Game Program - 2022 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl

Holiday Sparkle

About Radiance Technologies 3

Welcome from the Chairman ............................................................................... 4

Welcome from Caddo Parish 5

Welcome from the Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana 6 Game Matchup and Preview ............................................................................ 8-9

Independence Stadium 10

Independence Bowl Shop from Team IP 12

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl History ......................... 14-15 Omar N. Bradley “Spirit of Independence Award” 18-19

Independence Bowl Foundation Leadership 20-21

Sun Belt Conference

Louisiana Season in Review

23

26-27

Scouting the Ragin’ Cajuns 28

Louisiana Alphabetical Roster

Louisiana Depth Chart

30

32

Louisiana Season Statistics & Leaders 34

Meet the Ragin’ Cajuns 36-38

Head Coach Michael Desormeaux ................................................................... 40

Louisiana Coaching Staff 41 University of Louisiana at Lafayette 42-43

Louisiana Marching Band & Spirit .................................................................... 44

Louisiana Numerical Roster 46

Houston Numerical Roster 47

Houston Season in Review........................................................................... 50-51

Scouting the Cougars 52

Houston Alphabetical Roster 54

Houston Depth Chart ........................................................................................... 56

Houston Season Statistics & Leaders............................................................... 58

Meet the Cougars 60-62

Head Coach Dana Holgorsen ............................................................................. 64

Houston Coaching Staff ....................................................................................... 65

University of Houston 66-67

Houston Marching Band & Spirit 68

American Athletic Conference........................................................................... 69

Independence Bowl Committee Chairs 71

Independence Bowl Foundation 72 Foundation Membership ..................................................................................... 73

Corporate Partners 75 Carl Mikovich Sportsperson of the Year 77

ESPN Broadcasters & Information .................................................................... 78

Bowl Season Radio Broadcasters & Information 80 Year-By-Year Results 82-83 Players of the Game ............................................................................................... 84 Coaching & Conference Records 86 Individual Records 88

Team Records .................................................................................................... 90-91

Bowl Participant Award Winners 92 College and Pro Football Hall of Famers 94 Championship Coaches ....................................................................................... 95 Willis-Knighton Community Service Scholarship Recipients .............. 100

Houston Cougars

The 2022 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl game program was created by Erik Evenson, Director of Communications – with assistance from photographer Roger Braniff Sr. and the sports information staffs Louisiana and Houston. The game program is available digitally-only.

Meet the Ragin’ Cajuns

Head Coach Michael Desormeaux

Coaching Staff

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Marching Band & Spirit

Numerical Roster

Statistics & Leaders

Meet the Cougars

Head Coach Dana Holgorsen

Coaching Staff

University of Houston

Marching Band & Spirit

Welcome from the Chairman

Dear 2022 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Fans,

On behalf of our title sponsor, Radiance Technologies, Inc., the Independence Bowl Foundation executive committee, board of directors, staff, and the over 400 foundation members, I am honored to welcome you to Shreveport, Louisiana for the 46th Independence Bowl.

The Independence Bowl has a strong tradition and history as the 11th oldest bowl game in the country. Our bowl has been played since 1976. Throughout that history we have hosted some of the top programs, coaches, and outstanding players in the history of college football. The Shreveport-Bossier City Community is proud of this tradition, and we are proud to host this year’s teams.

We are excited that you have chosen to visit Northwest Louisiana. We are proud to have the opportunity to host and hope your experience is beyond expectations. We have a great reputation for food, hospitality, entertainment, and most of all, exciting football. We hope that you enjoy everything our region has to offer, including all of our bowl week events and many local attractions.

Thank you for attending the 2022 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl. We hope you have a great experience, and we welcome you to visit Shreveport again in the future. Enjoy the game!

Sincerely,

Rob Rubel

Rob

Rubel 2022 Chairman

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl

ROB RUBEL 2022 Bowl Chairman

MAYOR ADRIAN PERKINS Shreveport

WELCOME TO THE WELCOME TO THE

The Parish of Caddo is excited to sponsor another historic matchup between two esteemed teams at Independence Stadium! We welcome you to Caddo Parish, and invite you to stay a while! Whether it's our fabulous food, exciting community festivals, letting the "good times roll" at our Mardi Gras parades, or exploring nature here in "Sportman's Paradise", you're sure to have an amazing time! Have a great time, and enjoy the game!

DR. WOODY WILSON, JR. JOHN E. ATKINS Parish Administrator & CEO Caddo Commission President

HELLO Radiance Technologies INDEPENDENCE BOWL FANS,

Welcome to Shreveport and to the 46th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl! We hope that as you root for your team, you find the opportunity to Feed Your Soul with Louisiana’s great food, lively culture, and wealth of outdoor activities.

While you’re in town, make sure you check out the Sci-Port Discovery Center and their new escape room, the Gallery of Intrigue, or try some Shreveport-style stuffed shrimp at a number of restaurants in the area. You can also learn about the culture and history of northwest Louisiana at museums such as the Louisiana State Oil & Gas Museum or the Spring Street Museum. Don’t forget to catch a selfie with the Elvis Presley statue at the Municipal Auditorium!

Also, if you’re up for a quick road trip, discover some notable Louisiana sports figures at the Eddie G. Robinson Museum in Grambling or the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in Natchitoches. Both museums are located along routes that can also get you in the Christmas spirit on the Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights.

Our celebrations don’t stop after the holidays. Carnival season kicks off on January 6th with parades and events in every corner of the state and continues through Mardi Gras on February 21. Check out the various festivities at MardiGras.LouisianaTravel.com and plan your return trip!

To discover that next great Louisiana adventure, visit LouisianaTravel.com. It’s time to let the good times roll in #OnlyLouisiana!

Sincerely,

Nungesser

LT. GOVERNOR BILLY NUNGESSER

Billy

Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana

Game Matchup

Established in 1976, the Independence Bowl received its name because of the nation’s bicentennial

years of the game’s history, 73 First Round NFL Draft selections, six Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees – including 2021 inductee Alan

Throughout

23 College Football Hall of Famers – including 2022 inductees Roy Williams, Kevin Faulk and Gary Pinkel – have participated

talent will be on display at Independence Stadium as two first-time Independence

–

Louisiana (6-6, 4-4 Sun Belt) won two of their final three games to become bowl eligible for a school-record fifth consecutive season. This is the 10th bowl appearance for the Ragin’ Cajuns in school history – all coming since 2011. They will be making their first appearance in the 46-year history of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl. Louisiana had four players selected to the All-Sun Belt First Team, the second-most in the league, and 11 players overall.

Offensively, the Ragin’ Cajuns equip a deep stable of weapons who all contributed this season. Chandler Fields (954 yards, 10 TDs) and Ben Wooldridge (1,661 yards, 15 TDs) each shared playing time through the first five games with Fields starting in the first five games. An injury sidelined Fields with Wooldridge earning his first start in Week 6 and holding down the position until suffering a season-ending injury prior to the Florida State game. Fields re-gained his starting role and guided Louisiana to a road victory against Texas State in the regular-season finale.

Chris Smith led a stable of running backs with 576 yards on the season, averaging 5.1 yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns. The trio of Terrence Williams, Dre’Lyn Washington and Jacob Kibodi combined for nearly 900 yards and three touchdowns for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

The pass catching options for Fields in the Independence Bowl are led by a pair of All-Sun Belt Conference selections – Neal Johnson and Johnny Lumpkin – combined for 36 receptions and five touchdowns on the season to lead a trio of players at the tight end position. The wide receiver with the biggest upside for the Ragin’ Cajuns is Lance Legendre, a converted quarterback who caught eight passes on the season, including his first career TD in the regular-season finale at Texas State.

The Ragin’ Cajuns’ defense created havoc this season – sacking the quarterback 27 times and interception 15 passes. Louisiana’s elder statesman – defensive lineman Zi’Yon Hill-Green – will play in his 63rd and final game in a Ragin’ Cajuns uniform and enters the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl tied for the school-career record in sacks (21.0). The first-team, All-Sun Belt selection led all defensive linemen in tackles (42) while leading the team with 12.5 tackles for loss. Linebacker Jourdan Quibodeaux’s team-high 101 tackles during the regular season were the most by a Ragin’ Cajuns defender since Jacques Boudreaux in 2019. The former walk-on also set a career-best with 4.5 tackles for loss.

Paced by Bralen Trahan’s team-best four interceptions during the regular season, the Ragin’ Cajuns ranked second in the SBC and tied for 10th among FBS programs in interceptions. Trahan recorded a career-high 73 tackles while ranking among the team leaders in passes defended (7). Eric Garror intercepted a pair of passes for Louisiana and lead the team in passes defended (8) with former walk-on Kam Pedescleaux finishing with 66 tackles, two forced fumbles and six pass breakups. Trey Amos led the team with seven pass breakups, despite missing the first two games of the season.

Punter Rhys Byrns earned All-SBC honors for the fourth consecutive season after leading the league in average (44.3). The native of Australia – third among active FBS players in punting yards (10,534) – caps off a stellar career, holding school records for career punt yards and career average (43.7). Kenneth Almendares solidified the kicking game, converting on 15 of 20 field goal attempts, including 3-for-3 from beyond 50 yards. Garror – the school’s all-time leader in punt return yards – scored twice on punt returns during the season to tie a school record previously set in 1977 and ranked third among all FBS players in average (14.8). Chris Smith ranked among the national leaders in kickoff returns (22.2) and all-purpose yards (103.8) and is ninth among active FBS players in kickoff return yards (1,556).

For more information on the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, visit pages 24-46.

This is the 46th edition of college football’s 11th most-historic bowl game – the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl. Despite being the 46th playing of the game, it is a first for the Independence Bowl, as both teams have never played in this historic game – the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and the Houston Cougars. The Ragin’ Cajuns are the lone FBS team from the state of Louisiana to have yet to play in the Independence Bowl, and Houston becomes the fifth team from the state of Texas to appear in the Independence Bowl – first since Texas A&M in 2009.

celebration.

the first 45

Faneca

and

in the Independence Bowl. Today, a new generation of

Bowl participants take the field in Shreveport.

Neal Johnson

Jourdan Quibodeaux

Game Matchup

Houston’s offense, led by the First-Team All-AAC duo of Tune and wide receiver Nathaniel Dell, put together another strong season

hit its stride on Oct. 7 at Memphis. During its final seven games, the Cougars led the nation in yards per play (7.5) and touchdown passes (28) and

second in touchdowns (40), second in passing yards (2,652), third in points (291) and fourth in total offense (3,610) in the span.

Tune vaulted his way up Houston’s career leaderboard but did not stop there. The senior signal caller set a new league record for career touchdown passes (101). He is second in Cougar career history in the category as well as second in touchdowns responsible for (116) and is third in passing yards (11,767). This season, Tune is tied for the national lead in touchdown passes (37) and is second in points responsible for per game (21.5) and fifth in passing yards (3,845).

Dell was among the nation’s elite during the regular season, spotlighting another largely new-look receivers’ room during 2022. Dell finished as the national leader in receiving touchdowns (15) and receiving yards (1,354) for the regular season. The Daytona Beach, Fla., native caught a touchdown in 10 different games, the most for any player during 2022. His 15 touchdown receptions are tied for second in AAC single-season history.

Houston’s defense felt the losses of three 2022 NFL Draft selections and four players from its 2021 season being featured on NFL rosters. Despite an abundance of injuries, the Cougars were once again led up front, ranking ninth nationally in tackles for loss per game (7.4). Four defenders earned All-American Athletic Conference honors.

Despite the early-season loss of defensive end Derek Parish, Houston’s defensive line was a source of strength, averaging 2.5 sacks per game along with 7.4 tackles per contest. First-Team All-Conference selection D’Anthony Jones finished the regular season tied for the national lead in forced fumbles (4). His eight forced fumbles since the start of the 2021 season are also tied atop the country. The senior’s 14.0 sacks over the last two seasons pace the AAC. Jones is graded as the nation’s third-best edge defender (90.8) by PFF. He is also third in pass rush (92.1) at the position. Teammate Atlias Bell was equally as impressive, finishing as the sixth-highest graded edge defender (90.5) nationally while notching 6.0 tackles for loss and 37 tackles.

Senior captain Donavan Mutin, dubbed the “Peyton Manning of the Defense,” paced Houston in tackles (79) while adding four breakups and a forced fumble on the season. The Spring, native produced 10-plus tackles on four occasions including a season-best 13 at Navy on Oct. 22.

Houston’s special teams turned in a strong season despite the losses of a pair of all-time program greats in placekicker Dalton Witherspoon and kick/punt return extraordinaire Marcus Jones following the 2021 season. Houston’s heated competition at kicker continued into the regular season with sophomore Kyle Ramsey and senior Bubba Baxa splitting kickoff, field goal and extra-point duties. Laine Wilkins followed up a sensational 2021 campaign with a strong sophomore season. The 28-year-old Australian helped the Cougars rank 21st nationally in punt return defense (3.92) while booting the ball 37 times for 1,649 yards resulting in a career-best 44.6 average entering the bowl game.

For more information on the Houston Cougars, visit pages 47-68.

The 2022 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl figures to be another exciting matchup between two first-time participants in this historical bowl. Today’s matchup is the first meeting between Louisiana and Houston is their 10th overall against each other and the first since 2006. From the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl staff and the entire Independence Bowl Foundation membership, thank you for choosing to spend time during the holiday season with us, and we hope you enjoy the game and your stay in Shreveport-Bossier City!

Houston (7-5, 5-3 AAC) comes into Bowl Season having won five of its final seven games. The Cougars, led by First-Team All-Conference quarterback Clayton Tune, were among the nation’s premier offenses, scoring 30-plus points in 11 of their 12 games. Houston went 5-3 in its final American Athletic Conference season before moving to the Big 12 Conference in 2023. The Cougars are in their fourth season under head coach Dana Holgorsen. They are competing in their 15th bowl game in the last 18 seasons – the most in the state of Texas in that span – and 30th in the history of the program.

and

ranked

NATHANIEL DELL

Clayton Tune

Independence Stadium

CLEAR BAG POLICY

Fans are encouraged not to bring any types of bags inside the stadium; however, the following outlines bags that are permitted:

• Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12” x 6” x 12”;

• One-gallon clear plastic bags (Ziploc bag or similar);

• Small clutch bags, with or without a handle or strap, that do not exceed 4.5” x 6.5” (approximately the size of a hand).

• An exception will be made for medically necessary items after proper inspection at a gate designated for this purpose.

• An approved logo no larger than 4.5” x 3.4” may be displayed on one side of a permissible clear bag.

Prohibited bags include, but are not limited to: purses larger than a clutch bag; briefcases; backpacks, cinch bags, and fanny packs that are not clear and/or exceed the size restriction; luggage of any kind; computer bags/cases; camera bags/cases; binocular bags/cases or any bag larger than the permissible size.

For the full policy, please visit IndependenceBowl.org/stadium-rules/.

FIRST AID

Independence Stadium will have Shreveport Fire/EMS representatives present throughout the game. To request assistance, see the nearest gate agent or Shreveport Police officer.

ATM’s

ATM’s will be available in the parking/tailgating areas outside of the stadium on the State Fair Grounds. ATM’s will also be located inside the stadium.

LOST PATRONS

Lost patrons should contact the nearest police officer who will escort them to the Security Office, located in the southwest corner of the stadium.

LOST AND FOUND

Lost and Found is located in the southwest corner of the stadium at the Security Office. For further assistance, contact the nearest SPD Officer or usher.

GATES OPEN

On game day, the gates to Independence Stadium will open for fan entry at approximately noon CST.

RESTROOMS

Men’s and women’s facilities are located throughout the stadium, both on the ground level and along the upper concourse. For your security, attendants will be stationed in the restrooms.

CONCESSIONS

Concessions are located throughout the stadium, both on the ground level and along the upper concourse. In addition, vendors service all sections of the stadium, prior to and during

RE-ENTRY POLICY

Fans will not be permitted to leave Independence Stadium and re-enter the stadium grounds.

SMOKING & VAPING

Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is prohibited throughout Independence Stadium.

TICKET WILL-CALL

Ticket will-call is located at the ticket window in the northeast corner of Independence Stadium at Gate 4. Picture ID is required.

NCAA PLAYER PASS GATE

The NCAA Player Pass Gate is located on the west (press box) side of Independence Stadium. Picture ID is required.

PROHIBITED ITEMS

Items Prohibited From Independence Stadium:

• Firearms

• Knives

• Straight Blades

• Pocket Tools

• Mace

• Tazer/Stun Guns

• Ice Chests or Coolers

• Umbrellas

• Banners or Signs

• Video Cameras

• E-cigarettes

• Drones

• Bags that do not meet the criteria of the Clear Bag Policy

• Telephoto lenses longer than 6 inches

• Outside Food or Drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)

• Smoking and vaping are NOT permitted inside the stadium

WE SERVE

At Radiance Technologies, we recognize that our employees don’t want just a paycheck; they want a place where they can make a difference. Through the Radiance Gives foundation’s charitable efforts, we empower our employees by letting them own the work and serve the communities where they live. They directly influence the charities we give to, the causes we support, and the lives we help change. Our employees’ generosity creates a workforce of dedicated people who inspire diligence and integrity, both inside the company and within their local communities.

www.radiancetech.com

History of the I-Bowl

In honor of the United States’ 200th birthday and the strong military presence in the Shreveport-Bossier City area, the Sports Foundation’s board of directors felt the name “Independence Bowl” would be a fitting tribute to the men and women who have fought for the United States’ freedom and independence. The Independence Bowl has been a staple in the community for more than four decades, and continues to be the largest annual sporting event in the Ark-La-Tex 46 years later.

The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl - the nation’s 11tholdest bowl game - has a rich history that spans more than four decades. On Dec. 13, 1976, McNeese State defeated Tulsa in the inaugural game. The Southland Conference sent a team to Shreveport for the first five years of the Bowl’s existence, but in 1981, the Bowl’s leadership voted to be open on both sides, giving them the opportunity to scour the country for the best teams available in the NCAA Division I-A ranks.

That first year, the Independence Bowl struck gold as the Aggies of Texas A&M traveled over from College Station, Texas, to take on the Cowboys of Oklahoma State. This storied rivalry between the Southwest Conference and Big-Eight Conference drew national attention to the Shreveport-Bossier City area. The first Southeastern Conference team to make an appearance in the Independence Bowl was the University of Mississippi in 1983. Ole Miss’s opponent, the Air Force Falcons, battled the explosive Rebels in a torrential downpour to carry home a 9–3 victory.

In 1990, Louisiana Tech tied Maryland 34-34 in the first Poulan/Weed Eater Independence Bowl and the only tie in I-Bowl history. A record-breaking crowd of 48,325 filled Independence Stadium. In 1995 the Poulan/Weed Eater Independence Bowl took another giant step in its continuing climb up the ladder of postseason games, signing a three-year agreement with the Southeastern Conference for the fifth selection out of one of the nation’s premier football conferences. Later that year the bowl enjoyed a sellout crowd with in-state favorite LSU taking on the Michigan State, led by up-and-coming head coach Nick Saban. The Tigers and Spartans put on one of the most memorable sequences in Independence Bowl history, as each team returned a kickoff for a touchdown on back-to-back plays. LSU’s Eddie Kennison notched an 92-yard return TD, while Sparty’s Derrick Mason set the Independence Bowl record with a 100-yard return. LSU ultimately prevailed 45-26.

The 1997 game was a regular season rematch between the Tigers of LSU and Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, played on a frigid night at Independence Stadium. LSU avenged a 24-6 loss a month earlier in Baton Rouge by besting the Irish 27–9 in front of an all-time record crowd of 50,459. Poulan/Weed Eater announced in April of 1997 that it would no longer be the game’s title sponsor. At that time Glen Krupica, Independence Bowl Executive Director, and a search committee, began the task of finding the second title sponsor of the Independence Bowl. In just under a year Sanford stepped up as the new title sponsor, signing on for three years.

The Oklahoma Sooners and Ole Miss Rebels met on New Year’s Eve in 1999 for the 24th Independence Bowl. Ole Miss made its fourth appearance in the game while the Sooners made their debut. Oklahoma got out to an early lead and appeared to be dominating the Rebels, but Ole Miss fought back and won the battle 27-25 on a field goal in the final seconds. It was the last football game of 1999 and the first game of the new millennium in the eastern time zone, as it ended at 12:03 a.m.

The 2000 matchup has become known as the “Snow Bowl.” Texas A&M and Mississippi State met in the 25th anniversary game in a driving snowstorm that began during pregame warmups and continued throughout the entire game. Mississippi State won in overtime by a score of 43–41. The 2000 Independence Bowl garnered a 4.2 television rating, the second highest in I-Bowl history.

HISTORIC MILESTONES

BIRTH OF A BOWL (1976)

The Sports Foundation gained certification for the Independence Bowl from the NCAA on its first try. The Southland Conference champion served as the host team. The first game featuring McNeese St. and Tulsa had a budget of $75,000 and paid each participating team $25,000, drawing 19,164 fans.

PURSUIT (1981)

The I-Bowl pursued and achieved openended status on both sides ending the affiliation with the Southland. Texas A&M from the Southwest Conference defeated Jimmy Johnson and Oklahoma State from the Big Eight, 33-16.

FIRST TITLE SPONSOR (1990)

Poulan/Weed Eater signed on as the game’s first title sponsor in 1990.

ESPN (1992)

The 1992 matchup between Wake Forest and Oregon marked the first Independence Bowl to be shown on ESPN. The Bowl signed a six-year extension with ESPN in 2020.

SEC TIE-IN (1995)

The Poulan/Weed Eater Independence Bowl reached an agreement with the SEC to secure the fifth choice from the prestigious conference.

BIGGEST MATCHUP (1997)

The Bowl had its best-case scenario as local favorite LSU was selected to play Notre Dame in Independence Bowl XXII.

NEXT TITLE SPONSOR (1998)

Sanford, based in Bellwood, Ill., became the Independence Bowl’s second title sponsor, signing a three-year deal for naming rights.

BIG 12 TIE-IN (1999)

I-Bowl officials reached a three-year agreement with the Big 12 to provide a team to the post-season game.

SEC RENEWAL (1999)

The partnership with the SEC was extended through 2001.

MCneese State (1976)

Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State (1981)

Eddie Kennison (Lsu, 1995)

Notre Dame vs. LSU (1997)

Snow Bowl (2000)

HISTORIC MILESTONES

MAINSTAY (2001)

On January 10, 2001, MainStay signed on as the newest title sponsor of the Bowl. The subsidiary of New York Life signed an agreement that extended through the 2003 game.

CONFERENCE AGREEMENTS (2005)

Agreements with both the Big 12 and SEC were renewed through 2009.

ADVOCARE V100 (2009)

On May 21, 2009, I-Bowl officials announced AdvoCare as the fifth title sponsor. AdvoCare remained title sponsor through 2013.

ACC VS. MWC (2010)

In 2010, the I-Bowl announced a new match up of teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and Mountain West Conference. Those partnerships ran through 2011.

SEC VS. ACC (2012)

In 2012, the Bowl announced it resumed its partnership with the SEC. In 2013, the Foundation signed extensions with both conferences through 2019.

WALK-ON’S BISTREAUX & BAR (2017)

In October of 2017, the I-Bowl announced Baton Rouge-based Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar as the title sponsor of the game in a three-year partnership. The partnership brought together two Louisiana-based brands, with Walk-On’s set to expand across the Southeastern U.S., and ran through 2019.

UNIQUE BOWL TIE-INS (2020)

The new agreements announced in 2020 bring a rotation of independents Army West Point and BYU to face off against a rotation of the Pac-12, AAC and C-USA.

ESPN THROUGH 2025 (2020)

In October 2020, the Bowl announced a six-year extension with ESPN to televise the game through 2025. The 2022 game is the 30th-consecutive Independence Bowl on an ESPN network.

RADIANCE TECHNOLOGIES EXTENSION (2021)

The Bowl announced a five-year partnership with prime contractor Radiance Technologies in 2020 and then agreed to a one-year extension in 2021 – extending the partnership through 2025. The partnership bridged together Radiance, who work extensively with the U.S. Military, with the Bowl that was named after the nation’s bicentennial and that features Army West Point in the current cycle.

