TCU performed its greatest soccer through the second half of the common season.
Louisiana performed its worst sport of the season in its most up-to-date contest.
The Horned Frogs (8-4) will attempt to preserve rolling and the Ragin’ Cajuns (10-3) will attempt to bounce again after they meet within the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday afternoon in Albuquerque.
TCU gained 5 of its previous six video games, together with the final three.
“We have been 3-3 and it did not look excellent,” Horned Frogs coach Sonny Dykes mentioned. “We did not play effectively and we had three video games the place we turned the ball over 12 occasions, which is nearly unprecedented within the historical past of soccer. However we managed to get via it and survive it.”
TCU had misplaced three of 4 when it entered an open date in early October. Dykes and his workers used the time to get the gamers centered on how they might flip the season round. Within the subsequent sport, the Horned Frogs gained 13-7 at Utah, and their solely loss the remainder of the best way got here on a last-second tiebreaking subject purpose at Baylor.
“The gamers jumped on board and did the whole lot we requested them to do,” Dykes mentioned. “I feel that confirmed lots of character.”
The Horned Frogs eradicated the rash of turnovers and have been plus-3 in turnover margin over their remaining six regular-season video games.
Sophomore quarterback Josh Hoover ranks seventh nationally in passing yards (3,697). He’s 1 yard behind Max Duggan for the second-highest single-season whole in class historical past and desires 205 to interrupt Trevone Boykin’s file of three,901.
He has a 1,000-yard receiver in Jack Bech, an LSU switch who’s a local of Lafayette, La., the place the Ragin’ Cajuns are positioned.
Louisiana’s solely losses have been to bowl-eligible groups. The Ragin’ Cajuns misplaced by eight factors to Tulane in September and by two to South Alabama in November earlier than being routed by Marshall 31-3 within the Solar Belt Convention championship sport in Lafayette on Dec. 7.
“You all the time sit up for the following alternative,” Cajuns coach Michael Desormeaux mentioned.
Desormeaux mentioned the chance to face a crew from an influence convention ought to allow his crew to neglect the frustration of the Marshall loss.
“It is all the time an enormous deal for us,” he mentioned. “In the event you can end this season with a win in opposition to a crew like TCU and end with 11 wins, that places you in a greater beginning spot subsequent yr.”
Desormeaux mentioned beginning quarterback Ben Wooldridge has an opportunity to play within the bowl sport after lacking the final three video games due to a shoulder damage. His alternative, Chandler Fields, has accomplished 72.4 p.c of his passes with 5 touchdowns and one interception.
Regardless of who’s beneath middle, Desormeaux is aware of he has “an actual weapon” in kicker Kenneth Almendares, who gained the Lou Groza Award. He made all however two of his 29 field-goal makes an attempt, and the misses got here from 53 and 60 yards. Almendares is 46-for-47 on additional factors.
“Kenny has been phenomenal,” Desormeaux mentioned. “Any time you get throughout (midfield), you recognize you are not far-off from getting some factors on the board.”
–Discipline Stage Media
