The Houston Cougars and the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns will compete for holiday cheer in the Independence Bowl on Friday at Independence Stadium at 3 p.m. ET. The Ragin' Cajuns will be strutting in after a win while Houston will be stumbling in from a loss.
Houston scored first but ultimately less than the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in their game four weeks ago. The Cougars came up short against Tulsa, falling 37-30. What made the defeat an especially bitter pill for Houston to swallow was that they had been favored by 13 points coming into the contest.
Special teams collected 12 points for Houston. K Kyle Ramsey delivered a perfect 3-for-3 game. Nathaniel Dell's 68-yard punt return for touchdown should surely be counted as one of the game's standout moments.
Meanwhile, the Ragin' Cajuns made easy work of the Texas State Bobcats four weeks ago and carried off a 41-13 victory. Louisiana's RB Chris Smith looked sharp as he punched in one rushing touchdown in addition to snatching one receiving TD.
A pair of numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: The Cougars come into the matchup boasting the fifth most passing touchdowns in the nation at 37. But Louisiana ranks 20th in the nation when it comes to passing touchdowns allowed, with only 15 on the season. These opposing strengths should make for an exciting matchup.