History of the I-Bowl

In 2002, Shreveport hosted one of college football’s most storied programs, as the Nebraska Cornhuskers came to town for a matchup with Eli Manning and the Ole Miss Rebels. As had been the case the past few years, the Independence Bowl was a close one, as the Rebels came back from a 17–14 halftime deficit to beat the Huskers 27–23. It marked Ole Miss David Cutcliffe’s third I-Bowl win in as many appearances.

The year 2005 marked the 30th anniversary of the Independence Bowl, and the match-up between Missouri and South Carolina provided the 41,332 in attendance with a showdown for the ages. South Carolina, making its debut in the Independence Bowl and led by legendary head coach Steve Spurrier, raced out to a 21–0 lead after one quarter of play before Missouri rallied for an eventual 38–31 victory. The Tigers, which had lost the 2003 game to Arkansas, evened their all-time record in the I-Bowl to 1–1. Quarterback Brad Smith was named the game’s Offensive MVP after setting an Independence Bowl record with 432 total yards and scoring four touchdowns.

The 2009 game will go down in I-Bowl history as one of the most memorable games for many reasons. The marquee matchup between the Texas A&M Aggies and Georgia Bulldogs helped AdvoCare put an exclamation point on its first year as the bowl’s title sponsor, and a sellout crowd enjoyed a beautiful day at Independence Stadium between two traditional college football programs. The Bulldogs ran away from the Aggies in the second half, expanding a 14-7 halftime lead into a 44-20 final margin in front of 49,653 fans. Georgia’s Brandon Boykin returned a kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, and the Bulldogs rushed for 208 yards en route to the convincing victory. The game was the highest-rated bowl game ever to be played on ESPN2 at the time.

In 2014, the Independence Bowl hosted its first ACC vs. SEC match up, as Miami took on South Carolina. Behind a strong showing from do-it-all receiver Pharoh Cooper, the Gamecocks held on for a 24-21 victory in Steve Spurrier’s final bowl game.

2015 was the 40th anniversary of the I-Bowl and one of the most memorable. Legendary Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer concluded his decorated coaching career with a 55-52 win over Tulsa in the very same bowl he won his first bowl game in 23 years prior (1993). The teams obliterated the Independence Bowl record book – combining for the most points (107), touchdowns (14), rushing touchdowns (9), yards (1,161), most points scored in a quarter (145), and they even combined for the most points all-time in a half (76) across all bowl games.

The last 10 years have seen great college football programs play on the Independence Stadium turf –including BYU, Miami, Florida State, NC State, Virginia Tech and South Carolina.

Three years after Virginia Tech and Duke rewrote the I-Bowl record book, the Duke Blue Devils did it again a 56-27 victory over the Temple Owls in the 43rd Independence Bowl in 2018. The victory was an I-Bowl record fourth for Duke head coach David Cutcliffe, who improved to 4-0 in his appearances with Ole Miss and Duke. Despite Temple’s 27-21 halftime lead, Duke stormed back with an I-Bowl record 35 second half points to set the record for most points in an Independence Bowl (56). 6th-overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft Daniel Jones set I-Bowl records for passing yards (423), passing touchdowns (5) and total touchdowns (6), while wide receiver T.J. Rahming set the record for receiving yards (240) and broke Kevin Faulk’s record for all-purpose yards (286).

In a completely different way, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs wrote themselves into I-Bowl history in 2019, as they recorded the first ever shutout in the history of the bowl – defeating Miami 14-0.

On a rainy and windy Saturday, the 45th Independence Bowl, and first with Radiance Technologies as the title sponsor, turned in one of its finest games in a back-and-forth battle between the UAB Blazers and BYU Cougars. In what was one of the biggest victories in program history, UAB defeated No. 13 BYU 31-28 to earn their second bowl win in program history. Two of the top running backs in the nation dueled, as UAB’s DeWayne McBride finished the day with 183 yards and one touchdown. BYU’s Tyler Allgeier compiled 192 yards and three touchdowns. UAB QB Dylan Hopkins completed an Independence Bowl record 83 percent of his passes for 183 yards and three passing touchdowns.

Eli Manning (Ole Miss, 2002)

A.J. Green (UGA, 2009)

Daniel JOnes (Duke, 2018)

UAB vs. BYU (2021)

TEAMWORK TALENT TRUST

Omar N. Bradley Spirit of Independence Award

The Sports Foundation developed the patriotic theme, which is so prominent today in the annual postseason football classic’s activities. Foundation directors decided to recognize an outstanding American citizen or organization each year, with the “Spirit of Independence Award.” The first recipient was General Omar N. Bradley, the only living five-star general in the United States at that time.

The portrait of the man reveals a combination of honesty, strength and determination in a face also able to yield to a subtle humor when the occasion merited. Bradley and his successors symbolize the “Spirit of Freedom and Independence,” which the award was established to recognize.

AWARD RECIPIENTS

1977 General Omar N. Bradley

1978 John Wayne

1979 Bob Hope

1980 Paul Harvey

1981 President Ronald Reagan

1982 Art Linkletter

1983 Danny Thomas

1984 U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, Demonstration Squadron

1985 Vietnam Veterans

1986 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

1987 Brigadier General Charles E. Yeager

1988 Coach Eddie Robinson

1989 Harlem Globetrotters

1990 Boy Scouts of America

1991 Barksdale Air Force Base

1992 Shriner’s Hospital for Children

1993 Sandra Day O’Connor

1994 YMCA

1995 American Red Cross

1996 Veterans of Foreign Wars

1997 Fallen Law Enforcement Officers

1998 Firefighters of America

1999 World War II Veterans

2000 General Gabriel P. Disosway

2001 Heroes of New York City

2002 Congressional Medal of Honor Society

2003 Hal Sutton

2004 General Tommy Franks

2005 General Russel Honore

2006 General Harold Moore

2007 Shreveport-Bossier Community Renewal

2008 “Team Hoyt”

2009 National Football Foundation

2010 St. Jude Children’s Hospital

2011 General Charles C. “Hondo” Campbell

2012 Wounded Warrior Project

2013 Doolittle Raiders

2014 Tuskegee Airmen

2015 Berlin Airlift Veterans

2016 Veterans of the Battle of Chosin Reservoir

2017 Jacob Schick, USMC (ret.)

2018 Brigadier General Jeannie M. Leavitt

2019 Lt. Gen. James M. Kowalski, USAF (ret.)

2021 Lt. Gen. Joseph M. Cosumano, USA (ret.)

2022 Veterans of Operation SENIOR SURPRISE

The following year, and until his death, General Bradley presented the “Spirit of Independence Award” to his fellow recipients. After his death, the General’s name was added to the award.

Information on the 2022 recipients of the award, the Veterans of Operation SENIOR SURPRISE, is on the following page (19).

GENERAL OMAR N. BRADLEY

A 1915 graduate of West Point, Bradley retired from the Army in 1953 with the rank of fivestar general. Bradley was a commandant of the infantry school (Fort Benning, Ga.) and the commander of the 82nd and 28th divisions. As commander of II Corps he played a major role in the victory at Tunisia in 1943. His forces also were involved in the capture of the island of Sicily in August, 1943. Following D-Day, Bradley commanded the 12th Army Group which played a significant role in the defeat of the Germans in Europe. His forces liberated Paris on August 25, 1944. During his career, Bradley earned a reputation as being one of the best infantry commanders in World War II.

Bradley’s post-war duties involved running the Veteran’s Administration (1945-47), and serving as Army Chief of Staff (1948-1953). Bradley, in his military assignment, replaced General Douglas MacArthur as the supreme allied commander in Korea. He also served as chairman of the board for the Bullova Watch Company. A classmate and friend of General Dwight Eisenhower, Bradley received his fifth general’s star in 1950. His 1915 class at West Point was named the “class the stars fell on,” as 36 percent of the 164 graduates in that year attained the rank of brigadier general or higher.

GENERAL OMAR N. BRADLEY

Omar N. Bradley Spirit of Independence Award

2022 RECIPIENTS VETERANS OF OPERATION SENIOR SURPRISE

The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl presents the Omar N. Bradley Spirit of Independence Award to some of the nation’s most outstanding and decorated citizens or groups, and that tradition continues in 2022, as the veterans of Operation Senior Surprise – better known as Secret Squirrel – will be honored at the 46th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on Friday, December 23 with the Omar N. Bradley Spirit of Independence Award.

“Standing in awe of past honorees, the veterans of Senior Surprise – better known as Secret Squirrel – are humbled to represent all the Airmen who made possible our record-breaking flight which opened Operation Desert Storm in 1991,” said Warren Ward (Colonel, USAF, ret.) on behalf of the Senior Surprise veterans.

Operation Secret Squirrel was a long-range B-52G Stratofortess cruise missile strike against Iraqi targets that initiated the bombing campaign during the Gulf War in 1991. The mission took place on January 16, 1991 and was led by mission commander Lt. Col John Beard – who was also the commanding officer of Barksdale Air Force Base’s 596th Bomb Squadron. The operation is officially dubbed Operation Senior Surprise, but it was given the unofficial nickname of Operation Secret Squirrel by the B-52 crews because “we couldn’t say the real code name [“Senior Surprise”] out loud, and it had the same initials,” noted Maj. Steve Hess, chief weapon system officer for the unit.

Through the six months of August 1990 into January 1991, Operation DESERT SHIELD was put in motion as U.S. and coalition forces deployed to forward locations and prepared for the potential of military action to compel Iraqi forces to leave Kuwait. Through those six months, Airmen from the 596th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana prepared for a top-secret mission. On a rainy morning, Wednesday January 16, 1991, seven B-52Gs from that unit thundered down runway 15 and climbed eastward destined for targets deep inside Iraq. The Air Force Core values of Integrity, Service and Excellence melded with six months of intensive training enabling the Airmen to meet United States’ national direction and set these aviators on a course to make combat aviation history by opening Operation DESERT STORM.

Senior Surprise was executed January 16-17, 1991. The Airmen flew non-stop from Barksdale to the Middle East and back launching 35 top secret Conventional Air Launched Cruise Missiles in their first-ever combat use. Supported by 38 tanker sorties, the team traversed more than 14,000 nautical miles in 35 hours, successfully destroyed critical targets, and returned home safely.

Iraq’s electrical grid and communications nodes were among the targets, and the raid was ultimately pegged as having achieved between eighty-five and ninety-one percent of its objectivesmaking Iraq “blind and deaf.” CJCS Gen Colin Powell stated in an early press conference, “first we will make them blind and deaf, and then make them lose the will to fight,” so the Senior Surprise veterans view themselves as that all-important part of the opening hours of the campaign.

The crews were under strict orders not to discuss the mission, which would not be officially acknowledged until exactly a year later. Only then could they discuss the mission and show off the Air Medals awarded for their historic and “unprecedented demonstration of Global Reach, Global Power.”

Twenty-five years after Operation Senior Surprise, the aircrew members reunited on Barksdale Air Force Base on Jan. 15, 2016. One of the B-52 Stratofortress bombers stationed at Barksdale is displaying the “Secret Squirrel” patch to commemorate the anniversary. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Dachelle Melville/Released)

“Approaching the 32nd anniversary of this historic mission, the Senior Surprise veterans are proud to have had the opportunity to execute this strategic mission and stand in the gap to protect freedom for all Americans while liberating our ally Kuwait from Iraqi oppression,” said Ward. “Today, the United States Air Force wields the free world’s only arsenal of long-range strike capabilities which are foundational to America’s national security, and we are strong proponents for maintaining credible global strike capability.

“We are honored to receive the 2022 General Omar N. Bradley Spirit of Independence award. We salute all American warriors who have sacrificed since the birth of the nation to secure 246 years of freedom. We pray God’s protection for American warriors from all branches of service currently serving ensuring our sovereignty for the future.”

There were 57 airmen that manned the seven bombers during the 35-hour, 14,000-nautical mile flight. It was the longest combat mission in aviation history at the time - surpassing the previous record set by the Vulcan bombers of the Royal Air Force during the 1982 Falkland’s War in the South Atlantic. The record stood until 2003 when it was broken by B-2s flying to Afghanistan.

Four of the 57 airmen have passed away since the mission, and during annual reunions, the Senior Surprise veterans conduct a solemn toast to remember their brothers. Of the seven B-52Gs flown in the mission, two survive to this day. “Valkyrie” is located at the Pima Air Museum in Arizona, and “El Lobo” is located at the Armament Museum outside of Fort Walton Beach, Fla.

Louisiana Season in Review

GAME 1

Louisiana 24, Southeastern Louisiana 7

Sept. 3 | Cajun Field | Lafayette, La.

Chandler Fields completed 13 of 20 passes for 173 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Johnny Lumpkin while Eric Garror’s 83-yard punt return in the second quarter helped the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns to a 24-7 win over Southeastern Louisiana in the season-opener for both teams on Saturday at Cajun Field.

Kam Pedescleaux recorded a team-high seven tackles while Garror and Amir McDaniel each picked off passes as Louisiana (1-0) extended the nation’s longest win streak to 14 games. The win marked the first home victory for head coach Michael Desormeaux, who led Louisiana to a 36-21 win over Marshall in 2021 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl and coached his first game at his alma mater.

Fields, making his first career start at quarterback after replacing record-setting signal caller Levi Lewis, led the Ragin’ Cajuns down the field on their opening drive, driving 79 yards in nine plays to take a 7-0 lead. The Metairie, La., native went 4-for-4 for 65 yards on his opening drive as he connected with Lumpkin over the middle for a 28-yard TD strike with 9:08

GAME 2

Louisiana 49, Eastern Michigan 21

Sept. 10 | Cajun Field | Lafayette, La.

Stymied and shut out in a half for only the second time in two seasons, Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns exploded with seven straight touchdowns in the second half and rolled to a 49-21 victory over Eastern Michigan on Saturday at Cajun Field to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 15 games.

The Cajuns, now 2-0 for only the third time in the last 14 seasons, dealt with a 63-minute delay due to lightning and trailed 14-0 at halftime before the quarterback combo of Chandler Fields and Ben Wooldridge teamed for five touchdowns passes – to five different receivers -- in a time span of 19:19 in the final two quarters.

Meanwhile, UL’s defense forced five second-half turnovers and held the visiting Eagles (1-1) to one second-half score before the Cajuns scored the game’s final 35 points.

GAME 3

Rice 33, Louisiana 21 Sept. 17 | Rice Stadium | Houston, Texas

Rice rolled up 449 offensive yards and scored on two lengthy fourth-quarter drives on the way to a 33-21 victory over UL’s Ragin’ Cajuns here Saturday, snapping the nation’s longest winning streak at 15 games.

The Owls (2-1) took advantage of an inconsistent Cajun offense and controlled the ball for more than 40 minutes in the first meeting between the two teams since the 1989 season. The Cajuns (2-1), who hadn’t lost since the opening game of the 2021 season, ran only 43 offensive plays and were held to nine first downs.

Rice quarterback TJ McMahon threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns, but three first-half interceptions by the Cajun defense allowed UL to take a 14-13 halftime lead. However, the Owls scored on the opening possession of the second half and then had two fourth-quarter scoring drives that each took more than six minutes. In all, Rice had a dominant 41:51-to-18:09 advantage in time of possession and only punted once in the game, that coming on the Owls’ first possession.

GAME 4

ULM 21, Louisiana 17

Sept. 24 | Malone Stadium | Monroe, La.

ULM’s Warhawks scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns and held Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns on a final drive to take a 21-17 victory Saturday at Malone Stadium, snapping a 16-game Cajun winning streak against Sun Belt Conference West Division opponents.

The Ragin’ Cajuns (2-2, 0-1 Sun Belt), losers of two straight for the first time since the final two games of the 2018 season, scored on their first two possessions of the game to take a 14-7 lead. But two turnovers and two crucial mistakes on bad snaps in the kicking game proved to be the difference as the host Warhawks (2-2, 1-0 Sun Belt) won over UL at home for the first time in nine meetings dating back to 2004.

The Cajuns had also won 13 straight Sun Belt regular-season road games and hadn’t lost a regular-season conference game since Oct. 14, 2020, when they fell 30-27 at home to Coastal Carolina. UL had won 13 straight regular-season conference games before Saturday’s loss.

GAME 5

South Alabama 20, Louisiana 17

Oct. 1 | Cajun Field | Lafayette, La.

Diego Guajardo’s 43-yard field as time expired helped South Alabama earn a 20-17 win over the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns in a Sun Belt Conference game on Saturday at Cajun Field.

Nearly a year to the day the left-footed kicker missed a 37-yard field goal with 1:06 remaining in an eventual 20-18 Louisiana win, Guajardo capped off an 8-play, 49-yard drive to hand the Ragin’ Cajuns (2-3, 0-2 SBC) their first walk-off setback since a 27-20 loss at Florida on Nov. 10, 2012.

Louisiana trailed 17-7 early in the fourth quarter when Carter Bradley scampered in for a 3-yard touchdown with 12:53 left. The Ragin’ Cajuns would drive 41 yards in 12 plays to cut the lead to 17-10 when Kenneth Almendares drilled a career-best 51-yard field goal.

The Ragin’ Cajuns defense would force a three-and-out on South Alabama’s next possession and would drive 84 yards in 17 plays to knot the game at 17-all.

GAME 6

Louisiana 23, Marshall 13 Oct. 12 | Joan C. Edwards Stadium | Huntington, W.Va.

Ben Wooldridge, in his first career start, tossed for a career-high 230 yards and two touchdowns and Louisiana erupted for 20 points after a 37-minute delay due to lightning just before the start of the second half to claim a 23-13 Sun Belt Conference victory over Marshall on Wednesday at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

Louisiana (3-3, 1-2 SBC) snapped a three-game losing streak – equaling its longest since dropping three straight in Billy Napier’s first season in 2018 – and earned its second win over Marshall (3-3, 0-2 SBC) in a span of 10 months.

And for the second time in the 2022 season, after exploding for 49 points in the second half against Eastern Michigan on Sept. 10, it did it after a lightning delay midway through the game.

Kenneth Almendares

Louisiana Season in Review

GAME 7

Louisiana 38, Arkansas State 18

Oct. 22 | Cajun Field | Lafayette, La.

Quarterback Ben Wooldridge threw for a career-best 316 yards and tied a school-record with five touchdown passes as the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns piled up a season-high 522 yards of total offense and defeated Arkansas State, 38-18, in a Sun Belt Conference game on Saturday at Cajun Field.

Dontae Fleming and Jacob Bernard combined for 11 receptions and three touchdowns as Louisiana (4-3, 2-2 SBC) scored 28 unanswered points in less than a quarter to win its second consecutive game overall and fifth straight against A-State (2-6, 1-4 SBC).

Wooldridge, who set career-highs in completions (21), attempts (34) and long pass (55), connected with 10 different receivers in the game and got the Ragin’ Cajuns offense going on their third possession as he directed a 12-play, 49-yard drive in the opening quarter as Kenneth Almendares’ 43-yard field goal gave Louisiana a 3-0 lead.

GAME 8

Southern Miss 39, Louisiana 24

Oct. 27 | M.M. Roberts Stadium | Hattiesburg, Miss.

A fired up Southern Miss football squad scored 20 points in the opening period and held off a second-half rally for a 39-24 victory over the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns in a nationally-televised Sun Belt Conference game on Thursday at M.M. Roberts Stadium.

Louisiana (4-4, 2-3 SBC), which returns home to host SBC West Division leader Troy on Nov. 5 for Senior Day, trailed 20-5 at the end of the first quarter and 29-11 at halftime before getting to 32-24 when Terrence Williams scored from 1-yard out with 3:12 remaining.

But after Louisiana forced punt with 2:15 remaining, Natrone Brooks iced the game with a 52-yard interception return for a touchdown with 1:14 left.

Louisiana got a career-high six receptions from Michael Jefferson for 179 yards – the ninth-most in a single game in Ragin’ Cajuns history, but turned the ball over a season-high four times which led to 17 USM points while falling to 1-24 overall all-time in Hattiesburg.

GAME 9

Troy 23, Louisiana 17

Nov. 5 | Cajun Field | Lafayette, La.

Kimani Vidal scored on a 22-yard run with five seconds remaining and Sun Belt West Division leader Troy scored on four of its five possessions in the second half to rally for a 23-17 win over the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns on Saturday at Cajun Field.

Louisiana (4-5, 2-4 SBC) led 17-0 after Ben Wooldridge’s acrobatic 10-yard TD run with 8:36 remaining in the third quarter before Troy (7-2, 5-1 SBC) would get on the scoreboard with a methodical 20-play, 75-yard scoring drive which would take up the rest of the period.

Gabe Watson capped off the drive for the Trojans, who won their sixth straight game, connecting with Michael Vice on a 3-yard scoring pass on fourth-andgoal on the final play of the third period.

Chris Smith led Louisiana on the ground with 97 yards on a season-high 18 carries. Terrence Williams gained 51 yards on the ground for the Ragin’ Cajuns, which recorded 203 yards on the ground against Troy – the most allowed by the Trojans this season and more than double the average (102.8) given up in nine games.

GAME 10

Louisiana 38, Georgia Southern 19 Nov. 10 | Cajun Field | Lafayette, La.

Ben Wooldridge threw three first-half touchdown passes and Kenneth Almendares tied a school record with five field goals – three of them in a 10-minute span – to boost Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns to a 36-17 Sun Belt Conference win over Georgia Southern in a Thursday night national television contest.

The Cajuns (5-5, 3-4 Sun Belt) snapped a two-game loss streak with the win in their home finale and kept alive their hopes of becoming bowl eligible with two games remaining.

UL, winning for the fourth straight time against the Eagles (5-5, 2-4) and improving to 5-1 in the all-time series, scored on all but three possessions in the game with one turnover on downs deep in Georgia Southern territory in the first quarter, and two punts in the final two quarters – the last coming in the game’s final three minutes.

GAME 11

No. 20 Florida State 49, Louisiana 17 Nov. 19 | Doak Campbell Stadium | Tallahassee, Fla.

Florida State scored on seven of its first eight possessions, including three times in the first quarter to set the tone early and earn a 49-17 win over the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns on Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium.

Quarterback Jordan Travis threw for one TD and rushed for a pair as FSU (8-3) built a 35-0 lead in the second quarter before Louisiana (5-6) scored on the final play of the half on Kenneth Almendares’ 24-yard field goal.

Chandler Fields, earning the start in place of an injured Ben Wooldridge, completed 19 of 36 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown – the first allowed by the Seminole defense in their last three games dating back to Oct. 29.

Fields led a 12-play, 64-yard drive for Louisiana in the fourth quarter which was capped by his 5-yard TD pass to Michael Jefferson in the back of the end zone. The signal-caller then capped an 8-play, 64-yard drive with a 5-yard scoring run.

Dre’Lyn Washington rushed for a team-high 57 yards for the Ragin’ Cajuns while Jefferson caught six passes for 60 yards. Jourdan Quibodeaux tallied 12 stops to lead Louisiana while Tyrone Lewis, Jr., registered a career-high nine stops.

The Ragin’ Cajuns picked up 172 of its 291 yards of total offense in the second half while Florida State finished with 440 yards, including 251 on the ground.

GAME 12

Louisiana 41, Texas State Nov. 26 | Bobcat Stadium | San Marcos, Texas

Chandler Fields tossed a pair of touchdowns while Chris Smith scored a pair of TDs as the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns became bowl eligible for a school-record fifth consecutive season after claiming a 41-13 win over Texas State in the regular-season finale for both teams on Saturday at Bobcat Stadium.

Peter LeBlanc and Lance Legendre each caught their first TD passes of the season as Louisiana (6-6, 4-4 Sun Belt) improved to 10-0 all-time over Texas State (4-8, 2-6 Sun Belt) and qualified for the fifth straight year and first under head coach Michael Desormeaux.

