TCU vs Louisiana Tech: Casey Pachall Will Win MVP Honors in Horned Frogs Victory

Bowl season has arrived, and the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl provides one of the best bowl games on the 2011 slate.

TCU (10-2, 7-0 MWC) will tangle with Louisiana Tech (8-4, 6-1 WAC) at 8 p.m. EST on Wednesday night.

TCU has won their only two games (2006, 2008) at the Poinsettia Bowl. MVP honors went to TCU’s quarterback in both instances. Expect Casey Pachall to be the third Horned Frog to win the award after he impresses against the Bulldogs.

Pachall has been fantastic since taking over for Andy Dalton this season. He has posted 2,715 yards, 24 touchdowns and only six interceptions.

He’s replacing one of the best quarterbacks in college football history, a player who holds several Horned Frogs records for passing numbers and who won more than 40 games in his career.

Sounds like a figure who would be tough to follow up. Not quite.

Pachall was wonderful this season, posting another 10-win campaign for the university.

He has played big-time football in the biggest games this season. Against Baylor, in the opener, Pachall went for 251 yards and four touchdowns. Against Boise State he went for 473 yards and five touchdowns.

That’s production on the highest stage—exactly what every coach wants and expects from their leader on offense.

He has led the Horned Frogs to the ninth highest amount of points scored (41.7 PPG) in the country.

It always helps when you have a great rushing attack, too. Pachall has that on his team in the likes of Waymon James, Matthew Tucker and Ed Wesley, all three of whom have totaled more than 600 yards rushing on the season.

The Horned Frogs are No. 20 in the country in rushing yards per game, with 210.2.

Both the rushing attack and passing attack will help each other out significantly against the Bulldogs’ No. 34-ranked defense.

TCU is the better team when compared to Louisiana Tech. Sometimes the better team doesn’t always win, but it’s the team that plays better on that day. TCU won’t allow Louisiana Tech the opportunity to pull off the upset, and Pachall will be the No. 1 reason why.  

Prediction: TCU 34, Louisiana Tech 31