PREMIUM
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(NCAAF) Southern Miss vs. Louisiana-Lafayette,
Total: 58.50 | -110.00 Under
Result: Loss
Total: 58.50 | -110.00 Under
Result: Loss
The set-up: In the bowl season circa 2016, a 6-6 season makes one bowl-eligible and this year's New Orleans Bowl features just that, a pair of 6-6 teams. Louisiana-Lafayette needed to win its final two games to become bowl eligible and did just that with wins over Arkansas State and Louisiana-Monroe in its final two games. Southern Miss dropped three in a row to begin November and looked ‘dead in the water' but its stunning 39-24 home win (as two-TD home dogs!) over C-USA West champion Louisiana Tech in the regular-season finale got the Golden Eagles to 6-6. The Golden Eagles are making their second straight bowl appearance while the Rajin' Cajuns are back after missing out in 2015.
Southern Miss: The Golden Eagles are led by senior QB Nick Mullens, who returned from a two-game absence due to a concussion in the regular-season finale and accounted for four TDs (three passing, one rushing) to help clinch the bowl berth. Mullens has completed 63.4% for 2,926 yards with 22 TDs and 10 INTs. RB Ito Smith (1,3232 yards on 5.5 YPC & 15 TDs) leads a running game which average 180.7 YPG. Southern Miss scores 33.2 PPG but its defense allows nearly as much at 30.2 PPG. Mullens is a senior and will be playing his final college game after setting a school record with 85 career TD passes
Louisiana-Lafayette: The Ragin' Cajuns will start a senior at QB as well in Anthony Jennings, who remarkably guided his team to a win in the regular-season finale without recording a passing yard (2-of-5 for zero yards). However, he has completed 61.1% on the year, although for just a modest 2,083 and has more INTs (12) than TD passes (11). He's added seven rushing TDs but RB McGuire leads the the team's rushing attack, with 1.28 yards on 4.8 YPC with seven TDs. ULL is scoring a modest 23.8 PPG (108th) but also the defense allows a modest 25.1 PPG (48th).
The pick: Southern Miss and the University of Louisiana have had up-and-down football seasons but the winner here will have something to build off of. This is as close to a home game for ULL as it gets and after missing out on last year's bowl season, expect the Rajin' Cajuns to be primed to win their ‘home' bowl. This will be the fifth time in six seasons that ULL has ended the season with a New Orleans Bowl game and the team is 4-0 SU & ATS the previous four trips. Why should anything change? ULL is an 8* play.
Southern Miss: The Golden Eagles are led by senior QB Nick Mullens, who returned from a two-game absence due to a concussion in the regular-season finale and accounted for four TDs (three passing, one rushing) to help clinch the bowl berth. Mullens has completed 63.4% for 2,926 yards with 22 TDs and 10 INTs. RB Ito Smith (1,3232 yards on 5.5 YPC & 15 TDs) leads a running game which average 180.7 YPG. Southern Miss scores 33.2 PPG but its defense allows nearly as much at 30.2 PPG. Mullens is a senior and will be playing his final college game after setting a school record with 85 career TD passes
Louisiana-Lafayette: The Ragin' Cajuns will start a senior at QB as well in Anthony Jennings, who remarkably guided his team to a win in the regular-season finale without recording a passing yard (2-of-5 for zero yards). However, he has completed 61.1% on the year, although for just a modest 2,083 and has more INTs (12) than TD passes (11). He's added seven rushing TDs but RB McGuire leads the the team's rushing attack, with 1.28 yards on 4.8 YPC with seven TDs. ULL is scoring a modest 23.8 PPG (108th) but also the defense allows a modest 25.1 PPG (48th).
The pick: Southern Miss and the University of Louisiana have had up-and-down football seasons but the winner here will have something to build off of. This is as close to a home game for ULL as it gets and after missing out on last year's bowl season, expect the Rajin' Cajuns to be primed to win their ‘home' bowl. This will be the fifth time in six seasons that ULL has ended the season with a New Orleans Bowl game and the team is 4-0 SU & ATS the previous four trips. Why should anything change? ULL is an 8* play.