Jourdan Quibodeaux tallied eight tackles to increase his season total to 101 on the season – the first Ragin’ Cajuns defender to notch 100-plus stops since Jacques Boudreaux in 2019. Eric Garror picked off Texas State quarterback Layne Hatcher to set up an 8-yard TD run by Dre’Lyn Washington while true freshman Zeon Chriss engineered a 10-play, 84-yard drive by connecting with Legendre for a 37-yard scoring pass.

Scouting the Ragin’ Cajuns

QUARTERBACKS

Chandler Fields (954 yards, 10 TDs) and Ben Wooldridge (1,661 yards, 15 TDs) each shared playing time through the first five games with Fields starting in the first five games. An injury to his throwing arm sidelined Fields with Wooldridge earning his first start in Week 6 and holding down the position until suffering a seasonending injury prior to the Florida State game. Fields re-gained his starting role and guided Louisiana to a road victory against Texas State in the regular-season finale, helping the Ragin’ Cajuns earn their school-record fifth straight bowl appearance. With Wooldridge’s injury, true freshman Zeon Chriss moved into the backup spot and capped off the regular-season leading Louisiana on an 84-yard scoring drive at Texas State.

RUNNING BACKS

Chris Smith led a stable of running backs with 576 yards on the season, averaging 5.1 yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns. The junior became the 10th player in school history to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark and enters the Independence Bowl ranked 15th among active FBS players in all-purpose yards (4,067). The trio of Terrence Williams (365 yards), Dre’Lyn Washington (339 yards) and converted receiver Jacob Kibodi (169 yards) combined for nearly 900 yards and three TDs for the Ragin’ Cajuns with true freshman Zylan Perry seeing limited action but finishing fourth on the team in rushing yards per game (20.7).

WIDE RECEIVERS

Junior Peter LeBlanc leads the team, catching 22 passes with a touchdown. Errol Rogers, Jr., (18 catches), Jacob Bernard (11 catches, 2 TDs) and John Stephens, Jr., (11 catches, 3 TDs) provide steady leadership at the position. The player with the biggest upside for the Ragin’ Cajuns is Lance Legendre, a converted quarterback who caught eight passes on the season, including his first career TD in the regular-season finale at Texas State.

TIGHT ENDS

A pair of All-Sun Belt Conference selections – Neal Johnson and Johnny Lumpkin – combined for 36 receptions and five touchdowns on the season to lead a trio of players at the position. Johnson, who finished tied for second on the team in catches, led the Louisiana tight ends in receptions (22), yards (277) and yards per catch (12.6) and setting career-bests in each category. Lumpkin, a Preseason John Mackey Watch List member, established a career-high in receptions (14) for the Ragin’ Cajuns and set career single-game best in catches (5), yards (72) and TDs (2) in the season-opener against Southeastern Louisiana. Pearse Migl, the third member of the group, caught 15 passes for 112 yards on the season for the Ragin’ Cajuns to set career-highs in both categories.

OFFENSIVE LINE

With the loss of three starters from last year’s team, including NFL draft selection Max Mitchell, Louisiana replenished its depth along the trenches and became a cohesive unit as the 2022 season progressed. AJ Gillie returned as the most experienced player up front for the Ragin’ Cajuns and was joined on the left side by tackle Nathan Thomas. David Hudson anchored the line from his center spot for the Ragin’ Cajuns with Jax Harrington earning his first starts at right guard with Carlos Rubio starting the majority of the season at right tackle. George Jackson saw considerable time on the line for Louisiana with Michigan State transfer James Ohonba providing versatility at both guard and tackle. Hometown product Landon Burton overcame an early-season injury to see time at both center and guard for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Louisiana’s elder statesman – Zi’Yon Hill-Green – will play in his 63rd and final game in a Ragin’ Cajuns uniform and enters the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl tied for the school-career record in sacks (21.0). The first-team, All-Sun Belt selection led all defensive linemen in tackles (42) while leading the team with 12.5 tackles for loss. The New Iberia, La., native is aided on a deep line by Sonny Hazard (24 tackles, 4.0 sacks), Jordan Lawson (22 tackles), Mason Narcisse (15 tackles), Nijel McGriff (8 tackles, 1 interception) and Ja-Quane Nelson (7 tackles).

LINEBACKERS

Jourdan Quibodeaux’s team-high 101 tackles during the regular season were the most by a Ragin’ Cajuns defender since Jacques Boudreaux in 2019. The former walk-on, who ranked in the top-50 players in FBS in tackles per game (8.4), also set a career-best with 4.5 tackles for loss. Veteran Kris Moncrief set a career-best in tackles (67) to finish third during the regular season with KC Ossai totaling 58 in his first full season at the position. Jasper Williams (20), AJ Riley (15) and Kendre’ Gant (13) all provided quality playing time for the Ragin’ Cajuns in a deep area.

SECONDARY

Paced by Bralen Trahan’s team-best four interceptions during the regular season, the Ragin’ Cajuns picked off 15 passes to rank second in the Sun Belt Conference and tied for 10th nationally among FBS programs. Trahan recorded a career-high 73 tackles for Louisiana during the regular season to finish behind Quibodeaux for the team-lead while ranking among the team leaders in passes defended (7). Eric Garror intercepted a pair of passes for Louisiana and lead the team in passes defended (8) with former walk-on Kam Pedescleaux finishing with 66 tackles, two forced fumbles and six pass breakups. Trey Amos registered 32 tackles on the season for the Ragin’ Cajuns and led the team with seven pass breakups, despite missing the first two games of the season.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Punter Rhys Byrns earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors for the fourth consecutive season after leading the league in average (44.3). The native of Australia – third among active FBS players in punting yards (10,534) – caps off a stellar career for the Ragin’ Cajuns holding school records for career punt yards and career average (43.7). Kenneth Almendares solidified the kicking game for Louisiana, converting on 15 of 20 field goal attempts, including 3-for-3 from beyond 50 yards. Garror – the school’s all-time leader in punt return yards – scored twice on punt returns during the season to tie a school record previously set in 1977 and ranked third among all FBS players in average (14.8). Chris Smith ranked among the national leaders in kickoff returns (22.2) and all-purpose yards (103.8) and is ninth among active FBS players in kickoff return yards (1,556).

Bralen Trahan

NO.

NAME POS. HT. WT. CL. HOMETOWN (PREVIOUS SCHOOL) NO. NAME POS. HT. WT. CL. HOMETOWN (PREVIOUS SCHOOL)

26 Justin Agu CB 6-1 178 R-Fr. Prairieville, La./Dutchtown

45 Kenneth Almendares K 6-1 242 R-So. Clute, Texas/Brazoswood

21 Trey Amos CB 6-1 197 R-So. New Iberia, La./Catholic-New Iberia

11 Caleb Anderson CB 6-3 203 R-Fr. Clinton, La./East Feliciana

27 Key’Savalyn Barnes CB 5-11 196 R-Fr. Logansport, La./Logansport

19 Jamal Bell WR 6-0 192 R-Sr. Brownsboro, Texas/Brownsboro/Tyler JC

4 Jacob Bernard WR 5-10 190 R-So. Mandeville, La./Lakeshore

2 Brandon Bishop S 6-0 194 R-Jr. Tuscaloosa, Ala./Hillcrest/Alabama

60 Zach Boulet OL 6-1 257 R-Fr. Lafayette, La./Catholic-New Iberia

89 Calvin Bullock WR 6-3 191 Fr. Destrehan, La./Destrehan

83 Damani Burrell TE 6-6 254 R-Jr. New Orleans, La./Easton

55 Landon Burton OL 6-3 298 R-So. Lafayette, La./St. Thomas More

47 Rhys Byrns P 6-0 191 Sr. Melbourne, Australia/Padua College

84 Jathan Caldwell TE 6-3 225 R-Fr. Dickinson, Texas/Dickinson

11 Dalen Cambre WR 6-0 183 R-So. Lafayette, La./St. Thomas More

16 Kaleb Carter WR 6-0 180 R-Jr. Cecilia, La./Cecilia

86 Terrance Carter TE 6-2 242 Fr. Killeen, Texas/Harker Heights

30 Cejae Ceasar S 6-1 201 R-Fr. Iowa, La./Iowa

95 Blake Champagne DL 6-3 274 R-Fr. Lafayette, La./St. Thomas More/Southeastern La.

50 Ross Cheatham LB 6-2 227 R-Sr. New Orleans, La./St. Augustine/Tulane

54 Jake Chiasson LB 5-11 215 R-Fr. Lafayette, La./St. Thomas More/LSU

2 Zeon Chriss QB 6-2 208 Fr. Baton Rouge, La./Madison Prep Academy

20 Jalen Clark CB 6-2 199 R-Fr. New Orleans, La./Alabama Christian Academy

30 Treyv’on Culbert WR 5-10 194 R-Fr. Alexandria, La./Alexandria

39 Denim Day CB 6-0 148 Fr. College Station, Texas/A&M Consolidated

68 Nick Dore OL 6-3 271 Fr. Dallas, Texas/Dallas Christian

36 Lorenzell Dubose CB 6-0 181 Fr. Monroe, La./Neville

34 Kailep Edwards LB 6-0 228 Fr. Wallace, La./West St. John

48 Maurion Eleam S 5-9 185 Fr. Monroe, La./Neville

18 Chandler Fields QB 5-10 201 R-So. Metairie, La./Archbishop Rummel

23 Courtline Flowers CB 6-0 180 So. Dallas, Texas/South Oak Cliff

25 Kendre’ Gant LB 6-4 224 R-So. Port St. Joe, Fla./Independence CC

7 Eric Garror CB 5-9 178 Sr. Mobile, Ala./McGill Toolen

17 Cameron George LB 6-1 251 R-Fr. Lafayette, La/Acadiana

53 AJ Gillie OL 6-2 321 R-So. Natchitoches, La./Natchitoches Central

52 Demetrus Gladney DL 6-3 251 Fr. Haughton, La./Haughton

82 Rhett Guidry TE 6-5 232 R-Fr. Baton Rouge, La./Dunham

33 Tyler Guidry LB 6-2 252 Jr. Baton Rouge, La./Southern Lab

70 Jax Harrington OL 6-4 323 R-So. Erath, La./Erath

87 Tyler Hatcher TE 6-4 254 So. Tomball, Texas/Concordia Lutheran/Trinity Valley CC

91 Sonny Hazard DL 6-1 310 So. New Orleans, La./Jesuit

74 Colby Hebert OL 6-3 310 R-So. New Iberia, La./Catholic-New Iberia/Kilgore JC

4 Zi’Yon Hill-Green DL 6-1 285 R-Sr. New Iberia, La./Catholic-New Iberia 73 David Hudson OL 6-0 269 R-Sr. Lafayette, La./Lafayette 94 Dalvin Hutchinson DL 6-0 301 Jr. Monroe, La./West Monroe 71 George Jackson OL 6-4 314 R-Fr. Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson 34 Calep Jacob CB 6-0 173 Fr. Loreauville, La./Loreauville 33 Collin Jacob CB 5-11 170 Fr. Loreauville, La./Loreauville 9 Neal Johnson TE 6-4 247 Jr. Mesquite, Texas/West Mesquite 45 Caleb Kibodi LB 6-1 230 R-Fr. Baton Rouge, La./Parkview Baptist 0 Jacob Kibodi RB 6-1 221 R-Jr. Baton Rouge, La./Christian Life Academy/Texas A&M 40 Logan Klotz K 6-1 177 R-Fr. Slidell, La./Pope John Paul II 46 Jordan Lawson DL 6-4 246 R-Fr. Brandon, Miss./Brandon 29 Peter LeBlanc WR 6-2 192 Jr. New Iberia, La./Catholic-New Iberia 12 Lance LeGendre WR 6-2 223 R-So. New Orleans, La./Warren Easton/Maryland

84 Thomas Leo K 6-3 214 R-Jr. Winter Garden, Fla./East Ridge/FIU

3 Tyrone Lewis, Jr. S 5-11 200 R-So. Hammond, La./Hammond/Kansas State

41 Joe Lombardi, Jr. TE 6-2 222 R-Fr. Metairie, La./Jesuit

88 Johnny Lumpkin TE 6-6 268 R-Sr. Atlanta, Ga./Fredrick Douglass/Hutchinson CC

79 Mackey Maillho OL 6-8 368 R-Fr. Covington, La./Mandeville

19 Dale Martin WR 6-2 190 Fr. Maurice, La./North Vermilion

28 Keyon Martin CB 5-9 160 R-So. Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Youngstown St./Deerfield Beach

59 Wesley Maze LB 6-1 228 R-Fr. Bell City, La./St. Louis Catholic

13 Amir McDaniel CB 5-8 183 R-So. Pensacola, Fla./West Florida Tech

8 Zy McDonald QB 5-9 185 R-Fr. Ridgeland, Miss./Ridgeland

77 King McGowen OL 6-5 309 R-So. Willis, Texas/Willis

93 Nijel McGriff DL 6-2 271 R-So. Jacksonville, Fla./Northwest Mississippi CC

22 Patrick Mensah S 5-9 178 R-Jr. Baton Rouge, La./Catholic

24 Pearse Migl TE 6-0 229 R-Jr. Welsh, La./Welsh

39 Carter Milliron LS 6-0 239 Fr. Hoover, Ala./Hoover

6 Kris Moncrief LB 6-1 242 Sr. Raleigh, Miss./Raleigh

75 Kaden Moreau OL 6-3 299 Fr. Pineville, La./Pineville

66 Trent Murphy OL 6-3 284 Fr. Opelousas, La./Opelousas

90 Mason Narcisse DL 6-2 302 So. Reserve, La./St. Charles Catholic

97 Ja-Quane Nelson DL 6-3 303 R-Sr. High Point, N.C./High Point Central/Hutchinson CC

51 James Ohonba OL 6-3 311 R-Jr. Stockbridge, Ga./Woodland/Michigan State

96 RJ Oliver DL 6-1 265 R-Fr. Baton Rouge, La./McKinley

29 K.C. Ossai LB 6-1 242 So. Conroe, Texas/Oak Ridge

51 Evan Padilla K 5-6 174 R-Sr. San Diego, Calif./Del Norte/UMass

0 Kam Pedescleaux S 5-8 196 R-Jr. Houston, Texas/Manvel

21 Zylan Perry RB 5-10 187 Fr. Franklin, La./Franklin

15 Ja’Marian Peterson OLB 6-3 232 R-Fr. New Orleans, La./De La Salle

43 Jourdan Quibodeaux LB 6-0 217 R-Sr. Lafayette, La./Acadiana

41 Ty’Darien Quinney S 5-10 163 R-So. Alexandria, La./Tioga

19 AJ Riley LB 6-2 220 R-Jr. Plaquemine, La./Plaquemine

80 Charles Robertson WR 6-1 187 Fr. Zachary, La./Zachary

6 Errol Rogers, Jr. WR 5-11 196 So. DeLand, Fla./Lafayette Christian Academy

36 Gavin Royer K 6-0 168 Fr. Carencro, La./Carencro

65 Carlos Rubio OL 6-4 295 R-Sr. Alexandria, La./Alexandria Senior

44 Jake St. Andre LB 6-1 222 R-Fr. Bossier City, La./Haughton

53 Christopher Scott DL 6-1 240 Fr. Boutte, La./Hahnville

52 James Segrest LS 6-2 197 R-So. Lafayette, La./St. Thomas More/Harding University

80 Alex Self LB 6-2 230 R-So. Greensburg, La./St. Helena College & Career Academy

40 Hunter Sims LS 6-2 209 R-Fr. Arcola, Miss./Copiah-Lincoln CC 31 Tyree Skipper S 6-2 190 R-Fr. New Orleans, La./Sophie B. Wright Charter School 13 Chris Smith RB 5-9 200 R-Jr. Louisville, Miss./Nanih Waiya Attendance Center 37 Preston Stafford K 6-0 172 R-Jr. Baton Rouge, La./Catholic/LSU 7 John Stephens, Jr. WR 6-5 221 Sr. Logansport, La./Logansport/TCU 50 Nathan Thomas OL 6-5 328 R-So. New Orleans, La./Chalmette 92 Damon Thompson DL 5-11 258 R-Fr. Opelousas, La./Opelousas 24

Bralen Trahan S 6-0 201 R-Sr. Lafayette, La./Acadiana 35 Chaz Ward RB 6-0 237 Jr. Houma, La./Terrebonne/Lamar 57 Hunter Warren LB 6-0 219 Fr. Houston, Texas/Cypress Fair 20

Dre’lyn Washington RB 5-9 225 R-Fr. Hemphill, Texas/Hemphill 38

Cameron Whitfield LB 6-3 244 R-Fr. Houston, Texas/Dawson 64 Bryant Williams OL 6-7 310 Fr. Lake Charles, La./Grand Lake 18 Jasper Williams LB 6-0 221 Jr. Grenada, Miss./Grenada/East Mississippi CC 27

Kendrell Williams RB 5-10 194 R-Fr. Carencro, La./Carencro 78 Quinton Williams OL 6-3 302 So. Fort Worth, Texas/Brewer/Trinity Valley CC 85 Robert Williams WR 6-2 174 R-Fr. Humble, Texas/Trinity Christian 23

OFFENSE

WR (X) 7 John Stephens, Jr. 6-5, 221, Sr. 12 Lance Legendre 6-2, 223, R-So.

WR (H) 4 Jacob Bernard 5-10, 190, R-So. 19 Jamal Bell 6-0, 192, R-Sr. 11 Dalen Cambre 6-0, 183, R-So.

LT 50 Nathan Thomas 6-5, 328, R-So. 51 James Ohonba 6-3, 311, R-Jr.

LG 53 AJ Gillie 6-2, 321, R-So. 75 Kaden Moreau 6-3, 299, Fr.

C 73 David Hudson 6-0, 269, R-Sr. 55 Landon Burton 6-3, 298, R-So. -or- 60 Zach Boulet 6-0, 257, R-Fr.

RG 70 Jax Harrington 6-3, 323, R-Fr. 71 George Jackson 6-4, 314, R-Fr.

RT 65 Carlos Rubio 6-3, 295, R-Jr. 78 Quinton Williams 6-3, 302, So.

TE (H) 24 Pearse Migl 6-0, 229, R-Jr. 9 Neal Johnson 6-3, 247, Jr.

TE (Y) 88 Johnny Lumpkin 6-5, 268, R-Sr. 83 Damani Burrell 6-6, 254, R-Jr.

WR (Z) 29 Peter LeBlanc 6-2, 192, Jr. 6 Errol Rogers, Jr. 5-11, 196, So. 16 Kaleb Carter 5-11, 180, R-Jr.

QB 18 Chandler Fields 5-10, 201, R-So. 2 Zeon Chriss 6-2, 208, Fr.

-or- 8 Zy McDonald 5-9, 185, R-Fr.

RB 13 Chris Smith 5-9, 200, R-Jr. 23 Terrence Smith 6-1, 231, So. -or- 0 Jacob Kibodi 6-0, 221, R-Jr. -or- 20 Dre’lyn Washington 5-9, 225, R-Fr. -or- 21 Zylan Perry 5-10, 187, Fr.

DEFENSE

DL 93 Nijel McGriff 6-2, 271, R-So. 95 Blake Champagne 6-3, 274, R-Fr.

DL 91 Sonny Hazard 6-0, 310, So. 97 Ja-Quane Nelson 6-2, 303, R-Sr. 94 Dalvin Hutchinson 6-0, 301, Jr.

DL 4 Zi’Yon Hill-Green 6-0, 285, R-Sr 90 Mason Narcisse 6-2, 302, So.

OLB 25 Kendre’ Gant 6-2, 224, R-So. -or- 19 AJ Riley 6-2, 220, R-Jr. 33 Tyler Guidry 6-1, 252, Jr.

OLB 38 Cameron Whitfield 6-2, 244, R-Fr. -or- 15 Ja-Marian Peterson 6-2, 232, R-Fr. 33 Tyler Guidry 6-1, 252, Jr.

STAR 23 Courtline Flowers 5-11, 180, So. -or- 2 Brandon Bishop 5-11, 185, R-So. 22 Patrick Mensah 5-8, 178, R-So.

ILB 6 Kris Moncrief 6-1, 242, Sr. 29 KC Ossai 6-1, 242, So. 34 Kailep Edwards 6-0, 228, Fr.

ILB 43 Jourdan Quibodeaux 6-0, 217, R-Sr. 18 Jasper Williams 5-11, 221, Jr.

CB 7 Eric Garror 5-9, 178, Sr. 28 Keyon Martin 5-9, 160, R-So. -or- 13 Amir McDonald 5-8, 183, R-So.

S 0 Kam Pedescleaux 5-10, 196, R-Jr. 31 Tyree Skipper 5-10, 190, R-Fr.

S 24 Bralen Trahan 5-11, 201, R-Sr. 3 Tyron Lewis, Jr. 5-11, 200, R-So.

CB 21 Trey Amos 6-1, 197, R-So. 11 Caleb Anderson 6-2, 203, R-Fr.

SPECIAL TEAMS

K 45 Kenneth Almendares 6-1, 242, R-So. -or-

Preston Stafford 5-11, 174, R-Jr. P

Byrns 5-11, 191, Sr.

Leo 6-3, 214, R-Jr.

Milliron 5-11, 239, Fr.

Hunter Sims 6-1, 209, R-Fr.

Hunter Sims 6-1, 209, R-Fr.

Carter Milliron 5-11, 239, Fr. H

Dalen Cambre 6-0, 183, R-So.

Rhys Byrns 5-11, 191, Sr.

KO

Thomas Leo 6-3, 214, R-Jr.

Preston Stafford 5-11, 174, R-Jr. -or-

Logan Klotz 6-0, 177, R-Fr.

KR 13 Chris Smith 5-9, 200, R-Jr. -or- 7 Eric Garror 5-9, 178, Sr.

PR 7 Eric Garror 5-9, 178, Sr. 21 Trey Amos 6-1, 197, R-So.

