Illinois Fighting Illini (6-6) vs. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8-5)
December 26, 1 PM ET, ESPN, Line: LA Tech -6, O/U 57.5
The Fighting Illini and Bulldogs will meet in Dallas for Friday afternoon football in the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl. This will be the first of three games slated for the day after Christmas. While you’re breaking in that new gaming console or connecting the Wi-Fi in every device in your house, flip the main TV to ESPN for a good 10 hours of football.
There’s a break in bowl action on Christmas Day, so all of us bowl junkies can get back in the groove after a (hopefully) lazy morning.
This is the fifth Heart of Dallas Bowl, and the first under its new sponsor. That new sponsor is chicken restaurant Zaxby’s. I have an affinity for this place since my lovely wife worked there in our small town in high school.
2014 Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl Preview: Illinois vs. LA Tech
When I heard they were sponsoring a bowl I thought it was great that this little engine that could mom and pop outfit was relevant enough to fund a bowl game. Then I realized how many bowls now have poultry associated with them:
Chick-Fil-A
Foster Farms
Zaxby’s
Popeye’s
Buffalo Wild Wings
When I was a kid, it seemed like all the bowls were named after fruit, flowers, or happy events like Holidays and Fiestas. Now that the bowl total has doubled in the last 20 years, the names are getting more and more interesting. Lots of regional businesses are getting their hands in on the NCAA postseason action.
The Teams
I can fit my knowledge of Illinois and LA Tech in a Zaxby’s Wings & Things box, but I’ve definitely enjoyed my fair share of Illini and Bulldog action over the years.
I know:
Illinois’ basketball team cost me our dorm room March Madness pool in 2005 when they lost in the title game to North Carolina.
They retired their mascot, Chief Illiniwek, in 2007 after a long debate over his portrayal of Native Americans.
I was on my honeymoon when Illinois took on USC in the Rose Bowl in 2008. My lovely new bride and I walked up to serve ourselves beer on tap (God bless all inclusive resorts) and saw Illinois getting taken to the woodshed by the Trojans on the television.
USC won 49-17 (there were a few bad BCS Bowls in ‘08) and Illinois has been mired in .500 territory ever since.
Louisiana Tech rocks a blue and red uniform combo as well as any team in the country.
Their women’s basketball team, the Lady Techsters, has a storied history. They were a Final Four regular in the 80’s, and brought home some national titles. Pat Summitt’s son, Tyler, is now their coach. He’s 24 years old.
How Did We Get Here?
Once again Illinois finished a season at 6-6. Each of the last two bowls the Illini have been to, it’s been with a 6-6 record. And they’ve won both times. This year, they’ll look to build upon winning three of their last five regular season games, including two over bowl-eligible Minnesota and Penn State.
Louisiana Tech is known for scoring, and they do it quite well. One of the best games I’ve seen in the last few years was the Bulldogs hosting the Johnny Football-led Texas A&M Aggies in Ruston, Louisiana. A&M got out of there with a nail-biting 59-57 win, but Sonny Dykes (now at Cal) had a hurry-up offense that could keep them in any game, any time.
Skip Holtz took over last season and limped into a 4-8 season, but has the Dogs back in a bowl game for the first time since 2011.
Louisiana Tech wised up and took the bowl bid this season, instead of weighing their options on an instate postseason meeting with University of Louisiana-Monroe.
The Bulldogs get the Illini about 250 miles away in Dallas, so there will be much more blue and red in the Cotton Bowl than orange. Illinois will have an 830-mile trek to get to the Big D. With about three times as many students enrolled as Lousiana Tech, the gang from Illinois should have a nice contingent.
Louisiana Tech played Marshall very close and had a good shot to win the Conference USA title. In fact, they were one of two teams that kept The Herd in the 20’s this season; the other being UAB (RIP).
They dropped down in the bowl ranks, but do get a Big Ten opponent to tangle with. One of the Bulldogs’ last wins over a Power Five team was against Illinois. They went to Champaign and beat the Illini 52-24 on September 22, 2012. The next week they beat Virginia in Charlottesville, and have lost all subsequent games against the Power Five Conferences.
Both teams hosted Western Kentucky this season. Illinois beat the Hilltoppers 42-34, and LA Tech gave WKU their last loss of the season 59-10. The Bulldogs fared better in slowing down a potent Hilltopper offense.
The way Illinois has given up points this season, I could see them letting Louisiana Tech on the board quite often. I think the spread and over/under will be pretty accurate once things are settled in Dallas.
I’ve got Louisiana Tech winning in my Bowl Pick ‘Em, but I’m only going with six points in confidence. If there is a Group of Five team that can knock off a Power Five foe, it’ll be Louisiana Tech. Illinois has made a habit of capping off average seasons with a December win, but with the Bulldogs offensive capabilities, this one might be a shootout with the southern guys getting the win.
Thank you for reading. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
