A Big Return Leads Eagles To Blowout Victory
If you checked out our New Orleans Bowl preview we mentioned how this is usually one of the better early bowl games every year. However this year’s contest followed many of the early 2020 bowl games which have been blowouts. A big decision right before the game provided a huge spark for the winning team. As a result of that and some strong defense Georgia Southern wins the New Orleans Bowl 38-3 over Louisiana Tech.
Werts Was The Man
After missing the last two games with a shoulder injury Georgia Southern wasn’t sure if quarterback Shai Werts was going to play. However when he started getting ready like he would on gameday coach Chad Lunsford knew Werts was good to go. In fact he was better than good accounting for four touchdowns. On the game the senior, likely playing his last game, ran for 71 yards and three touchdowns. In addition he threw for 126 yards and another score. It’s no surprise Werts was named the MVP of the game.
Shai Werts has been crowned MVP of the 2020 @rlcarriers New Orleans Bowl 👑! He led @gsathleticsfb’s high powered offense with 3️⃣ rushing TDs and 1️⃣ through the air 🔥. #MVP #HailSouthern #RLBowl20 pic.twitter.com/raqblFM63t
— R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (@NewOrleansBowl) December 24, 2020
Winning The Turnover Battle
Again if you checked out our preview we talked about how both teams were very opportunistic on defense. As a result the winner of the turnover battle likely wins the game. It’s one more aspect of the game the Eagles dominated. Georgia Southern came up with four interceptions, including two near their goal line. Safety Justin Birdsong had half of their total. The first came against starter Aaron Allen while the last came against reserve JD Head. Allen threw three picks inside the Georgia Southern 30.
Tech of course was playing without their starting quarterback Luke Anthony, who suffered a fractured ankle last week against TCU. For the game Allen only completed 10 of 24 passes for 41 yards and the three interceptions. With four more interceptions on Wednesday the Eagles increased its season total to 18. That puts them one ahead of Indiana for tops in the nation depending on what happens in the Hoosiers’ bowl game. In addition it gives them 26 turnovers on the season which also puts them at the of the college football leader board. Other than the 123 yards rushing by Bulldogs’ running back Isreal Tucker Tech got nothing else going on that side of the ball. If not for a field goal late in the second quarter the Eagles would have pitched a shutout. It’s the major reason why Georgia Southern wins 38-3 in the New Orleans Bowl.
Strong Ground Game
Georgia Southern came into the game ninth in the country averaging 262 yards per game on the ground. Against Louisiana Tech they followed their playbook to perfection. Gerald Green led the way with 108 yards and a touchdown. As mentioned earlier Werts had 71 yards and the three scores. The highlight was a 37 yard run where he went virtually untouched.
Shai Werts keeps it himself for a 37 yard TD to give Georgia Southern (-7.5) a 21-0 lead
https://t.co/IADvpjPm9J— Bet The Pigskin (@betthepigskin) December 23, 2020
The Bulldogs finished with 322 yards on the ground or 60 above their season average in the impressive New Orleans Bowl victory.
Wrapping Up 2020
With the win Georgia Southern finishes the season at 8-5 and four and four in the Sun Belt’s East Division. Furthermore they snap a very impressive streak by Louisiana Tech. Playing in Conference USA the Bulldogs had won 18 straight games against Sun Belt squads.
On the other side of the ball Louisiana Tech ends the year at 5-5 and 4-2 in conference play. Skip Holtz’s club had another impressive streak broken on Wednesday. Before the loss the Eagles had won six straight bowl games, the longest current streak in college football. With their win in the Myrtle Beach Bowl Appalcahian State takes over the lead with six straight bowl victories.
Again Georgia Southern wins the New Orleans Bowl 38-3 over Louisiana Tech. Thanks for checking out the recap and all the other great content here at Last Word On College Football. Don’t forget we’ll have previews and recaps of every game leading up to the College Football National Championship on January 11th.