Chandler Fields

SPOR A E A X

RUSHING GP Att Gain Loss Net Avg TD Long Avg/G

Chris Smith 10 112 596 16 580 5.2 3 55 58.0

Terrence Williams 11 99 386 21 365 3.7 1 16 33.2

Dre’lyn Washington 9 61 347 8 339 5.6 2 54 37.7

Ben Wooldridge 10 48 237 49 188 3.9 2 17 18.8

Jacob Kibodi 9 37 174 5 169 4.6 0 20 18.8

Total 12 424 1966 244 1722 4.1 10 55 143.5 Opponents 12 426 1927 220 1707 4.0 18 75 142.3

PASSING GP Effic Cmp-Att-Int Pct Yards TD Long Avg/G

Ben Wooldridge 10 129.9 138-244-5 56.6 1661 15 63 166.1

Chandler Fields 7 123.7 89-157-4 56.7 954 10 50 136.3

Zeon Chriss 3 170.6 5-9-0 55.6 84 1 37 28.0

Total 12 128.1 232-411-9 56.5 2699 26 63 224.9 Opponents 12 117.5 226-397-15 56.9 2632 15 89 219.3

RECEIVING GP No. Yards Avg TD Long Avg/G

Michael Jefferson 12 51 810 15.9 7 63 67.5

Neal Johnson 12 22 277 12.6 2 43 23.1

John Stephens, Jr. 12 11 237 21.6 3 55 19.8

Jacob Bernard 12 11 191 17.4 2 45 15.9

Peter LeBlanc 12 22 174 7.9 1 26 14.5

Dontae Fleming 12 19 168 8.8 3 55 14.0

Errol Rogers, Jr. 12 18 168 9.3 0 22 14.0 Total 12 250 2867 11.5 26 63 238.9 Opponents 12 226 2632 11.7 15 89 219.3

FIELD GOALS Made-Att Pct 1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ Lng Blkd

Kenneth Almendares 15-20 75.0 0-0 3-5 4-4 5-8 3-3 52 0 Preston Stafford 2-4 50.0 0-0 1-1 1-1 0-1 0-1 36 0 |-------------PATs -------------|

SCORING TD FGs Kick Rush Rcv Pass DXP Saf Pts

Kenneth Almendares - 15 22-23 - - - - - 67

Michael Jefferson 7 - - - - - - - 42 Chris Smith 4 - - - - - - - 24 Preston Stafford - 2 15-15 - - - - - 21 Dontae Fleming 3 - - - - - - - 21 Total 39 17 37-38 0 0 0 0 0 322 Opponents 35 11 27-30 0 1 1 0 1 274

Ben Wooldridge 10 292 188 1661 1849 184.9 Chandler Fields 7 187 55 954 1009 144.1 Chris Smith 10 112 580 0 580 58.0 Terrence Williams 11 99 365 0 365 33.2 Dre’lyn Washington 9 61 339 0 339 37.7 Total 12 835 1722 2699 4421 368.4 Opponents 12 823 1707 2632 4339 361.6

PUNT RETURNS No. Yards Avg TD Long

Eric Garror 24 356 14.8 2 83 Dontae Fleming 1 50 50.0 0 50 Total 25 406 16.2 2 83 Opponents 17 96 5.7 0 40

INTERCEPTIONS No. Yards Avg TD Long

Bralen Trahan 4 71 17.8 0 46 Eric Garror 2 43 21.5 0 43

Caleb Anderson 1 54 54.0 1 54 Amir McDaniel 1 18 18.0 0 18 Nijel McGriff 1 9 9.0 0 9 Brandon Bishop 1 2 2.0 0 2 Courtline Flowers 1 0 0.0 0 0 Andre Jones 1 0 0.0 0 0 Kris Moncrief 1 0 0.0 0 0 Kam Pedescleaux 1 0 0.0 0 0 Jasper Williams 1 0 0.0 0 0 Total 15 197 13.1 1 54 Opponents 9 173 19.2 1 52

KICK RETURNS No. Yards Avg TD Long

Chris Smith 14 311 22.2 0 39 Dontae Fleming 3 71 23.7 0 27 Eric Garror 2 33 16.5 0 19 Jacob Kibodi 1 17 17.0 0 17 Neal Johnson 2 7 3.5 0 7 Total 22 439 20.0 0 39 Opponents 30 497 16.6 0 34

FUMBLE RETURNS No. Yards Avg TD Long Mason Narcisse 1 12 12.0 0 12 Bralen Trahan 1 10 10.0 0 10 Courtline Flowers 1 0 0.0 0 0 Total 3 22 7.3 0 12 Opponents 1 12 12.0 1 12

PUNTING No. Yards Avg Long TB FC I20 50+ Blkd Rhys Byrns 50 2212 44.2 60 4 13 11 9 0 Total 50 2212 44.2 60 4 13 11 9 0 Opponents 65 2677 41.2 63 4 8 16 13 2 KICKOFFS No. Yards Avg TB OB

YdLn Thomas Leo 66 4052 61.4 20 5 Total 66 4052 61.4 20 5 Opponents 55 3446 62.7 30 1

Louisiana Head COach

MICHAEL DESORMEAUX

1st Year as Louisiana Head Coach

1st Year Overall as Head Coach

7th Year at Louisiana

Alma Mater: Louisiana (2008)

Hometown: New Iberia, La.

Record as Head Coach: 7-6

COACHING EXPERIENCE

Catholic HS Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (2010-12)

Ascension Episcopal Head Coach (2013-15)

Louisiana Running Backs (2016)

Tight Ends (2017-20)

Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends (2021) Head Coach (2022-Present)

Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Bryan Maggard named Michael Desormeaux as the program’s next head coach on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021.

A record-setting quarterback for Louisiana from 2005-08, Desormeaux has been on the Ragin’ Cajuns’ staff for the last six seasons and served as the CoOffensive Coordinator during the 2021 campaign when the team won its fourth consecutive Sun Belt West Division title and won its first outright Sun Belt Championship in program history.

Desormeaux served as the interim head coach for the program in 2017 prior to the arrival of former head coach Billy Napier and was the only member of the coaching staff retained by Napier.

And when Napier accepted the job at the University of Florida just prior to Louisiana’s appearance in the 2021 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, the search did not have to go very far in finding his successor.

“Throughout our search process, we were intentional in identifying someone who could carry on the winning #cULture that we have built at the University of Louisiana,” Maggard said. “We looked both internally and externally and it became very evident that not only is Mike Desormeaux ready to be a head coach, but he is the right head coach for our program now. Mike has amazing relationships with every member of our nationally-ranked team and is highly respected by the high school football coaches in the state of Louisiana. He is a man of unbelievable character and integrity, is highly respected in the college coaching profession, and has a very high football acumen.”

Desormeaux has spent the last four years developing as a signal caller under Napier. With his help, the offense ranked third in the Sun Belt in both scoring offense (31.2) and total offense (397.6) during the historic 2021 campaign and helped the team secure a program record 13 wins.

In 2020, Desormeaux saw the Ragin’ Cajuns rank 29th in the nation in scoring offense (33.6 ppg) and played a key role in the team’s rushing attack ranking 21st nationally with 213.0 yards per game.

His offensive prowess was also on display during the 2019 campaign as he helped Louisiana’s offense flourish in record-breaking fashion, ranking eighth nationally in total offense (494.1) and 10th nationally in scoring offense (37.9).

The New Iberia native has also done a masterful job coaching Louisiana’s tight ends, aiding in the development of Neal Johnson and Johnny Lumpkin. Johnson has led the tight end corps over the last three seasons with 492 receiving yards and four touchdowns, while Lumpkin has consistently been a leader on the team and has caught 20 passes for 265 yards and two scores under Desormeaux’s watch.

“I am absolutely thrilled and honored to serve as the next head coach at the University of Louisiana,” Desormeaux said. “I am a Ragin’ Cajun throughand-through, so to get this unbelievable opportunity is humbling to say the least. I cannot thank Dr. Savoie, Dr. Maggard, and the rest of our leadership enough for this truly unique and special opportunity. This program has been built on relationships, and I am looking forward to continuing to build and advance this #cULture that we have created. I am most excited that I get to stay and continue this journey with these men in that locker room. They are a very talented and special group.”

He was on staff at Louisiana in 2016 and 2017, working with the wide receivers and running backs, respectively. Over those two seasons, he developed and helped recruit some of the top talent in Ragin’ Cajuns history, including former running back Trey Ragas and former wideouts Ja’Marcus Bradley and Al Riles.

Desormeaux is also a relentless recruiter, playing an instrumental role in the team securing the top recruiting class in the Sun Belt in 2019, 2020 and 2021. With his influence, the Ragin’ Cajuns currently own the second-ranked class in the league ahead of the 2022 signing period.

He also has strong ties with local high school coaches and has continued to build strong ties with prep coaches around the state.

Prior to joining the Ragin’ Cajuns staff, he spent three seasons at Lafayette’s Ascension Episcopal School, where he led the Blue Gators to an 11-2 record and the Division IV state semifinals in 2015. He took over an AES program in 2013 that finished 0-9 the year before and led them to five wins in his first season and eight victories in 2014.

A standout player for Louisiana, Desormeaux passed for 3,893 yards and 23 touchdowns while rushing for 2,843 yards and 16 scores. He was named All-Sun Belt Conference three times as an all-purpose specialist before being named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 1,876 yards while rushing for 1,035 yards.

He became the eighth quarterback in NCAA history to post back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons after rushing for 1,141 yards as a junior in 2007. Under his guidance, the Cajuns offense led the SBC in total yards, rushing yards, yards per game, rushing yards per game, yards per play, third down conversion percentage and touchdowns.

Desormeaux led the Sun Belt in passing efficiency in SBC only games and broke Jake Delhomme’s single-season school record for passing efficiency. After concluding his career with the Ragin’ Cajuns, Desormeaux signed a free agent contract as a defensive back with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

He was inducted into the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society after graduating in December 2008 with a cumulative grade-pointaverage of 3.91.

Desormeaux was a star athlete at Catholic-New Iberia, where he later got his coaching start as an assistant coach. He lettered four years in both football and basketball, as well as five years in track and three in baseball. He led Catholic HS to three straight Class 3A playoff appearances and three straight district championships in football. Desormeaux earned first-team Class 3A All-State honors in 2003 and was named the All-District offensive MVP.

He began his coaching career at his alma mater, serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2010-13.

Desormeaux and his wife, Lindsey, are the parents of two children, Thomas and Elle.

LOUISIANA ASSISTANT COACHES

LAMAR MORGAN Defensive Coordinator/Safeties

MIKE GULIANI Outside Linebackers

GALEN SCOTT Inside Linebackers

TIM LEGER Offensive Coordinator/WRs

MIKE TURNER Quality Control/ Football Operations

DENNIS THOMAS Defensive Line

MATT BERGERON Running Backs

JORGE MUNOZ Associate Head Coach/Tight Ends

JEFF BURRIS Cornerbacks

JEFF NORRID Offensive Line

BRYANT ROSS Assistant Offensive Line

TROY WINGERTER Associate AD/Chief of Staff for Football

WILL MYERS Director of Player Personnel

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

DR. E. JOSEPH SAVOIE

PRESIDENT

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has distinguished itself in many ways. Happiness is one of its most important characteristics.

Happiness is not a typical feature of school mottos, but the University’s seal bears the Latin words Fortiter, Feliciter, Fideliter, and the English translation: “Boldly, Happily, Faithfully.” In fact, the Lafayette community is recognized as the happiest city and one of the best college towns in the U.S.

UL Lafayette is more than a happy place, however. It’s an excellent place to learn. It’s one of the nation’s best academic institutions, according to the 2015 edition of “The Best 379 Colleges” published by the Princeton Review. The National Science Foundation recognized the University among the top 10 universities in the U.S. for its percentage of research and development expenditures funded by business.

It leads the state as the university with the lowest average net price to attend. UL Lafayette also is among the top 10 percent of most affordable four-year public universities in the U.S. With more than 19,000 students, it is the largest institution within the nine-school University of Louisiana System and is the secondlargest university in Louisiana.

The University awards bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. Its diverse offerings range from the humanities to scientific research, and it is a leader in areas such as computer science, engineering, architecture, biology and nursing. It offers the state’s only industrial design degree. It also is one of three universities in the world to offer a graduate degree in Francophone studies.

Community service is valued. Each year, more than 5,000 students, faculty and staff contribute about 500,000 hours of

direct community service. Their efforts make an economic impact of millions of dollars to the community.

A wide range of cultural, recreational and social activities are available, on and off campus. With more than 150 campus organizations and clubs on campus, it’s easy for students to get involved.

UL Lafayette is as unique as its location in the heart of Acadiana, a region known for its distinctive Cajun and Creole cultures, excellent food and music, and exceptional quality of life.

The campus reflects the region’s beauty and natural resources. Cypress Lake, a microcosm of the nearby Atchafalaya Basin, skirts the Student Union. Although it’s called a lake, it’s actually a managed wetland. Teeming with alligators, turtles, birds and fish, it’s filled with moss-draped cypress trees, lush vegetation, and birdsong.

Stately live oaks—several more than 100 years old—shade campus walkways. The Quadrangle is encircled by the “Walk of Honor,” a path paved with more than 80,000 bricks bearing the names of each University graduate, beginning with the first graduating class of 1903.

The University Research Park, a 147-acre site adjacent to the athletic complex, is home to LITE, which stands for the Louisiana Immersive Technology Enterprise. LITE ’s striking design features a three-story, egg-shaped room made of glass. Three-dimensional images created by supercomputers are projected inside. LITE was established for economic development through a partnership formed by the University, the Lafayette Economic Development Authority and the State of Louisiana.

Other tenants in Research Park include the U.S.G.S’s National Wetlands Research Center and the NOAA’s Estuarine Habitats and Coastal Fisheries Center.

The University was founded on July 14, 1898, which coincidentally is French National Day, or Bastille Day. Known in French as Université des Acadiens (the University of the Acadians), UL Lafayette is an accomplished public research university.

To learn more about what makes this place happy and smart, go to louisiana.edu.

Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics

DR. BRYAN MAGGARD

VICE PRESIDENT FOR INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics

A new era in Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics began on Feb. 1, 2017, when Dr. Bryan Maggard was introduced as Director of Athletics. In his more than five years leading the Ragin’ Cajuns, Maggard has continued to bring new excitement to the Louisiana fan base while finding unique ways to build on one of college athletics’ most unique brands.

After being elevated to Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics in June 2021, Maggard oversaw what is likely one of the most successful years in Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics history after Football won its first outright Sun Belt Conference Championship at Cajun Field and both Baseball and Softball won conference titles and represented Louisiana in the 2022 NCAA Regionals.

At the end of the 2021 Football campaign, Maggard named the newest head coach of Ragin’ Cajuns Football, former assistant coach and quarterback, Mike Desormeaux. Desormeaux made an immediate impact on the program in his new role, guiding the team to an impressive 36-21 victory over Marshall in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl to cap off the team’s historic 13-1 season.

In addition to the on-field success, Louisiana experienced its most successful year in fundraising in 2021-22 after the Department raised more than $30 million. One of those gifts was $15 million from Our Lady of Lourdes to secure the stadium naming rights for Cajun Field, the largest gift in Department history.

Maggard also led the charge in inking the department’s first-of-its-kind, 10-year multimedia rights partnership with Learfield in March 2018. Learfield, and its local extension, Ragin’ Cajuns Sports Properties, have worked tirelessly to expand the brand of the Ragin’ Cajuns both locally, regionally and nationally.

Maggard received a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in health and physical education, both from Kansas State University. He received a Ph.D. in Educational and Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri. He and his wife, Kerry, are proud parents of three children, Dalton, Aubrey, and Kaylin.

PRIDE OF ACADIANA

The Pride of Acadiana performs at all home games, adding music and pageantry to the excitement of Ragin’ Cajun football. It also performs during select away games, high school contest exhibitions, and special events, such as the Louisiana governor’s inauguration and New Orleans Saints Football Games. The Pride of Acadiana has performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade twice and has traveled to Scotland, England, and Spain for performances and parades.

In addition, the UL Lafayette Pride of Acadiana Drum Line is a two-time winner of the Percussive Arts Society International Convention College Drum Line Competition. Members of the UL Lafayette Drum Line have consistently been a part of virtually every DCI member corps both as marching members and staff.

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Houston Season in Review

GAME 1

Houston 37, UTSA 35 (3OT)

Sept. 3 | Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas

Dana Holgorsen would prefer Clayton Tune not run the ball out of concern for his health. The Houston coach knew he could not stop his senior quarterback from doing so, though. And neither could UTSA. Tune leaped over a defender to score on a 13-yard run and the 24th-ranked Cougars escaped with 37-35 victory over UTSA in three overtimes on Sept. 3. Per NCAA rules for a third overtime, Tune’s winning run was a 2-point conversion. The Roadrunners were unable to match the score as their final pass floated out of bounds. Tune was 22 of 32 for 206 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 51 yards and a TD.

Houston rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second half at the Alamodome to snap UTSA’s 10-game home winning streak. Houston dominated the final quarter, maintaining possession for 10 minutes, 30 seconds in driving 77 yards on 18 plays. The drive ended with Bubba Baxa kicking a 35-yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining for a 24-21 lead.

Tune ran for three first-down conversions in the final drive of regulation, including two during which he scrambled out of the pocket after not finding an open receiver. UTSA matched the feat in far less time, driving 55 yards in 23 seconds for a 37-yard field goal by Jared Sackett to force overtime. Baxa and Sackett kicked matching field goals in the first overtime.

GAME 2

Texas

Tech 33, Houston 30 (2OT)

Sept. 10 | Jones AT&T Stadium | Lubbock, Texas

Donovan Smith put Texas Tech at risk of losing with his arm. The sophomore quarterback rescued the Red Raiders with his legs. Smith ran 9 yards for a touchdown in the second overtime, lifting Texas Tech to a 33-30 victory over No. 25 Houston on Sept. 10. It was the last meeting between the former Southwest Conference rivals before they become league foes again when the Cougars move from the American Athletic to the Big 12 next year.

After Houston’s Bubba Baxa opened the second OT with a 20-yard field goal, Smith broke into the open field and ran untouched to the end zone, sending Texas Tech students and fans streaming onto the field. Baxa kicked a go-ahead 35-yard field goal with 37 seconds remaining in regulation after Gervarrius Owens returned Smith’s third interception to the Texas Tech 21 in the final two minutes. Smith answered with a 27-yard scramble on the next play, sparking a drive to a tying 47-yard field goal from Trey Wolff with three seconds to go. Wolff replaced Gino Garcia, who missed from 45 earlier in the fourth quarter. The Cougars (1-1) erased a 17-3 halftime deficit, getting even early in the fourth quarter when Jayce Rogers stepped in front of a pass from Smith and returned it 54 yards for a TD. Still, Houston’s 12-game regular-season winning streak ended. Houston had 11 penalties for 121 yards, including two personal fouls on the same possession that twice let the Red Raiders keep the ball when the Cougars would have taken possession in the first half.

Houston also trailed by two touchdowns in the second half of another overtime game in last week’s opener, rallying from 21-7 down entering the fourth quarter for a 37-35 double-overtime victory over UTSA. Both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime after backing themselves up. Smith converted on fourth-and-20 with a 21-yard completion to Jerand Bradley. The Red Raiders forced the second OT on Tahj Brooks’ 4-yard scoring run. Tune faced second-and-21 to open overtime before a 19-yard completion to Nathaniel Dell, who had seven catches for 120 yards and a 35-yard punt return. Three plays later, he threw a 15-yard TD pass to Matthew Golden.

GAME 3

Kansas 48, Houston 30

Sept. 17 | TDECU Stadium | Houston, Texas

Jalon Daniels threw for 158 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 123 yards and two scores as Kansas improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2009 with a 48-30 win over Houston on Sept. 17. Daniels finished 14 of 23 and threw touchdown passes of 5, 60 and 8 yards. He had touchdown runs of 12 and 9 yards. He found 11 different receivers and threw touchdown passes to Torry Locklin, Jared Casey and Luke Grimm. Kansas finished with 438 yards, including 280 rushing yards. The Jayhawks won back-to-back road games for the first time since 2007.

After Houston opened up a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter, Kansas answered with 28 straight points on a 12-yard touchdown run by Daniels, an 8-yard touchdown run by Daniel Hishaw Jr. and touchdown passes of 5 yards and 60 yards by Daniels to open up a 14-point lead with a minute left in the first half. Clayton Tune was 22 of 31 for 260 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He also rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown. Houston (12) finished with 446 total yards. Brandon Campbell had 48 rushing yards and a score, and Ta’Zhawn Henry finished with 56 rushing yards and a touchdown and five catches for 107 yards and a score for Houston. Nathaniel Dell caught six passes for 76 yards.

GAME 4

Houston 34, Rice 27 Sept. 24 | TDECU Stadium | Houston, Texas

Nelson Ceaser returned a fumble for an 11-yard score with 3:34 left in the fourth quarter and Thabo Mwaniki intercepted a tipped pass on the next possession as Houston beat Rice 34-27 on Sept. 24 to retain the Bayou Bucket for a record seventh consecutive time.

Houston pinned Rice at its 6-yard line with 24 seconds left. The Owls made two catches to get to their 40 before clocking it at eight seconds. TJ McMahon launched it, Bradley Rozner came down with the ball in traffic at the Houston 9 and the officials ruled there was one second left. Rice had no timeouts remaining but Houston took one to set up its defense. McMahon was pressured into a rushed pass and it was batted down in the end zone.

Nathaniel Dell sparked the Houston (2-2) offense with seven catches for 134 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown. Clayton Tune was 19-of-26 passing for 249 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Ta’Zhawn Henry added 17 carries for 112 yards and one touchdown.

GAME 5

Tulane 27, Houston 24 (OT) Sept. 30 | TDECU Stadium | Houston, Texas

Houston Football’s fourth quarter rally came up short as Tulane drove the field late to force overtime, eventually taking down the Cougars 27-24 on Sept. 30 in the American Athletic Conference opener from TDECU Stadium.

An early defensive showdown turned into an offensive shootout late as Houston (2-3, 0-1 The American) scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter before Tulane (4-1, 1-0 The American) drove 75 yards in 11 plays, tying the contest on a 3-yard touchdown reception and extra point.

Quarterback Clayton Tune passed for 208 yards on 22 of 33 passing alongside two touchdowns. Alongside his 56 rushing yards, Tune surpassed the 10,000-yard career total yards mark (10,023), becoming the fourth player in program history to accomplish the feat, joining Case Keenum (20,114 yards), Kevin Kolb (13,715 yards) and Greg Ward Jr. (11,080 yards). Wide receiver Nathaniel Dell hauled in eight receptions for two touchdowns and 73 yards. Dell’s two receiving touchdowns were the 19th and 20th since the start of the 2020 season which ranks tied for fifth nationally in that span.

After forcing a Green Wave three-and-out on the following drive, the Cougars drove 80 yards down the field on 10 plays capped off by a Tune 14-yard touchdown pass to Dell in the right corner of the end zone to give Houston its first lead of the game at 21-14 with 3:04 remaining. In overtime, Houston regained the lead with a 36-yard field goal by kicker Bubba Baxa, but a 10-yard touchdown pass from Horton to Tyjae Spears on the following drive sealed the win for Tulane.

GAME 6

Houston 33, Memphis 32 Oct. 7 | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Memphis, Tenn.

Houston senior quarterback Clayton Tune threw a pair of touchdown passes inside the final two minutes as Houston scored 26 fourth-quarter points to stun Memphis 33-32 on Oct. 7 inside Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Tune tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver KeSean Carter that capped a 12-play, 75-yard drive to pull Houston to 32-26 with 1:17 to play. Houston took possession following the ensuing onside kick on senior tight end Christian Trahan’s recovery. Tune and Carter connected again six plays later for the game-winner on a 2-yard touchdown with 18 seconds to play. It tied as the fifth biggest comeback in school history. It also was the second come-from-behind win over 19+ points in the fourth quarter against the Tigers in school history (The Cougars trailed 34-14 with 14:52 left in the fourth quarter on Nov. 14, 2015, before taking a 35-34 win).

Tune finished 36-of-57 passing for 366 yards with three touchdowns. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Samuel Brown had nine receptions for 116 yards, and junior wide receiver Nathaniel Dell made 10 catches for 81 yards and a score. Carter finished with four receptions for 36 yards and a pair of scores.

Memphis looked to be headed toward an easy victory when Seth Henigan threw a lateral to Gabriel Rogers near the sideline. Rogers then avoided three defenders and ran back toward the logo and lofted a pass to Asa Martin in the end zone for a 41-yard touchdown that stretched the Memphis lead to 26-7 with 14:50 remaining. Senior defensive back Jayce Rogers returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter for Houston, but Chris Howard made his fourth field goal, a 39-yarder, to push the Tigers’ lead to 32-19 with 4:04 to play.

Houston Season in Review

GAME 7

Houston 38, Navy 20

Oct. 22 |

Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium |

Annapolis, Md.

Houston senior quarterback Clayton Tune led the Cougar offense with five touchdown passes, including two each to receivers Nathaniel Dell and Samuel Brown, to lift the Cougars a 38-20 win over American Athletic Conference rival Navy inside Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Oct. 22. After sitting out last weekend with their bye, the Cougars scored touchdowns on their first two and three of their first four possessions for a 21-7 lead and never looked back in the victory. With the win, Houston won its second straight game and for the third time in the last four contests to improve to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in American play. Navy fell to 2-5 overall and 2-3 in American action.

Receiving the opening kickoff, Tune connected with Dell on a 6-yard touchdown strike less than three minutes into the game on the Cougars’ opening possession. After a Jayce Rogers interception and return stopped Navy’s first possession and put the ball on the Navy 35, Tune led a 7-play drive that was capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass to Dell with 5:29 left in the opening period. Brown hauled in 7- and 4-yard touchdown catches late in the second half, and senior kicker Kyle Ramsey drilled a 24-yard field goal midway through the third quarter to cap the Cougar scoring.

Redshirt freshman running back Stacy Sneed added a game-high 100 rushing yards on 20 carries to lead the ground attack. Senior linebacker Donavan Mutin lead all studentathletes with 13 tackles, including five solos stops.

