 p.m. ET
Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans
Television: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Over/Under: 68
Spread: Louisiana Tech (-2)
Team Injury Reports
| Chris Stone | DE | Out Sat |
| Tyler Trosin | WR | Out Sat |
| Jemar Clark | OL | Out for season |
| Justin Clifton | LB | Out for season |
| Bo Sentimore | DB | Out for season |
| Tajhea Chambers | QB | Out for season |
| Michael Mims | S | Out for season |
| Kirby Wixson | OL | Out indefinitely |
Injury reports courtesy of USA Today.
Riding the Wave
It's hard to find a flaw with the Red Wolves right now.
The team opened the season as losers of three of its first four, but so it goes when then-No. 8 USC and then-No. 21 Missouri are opponents and the team had to suffer through a game against Toledo without a quarterback as talented as Knighten.
Knighten's a large part of what drives Arkansas State. He's thrown for 1,698 yards and 19 scores this year with another four rushing scores on the ground.
Combine it with a defense that has forced an NCAA-leading 34 turnovers, and it isn't hard to see how the Red Wolves have won eight in a row and posted north of 50 points four times and 40 or more eight times.
"We found our stride. Fredi got back on the field, got healthy and we got better every game down the stretch," Anderson said, according to ESPN.com. "We didn't turn the ball over often (10 times). We ran the ball well."
All that remains is using the same impressive approach once more against a slumping team to cap off a superb season.
That, though, might not be as easy as it sounds.
Rebounding for a Finish
The Bulldogs also started off the season in a rut, dropping two of their first three games before losing just two more on the season in between streaks of three and four wins.
What gets the attention, though, is the aforementioned drubbing at the hands of Southern Miss in which Florida castoff Jeff Driskel tossed a trio of interceptions and carriers lost three fumbles.
So now the underdog narrative kicks in, and receivers coach Joe Sloan said the combination of the loss and the long wait for a bowl game will have the Bulldogs hungry for a win Saturday, according to Sean Isabella of the Shreveport Times.
"Going into bowl games, the team that is most excited to play is the team that wins," Sloan said. "That's usually with every Saturday but bowl games are different because you have so many more days off and you have to make sure you're motivated going into it."
Odds are Louisiana Tech's disappointing finish to the season was more anomaly than an act sure to get repeated. After all, Driskel's completing 61.9 percent of his passes this season with 3,575 yards and 24 touchdowns to eight picks.
Even better, the offense has a historic player by the name of Kenneth Dixon, a running back with 968 yards and 22 total touchdowns.
It has the makings of a strength vs. strength matchup in which the Bulldogs have to hope the balanced attack can put turnover woes behind them against the nation's best at forcing them.
Prediction
It's almost impossible to ignore recent history here.
It'd be one thing if Louisiana Tech's recent issues came against a top-tier program from a bigger conference, but with all due respect to the strong season put on by Southern Miss, it was merely another C-USA opponent.
Knighten's too versatile and the defense backing him too strong to pick against the Red Wolves here. Louisiana Tech won't have an answer, and once the offense falls behind, it opens the door even further turnover woes.
Look for the Red Wolves to pull ahead by the half on a few big-hitting plays and then ride the turnover game to a win.
Prediction: Red Wolves 35, Bulldogs 33
Statistics courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified. All betting information courtesy of Odds Shark.
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