Poinsettia Bowl: 5 Things We Learned from TCU's Win over Louisiana Tech

In what turned out to be a spirited, hard-fought contest, TCU escaped San Diego with a 31-24 victory over Louisiana Tech. It was a lot closer than many experts believed, as Louisiana Tech controlled the game for most of the night. In the end, TCU was able to make enough big plays to pull out the win.

It may be the final game of the season, but as coaches often say, bowl games carry great weight into next season.

With that said, what did we learn from this game that we can use going forward into the 2012 season?

Casey Pachall Can Make the Big Throws When Necessary

For most of the game, Casey Pachall did not play his best. There were passes behind receivers, passes overthrow by a couple of yards or out of bounds; there was just an overall feeling that he and his receivers were not on the same page.

Taking away TCU's running game and making them earn it through the air, Pachall struggled. He entered the fourth quarter with a paltry 10-for-23 for 129 yards stat line.

In the fourth quarter, however, he took over. He went 5-for-6 for 77 yards including the 42-yard touchdown pass to Skye Dawson, a perfectly thrown corner route. Pachall added 12 rushing yards and orchestrated the marquee 9:21 drive.

La. Tech took away Pachall for three quarters but couldn't hold him down for all four. Pachall made the big plays when it counted, and that is one reason why TCU walked away victorious.

TCU Is a Very Resilient Football Team

Louisiana Tech controlled the game for a majority of the night. Given that many thought TCU would be disappointed to be in San Diego, it seemed possible that the Frogs would fold up their tent in an attempt to get home as quick as possible.

Think again.

TCU cornerback Greg McCoy made a big interception in the final minutes of the first half to give the Frogs a short field. After being unable to do much of anything on offense all night, TCU was able to punch one into the end zone right before the half to tie it at 10.

Then, having made adjustments at halftime, TCU went right down the field to open the second half, taking the lead 17-10.

However, La. Tech regained the momentum once again. A muffed punt by Brandon Carter led to a Bulldogs touchdown, tying the game at 17. TCU stalled twice more before the Bulldogs hooked up on a 61-yard touchdown strike to take the lead 24-17 entering the fourth quarter.

Still, the Frogs were unfazed. They went on an 18-play, 72-yard drive, converting two fourth downs in the process and tying the game at 24. After a three-and-out from the defense, TCU quickly scored in six plays to take the lead for good.

La. Tech had big-time momentum twice in the game. McCoy made a key interception to give it back to the Frogs entering the half, then Pachall led the team on a long drive to get it back in the fourth quarter. The Frogs were able to score 14 points in just over three minutes in the fourth quarter.

Then, they held the Bulldogs down.

This was the same resiliency that saw them bounce back against Baylor (though they would ultimately lose by two) and come back to beat Boise State.

TCU Will Be Just Fine in the Big 12

TCU capped off their final MWC season with a bowl win, improving to 11-2. On the way, they decided to defeat every MWC opponent as a nice parting gift.

What a down year, right?

Next year, they'll move to the Big 12, but don't expect the win total to drop much. Out of the 396 yards they totaled tonight, they'll have 378 of it returning. Defensively they will return six of their top 11 tacklers, including Stansly Maponga.

They have a leader on offense in Pachall and a balanced attack. All that may be missing is a leader on defense. Coach Gary Patterson stated earlier this week that he "wasn't sure that [they've] had the total leadership [they] wanted defensively."

Who will be the leader to step up next season?

If they find one capable of taking on the role, expect TCU to compete for a Big 12 championship in their inaugural season.

Louisiana Tech Has the Chance to Be Very Explosive on Offense Next Season

That isn't to say that the Bulldogs weren't a great offensive team this year. Since Colby Cameron took over full-time starting duties against San Jose State, the Bulldogs have averaged 33 points per game.

The Bulldogs showed that they are not afraid to throw the ball downfield. Early and often, they tested TCU's defensive backs (sometimes to a fault, as the ball was forced a couple of times), but more often than not, Cameron threw a nice back-shoulder pass for his receivers.

Louisiana Tech was impressive on the ground as well. They didn't miss a beat despite their top running back, Lennon Creer, being ineligible. Instead, in stepped walk-on freshman Hunter Lee who rushed for 64 yards on the day.

The only thing that really stopped La. Tech tonight was their defense and turnovers. A solid drive in the first half was cut short by a fumble. Then, TCU's long drive in the fourth quarter kept the Bulldogs off the field. The Bulldogs only ran nine plays in the final quarter and were held scoreless.

Next year, they will have Cameron back in addition to the ineligible Creer, plus Lee and four of the teams top five receivers, including Myles White, who had seven receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown tonight.

Another year under Dykes' system, who apparently wrote the book on passing, and this team can explode.

Don't Tell These Players That Early Bowl Games Don't Matter

It may very well be true that there are too many bowl games. There could be low attendance, low ratings and crazy sponsors, but don't tell the players that the game they are playing in doesn't matter.

We just saw a physical football game between two teams that did not want to walk away defeated. They weren't swayed by the low attendance (26,000) or the pre-Christmas time-slot.

TCU, despite winning the Rose Bowl last season and playing in the Fiesta Bowl the season before that, wanted to win as much as Louisiana Tech, a team which has been to two bowls in the past twenty seasons.

We already saw the spirit of college football on display with teams like Ohio, Temple, Louisiana-Lafayette and Marshall, and we were reminded of it again from both teams tonight. You don't have to watch every bowl game or buy every product advertised, but don't tell the players it doesn't matter.

Ryne Hodkowski is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.