GAME 8

Houston 42, South Florida 27

Oct. 2293 | TDECU Stadium | Houston, Texas

Clayton Tune passed for 380 yards and four touchdowns, Stacy Sneed rushed for two scores and Houston beat South Florida 42-27 on Oct. 29.

Tune went over 10,000 career yards after finding Peyton Sawyer in the corner of the end zone to take a 28-14 lead with 55 seconds left before halftime. Tune’s fourth touchdown came on a 28-yard flea-flicker to KeSean Carter early in the fourth quarter.

Tune was 31-of-37 passing for Houston (5-3, 3-1 American Athletic Conference). Nathaniel Dell caught nine passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns, and Carter added 102 yards receiving and one touchdown. Dell was left wide open for a 52-yard score early in the second quarter.

GAME 9

SMU 77, Houston 63

Nov. 5 | Gerald J. Ford Stadium | Dallas, Texas

Houston senior quarterback Clayton Tune became the first player in school history to throw for 500+ yards and rush for 100+ in a game, but it would not be enough in a wild 7763 loss to American Athletic Conference SMU in Gerald J. Ford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 5.

Tune threw for a career-high 527 yards on 36-of-53 passing with seven touchdowns and added a team-high 111 rushing yards on 12 carries, including a 55-yard touchdown run for the Cougars’ first points of the game. Wide receiver Nathaniel Dell hauled in 13 catches for 180 yards with a pair of touchdowns, while KeSean Carter added eight receptions for 136 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Matthew Golden added five catches for 105 yards and a score.

That group became only the ninth trio in school history to each record 100+ receiving yards in a game and the first since Marquez Stevenson (141), Courtney Lark (106) and Keith Corbin (104) accomplished the feat at Navy on Oct. 20, 2018.

The two teams combined for more than 1,300 yards of total offense with Houston holding a 710-642 lead. The 140 combined points were the most in an FBS regulation game in the AP poll era (since 1936). With the loss, Houston fell to 5-4 overall and 3-2 in American Athletic Conference play. SMU improved to 5-4 overall and 3-2 in league play.

GAME 10

Houston 43, Temple 36 Nov. 12 | TDECU Stadium | Houston, Texas

Houston senior quarterback Clayton Tune hit freshman wide receiver Matthew Golden 44 yards downfield with 42 seconds remaining to escape for a go-ahead touchdown, leading the Cougars to 43-36 win over Temple to earn bowl eligibility on Saturday, Nov. 12 at TDECU Stadium.

Houston (6-4 overall, 4-2 American) once again found itself in an offensive shootout as both teams combined for over 1,000 total yards of offense, but the Cougars emerged victorious behind Tune’s 318 total yards and four touchdowns. With the win, Houston moved to 12-2 in its last 14 American Athletic Conference matchups dating back to the start of the 2021 season, marking the Cougars’ best 14-game stretch in league play since replicating the feat from Sept. 2, 2006 - Nov. 4, 2007.

Running back Stacy Sneed scored the first of his two touchdowns later that drive. Sneed would go on to exceed the 100-yard mark for the second time in the previous four games, also setting a new career high with 143 rushing yards. The 143 rushing yards were the most for a Cougar since Duke Catalon ran for 177 yards at SMU on Oct. 7, 2017.

Houston scored 14 unanswered points to start the second half to take a 28-19 lead. Following another Temple score, Tune found junior receiver Nathaniel Dell for a 10-yard score to extend Houston’s lead 35-26. Dell on the day had 12 receptions for 98 yards and a score. The 98 yards vaulted him over the 1,000-yard mark for the season, making him just the third player in Houston history to have multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons (Patrick Edwards 2009-11; Tyron Carrier 2008-09). With the win, Houston clinched its 15th bowl appearance in the last 18 seasons.

GAME 11

Houston 42, East Carolina 3 Nov. 19 | Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium | Greenville, N.C.

Clayton Tune completed 32 of 44 passes for 435 yards and four touchdowns — two to Matthew Golden — and Houston scored the first 28 points as the Cougars beat East Carolina 42-3 on Saturday, Nov. 19, at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

Nathaniel Dell caught nine passes for 176 yards and his 12-yard touchdown reception opened the scoring less than 5 minutes into the game. Tune hit Christian Trahan for a 9-yard TD in the second quarter and Brandon Campbell’s 5-yard touchdown run — which capped a nine-play, 92-yard drive — gave Houston (6-4, 4-2 American Athletic Conference) a 21-0 halftime lead.

Golden, who finished with eight receptions for 127 yards, caught two 26-yard touchdown throws from Tune in the third quarter. Later, a 14-play, 73-yard drive that took nearly 8 minutes off the clock culminated when Ta’Zhawn Henry scored on a 3-yard run that made it 42-3 with 6:11 to play.

GAME 12

Tulsa 37, Houston 30 Nov. 26 | TDECU Stadium | Houston, Texas

Houston senior quarterback Clayton Tune threw for 386 yards and two touchdowns, and junior wide receiver Nathaniel Dell hauled in nine receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown and a punt return score of his own, but it would not be enough as Tulsa took a 37-30 win inside TDECU Stadium on Nov. 26.

Tulsa wide receiver JuanCarlos Santana hauled in a 25-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Braylon Braxton with 8:13 left in the final quarter to break a tie and give the Golden Hurricane the lead for good.

After Tulsa kicker’s 38-yard field goal Zack Long gave the Golden Hurricane a 37-27 lead with 2:51 left, the Cougars moved to within 37-30 on Kyle Ramsey’s 23-yard field goal with 52 seconds remaining. However, the Golden Hurricanes fell on the ensuing onsides kick and knelt twice to end the game. With the loss, the Cougars ended the regular season with a 7-5 overall record and 5-3 mark in American Athletic Conference play. Tulsa finished its season with a 5-7 mark and 3-5 record in league play.

Saturday’s game started well for the Cougars when Dell hauled in a 49-yard punt after Tulsa’s initial possession and weaved his way through the Tulsa special teams for a 68-yard touchdown. Houston built a 14-3 lead after the first quarter before Tulsa rallied to tie the game at 17-17 by halftime. In the second half, the Cougars managed only a pair of field goals from Ramsey.

Donavan Mutin

SCouting the Cougars

QUARTERBACKS

First-Team All-American Athletic Conference quarterback Clayton Tune vaulted his way up Houston’s career leaderboard but did not stop there. The senior signal caller set a new league record for career touchdown passes (101). He is second in Cougar career history in the category as well as second in touchdowns responsible for (116) and is third in passing yards (11,767). This season, Tune is tied for the national lead in touchdown passes (37) and is second in points responsible for per game (21.5) and fifth in passing yards (3,845). Redshirt freshman Lucas Coley, an Arkansas transfer, appeared in three games, completing all three passes attempted for a total of eight yards.

RUNNING BACKS

Houston turned to a bevy of backs during the regular season, receiving 100-yard rushing performances from Stacy Sneed, who accomplished the feat twice, and Ta’Zhawn Henry, who rushed for 112 yards and a score against Rice. Redshirt freshman Brandon Campbell appeared in nine games, rushing for 409 yards and four scores. Sneed registered two 100-yard rushing performances in the final six games including a 143-yard outburst against Temple on Nov. 12. The total was the most for a Houston player since 2017 (177, Duke Catalon vs. SMU). All three Houston backs rushed for 300+ yards while Kelan Walker proved key in several run-blocking situations, helping the Cougars rank seventh nationally in passing offense (321.1).

TIGHT ENDS

Senior captain tight end Christian Trahan put together another productive regular season to highlight success by the position. Trahan hauled in 23 receptions for 237 yards, averaging 10.3 yards per catch, alongside three receiving touchdowns. The Sulphur, La., native registered a receiving score in three of Houston’s final four games including six catches for 48 yards in the Cougars’ blowout win at East Carolina. Trahan was instrumental in Houston’s 19-point fourth quarter comeback at Memphis on Oct. 7, posting a season-high 73 receiving yards on five catches. Redshirt freshman Matt Byrnes also factored in on both offense and special teams. The Chicago native hauled in his first career catch and first career touchdown in Houston’s win at Navy on Oct. 22. On the season, he added a pair of 10-plus yard kickoff returns.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Houston junior wide receiver Nathaniel Dell was among the nation’s elite during the regu-lar season, spotlighting another largely new-look receivers’ room during 2022. Dell fin-ished as the national leader in receiving touchdowns (15) and receiving yards (1,354) for the regular season. The Daytona Beach, Fla., native caught a touchdown in 10 different games, the most for any player during 2022. His 15 touchdown receptions are tied for second in American Athletic Conference single-season history. Dell was among five different players, including four receivers, who has logged at least one 100-yard receiving game this season. Senior KeSean Carter accomplished the feat twice, coming in consecutive weeks, including a 136-yard receiving outburst at SMU. Freshman Matthew Golden burst onto the scene, setting a Houston true freshman record with seven receiving touchdowns while catching a touchdown in six of Houston’s 12 games. Samuel Brown added 116 receiving yards in Houston’s comeback at Memphis on March 7. Houston’s wideouts helped the Cougars finish seventh nationally in passing offense (321.1) while ranking eighth in completion percentage (67.4%).

OFFENSIVE LINE

After running out the same starting lineup in each of its 14 games one season ago, Houston’s new-look offensive line found its groove, led by First-Team All-American Athletic Conference honorees Patrick Paul and Cam’Ron Johnson. Johnson played 836 snaps for the Cougars, paving the way for three different 100-yard rushers courtesy of quarterback Clayton Tune, running back Stacy Sneed and running back Ta’Zhawn Henry. Paul is graded as the nation’s third-best pass blocker (91.2) among tackles according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). The sophomore played 832 offensive snaps for the Cougars, helping Houston to 30+ points in 11 of 12 games. Junior Jack Freeman made the transition to center ahead of the season, putting together his best graded season according to PFF. Freeman checked in at third among American Athletic Conference centers with a 71.2 run block grade. Sophomore transfer Tyler Johnson started all 12 games at left guard and ranked tied for The American lead among guards with a 90.2 pass block grade across 603 snaps.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Despite the early-season loss of defensive end Derek Parish, Houston’s defensive line was a source of strength, averaging 2.5 sacks per game along with 7.4 tackles per contest. First-Team All-Conference selection D’Anthony Jones finished the regular season tied for the national lead in forced fumbles (4). His eight forced fumbles since the start of the 2021 season are also tied atop the country. The senior’s 14.0 sacks over the last two seasons pace The American. Jones is graded as the nation’s third-best edge defender (90.8) by PFF. He is also third in pass rush (92.1) at the position. Teammate Atlias Bell was equally as impressive, finishing as the sixth-highest graded edge defender (90.5) nationally while notching 6.0 tackles for loss and 37 tackles. Fellow lineman Nelson Ceaser earned the league’s third-best mark among edge defenders, trailing only Jones and Bell, finishing second on the team with 10.0 tackles for loss. Houston’s interior defenders did not disappoint. Latrell Bankston finished 14th nationally with an 85.1 pass rush grade, which ranked second in the league. Defender Chidozie Nwankwo was sixth among The American’s interior defenders with a 71.7 grade for run defense while teammate Jamaree Caldwell was recognized as the league’s sixth-best overall interior defender by PFF.

LINEBACKERS

Senior captain Donavan Mutin, dubbed the “Peyton Manning of the Defense,” paced Houston in tackles (79) while adding four breakups and a forced fumble on the season. The Spring, native produced 10-plus tackles on four occasions including a season-best 13 at Navy on Oct. 22. Houston’s “Next Man Up” mentality at the position was put to the test with the loss of Malik Robinson to injury. The senior registered 15 tackles through the first two games of the season before being sidelined. Teammate Mannie Nunnery finished tied for fifth on the team with 38 tackles despite missing two games. The sophomore, who was the national special team’s player of the year a season ago, produced 10 tackles in Houston’s seven-point Bayou Bucket victory against Rice. Sophomore linebacker and Oklahoma transfer Jamal Morris made an immediate impact, appearing in all 12 games while contributing 34 tackles including 18 solo stops. Fellow transfer Trimarcus Cheeks, who joined Houston from Samford, also added 34 tackles and 18 solo stops, alongside 4.0 tackles for loss.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Like the linebacking corp., Houston’s defensive backs were tested due to injury during the 2022 season. The Cougars have been without Alex Hogan (6 games) while fellow defensive back Antonio Brooks missed five games before returning in a limited capacity late. The Cougars were led at cornerback by Second-Team All-American Athletic Conference honoree Art Green. The senior finished fourth on the team with 40 tackles while providing seven pass breakups and two interceptions. Jalen Emery appeared in 11 games during his first season with the program and finished fourth on the squad with six pass breakups. Teammate Jayce Rogers, who earned all-conference honors on special teams, posted 26 solo stops (38 total tackles) and turned in a pair of interceptions. Senior Gervarrius Owens was also recognized as a Second-Team All-Conference honoree. Owens finished tied for third in The American in passes defended (9), sixth in the league in forced fumbles (2) and 18thin tackles (70). The senior logged 5+ tackles in nine of his 11 games played including nine alongside three breakups against Temple on Nov. 12. Owens was graded as The American’s top safety (85.7) and top cover safety (88.8). Teammate Thabo Mwaniki finished third on the squad in tackles (48) while adding an interception and forced fumble. Team captain Hasaan Hypolite appeared in 10 games for the Cougars, adding 32 stops.

SPECIALISTS

Houston’s heated competition at kicker continued into the regular season with sophomore Kyle Ramsey and senior Bubba Baxa splitting kickoff, field goal and extra-point duties. Ramsey helped the Cougars convert a pair of onside kicks and converted all 36 extra-point opportunities. After kicking one field goal through the first 11 games – a 24-yard make at Navy on Oct. 22 – Ramsey converted 3 of 4 field goals in the finale against Tulsa including making a 42-yard field goal. Baxa made 9 of 14 field goals and attempted 64 kickoffs while converted 17 of 18 extra-points. Baxa drilled a 35-yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining at UTSA to give Houston a 3-point lead as part of an eventual 37-35 victory. Laine Wilkins followed up a sensational 2021 campaign with a strong sophomore season. The 28-year-old Australian helped the Cougars rank 21st nationally in punt return defense (3.92) while booting the ball 37 times for 1,649 yards resulting in a career-best 44.6 average entering the bowl game. Wilkins downed nine punts inside the 20-yard line and logged nine punts of 50-plus yards. Despite the loss of return specialist Marcus Jones to the NFL, the Cougars remained steady on kick and punt return. The Cougars are the only program nationally to have returned a punt and kickoff for a touchdown in four straight seasons (2019-present). Honorable Mention All-Conference honoree Jayce Rogers took a punt back 100 yards for a touchdown to help spark Houston’s 19-point comeback at Memphis on Oct. 7. The return was his first on the season while the touchdown return was just the second for an American Athletic Conference player on the season at that time. Rogers finished third in The American in kickoff return yardage (396). After having two punt return touchdowns called back due to penalty on the season, Houston junior wide receiver Nathaniel Dell made one count in the regular season finale against Tulsa. Dell returned a 68-yard punt for a touchdown in the first quarter. Alongside a receiving score in the game, Dell became the seventh player nationally on the season with both a punt return touchdown and receiving touchdown in a single game. The Cougars also turned to wide receiver Peyton Sawyer for return duty. The junior finished eighth in the conference with 293 return yards highlighted by a 35-yard kickoff return against Temple on Nov. 12.

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HOuston Alphabetical Roster

NO. NAME POS. CL. HT. WT. HOMETOWN (PREVIOUS SCHOOL) NO. NAME POS. CL. HT. WT. HOMETOWN (PREVIOUS SCHOOL)

92 Ajijolaiya, Hakeem DL 6-2 315 So. Katy, Texas / Tompkins HS

26 Alexander, Moses DB 6-3 195 So. Galveston, Texas / Kilgore College

21 Audu, Abdul-Lateef DB 6-1 185 Jr. Van Nuys, Calif. / College of the Canyons

96 Autenreith, Ivan DL 6-2 235 Fr. Spring, Texas / Spring HS

56 Bankston, Latrell DL 6-0 260 Sr. Woodstock, Ga. / Iowa State

41 Baxa, Bubba K 6-0 220 Sr. Pasadena, Texas / Miami (Fla.)

99 Beadles, Justin DL 6-5 250 R-Fr. Tyrone, Ga. / Virginia Tech

46 Beal, Davis LS 6-0 205 So. Austin, Texas / Vandegrift HS

17 Bell, Atlias DL 6-1 275 Sr. New Orleans, La. / Iowa Western CC

53 Bowman, Derek OL 6-5 305 R-Fr. Magnolia, Texas / Magnolia HS

20 Brooks, Antonio DB 5-11 195 Jr. Missouri City, Texas / Kilgore College

13 Brown, Samuel WR 6-2 195 R-Fr. Savannah, Ga / West Virginia

82 Byrnes, Matt TE 6-6 245 R-Fr. Chicago, Ill. / Iowa Western CC

93 Caldwell, Jamaree DL 6-1 320 Jr. Newberry, S.C. / Independence CC

20 Campbell, Brandon RB 5-10 210 R-Fr. Houston, Texas / USC

8 Carter, KeSean WR 5-11 180 Sr. Willis, Texas / Texas Tech

9 Ceaser, Nelson DL 6-3 245 So. Missouri City, Texas / Ridge Point HS

30 Cheeks, Trimarcus LB 6-2 230 Jr. Hampton, Ga / Samford

12 Coley, Lucas QB 6-1 220 R-Fr. Converse, Texas / Arkansas

89 Compton, Logan TE 6-4 245 So. Tomball, Texas / New Mexico Military

1 Dell, Nathaniel WR 5-10 165 Jr. Daytona Beach, Fla. / Independence CC

32 Emery, Jalen DB 5-9 175 R-Fr. Pearland, Texas / Shadow Creek HS

75 Freeman, Jack OL 6-3 300 Jr. Midlothian, Texas / Heritage HS

35 Friend, Dorian DB 5-9 175 Fr. Spring, Texas / Spring HS

25 Gangi, Anthony WR 5-10 185 R-Fr. Long Island, N.Y. / American Heritage HS (Fla.)

36 Garner, Jalen LB 6-1 225 R-Fr. Norcross, Ga. / Norcross HS

56 Garza, Jacob LS 6-3 225 R-Fr. Corpus Christi, Texas / Veterans Memorial HS

57 Gately, Gavin LS 6-5 250 Jr. Milwaukie, Ore. / College of the Siskiyous

10 Golden, Matthew WR 6-0 190 Fr. Houston, Texas / Klein Cain HS

23 Green, Art DB 6-2 200 Sr. Chesterfield, Mo. / Hutchinson CC

12 Griffin-Taylor, Demarcus DB 5-9 175 So. Riverside, Calif. / Independence CC

16 Guzman, Noah DB 5-10 200 Jr. Whittier, Calif. / Bishop Amat HS

87 Henry, Bryan TE 6-2 240 Fr. Belton, Texas / Belton HS

4 Henry, Ta’Zhawn RB 5-7 180 Sr. Houston, Texas / Texas Tech

86 Herman, Darson TE 6-3 245 Fr. Georgetown, Texas / Georgetown HS

19 Hogan, Alex DB 5-11 190 Jr. Houston, Texas / Texas Tech

91 Holmes Jr., Anthony DL 6-2 300 Fr. Houston, Texas / Westfield HS

24 Huff, Jett QB 5-8 190 Fr. College Station, Texas / College Station HS

59 Hunter, Demetrius OL 6-2 300 Fr. Orange, Texas / West-Orange Stark HS

5 Hypolite, Hasaan DB 5-11 208 Jr. Fresno, Texas / Colorado

49 Jack, Oliver LB 6-1 230 R-Fr. Houston, Texas / Lamar HS

72 Jenkins, Tank OL 6-3 320 Jr. Montgomery, Ala. / Texas A&M

73 Johnson, Cam’Ron OL 6-4 305 So. Houston, Texas / Shadow Creek HS

50 Johnson, Tyler OL 6-5 320 So. Conroe, Texas / Texas

44 Jones, D’Anthony DL 6-2 270 Sr. Lawndale, Calif. / Long Beach City College

62 Jones, Karson OL 6-4 305 Fr. Lubbock, Texas / Frenship HS

97 Langi Jr, Amipeleasi DL 6-6 310 So. Lihue, Hawaii / Independence CC

94 Lawrence, Garfield DL 6-4 245 R-Fr. Tyler, Texas / Tyler Legacy HS

18 Manjack IV, Joseph WR 6-3 202 So. Tomball, Texas / USC

22 McCaskill IV, Alton RB 6-1 215 So. Conroe, Texas / Oak Ridge HS

88 McGaughey, Trent TE 6-2 245 Fr. Houston, Texas / Conroe HS

48 Mendez, Caleb K 5-10 195 R-Fr. Pearland, Texas / Pearland HS

80 Morgan, Ja’Kori WR 6-2 210 Jr. Houston, Texas / Clear Lake HS

25 Morris, Jamal LB 6-2 220 So. Houston, Texas / Oklahoma

23 Mula, Roman QB 6-0 195 Fr. Baton Rouge, La. / Parkview Baptist HS

3 Mutin, Donavan LB 6-0 230 Sr. Spring, Texas / Klein Collins HS

28 Mwaniki, Thabo DB 5-11 192 Sr. Denton, Texas / Oklahoma State

95 Neal, Jamykal DL 6-1 315 Sr. Charlotte, N.C. / Hutchinson CC

81 Nelson, C.J. WR 5-11 175 Fr. North Richland Hills, Texas / Richland HS

58 Nnanna, Ugonna OL 6-4 300 So. Arlington, Texas / Seguin HS

14 Nunnery, Mannie LB 6-2 225 So. Pearland, Texas / Shadow Creek HS

10 Nwankwo, Chidozie DL 5-11 290 So. Richmond, Texas / Foster HS

14 Ogbogu, Ike QB 6-1 210 Sr. San Jose, Calif. / Bellarmine College Prep

54 Okoye, Blake LB 6-2 220 R-Fr. Spring, Texas / Klein Collins HS

43 Olsen, Perry LB 6-0 220 Jr. Yukon, Okla. / Northeastern Oklahoma State

2 Owens, Gervarrius DB 6-0 200 Sr. Moore, Okla. / Northeastern Oklahoma A&M

0 Parish, Derek DL/FB 6-2 245 Sr. Pearland, Texas / Pearland HS

76 Paul, Patrick OL 6-7 310 So. Houston, Texas / Jersey Village HS

29 Payne, Treylin LB 6-0 210 Fr. San Antonio, Texas / Judson HS

51 Ramsey, Kyle K 6-3 190 So. Missouri City, Texas / Ridge Point HS

42 Ray, Jackson P 5-10 175 R-Fr. Chandler, Ariz. / Colorado State

54 Robinson, Lance OL 6-4 290 So. Camilla, Ga. / Middle Tennessee

24 Robinson, Malik LB 6-0 230 Sr. Snellville, Ga. / Fort Scott CC

6 Rogers, Jayce DB 5-8 175 Sr. Valdosta, Ga. / Northwest Mississippi CC

52 Savanah, Ken LB 5-11 225 So. Stafford, Texas / Stafford HS

83 Sawyer, Peyton WR 5-11 175 Jr. League City, Texas / Clear Springs HS

79 Shaw, Tevin OL 6-4 310 Fr. Houston, Texas / Manvel HS

21 Sneed, Stacy RB 5-11 185 R-Fr. Arlington, Texas / Mansfield Timberview HS

90 Strong, Zykeius DL 6-6 255 So. Birmingham, Ala. / Hutchinson CC

38

Stroops, Theron DB 6-1 195 R-Fr. Lancaster, Texas / Lancaster HS

Sylvester, Trevonte OL 6-5 285 R-Fr. Breaux Bridge, La. / Breaux Bridge HS 77 Todd, Chayse OL 6-2 305 So. Crosby, Texas / Crosby HS 85 Trahan, Christian TE 6-3 245 Sr. Sulphur, La. / Sulphur HS 45 Tucker, Nadame DL 6-3 250 Jr. New York, N.Y. / Hutchinson CC 55

70

Tuley, Cavan DL 6-2 230 Fr. Tomball, Texas / Tomball HS

3 Tune, Clayton QB 6-3 220 Sr. Carrollton, Texas / Hebron HS 31 Ugo, Justice DB 6-2 190 So. Richmond, Texas / Blinn JC 74 Unije, Reuben OL 6-5 305 Jr. Bradenton, Fla. / Coahoma CC 33 Vaughn, Garrison DB 6-2 200 Jr. Belton, Texas / Belton HS 33 Walker, Cash WR 5-11 180 R-Fr. Argyle, Texas / Argyle HS 29 Walker, Kelan RB 5-11 225 Jr. DeSoto, Texas / DeSoto HS 27 Welch, Mike DB 5-10 195 R-Fr. Dickinson, Texas / Dickinson HS 22 Wilkins, Laine P 6-2 210 So. Perth, Australia / ProKick Australia 13 Williams, Sedrick DL 6-1 280 Jr. Houma, La. / Kilgore College 40 Willis, Aaron LB 6-1 220 So. Richmond, Va. / Tennessee 39 Wynn, Dante DB 6-0 190 So. Nashville, Tenn. / Ensworth HS

THROUGH TEAMWORK, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

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HOuston Depth Chart

OFFENSE

WR 10 Matthew Golden 6-0, 190, Fr. 81 C.J. Nelson 5-11, 175, Fr.

