In previewing the Coastal Carolina-Liberty game, I said that was the battle of the mascot nicknames. I rescind that statement and would like to add this game in place of it. The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl pits the #19 Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (9-1) against the University of Texas at San Antonio, UTSA for short, Roadrunners (7-4). The First Responder Bowl takes place in Dallas, Texas at Gerald R. Ford Stadium. This will be only the second-ever bowl appearance for the Roadrunners and first under budding head coach Jeff Traylor. For the Ragin’ Cajuns this will be their third straight under head coach Billy Nappier. Nappier is 0-2 so far in bowls at UL Lafayette and looks to turn it around this year in the SERVPRO First Responders Bowl. This will be the year that SERVPRO sponsors the First Responders Bowl.
How They Got Here: Louisiana
The Ragin’ Cajuns are one of the feel-good stories of this college football season. They started out the season with a huge upset of future #6 Iowa State. This was a game that they won handily 31-14. They followed it up by winning their next two, before taking their only loss of the season to Sun Belt Champs Coastal Carolina. Since that game, they’ve rattled off six straight wins and are looking poised for a seventh. On a side note, they’ve had four game-winning fourth-quarter drives.
UL Lafayette is explosive on offense. They rank 44th in yards per game and average 34 points. They have a balanced offensive attack behind the arm of QB Levi Lewis, throwing for 2,124 yards and 17 TDs with five more on the ground. This is yet another team with a pair of dynamic backs in the backfield. Elijah Mitchell and Trey Ragas are the workhorses with 751 and 662 yards respectively. Mitchell has seven TDs to his name, while Ragas has nine on the ground and two receiving. There’s not really a number one receiver, more of a committee.
This Ragin’ Cajun defense is the cornerstone of the team. They only give up 347 yards per game, ranking them 31st in the country. While they struggle with their rush defense, their pass defense is impenetrable. They give up 166 yards through the air, good enough for 5th, and one spot ahead of Wisconsin. And, they only give up 22 points per game.
How They Got Here: UTSA
The Roadrunners’ season is a success. Their four losses came to Conference USA champs UAB, BYU, Army, and a good FAU team. So while this team’s record says 7-4, they are much better than that. UTSA comes into the game on a three game win streak and wins in four of their last five.
UTSA runs the ball really well. They average 215 rush yards per game but are just shy of 200 yards passing a game. Their average yardage output ranks them 51st in the nation. They can put up points too if needed, but at 28.6 per game, don’t expect them to light up the scoreboard. The Roadrunners have two receivers, Joshua Cephus and Zakhari Franklin, over 500 yards, both combining for ten touchdowns. That’s not the strength of their team, though. Sincere McCormick, the standout RB, is the strength of this team. His 1,345 yards rank him 2nd in all of college football. Add on to that 11 TDs and you’ve got yourself a guy who’s anything but sincere. He’s coming off a game against North Texas in which he ran for 251 yards and two scores. Also, watch out for dual-threat QB Frank Harris.
The defense isn’t all that bad either, ranking 49th in yards against per game. They only give up about 25.2 points, as well. UTSA is average against, both, the run and the pass. They did hold the amazing BYU offense to 27 points, which is a feat in it of itself.
Betting and Predictions
Our friends over at BUSR Sportsbook have all the information on the spreads, money line, and over/unders for every game under the sun.
With that said, BUSR has the Ragin’ Cajuns as a 13.5 point favorite of the Roadrunners. The key to this game is whether or not Louisiana can take the ball out of the hands of Sincere McCormick. They held one of the nation’s best backs, Breece Hall, to 103 yards, which they’ll need to duplicate again, even with the 84th ranked rush defense. That’s a lot of points to be giving a solid UTSA team, so I’ll take them to cover, but they’ll still fall short of claiming the SERVPRO First Responders Bowl. BUSR has the over/under sitting at 57. Both teams can put up points, and I don’t think the Louisiana defense will do enough to stop McCormick on the ground. I like the over in this one.