LT 76 Patrick Paul 6-7, 310, So. 70 Trevonte Sylvester 6-5, 285, R-Fr.

LG 73 Cam’Ron Johnson 6-4, 205, So. 77 Chayse Todd 6-2, 305, So.

C 75 Jack Freeman 6-3, 300, Jr. 53 Derek Bowman 6-5, 305, R-Fr.

RG 50 Tyler Johnson 6-5, 320, So. 72 Tank Jenkins 6-3, 320, Jr.

RT 54 Lance Robinson 6-4, 290, So. 74 Reuben Unije 6-5, 305, Jr.

WR 1 Nathaniel Dell 5-10, 165, Jr. 83 Peyton Sawyer 5-11, 175, Jr.

TE 85 Christian Trahan 6-3, 245, Sr. 82 Matt Byrnes 6-6, 245, R-Fr.

QB 3 Clayton Tune 6-3, 220, Sr. 12 Lucas Coley 6-1, 220, R-Fr.

RB 20 Brandon Campbell 5-10, 210, R-Fr. 21 Stacy Sneed 5-11, 185, R-Fr.

WR 8 KeSean Carter 5-11, 180, Sr. 80 Ja’Kori Morgan 6-2, 210, Jr.

SPECIAL TEAMS

K 41 Bubba Baxa 6-0, 220, Sr. -or- 51 Kyle Ramsey 6-3, 190, So.

P 22 Laine Wilkins 6-2, 210, So. 42 Jackson Ray 5-10, 175, R-Fr.

KOS 41 Bubba Baxa 6-0, 220, Sr. 51 Kyle Ramsey 6-3, 190, So.

KR 6 Jayce Rogers 5-8, 175, Sr. 83 Peyton Sawyer 5-11, 175, Jr.

PR 1 Nathaniel Dell 5-10, 165, Jr. 6 Jayce Rogers 5-8, 175, Sr.

LS 57 Gavin Gately 6-5, 250, Jr. 56 Jacob Garza 6-3, 225, R-Fr.

Wilkins 6-2, 210, So.

DEFENSE

END 9 Nelson Ceaser 6-3, 245, So. 17 Atlias Bell 6-1, 275, Sr.

DT 93 Jamaree Caldwell 6-1, 320, Jr. 95 Jamykal Neal 6-1, 315, Sr.

NG 10 Chidozie Nwankwo 5-11, 290, So. 92 Hakeen Ajijolaiya 6-2, 315, So.

DE 44 D’Anthony Jones 6-2, 270, Sr. 13 Sedrick Williams 6-1, 280, Jr.

WILL 14 Mannie Nunnery 6-2, 225, So. 25 Jamal Morris 6-2, 220, So.

MIKE 3 Donavan Mutin 6-0, 230, Sr. 30 Trimarcus Cheeks 6-2, 230, Jr.

NB 6 Jayce Rogers 5-8, 175, Sr. 12 DeMarcus Griffin-Taylor 5-9, 175, So.

CB 32 Jalen Emery 5-9, 175, R-Fr. 21 Abdul-Lateef Audu 6-1, 185, Jr.

FS 2 Gervarrius Owens 6-0, 200, Sr. 28 Thabo Mwaniki 5-11, 192, Sr.

BS 5 Hasaan Hypolite 5-11, 208, Jr. 33 Garrison Vaughn 6-2, 200, Jr.

CB 23 Art Green 6-2, 200, Sr. 31 Justice Ugo 6-2, 190, So.

Nathaniel Dell

RUSHING GP Att Gain Loss Net Avg TD Long Avg/G

Stacy Sneed 11 70 504 15 489 7.0 5 52 44.5

Clayton Tune 12 117 644 155 489 4.2 5 55 40.8

Brandon Campbell 9 83 423 14 409 4.9 4 40 45.4

Ta’Zhawn Henry 8 75 345 27 318 4.2 3 44 39.8

Nathaniel Dell 12 4 9 0 9 2.3 0 3 0.8

Total 12 364 1933 223 1710 4.7 17 55 142.5 Opponents 12 416 2050 318 1732 4.2 18 49 144.3

PASSING GP Effic Cmp-Att-Int Pct Yards TD Long Avg/G

Clayton Tune 12 158.0 316-469-10 67.4 3845 37 63 320.4

Lucas Coley 3 122.4 3-3-0 100.0 8 0 4 2.7

Total 12 157.5 319-473-10 67.4 3853 37 63 321.1 Opponents 12 147.2 283-448-7 63.2 3428 31 60 285.7

RECEIVING GP No. Yards Avg TD Long Avg/G

Nathaniel Dell 12 103 1354 13.1 15 63 112.8

Samuel Brown 11 41 471 11.5 4 32 42.8

Matthew Golden 10 36 567 15.8 7 44 56.7

KeSean Carter 12 35 497 14.2 4 41 41.4

Christian Trahan 12 23 237 10.3 3 37 19.8

Stacy Sneed 11 21 131 6.2 0 27 11.9 Ta’Zhawn Henry 8 20 232 11.6 1 39 29.0 Total 12 319 3853 12.1 37 63 321.1 Opponents 12 283 3428 12.1 31 60 285.7

FIELD GOALS Made-Att Pct 1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ Lng Blkd

Bubba Baxa 9-14 64.3 0-0 3-4 6-6 0-3 0-1 37 1 Kyle Ramsey 4-5 80.0 0-0 3-4 0-0 1-1 0-0 42 0 |-------------PATs -------------|

SCORING TD FGs Kick Rush Rcv Pass DXP Saf Pts

Nathaniel Dell 16 - - - - - - - 96

Kyle Ramsey - 4-5 36-36 - - - - - 48 Bubba Baxa - 9-14 17-18 - - - - - 44

Matthew Golden 7 - - - - - - - 42 Clayton Tune 5 - - 2 - 1 - - 34 Total 58 13-19 53-54 2 1 1 0 0 446 Opponents 51 17-23 43-44 1 0 0 0 0 402

TOTAL OFFENSE GP Plays Rush Pass Total Avg/G

Clayton Tune 12 586 489 3845 4334 361.2 Stacy Sneed 11 70 489 0 489 44.5 Brandon Campbell 9 83 409 0 409 45.4 Ta’Zhawn Henry 8 75 318 0 318 39.8 Lucas Coley 3 6 4 8 12 4.0 Total 12 837 1710 3853 5563 463.6 Opponents 12 864 1732 3428 5160 430.0

PUNT RETURNS No. Yards Avg TD Long

Nathaniel Dell 9 153 17.0 1 68

Peyton Sawyer 1 2 2.0 0 2 Jalen Emery 1 0 0.0 0 0 Total 11 155 14.1 1 68 Opponents 13 51 3.9 0 14

INTERCEPTIONS No. Yards Avg TD Long

Art Green 2 65 32.5 0 37

Jayce Rogers 2 82 41.0 1 54 Thabo Mwaniki 1 19 19.0 0 19 Gervarrius Owens 1 24 24.0 0 24 Nelson Ceaser 1 32 32.0 0 32 Total 7 222 31.7 1 54 Opponents 10 139 13.9 0 35

KICK RETURNS No. Yards Avg TD Long

Peyton Sawyer 13 291 22.4 0 35 Jayce Rogers 13 396 30.5 1 100 Matthew Golden 5 116 23.2 0 33

Matt Byrnes 3 29 9.7 0 13 Ja’Kori Morgan 1 3 3.0 0 3 Logan Compton 1 11 11.0 0 11 Bryan Henry 1 10 10.0 0 10 C.J. Nelson 1 0 0.0 0 0 Total 38 856 22.5 1 100 Opponents 25 501 20.0 0 53

FUMBLE RETURNS No. Yards Avg TD Long Nelson Ceaser 1 11 11.0 1 11 Hakeem Ajijolaiya 1 2 2.0 0 2 Gervarrius Owens 1 0 0.0 0 0 Noah Guzman 1 0 0.0 0 0 Total 4 13 3.3 1 11 Opponents 9 62 6.9 2 57

PUNTING No. Yards Avg Long TB FC I20 50+ Blkd

Laine Wilkins 37 1649 44.6 67 2 7 9 9 0 Total 37 1649 44.6 67 2 7 9 9 0 Opponents 36 1579 43.9 59 0 20 12 8 0 KICKOFFS

Bubba Baxa 64 4036 63.1 37 2 Kyle Ramsey 8 410 51.3 1 2 Total 77 4731 61.4 40 1 29 38 26 Opponents 61 3690 60.5 42 3 12 38.1 26

DANA HOLGORSEN

4th Year as Houston Head Coach

12th Year Overall as Head Coach

Alma Mater: Iowa Wesleyan (1992)

Hometown: Davenport, Iowa

Record at Houston: 26-20

Record as Head Coach: 87-61

COACHING EXPERIENCE

Valdosta State Quarterbacks/Receivers/Special Teams (1993-95)

Mississippi College Quarterbacks/Receivers/Special Teams (1996-98)

Wingate Quarterbacks/Receivers (1999)

Texas Tech Inside Receivers (2000-04)

Co-OC/Inside Receivers (2005-07)

Houston Offensive Coordinator/Receivers (2008-09)

Oklahoma State Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (2010) West Virginia Head Coach (2011-18) Houston Head Coach (2019-Present)

Dana Holgorsen was named head coach at Houston on Jan. 1, 2019, after eight seasons as head coach at West Virginia. Throughout his career, Holgorsen has had 22 players earn All-America honors, win 11 national awards and 14 national award finalist honors. In his fourth season as the Houston head coach, seven Cougars have been selected in the NFL draft including one first-round pick.

Holgorsen led Houston to a 7-5 record in 2022 highlighted by victories in five of the final seven games. Eight student-athletes earned All-American Athletic Conference honors including five first-team honorees.

Under Holgorsen’s leadership in 2021, the Cougars won 12-plus games for just the third time in program history. Houston won 11 consecutive games, its longest stretch since 2011, en route to an appearance in The American Football Championship. In the 2021 Birmingham Bowl, Houston knocked off Auburn to clinch the program’s first bowl victory since 2015. Houston was one of six teams nationally to rank in the top 20 in both points per game (35.9) and opponent points per game (20.4). For the second time in his coaching career, Holgorsen tutored a Paul Hornung Award winner as consensus AllAmerican Marcus Jones captured the award in 2021.

Holgorsen closed his tenure at West Virginia as the second-winningest coach in Mountaineer history with an eight-year record of 61-41. His 61 wins trailed only College Football Hall of Famer Don Nehlen for most wins in West Virginia history. He led the Mountaineers to bowl games in seven of his eight seasons including each of the last five seasons. His first season at West Virginia ended with a 70-33 rout of Clemson in the Orange Bowl. Throughout his career, Holgorsen has had 21 players earn All-America honors, win 10 national awards and 14 national award finalist honors.

He has displayed his ability to prepare players for the next level as West Virginia had 10 NFL draft picks in first three rounds in the past seven years, second most in Big 12 with at least one Top-15 draft pick in four of the past seven years. In all, he had four NFL Top-15 draft picks during his final years, the most in the Big 12, and 20 players drafted in seven years at WVU, tied for second-most in the Big 12 during that span.

An offensive genius, his passing offenses and total offensive output have ranked in the Top 10 nationally all but four years during the 14-year span since he became offensive coordinator at Texas Tech in 2005. He’s had eight quarterbacks pass for 4,000 or more yards and 10 throw for 30 or more touchdowns in a season with 20 receivers finishing with 1,000 or more yards in a season, including 11 finish with 90 or more receptions and 16 finish with double figure TD receptions in a season. He is the only coach in West Virginia history to have coached a team with at least 450 rushing yards in a game (Oklahoma, 2012) and at least 450 yards passing in a game (six times).

West Virginia has been ranked in both major polls at least one week in seven of his eight years including the entire 2018 season with several weeks inside the top 10. He had 10 wins over Top 25 opponents in his eight-year tenure at WVU.

Holgorsen had a successful first season at WVU in 2011, coaching the Mountaineers to a 10-3 record, the Big East Championship and a 70-33 Orange Bowl rout of Clemson. The victory was WVU’s third Bowl Championship Series championship in school history and earned Holgorsen the First-Year Coach of the Year award by the Football Writers Association of America.

Before West Virginia, Holgorsen spent the 2010 season as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State. He was a finalist for the 2010 Broyles Award, given

Houston Coaching Staff

to the nation’s top assistant, and also named the Rivals.com Offensive Coordinator of the Year. The Cowboys led the nation in total offense during the regular season and finished No. 2 in passing offense and No. 3 in total and scoring offense. OSU averaged 520.23 yards per game in total offense, including 345.9 passing yards and 44.23 points per game.

Postseason accolades rolled in for Holgorsen’s offensive players as quarterback Brandon Weeden became the first OSU passer to earn first team all-Big 12 honors. He was a finalist for the Manning Award, given to the top quarterback in the nation. Receiver Justin Blackmon won the 2010 Biletnikoff Award, given to the top receiver in the nation, and running back Kendall Hunter was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation’s top running back. Weeden, Hunter and Blackmon became only the second trio in NCAA history to pass for at least 3,000 yards, run for more than 1,500 yards and finish with more than 1,500 yards receiving in the same season.

During his two-year tenure with Houston, his offenses put up explosive numbers, accounting for 563 yards of total offense per game, passing for 433.7 yards per game and totaling more than 42.2 points per game. His offense ranked No. 3 in total offense in 2008 and No. 1 in 2009. His quarterback, Case Keenum, led the nation in total offense in 2008 and 2009, totaling 403.2 yards per game as a sophomore and 416.4 yards his junior season. He also ranked among the Top 10 nationally in pass efficiency both years.

Before his two-year stint with the Cougars, Holgorsen was a member of the coaching staff at Texas Tech from 2000-07, serving as the inside receivers coach from 2000-04, before being elevated to co-offensive coordinator in 2005 and offensive coordinator in 2006-07. During his time in Lubbock, his offenses increased the amount of yardage from 324.8 yards of total offense to 529.6, an increase of more than 200 yards per game.

In his two years as offensive coordinator, his squad was nationally ranked No. 8 in 2006 and No. 3 in 2007. In 2007, Texas Tech led the nation in passing (470.31), was No. 2 in total offense (529.62) and was No. 7 in scoring offense (40.9). Quarterback Graham Harrell led the nation in total offense and Biletnikoff Award winner Michael Crabtree led the nation in receptions per game and receiving yards per game. In 2006, the Red Raiders ranked No. 3 nationally in passing offense and No. 6 in total offense. Harrell once again was outstanding, finishing No. 3 nationally in total offense with 344.38 yards per game. Texas Tech led the nation in passing in 2005, was No. 4 in scoring offense (39.4) and No. 6 in total offense (495.83)

Holgorsen also spent time at Valdosta State (1993-95) as the quarterbacks, receivers and special teams coach, Mississippi College (1996-98) as the quarterbacks, receivers and special teams coach and at Wingate (1999) as the quarterbacks and receivers coach. While at Valdosta State in 1994, Chris Hatcher won the Harlon Hill Trophy, the NCAA Division II Player of the Year award, by the second largest vote margin in the 17year history of the award. Hatcher won the award after throwing for 4,076 yards and 55 touchdowns, against just 10 interceptions, while completing 367 of 508 passes. Hatcher led Division II in passing efficiency during the regular season and directed VSU to its first Division II post-season appearance.

HOUSTON ASSISTANT COACHES

DOUG BELK Associate Head Coach/ Defensive Coordinator

SHANNON DAWSON Passing Game Coordinator/QBs

BRIAN EARLY Defensive Line

LARRY HART Defensive Analyst MIKE JINKS Assistant Head Coach/ Running Backs

BRANDON JONES Running Game Coordinator/OL

ARCHIE McDANIEL Linebackers

CORBY MEEKINS Assistant Head Coach/ TEs/Inside Receivers

TJ RANDALL Assistant Dir. of Player Personnel – Offense

MARK SCOTT Special Teams Coordinator

DAVID ROWE

Secondary

DAIKIEL SHORTS JR. Wide Receivers

University of Houston

RENU KHATOR

PRESIDENT University of

Houston

Founded in 1927, the University of Houston is the leading public research university in the vibrant international city of Houston. Each year, we educate more than 47,000 students in more than 300 undergraduate and graduate academic programs, on campus and online. UH awards more than 8,000 degrees annually, with more than 200,000 alumni.

UH is located in Houston, Texas, the nation’s fourth-largest city and the energy capital of the world. Our students regularly test their skills through internships with national and international companies based here, and our faculty routinely partner with businesses and government agencies through research.

Our undergraduates choose from 120 majors and minors. At the graduate level, we offer 139 master’s, 54 doctoral, and three professional degree programs. You may study online through our Distance Education program, or take noncredit courses through Continuing Education. Many of our academic programs rank among the nation’s best.

University of Houston

CHRIS PEZMAN

DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS University

of Houston

Our faculty and students conduct research through 25 research centers and in every academic department. UH research regularly breaks new ground and opens doors to new ways of understanding the world.

University of Houston faculty are renowned scholars with real-world experience who work closely with each student. From the Tony Award to the Nobel Peace Prize and back to the classroom, UH faculty makes things happen on campus and around the world.

With more than 500 student organizations and 16 intercollegiate sports teams, life at UH is active and lively. About 8,000 students live on campus in residence halls, apartments and townhouses.

UH alumni total 224,000. Of that number, 63 percent live in the Houston area and 75 percent live in the state of Texas.

The University of Houston is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral degrees.

In addition, the University is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States, the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools, the National Commission on Accrediting, the Association of Texas Colleges and Universities, the American Council on Education, the Association of American State Colleges and Universities, the Association of American Colleges, the Association of Urban Universities, and the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges. UH colleges, programs and professional associations also hold memberships and accreditations by additional agencies.

When the Carnegie Foundation elevated the University of Houston to Tier One status in 2011, the designation made the university one of only three public Tier One research universities in the state of Texas, along with the University of Texas and Texas A&M.

Spirit of Houston

The Spirit of Houston is an umbrella term that represents the official spirit groups at the University of Houston. Included in the Spirit of Houston are the UH Cheer teams, the Cougar Dolls Dance Team, the UH Feature Twirler, the Mascots, the Frontiersmen, the Buggy Beauties, the Cougar Brass, and the Cougar Marching Band. The Spirit of Houston is currently under the direction of Director of Athletic Bands and Spirit Groups, Mr. Cameron Kubos.

The marching band was first established in 1947, growing in prominence as the University of Houston and its athletics programs began to flourish. From the late 1960s to the early 1980s, the Spirit of Houston was under the direction of Dr. Bill Moffit, an innovator in modern marching band. Moffit is credited with creating the “Patterns in Motion” marching style made famous during his tenure at UH. “Patterns in Motion” quickly became very popular among many other collegiate and high school marching bands as the style quickly spread across the nation. He is also well known as an arranger of both traditional band tunes and modern popular songs.

Following the departure of Moffit to Purdue University, Greg Talford became director. Robert Mayes followed Greg Talford, coming to UH after holding positions at Texas Tech and the University of Wyoming. Under his direction, the Cougar Marching Band continued to grow during the school’s time in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, with the band traveling to Japan, England, Ireland, France, and Mexico.

In 2000, David Bertman was hired as the director of the Spirit of Houston Marching Band as well as the Cougar Dolls Dance Team and the University of Houston Cheerleaders. Under his direction, the Cougar Marching Band and Spirit Groups continued to expand both in size, quality, and spirit. Coupled with the football team’s resurgence, the Spirit of Houston has contributed greatly to a growing excitement among students and alumni to see the Cougars return to the upper echelon of college athletics.

Following Bertman’s promotion to Director of Bands, Troy Bennefield was hired to become the marching band director in 2011. In the summer of 2018, Cameron Kubos became the director of Athletic Bands and Spirit Groups. The current staff includes Mr. Kubos, Mr. Sean Phelan (Assistant Director of Athletic Bands), David Bertman (Director of Bands), Kayli MickeyMcIntosh (Twirlers), Khristal Harbert (Spirit Coordinator and Head Coach- UH Cheer and Dance), Tennille Williams (Cheer Assistant- All-Girl), Matt Samuels (Cheer Assistant, Coed), Tatiana Kane (Dance Assistant), and Megan Brown (Mascots).

KEN ANTEE National Strategy

ERIC BARKLEY Past Chair Relations/ VIP Services/Team Welcome

ROGER BRANIFF, SR. Photography

TIM BECKIUS Security/Traffic

PAM BECK Transportation, Housing

ROGER BRANIFF, JR. Videography

ART CARMODY IV Speaker’s Bureau

DAVID CAMP North Hospitality Tents

TAMMY CATES Band Host MARK CLARK Game Management

TONI

Houston Team Host

CHRIS GIORDANO

KEITH BURTON Public Events/ Member Tailgate

MICHAEL MELERINE

DAVID

SUYI GEORGEWILL

TAYLOR JAMISON Team Welcome Party

ED CATES Game Management

KILE JOHNSON

THE

Independence Bowl Foundation

INDEPENDENCE BOWL FOUNDATION

The Shreveport-Bossier City Sports Foundation took over the operations of the Independence Bowl in 1980, and since that time, the Independence Bowl has enjoyed steady growth and success. Now known as the Independence Bowl Foundation, this organization consists of more than 60 volunteer committees, which carry out all functions of the Foundation, drawing upon its more than 400 members. Also made up from the Foundation membership is a group of committees which put on the Independence Bowl. Each year, a newly appointed Bowl Chair and Vice-Chair, along with the Executive Director and her staff, oversee the various committees, working closely with each committee chairperson to see that this 45-year-old bowl is a success. As a member of the Independence Bowl Foundation, you are invited to social events during the year, like our annual Crawfish Boil, Fish Fry, and Team Welcome Party. In addition, you will receive a parking pass, and a number of informative mailings during the year. Membership in the Independence Bowl Foundation is an investment in the present, as well as the future, of this great event.

THE FOUNDATION IN THE COMMUNITY

The Independence Bowl Foundation strives to be more than just a one-day event, and despite all the fun and exciting events the Foundation puts on during the week leading up to the big game, the goal is to be more than just a one-week event as well. Whether it be the Kickoff Dinner, an annual event at the Shreveport Convention Center featuring guest speakers who are stars in the football world, or the Kickoff K’s 5K and Half Marathon or 1st & Give Charity Flag Football Tournament, the Independence Bowl Foundation enjoys hosting events for the public, even before college football season kicks off.

The Independence Bowl Foundation also enjoys being a part of the Shreveport-Bossier City community and giving back to the community that has supported the Bowl for 45 years. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, many of our great events were postponed in 2020, but we were able to get back out into the community in 2021 and support the amazing people and organizations that make the Shreveport-Bossier City are so great!

1ST & GIVE CHARITY FLAG FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

The Independence Bowl hosted the second annual 1st & Give Charity Flag Football Tournament on May 7, 2022, and the nine-team tournament helped raise a total of $4,468 in donations for nine different charities. Community Support Programs brought home the title for the second consecutive year, and as a result, their organization received $1,668 in donations.

For the past 17 years, the Independence Bowl Foundation has partnered with the Willis-Knighton Health System to provide $5,000 in scholarships. Each year, the two organizations partner to present a $2,500 scholarship each to graduating seniors from Caddo and Bossier Parishes. The scholarship is awarded based not only on academic success, but also on a commitment to improving their community through service. $85,000 in scholarships have been awarded in the first 17 years of the program.

The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl hosts a FREE Youth Football Clinic for area children from ages five through rising eighth graders at Independence Stadium each June. Like every year, campers received instruction from regional college football coaches from Louisiana Tech, Centenary, Northwestern State, Sam Houston State and Southern-Shreveport.

The Independence Bowl is donating a total of nearly $56,000 to local education in 2022.

During Extra Yard for Teachers Week in September, the Independence Bowl donated a total of $45,986 to local teachers from Caddo, Bossier, DeSoto, Red River and Webster Parishes.

The Independence Bowl is donating another $10,000 during Bowl Week in 2022 – donating $5,000 each to one school from Caddo Parish and one school from Bossier Parish. Schools will be selected based off a project to promote teacher retention, recruitment and recognition.

“SHOW

INDEPENDENCE” ART CONTEST

The Independence Bowl started the “Show Your Independence” Art Contest nine years ago, which asks local elementary school kids to draw what the word “Independence” means to them. Winners are selected from each grade level at each school and given two tickets to the game, and their artwork is put on display at Independence Stadium during the game.

Annual Member Crawfish Boil

Annual Kickoff Dinner

Benefactor

Robert Elder

Ambassador

Brian Beavers

David Dethloff

Staten Fontaine

Jamie Lopez

Peter Ramsey

Cynthia Smith

Thad Thrash

Advocate

G. Archer Frierson, II

Mike Harper

Marion Holmes

Ben Israel

Glenn Kinsey

John Person

Robert Pou

Lena Satge

Richard Sipes Phil Stewart

Greg Updyke

Member

Gerald Adams

David Alvis

Jerry Anderson

Jack Andres

Dr. Michael Angelo

Ken Antee

Sean Armstrong Greg Atoms

Frank Auer

Karen Baker

George Bakowski Ellen Ballard

Phil Barbaree

Eric Barkley Jim Barlow Adam Bass

Pam Beck

Linda Biernacki

Walt Bigby

Doug Bland

Jennifer Boone

Jared & McKenzy Boyd

Sandra Braddock

Jaclyn Briery

Ashley Brint

Bob Brown

Sorrell Brown

Randall Brown Stacy Brown

Larry Bruce Eric Bryant

Joe Buck Crisp

Carl Bullard

Keith Burton

Barry Busada

James Bustillo

Lawrence Calhoun

David Camp

Diane Camp Cary Camp

Arthur Carmody III

Arthur Carmody IV

Tony Catanese

Taylor Caudle

Eugene Cazedessus III

Carney Chamberlain

Mario Chavez

Leanne Churchman

Sandy Cimino

Mark Howard Clark

Donna Cole Darwyn Cooper Melissa Couch

Bobby Covington

Adelyn Craig Andrew Crawford

Brian Crawford

Mark Cummings Tammy Daniels

Joe Darwin Ann Day

Jim Dean Shane Dulany

Glynn Duncan Bob Dunton Roy Edwards

Foundation Membership

Pam Edwards

Curtis Elkins

Johnathon Emery

Mark Evans

Joel Fair

Michael Ferrell

Christopher FitzGerald

John Fleming

Jill Folks

Crystal Folsom

David Foret

Jarred Franklin

John Frazier

Jana Freeman Forrest

Jason French

George Fritze

Trishun Fuller

Suyi Georgewill

Alan Germany

Vincent Giglio Jesse Gilmore

Toni Goodin

Jimmy Gosslee

Tobin Grigsby Otto Grozinger

William Hamm Emily Harms

Tim Harms

Eric & Laura Harper Pat Harrington Lance R. Hauth

Jerry Hendrix Justin Hermes Jim & Sandi Hill

Pesky Hill Gary Holder Rick Holland Ryan Hope Mitch Houston Matt Hudnall

Randy James Taylor Jamison Lisa Janes

Cate Jeane Marshall John Pete John Kyle Johnson Lyndon Johnson Lisa Johnson Greg Johnson

Adam Johnston

John Kay

Robbie Kemper

Fred Kent

Charley Kingery Jack Knotek

Jerry Kutz

Richard Lamb III Wayne Lancaster

Lance R. Laverdiere

Jeffrey Ledoux Al LeGrand

Logan Lewis Dustin Lincoln

Larry Little Joe Littlejohn Greg Lott

Tim Magner

Maggie Malone Glenn & Rene Mancuso Jay Manno

John Manno

Jimmy Marrs Ron Marrus

Phyllis Mason

James Mayeaux

Steve Mayfield

Craig McCloud

Renee & Don McCuller

Chris McCulloch

Ian McElroy

Kyle C. McInnis

Robert McMillan

Judy Meller

Paul Merkle

Bill & Debbie Miller Herb Miller

Michael Miller

Victor & Melissa Mainiero

LaTonya Mister Marla Mitchell

John Montelepre III

John Montelepre, Jr. Eddie L. Moore

Trey Moore

Michael Moore

Gary Moore, Jr. Mike & Susan Muse Sara Nelms George Nelson, Jr.

Brad Nichols

Grant Nuckolls

Billy Nungesser

Thomas O’Brien

Tom Ostendorf

Mike Owens

Barbara Palmer Pou

Tony Papa

Boyd Parker

Michael Pastore

Amber Patton

Jim Payne

Barrow Peacock

Geoffrey Perego

Chase Pittman

Mark Porter

Dr. Donald Posner

Stan Powell

Jimmy Prejean

Marc Price

Lauren Rabb

Robert Reagan

Claire Rebouche

Darrell Rebouche

Jonathan Reynolds

David Richard Lee Rielly David Rockett

Tag Rome Jason Romero

Armand Roos

Bryan Roppolo Lane & Maurie Rosen

Rob Rubel Chuck Sartori

Doug Schaumburg

Cary Schimpf Bert Schmale Darin Seal

Lina Sell John Settle

Margaret Shehee Sam Silverblatt

Jayce Simpson

George Sirven Terry Slack

Hayden Slack Miranda Small William Smith Mike Smith

David & Carolyn Smith

Amy Suddeth

Jennifer Terrell

Carl Thibodeaux

Robert Touchstone

Tracy Toups

Phillip Wardell

Nancy Watkins

Jason Weinland

Lisa Wellborn

Steve & Ri White

Greg Whittington

Mark Wilburn

Keith Wilhite

Tim Wilhite

Brian Williams

James Williams

Gary Williams

Dr. Woodrow Wilson

Chris Winston

Marcus Wren Scott Wysong

Associate

Mark Bauer

Keith Bergeron Jack Brittain

Claire Childs

Rodney Clements John Cordaro

Trey Giglio Sarah Giglio Cody Grosshart

Eric Harper, Jr. Dr. Donna Johnson Mekkos Jones Carly Koen Hal Lancon

John McCorkle Shirleen McCorkle Michael Melerine Peggy Mitchell

Jordan Powell Jamie Ridge Ranae Simmons

Tyler Williams

Champion

Steven Davison

Mike McCarthy

TITLE SPONSOR Radiance Technologies

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

City of Shreveport State of Louisiana

CHIEF OF STAFF

Caddo Parish Commission

Louisiana Seafood Willis-Knighton Sports Medicine

5-STAR GENERAL

Alpha Media – Shreveport

Cintas Corporation

Coca-Cola Bottling Company United Eagle Distributing

Greater Bossier Economic Development Foundation

KSLA News 12

Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry Mike & Judy McCarthy New Car Dealers Association

Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission/ Convention & Tourist Bureau Southland Printing TicketSmarter Townsquare Media Wilhite Electric

4-STAR GENERAL

Calumet

C.F. Biggs Company

Cubby Hole Louisiana

D1 Sports Training

Digivision

Fire Tech Systems, Inc.

Frito Lay

Home Federal Bank

Jean Simpson KSM Marketing Agency

KTAL/KMSS

KTBS/KPXJ

Louisiana Lottery Corporation

Louisiana Restaurant Association

Miracle 89.1/The Promise 90.7

Metro Module X Solutions

Morehead Pools

Music Mountain Water

Corporate Partners

KASO/KBEF

KGAS Radio

Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Funeral Home

KMHT Radio

Mersatech

Otto Grozinger/New York Life

The Payne Company

Pelican Tent Rentals

Origin Bank

Petroleum Club

Porter’s Fine Dry Cleaning Praeses, LLC

Romph Pou Agency

Roppolo’s Insulation

Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino

Shreveport Rubber & Gasket Co.

Smart Roofing, LLC

Sports World Squire Creek Country Club

Trinity Operating Corporation

Universal Plumbing Wholesale Electric Supply Wieland Willis-Knighton Health System

3-STAR GENERAL

2John’s Steak & Seafood

Ace Digital, LLC.

Army Recruiting Barksdale Federal Credit Union Bistro to Go

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana

Bossier Chamber of Commerce

Bossier Press Tribune

Carter Credit Union Cary Camp Outdoor Centerpoint Energy Chase Bank

Citizens National Bank Commercial Power Equipment

Cuban Liquor & Wine Co.

Dethloff & Associates, Inc.

Diesel Driving Academy

Dillas Quesadillas

Down Home Meats

East Ridge Country Club

First Baptist Bossier

First Security Title of Monroe Fleaux Services

Golf Carts of Louisiana

Hamm Mechanical

Heard, McElroy & Vestal

Hilton Garden Inn/Homewood Suites

Hilton Shreveport

Honeybaked Ham Co.

Innovative Office Systems

Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce

Jacquelyn’s Cafe

Johnny’s Catfish & Seafood

Johnny’s Pizza House

Port City BBQ

Progressive Bank Regions Bank

Residence Inn Shreveport-Bossier City/Downtown

Rhino Coffee

Shaver’s Crawfish & Catering

Shreveport Convention Center

Signs at Work

Silver Star Smokehouse

SOBO Mafia

Superior Grill

Texas Roadhouse

Thrifty Liquor

Twisted Root Burger Co.

VIP Travel

2-STAR GENERAL

318 Forum

AEP Foundation

AEP SWEPCO

Air Force Sergeants Association

American Legion Post 14

Army Recruiting

Bernard Insurance Community Bank

CRM Studios

Evangel Academy

Evans & Franklin

First Guaranty Bank Fleming Subway Focus SB

Fred Kent

Harrington House

In Memory of Earnie Fegley

Lilah’s Bakery Linda Sell, CPA

Little Works in Progress

Lusk Eye Specialists

Marine Recruiting

Osborn Funeral Home

Raymond James

Reddy Ice Distributing

The Remington Hotel

Southern Research

Sportstalk 97.7

State Fair of Louisiana Sugar Walk Popcorn

The Think Network

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux

A PROUD PART OF THE LOUISIANA COMMUNITY FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY.

Carl Mikovich Sportsperson of the Year

MIKAYLAH WILLIAMS

The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl will honor a standout amateur athlete from the Shreveport-Bossier City area with the Carl Mikovich Sportsperson of the Year Award for the third time since 2014, as Parkway High School’s Mikaylah Williams will receive the award in 2022.

Williams is the No. 1 high school women’s basketball player in the nation according to AGSR, Prospects Nation, Jr. All-Star National Rankings and ESPN HoopGurlz. She is the headliner of the 2022 LSU signing class, which is ranked No. 1 in the country by ESPN. Williams is the reigning Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year – a season in which she led Parkway to a 34-3 record and a state championship appearance while averaging 22.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.2 steals as a junior.

“Mikaylah is an incredibly special studentathlete,” said LSU women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey after Williams signed her letter of intent to LSU on November 9. “Being from North Louisiana, Mikaylah chose to stay home and compete for championships as a Tiger. Her immense talent, combined with her unmatched work ethic sets her apart – making her the top player in the country. LSU fans you are in for a treat.”

While being a Louisiana and national star, Williams has also enjoyed tremendous success on the international circuit as a three-time gold medalist with Team USA. On the summer circuit in Hungary, she was an integral part of Team USA who won the FIBA U17 World Cup and the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup. The six-foot guard was named MVP in the latter.

The success Williams enjoyed during her junior year has continued in her senior year. The LSU-signee was named a finalist for the 2023 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Girls High School Player of the Year watch list on November 16. She was the only junior in the country to be named a finalist for the 2022 Naismith Player of the Year.

PAST RECIPIENTS

1983 Hal Sutton/Freddie Spencer

1984 John Franks

1985 Mike McCarthy

1986 George Dement

1987 Ken Hanna

1988 Taylor Moore

1989 Chick Childress

1990 Orvis Sigler

1991 Dr. Billy Bundrick

1992 Tim Brando

1994 Hazel Beard

1995 Terry Slack

1996 Red Franklin

1997 David Toms

1998 Todd Walker

1999 Joby O’Gwynn

2000 Bob Griffin

2001 Meredith Duncan

2002 Arnez Battle

2003 Alana Beard

2004 Brock Berlin

2006 Albert Crews

2007 Scott Baker

2008 B.J. Ryan

2009 Herman Vital

2010 Matt Brown

2011 Dr. Kyle Pierce

2012 Kendrick Farris

2013 Morris Claiborne

2014 Sam Burns

2015 Phillip Barbaree, Jr.

2018 Ryan Harrison

2019 Dak Prescott

2021 Joe Delaney

2022 Mikaylah Williams

DAVE NEAL Play-By-Play

Two-time Emmy Award winner Dave Neal joined ESPN as a play-by-play commentator in 2009 and was on the inaugural roster of SEC Network commentators when it launched in 2014. He currently calls college football, basketball, and baseball games across ESPN networks. His work includes play-by-play for FCS National Championships, numerous post-season bowl games, NIT tournaments and CWS regional and super regional games.

Since joining ESPN, Neal has served as the prominent voice of the Southeastern Conference on ESPN, as well as a commentator for SEC Network. Prior to the launch of SEC Network, he provided the play by play for the conference’s syndicated Saturday game alongside Heisman Award winner Andre Ware. He currently provides TV and radio play-by-play coverage of SEC Championship football, basketball and baseball.

From 1995 to 2009, Neal covered the SEC for Fox Sports Net (FSN) and Raycom Sports. In addition to his play-by-play duties, Neal hosted SEC-TV, a weekly program featuring SEC athletics. His hosting roles also included Raycom Sports coverage of the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Prior to that role, he was a reporter for the network’s Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks pregame shows. This led to his role as host of The Braves Report from 19942002, FSN’s live pregame show for Braves telecasts. He was the network’s pregame host during the Braves run to become World Series Champions in 1995. Neal called play-by-play for FSN’s Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks, and Charlotte Hornets telecasts. He has covered numerous special events and programming such as Inside the SEC Championships, the NFL Super Bowl Channel, and the XII Pan American Games from Mar Del Plata, Argentina.

Neal began his career as a sports anchor for WTXL-TV in Tallahassee, Fla. in 1989. Neal graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in communications.

DEUCE McALLISTER Color Analyst

Deuce McAllister played in both 1998 and 1999 Independence Bowls for Ole Miss – collecting wins over Texas Tech and Oklahoma. In the two games, McAllister combined for 416 all-purpose yards and five total touchdowns in the two games – 200 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, 110 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns, and 106 kickoff return yards and one kickoff return touchdown. McAllister is a member of the Independence Bowl Foundation Hall of Honor.

HARRY LYLES JR. Sideline Reporter

The 2022 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl will be broadcast on ESPN a year after drawing 3.37 million viewers on ABC. It is the 46th playing of the bowl, and it will be the 30th-consecutive Independence Bowl televised on an ESPN network. The Independence Bowl Foundation and ESPN agreed to a six-year extension in 2020 – an agreement than spans through the 50th Independence Bowl in 2025. ESPN first brought the Independence Bowl to television audiences in 1992 when Wake Forest defeated Oregon, 39-35.

Harry Lyles Jr. is a staff writer and college football sideline reporter for ESPN. He joined the organization in March 2020 after a successful writing career at SB Nation. The Atlanta, Ga. native is heavily involved in ESPN’s coverage of college football as a sideline reporter and on their flagship college football show – College Gameday.

Lyles also is featured regularly on Around the Horn and other ESPN studio shows. You can read his articles on ESPN.com. Follow Harry Lyles Jr. on Twitter and Instagram at @HarryLaylesJr.

Bowl Season Radio Broadcast Team

BRIAN ESTRIDGE Play-By-Play

The broadcasting career of Brian Estridge began in South Carolina at the age of 14, with stops along the way in North Carolina and Ohio before arriving in Texas over two decades ago. Brian begins his 23rd season as the “Voice of the TCU Horned Frogs” this fall. In addition to his insightful and entertaining play-by-play radio duties for TCU, Estridge has also provided play-by-play for numerous ESPN television, Fox Sports Net, Campus Insiders Mountain West Network and CBS/ Westwood One radio productions. His spent 13 years as the co-host of the WBAP Morning News on legendary radio station News/Talk 820AM WBAP in Fort Worth/Dallas before retiring in July, 2022.

The President of RedVoice Productions, LLC and a Partner with First Team Ventures, LCC, his companies produce, market and distribute college football bowl games on radio nationally. This full service marketing company also represents the Ben Hogan Award, Armed Forces and First Responder Bowls, Pony League Baseball, and numerous college basketball in-season tournaments to potential corporate partners. In addition, he and 3 partners recently launched Frogs Today, a comprehensive media team that covers the TCU Horned Frogs with web, digital, video and audio original programming.

A native of Kershaw, S.C., his play-by-play work for TCU has been honored by the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters as the best in Texas 14 times in the last 19 seasons. A graduate of Appalachian State University, Estridge and his wife, Dr. Rebecca Ringer, reside in Colleyville with their two children Gaines and Ellie. Active in the community, Estridge serves on the Executive Boards of the Davey O’Brien Foundation, the Armed Forces Bowl, the Ben Hogan Award, the Cliburn Marketing Committee and the Board of Deacons at his Church, First Baptist Grapevine. He also volunteers for numerous charitable organizations including HOPE Farm, FCA, Salvation Army and has served as a mission trip host to Cuba on multiple occasions. His hobbies include coaching youth sports, muscle cars, international travel and saltwater sport fishing.

DAVID BEAUDIN Sideline Reporter

JUSTIN FUENTE Color Analyst

Justin Fuente has 21 years of college football coaching experience – including 10 as a head coach at both Virginia Tech and Memphis. He has a 70-54 overall record as a college football head coach.

Throughout his coaching and playing career, Fuente has collected numerous accolades and honors. He was named the consensus ACC Coach of the Year in his first year at Virginia Tech in 2016. He was also named the top first-year FBS head coach in the nation that year by the Football Writers Association of America – sharing that honor with USC’s Clay Helton.

That season, the Hokies finished the season ranked No. 16 in both the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll – marking their highest finish since 2010. Virginia Tech’s 10 wins in 2016 were their most since 2011 and most-ever by a first-year Virginia Tech head coach. Fuente followed College Football Hall of Famer Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech. Beamer coached his very last college football game at the 2015 Independence Bowl the year before Fuente got to Virginia Tech – the same place Beamer earned his first-ever bowl victory in 1993.

At Memphis, Fuente enjoyed much success, as he compiled a 19-6 record his final two seasons with the Tigers. He guided them to back-to-back bowl berths after inheriting a program that went 5-31 the three years prior to his arrival.

The Tulsa, Oklahoma native was a unanimous selection as 2014 American Athletic Confernece Coach of the Year when he led Memphis to their first conference title since 1971.

In his playing days, Fuente was a stud quarterback at Murray State. He was named the 1999 Ohio Valley Confernece Offensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Walter Payton Award that season.

Justin and his wife, Jenny, have three daughters - Cecilia, Caroline and Charlotte.

Dave Beaudin currently works for FrogsToday as a TCU Football Analyst. This includes hosting Dissecting The Frogs, which breaks down TCU football coaches-film after games and Facing The Frogs, which breaks down TCU’s upcoming opponent.

In addition, Dave is part of pre and post game shows for TCU, has done sideline work for the TCU Sports network, and provides written football breakdowns for the website, FrogsToday.com.

Prior to his days in the media, Dave was a football coach for 20+ years, including as an offensive coordinator that led NCAA division 2 in scoring per game for a season, interim head coach for a division 2 school that went to the national playoffs for the first time in school history, and hosted a first round game. In addition, Dave started a high school program from scratch as the head coach in San Antonio, TX - taking it to the #1 private school in all of South Texas in three short years.

From there, Dave traveled to Fort Worth as a head coach where he was “Coach of the Year” for TAPPS 6A District 1 for three years in a row and named Dave Campbell’s Texas Football “Coach of the Year” for the state of Texas in 2020 and named “Top 10 Underrated Coaches” for Dave Campbell’s for all divisions, public or private, in the state of Texas.

Dave credits his coaching staff, players and families for any individual recognition throughout his career and considers himself fortunate to be a byproduct of simply being around great people. In his downtime, he enjoys watching football with his wife Chrissy and four-year old daughter Aubree.

RADIO

Bowl Season Radio is a service of FIRSTTEAM

"Bowl Season" and the Bowl Season logo are trademarks of the Football Bowl Association, Inc., used under license agreement.

Year-By-Year Results

DATE/CHAIRMAN TEAMS SCORE POST-BOWL RECORD ATTENDANCE PLAYERS OF THE GAME

Dec. 13, 1976

McNeese State 20 9-2 19,164 (O) Terry McFarland, McNeese State

Lee Bryant Tulsa 16 7-4-1 (D) Terry Clark, Tulsa Dec. 17, 1977 Louisiana Tech 24 9-1-2 22,223 (O) Keith Thibodeaux, Louisiana Tech

Ed Powell Louisville 14 7-4-1 (D) Otis Wilson, Louisville Dec. 16, 1978 East Carolina 35 9-3 31,054 (O) Theodore Sutton, East Carolina

Bill Brandon Louisiana Tech 13 6-5 (D) Zack Valentine, East Carolina Dec. 15, 1979 Syracuse 31 7-5 27,234 (O) Joe Morris, Syracuse

Skippy Shirley McNeese State 7 11-1 (D) Clay Carroll, McNeese State Dec. 13, 1980 Southern Miss 16 9-3 42,600 (O) Stephen Starring, McNeese State

Milton Chapman McNeese State 14 10-1 (D) Jerald Baylis, Southern Miss Dec. 12, 1981 Texas A&M 33 7-5 48,600 (O) Gary Kubiak, Texas A&M

Milton Chapman Oklahoma State 16 7-5 (D) Mike Green, Oklahoma State Dec. 11, 1982 Wisconsin 14 7-5 46,244 (O) Randy Wright, Wisconsin

Ken Hanna Kansas State 3 6-5 (D) Tim Krumrie, Wisconsin Dec. 10, 1983 Air Force 9 10-2 41,274 (O) Marty Louthan, Air Force

Tracy Jackson Ole Miss 3 7-5 (D) Andre Townsend, Ole Miss Dec. 15, 1984 Air Force 23 8-4 45,034 (O) Bart Weiss, Air Force

Cecil Lloyd Virginia Tech 7 8-4 (D) Scott Thomas, Air Force Dec. 21, 1985 Minnesota 20 7-5 42,845 (O) Rickey Foggie, Minnesota

Cecil Lloyd Clemson 13 6-6 (D) Bruce Holmes, Minnesota Dec. 20, 1986 Ole Miss 20 8-3-1 46,369 (O) Mark Young, Ole Miss

Jim Thompson Texas Tech 17 7-5 (D) James Mosley, Texas Tech Dec. 19, 1987 Washington 24 7-4-1 44,683 (O) Chris Chandler, Washington

Smokey Hyde Tulane 12 6-6 (D) David Rill, Washington Dec. 23, 1988 Southern Miss 38 10-2 20,242 (O&D) James Henry, Southern Miss

Mike Collier UTEP 18 10-3 Dec. 16, 1989 Oregon 27 8-4 44,621 (O) Bill Musgrave, Oregon

John Frazier Tulsa 24 6-6 (D) Chris Oldham, Oregon Dec. 15, 1990 Louisiana Tech 34 8-3-1 48,325 (O) Michael Richardson, Louisiana Tech

Brant Goyne Maryland 34 6-5-1 (D) Lorenza Baker, Louisiana Tech Dec. 29, 1991 Georgia 24 9-3 46,932 (O) Andre Hastings, Georgia

Orvis Sigler Arkansas 15 6-6 (D) Torrey Evans, Georgia Dec. 31, 1992 Wake Forest 39 8-4 31,337 (O) Todd Dixon, Wake Forest Orvis Sigler Oregon 35 6-6 (D) Herman O’Berry, Oregon Dec. 31, 1993 Virginia Tech 45 9-3 33,819 (O) Maurice DeShazo, Virginia Tech

Mike McCarthy Indiana 20 8-4 (D) Antonio Banks, Virginia Tech Dec. 28, 1994 Virginia 20 9-3 36,192 (O) Mike Groh, Virginia

Bob Brown TCU 10 7-5 (D) Mike Frederick, Virginia Dec. 29, 1995 LSU 45 7-4-1 48,835 (O) Kevin Faulk, LSU

Carl Mikovich Michigan State 26 6-5-1 (D) Gabe Northern, LSU Dec. 31, 1996 Auburn 32 8-4 41,366 (O) Dameyune Craig, Auburn

Rick Holland Army 29 10-2 (D) Takeo Spikes, Auburn (D) Ricky Neal, Auburn Dec. 28, 1997 LSU 27 9-3 50,459 (O) Rondell Mealey, LSU

Ken Antee Notre Dame 9 7-6 (D) Arnold Miller, LSU Dec. 31, 1998 Ole Miss 35 7-5 46,862 (O) Romaro Miller, Ole Miss

Richard Caldwell Texas Tech 18 7-5 (D) Kendrick Clancy, Ole Miss Dec. 31, 1999 Ole Miss 27 8-4 49,873 (O) Josh Huepel, Oklahoma

Sandy Cimino Oklahoma 25 7-5 (D) Tim Strickland, Ole Miss Dec. 31, 2000 Mississippi State 43 8-4 36,974 (O) Ja’Mar Toombs, Texas A&M Pesky Hill Texas A&M 41 7-5 (D) Willie Blade, Mississippi State Dec. 27, 2001 Alabama 14 7-5 45,627 (O) Seneca Wallace, Iowa State Lindy Broderick Iowa State 13 7-5 (D) Matt Word, Iowa State (D) Waine Bacon, Alabama Dec. 27, 2002 Ole Miss 27 7-6 46,096 (O) Eli Manning, Ole Miss

Randy James Nebraska 23 7-7 (D) Chris Kelsay, Nebraska Dec. 31, 2003 Arkansas 27 9-4 49,625 (O) Cedric Cobbs, Arkansas

Don Jagot Missouri 14 8-5 (D) Caleb Miller, Arkansas Dec. 28, 2004 Iowa State 17 7-5 43,076 (O) Bret Meyer, Iowa State Jack Lee Miami University 13 8-5 (D) Nik Moser, Iowa State

Year-By-Year Results

DATE/CHAIRMAN TEAMS SCORE POST-BOWL RECORD ATTENDANCE PLAYERS OF THE GAME

Dec. 30, 2005 Missouri 38 7-5 41,332

(O) Brad Smith, Missouri

David Nichols South Carolina 31 7-5 (D) Marcus King, Missouri Dec. 28, 2006 Oklahoma State 34 7-6 45,054 (O) Dantrell Savage, Oklahoma State

Markey Pierre Alabama 31 6-7 (D) Jeremy Nethon, Oklahoma State Dec. 30, 2007 Alabama 30 7-6 47,043 (O) John Parker Wilson, Alabama

Joe Darwin Colorado 24 6-7 (D) Wallace Gilberry, Alabama Dec. 28, 2008 Louisiana Tech 17 8-5 41,567 (O) Phillip Livas. Louisiana Tech

Keith Bergeron Northern Illinois 10 6-7 (D) Weldon Brown, Louisiana Tech Dec. 28, 2009 Georgia 44 8-5 49,653 (O) Aron White, Georgia

Toni Goodin Texas A&M 20 6-7 (D) Geno Atkins, Georgia Dec. 27, 2010 Air Force 14 9-4 39,362 (O) Jared Tew, Air Force

Jim Hagan Georgia Tech 7 6-7 (D) Rick Ricketts, Air Force Dec. 26, 2011 Missouri 41 8-5 41,728 (O) James Franklin, Missouri

Fred Sexton Jr. North Carolina 24 7-6 (D) Andrew Wilson, Missouri Dec. 28, 2012 Ohio 45 9-4 41,853 (O) Beau Blankenship, Ohio

Jack Andres ULM 14 8-5 (O) Tyler Tettleton, Ohio (D) Keith Moore, Ohio Dec. 31, 2013 Arizona 42 8-5 36,917 (O) B.J. Denker, Arizona

John Hubbard Boston College 19 7-6 (D) William Parks, Arizona Dec. 27, 2014 South Carolina 24 7-6 38,242 (O) Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina

Paul Pratt Miami 21 6-7 (D) Skai Moore, South Carolina Dec. 26, 2015 Virginia Tech 55 7-6 31,289 (O) Isaiah Ford, Virginia Tech

Kyle McInnis Tulsa 52 6-7 (D) Jeremy Brady, Tulsa Dec. 26, 2016 NC State 41 7-6 28,995 (O) Jaylen Samuels, NC State

Eric Barkley Vanderbilt 17 6-7 (D) Airius Moore, NC State Dec. 27, 2017 Florida State 42 7-6 33,601 (O) James Blackman, Florida State

Darin Seal Southern Miss 13 8-5 (D) Nate Andrews, Florida State Dec. 27, 2018 Duke 56 8-5 27,492 (O) Daniel Jones, Duke

Trey Giglio Temple 27 8-5 (D) Delvon Randall, Temple Dec. 26, 2019 Louisiana Tech 14 10-3 33,129 (O) Justin Henderson, Louisiana Tech

Art Carmody IV Miami 0 6-7 (D) Connor Taylor, Louisiana Tech Dec. 18, 2021 UAB 31 9-4 26,276 (O) Tyler Allgeier, BYU

Frank Auer BYU 28 10-3 (D) Tyler Batty, BYU

Daniel Jones (QB - Duke vs. Temple, 2018)

OFFENSE

YEAR PLAYER

Players of the Game

SCHOOL POS.

1976 Terry McFarland McNeese State QB

1977 Keith Thibodeaux Louisiana Tech QB

1978 Theodore Sutton East Carolina FB

1979 Joe Morris Syracuse RB

1980 Stephen Starring McNeese State QB

1981 Gary Kubiak Texas A&M QB

1982 Randy Wright Wisconsin QB

1983 Marty Louthan Air Force QB

1984 Bart Weiss Air Force QB

1985 Rickey Foggie Minnesota QB

1986 Mark Young Ole Miss QB

1987 Chris Chandler Washington QB

1988 James Henry Southern Miss PR

1989 Bill Musgrave Oregon QB

1990 Michael Richardson Louisiana Tech RB 1991 Andre Hastings Georgia FL

1992 Todd Dixon Wake Forest WR 1993 Maurice DeShazo Virginia Tech QB 1994 Mike Groh Virginia QB

1995 Kevin Faulk LSU RB 1996 Dameyune Craig Auburn QB 1997 Rondell Mealey LSU RB

1998 Romaro Miller Ole Miss QB 1999 Josh Huepel Oklahoma QB 2000 Ja’Mar Toombs Texas A&M RB 2001 Seneca Wallace Iowa State QB 2002 Eli Manning Ole Miss QB

2003 Cedric Cobbs Arkansas TB 2004 Bret Meyer Iowa State QB 2005 Brad Smith Missouri QB

2006 Dantrell Savage Oklahoma State RB

2007 John Parker Wilson Alabama QB 2008 Phillip Livas Louisiana Tech WR

2009 Aron White Georgia TE

2010 Jared Tew Air Force RB

2011 James Franklin Missouri QB

2012 Beau Blankenship Ohio RB Tyler Tettleton Ohio QB

2013 B.J. Denker Arizona QB

2014 Pharoh Cooper South Carolina WR

2015 Isaiah Ford Virginia Tech WR

2016 Jaylen Samuels NC State TE

2017 James Blackman Florida State QB 2018 Daniel Jones Duke QB 2019 Justin Henderson Louisiana Tech RB 2021 Tyler Allgeier BYU RB

DEFENSE

YEAR PLAYER

1976

SCHOOL POS.

Terry Clark Tulsa CB

1977 Otis Wilson Louisville LB 1978 Zack Valentine East Carolina DE

1979 Clay Carroll McNeese State DT 1980 Jearld Baylis Southern Miss NG 1981 Mike Green Oklahoma State LB

1982 Tim Krumrie Wisconsin NG 1983 Andre Townsend Ole Miss DT 1984 Scott Thomas Air Force S

1985 Bruce Holmes Minnesota LB 1986 James Mosley Texas Tech DE 1987 David Rill Washington LB 1988 James Henry Southern Miss DB 1989 Chris Oldham Oregon DB 1990 Lorenza Baker Louisiana Tech LB 1991 Torrey Evans Georgia LB 1992 Herman O’Berry Oregon CB 1993 Antonio Banks Virginia Tech S 1994 Mike Frederick Virginia DE 1995 Gabe Northern LSU DE 1996 Takeo Spikes Auburn LB Ricky Neal Auburn LB 1997 Arnold Miller LSU DL 1998 Kendrick Clancy Ole Miss DL 1999 Tim Strickland Ole Miss CB 2000 Willie Blade Mississippi State DT 2001 Matt Word Iowa State LB Waine Bacon Alabama SS

2002 Chris Kelsay Nebraska LB

2003 Caleb Miller Arkansas ILB 2004 Nik Moser Iowa State DB 2005 Marcus King Missouri CB

2006 Jeremy Nethon Oklahoma State LB 2007 Wallace Gilberry Alabama DE

2008 Weldon Brown Louisiana Tech DB 2009 Geno Atkins Georgia DT 2010 Rick Ricketts Air Force DE 2011 Andrew Wilson Missouri LB

2012 Keith Moore Ohio LB

2013 William Parks Arizona S

2014 Skai Moore South Carolina LB 2015 Jeremy Brady Tulsa S 2016 Airius Moore NC State LB

2017 Nate Andrews Florida State S

2018 Delvon Randall Temple S

2019 Connor Taylor Louisiana Tech LB

2021 Tyler Batty BYU DE

Tyler Batty (BYU, 2021)

Tyler Allgeier (BYU, 2021)

Coaching & Conference Records

COACH SCHOOL YEARS REC. PCT.

Steve Addazio Boston College 2013 0-1 .000

Frank Beamer Virginia Tech 1993, 2015 2-0 1.000

Todd Berry Louisiana-Monroe 2012 0-1 .000

Terry Bowden Auburn 1996 1-0 1.000

Billy Brewer Ole Miss 1983, 1986 1-1 .500

Rich Brooks Oregon 1989, 1992 1-1 .500

Mack Brown Tulane 1987 0-1 .000

Troy Calhoun Air Force 2010 1-0 1.000

Bill Clark UAB 2021 1-0 1.000

Bobby Collins Southern Miss 1980 1-0 1.000

Jack Crowe Arkansas 1991 0-1 .000

David Cutcliffe Ole Miss/Duke 1998, 1999, 2002/2018 4-0 1.000

Bob Davie Notre Dame 1997 0-1 .000

Fisher DeBerry Air Force 1984 1-0 1.000

Manny Diaz Miami 2019 0-1 .000

Jim Dickey Kansas State 1982 0-1 .000

Gerry DiNardo Louisiana State 1995, 1997 2-0 1.000

Dave Doeren NC State 2016 1-0 1.000

Jack Doland McNeese State 1976 1-0 1.000

Bill Dooley Virginia Tech/Wake Forest 1984/1992 1-1 .500

Derek Dooley Louisiana Tech 2008 1-0 1.000

F.A. Dry Tulsa 1976 0-1 .000

Ernie Duplechin McNeese State 1979, 1980 0-2 .000

Pat Dye East Carolina 1978 1-0 1.000

Spike Dykes Texas Tech 1986, 1998 0-2 .000

Ed Foley Temple 2018 0-1 .000

Danny Ford Clemson 1985 0-1 .000

Dennis Franchione Alabama 2001 1-0 1.000

Vince Gibson Louisville 1977 0-1 .000

Ray Goff Georgia 1991 1-0 1.000

Al Golden Miami 2014 0-1 .000

Mike Gundy Oklahoma State 2006 1-0 1.000

John Gutekunst Minnesota 1985 1-0 1.000

Odell Haggins Florida State 2017 1-0 1.000

Curley Hallman Southern Miss 1988 1-0 1.000

Ken Hatfield Air Force 1983 1-0 1.000

Dan Hawkins Colorado 2007 0-1 .000

Terry Hoeppner Miami (OH) 2004 0-1 .000

Skip Holtz Louisiana Tech 2019 1-0 1.000

Jay Hopson Southern Miss 2017 0-1 .000

Don James Washington 1987 1-0 1.000

Jimmy Johnson Oklahoma State 1981 0-1 .000

Paul Johnson Georgia Tech 2010 0-1 .000

Jerry Kill Northern Illinois 2008 0-1 .000

Joe Kines Alabama 2006 0-1 .000

Joe Krivak Maryland 1990 0-0-1 .500

Maxie Lambright Louisiana Tech 1977, 1978 1-1 .500

Bill Mallory Indiana 1993 0-1 .000

Derek Mason Vanderbilt 2016 0-1 .000

Dan McCarney Iowa State 2001, 2004 1-1 .500

Dave McClain Wisconsin 1982 1-0 1.000

Philip Montgomery Tulsa 2015 0-1 .000

Houston Nutt Arkansas 2003 1-0 1.000

J.R. Peace Louisiana Tech 1990 0-0-1 .500

Gary Pinkel Missouri 2003, 2005, 2011 2-1 .667

Dave Rader Tulsa 1989 0-1 .000

Mark Richt Georgia 2009 1-0 1.000

Rich Rodriguez Arizona 2013 1-0 1.000

Nick Saban Michigan State/Alabama 1995/2007 1-1 .500

Mike Sherman Texas A&M 2009 0-1 .000

Jackie Sherrill Mississippi State 2000 1-0 1.000

Kalani Sitake BYU 2021 0-1 .000

R.C. Slocum Texas A&M 2000 0-1 .000

Frank Solich Nebraska/Ohio 2002/2012 1-1 .500

Steve Spurrier South Carolina 2005, 2014 1-1 .500

Bob Stoops Oklahoma 1999 0-1 .000

Bob Stull UTEP 1988 0-1 .000

Pat Sullivan TCU 1994 0-1 .000

Bob Sutton Army 1996 0-1 .000

George Welsh Virginia 1994 1-0 1.000

Tom Wilson Texas A&M 1981 1-0 1.000

Everett Withers North Carolina 2011 0-1 .000

CONFERENCE TEAMS

GAMES WON LOST TIED PCT.

American Athletic 2 2 0 2 0 .000

Atlantic Coast 12 13 6 6 1 .500

%Big East 1 1 1 0 0 1.000

*Big Eight 2 2 0 2 0 .000

Big Ten 4 4 2 2 0 .500

Big 12 8 12 4 8 0 .333

Conference USA 3 3 2 1 0 .667

Mid-American 3 3 1 2 0 .333

Mountain West 1 1 1 0 0 1.000

Pac-12 3 4 3 1 0 .750

SEC 9 18 14 4 0 .778

+Southland 2 5 2 3 0 .400

*Southwest 4 4 1 3 0 .250

Sun Belt 1 1 0 1 0 .000

Western Athletic 3 4 3 1 0 .750

Independents 11 13 4 8 1 .346

*Defunct League

+Now a member of NCAA FCS

%No longer has member institutions that play FBS football

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (0-2)

Temple 0-1 Tulsa 0-1

ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE (6-6-1)

Boston College 0-1 Clemson 0-1 Duke 1-0 Georgia Tech 0-1 Florida State 1-0 Maryland 0-0-1 Miami 0-2 NC State 1-0 North Carolina 0-1 Virginia 1-0 Virginia Tech 1-0 Wake Forest 1-0

BIG EAST CONFERENCE (1-0) Virginia Tech 1-0

BIG EIGHT CONFERENCE (0-2) Kansas State 0-1 Oklahoma State 0-1

BIG TEN CONFERENCE (2-2) Indiana 0-1 Michigan State 0-1 Minnesota 1-0 Wisconsin 1-0

BIG 12 CONFERENCE (4-8)

Colorado 0-1 Iowa State 1-1 Missouri 2-1 Nebraska 0-1 Oklahoma 0-1 Oklahoma State 1-0 Texas Tech 0-1 Texas A&M 0-2

CONFERENCE USA (2-1) Louisiana Tech 1-0 Southern Miss 0-1 UAB 1-0

MID-AMERICAN (1-2)

Miami University 0-1 Northern Illinois 0-1 Ohio 1-0

MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE (1-0)

Air Force 1-0

PAC-12 CONFERENCE (3-1)

Arizona 1-0 Oregon 1-1 Washington 1-0

SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE (14-4)

Alabama 2-1 Arkansas 1-0 Auburn 1-0 Georgia 2-0 LSU 2-0 Ole Miss 4-1 Mississippi State 1-0 South Carolina 1-1 Vanderbilt 0-1

SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE (2-3)

Louisiana Tech 1-1 McNeese State 1-2

SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE (1-3)

Arkansas 0-1 TCU 0-1 Texas A&M 1-0 Texas Tech 0-1

SUN BELT CONFERENCE (0-1) ULM 0-1

WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (3-1)

Air Force 2-0 Louisiana Tech 1-0 UTEP 0-1

INDEPENDENTS (4-8-1)

Army 0-1 BYU 0-1 East Carolina 1-0 Louisiana Tech 0-0-1 Louisville 0-1 Notre Dame 0-1 Southern Mississippi 2-0 Syracuse 1-0 Tulane 0-1 Tulsa 0-2 Virginia Tech 0-1

RUSHING

Most Attempts: 35, Ja’Mar Toombs, Texas A&M vs. Miss. State, 2000

Most Net Yards: 234, Kevin Faulk, LSU vs. Michigan State, 1995

Best Avg. Per Carry (min. 10 carries): 9.4, Kevin Faulk, LSU vs. Michigan State, 1995

Most Yards by a Quarterback: 150, Brad Smith, Missouri vs. South Carolina, 2005

PASSING

Most Attempts: 58, Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M vs. Georgia, 2009

Most Completions: 39, Josh Huepel, Oklahoma vs. Ole Miss, 1999

Most Net Yards: 423, Daniel Jones, Duke vs. Temple, 2018

Most Interceptions Thrown: 5, Wade Hill, Arkansas vs. Georgia, 1991

Highest Completion Pct.: (min. 15 completions): 82.6, Dylan Hopkins, UAB vs. BYU, 2021

Most Yards Per Completion: (min. 5 completions) 23.6, Tyler Tettleton, Ohio vs. ULM, 2012

RECEIVING

Most Receptions: 12, T.J. Rahming, Duke vs. Temple, 2018 12, Isaiah Ford, Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa, 2015 12, Sidney Rice, South Carolina vs. Missouri, 2005

Most Yards Receiving: 240, T.J. Rahming, Duke vs. Temple, 2018

Highest Avg. Per Catch: (min. 3 catches) 54.0, Chase Cochran, Ohio vs. ULM, 2012

SCORING

Most Touchdowns Responsible For: 6, Daniel Jones, Duke vs. Temple, 2018 (5 pass, 1 rush)

Most Touchdowns Rushing: 4, Beau Blankenship, Ohio vs. ULM, 2012

Most Touchdowns Passing: 5, Daniel Jones, Duke vs. Temple, 2018

Most Touchdowns Receiving: 3, Auden Tate, Florida State vs. Southern Miss, 2017 3, Jaylen Samuels, NC State vs. Vanderbilt, 2016

Most Field Goals: 4, Chris Balseiro, Arkansas vs. Missouri, 2003 4, David Hardy, Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State, 1981

Most PATs: 8, Collin Wareham, Duke vs. Temple, 2018

Most Points by Kicker: 15, David Hardy, Texas A&M vs. Okla. State, 1981

Two-Point Conversions: 1, 13 times, most recently: Keyarris Garrett from Dane Evans, Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech, 2015

PUNTING

Most Punts: 9, Brady Farlow, Louisiana Tech vs. Miami, 2019 9, Louis Hedley, Miami vs. Louisiana Tech, 2019 9, Terry McFarland, McNeese St. vs. Tulsa, 1976

Highest Average Per Punt: 48.8, Thomas Hibbard, North Carolina vs. Missouri, 2011

PUNT RETURNS

Most Punt Returns: 8, DeJuan Groce, Nebraska vs. Ole Miss, 2002 8, Thomas Lewis, Indiana vs. Virginia Tech, 1993

Most Punt Return Yardage: 132, Greg Stroman, Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa, 2015

Highest Average: 86, Javier Arenas, Alabama vs. Oklahoma State, 2006

KICKOFF RETURNS

Most Kickoff Returns: 8, Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M vs. Georgia, 2009

Most Kickoff Return Yardage: 157, Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M vs. Georgia, 2009

Highest Average: 63, Jason Davis, Louisiana Tech vs. Maryland, 1990

INTERCEPTIONS

Most Interceptions Made: 2, six times, most recently: Anthony Magee, Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech, 1998

Most Interception Return Yardage: 99, Marcus King, Missouri vs. South Carolina, 2005

TACKLES

Most Total Tackles: 24, Clay Carroll, McNeese State vs. Syracuse, 1979

Daniel Jones, Duke

Independence Bowl Records:

• Most Passing Yards: 423

• Most Touchdowns Passing: 5

• Most TDs responsible for: 6

LONGEST PLAYS

Longest Run From Scrimmage: 80, Deuce McAllister, Ole Miss vs. Oklahoma, 1999

Longest Rushing Touchdown: 80, Deuce McAllister, Ole Miss vs. Oklahoma, 1999

Longest Pass: 87, Randy Wright to Tom Stracka, Wisconsin vs. Kansas State, 1982

Longest Passing Touchdown: 87, Randy Wright to Tom Stracka, Wisconsin vs. Kansas State, 1982

Longest Field Goal: 52, Tommy Openshaw, Vanderbilt vs. NC State, 2016

Longest Punt: 70, Jeff Dozier, Louisiana Tech vs. East Carolina, 1978

Longest Punt Return: 86, Javier Arenas, Alabama vs. Oklahoma State, 2006

Longest Punt Return for Touchdown: 86, Javier Arenas, Alabama vs. Oklahoma State, 2006

Longest Kickoff Return: 100, Nyheim Hines, NC State vs. Vanderbilt, 2016 100, Derrick Mason, Michigan State vs. LSU, 1995

Longest Kickoff Return for Touchdown: 100, Nyheim Hines, NC State vs. Vanderbilt, 2016 100, Derrick Mason, Michigan State vs. LSU, 1995

Longest Interception Return: 99, Marcus King, Missouri vs. South Carolina, 2005

Longest Interception Return for Touchdown: 99, Marcus King, Missouri vs. South Carolina, 2005

Longest Fumble Return: 37, Gabe Northern, LSU vs. Michigan State, 1995

Longest Fumble Return for Touchdown: 37, Gabe Northern, LSU vs. Michigan State, 1995

•

•

Most Sacks: 3, Chuck Wiley, LSU vs. Notre Dame, 1997 3, James Gillyard, LSU vs. Michigan St., 1995 3, James Mosley, Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss, 1986

Longest Return of Blocked Field Goal: 80, Antonio Banks, Virginia Tech vs. Indiana, 1993

Longest Return of Blocked Field Goal for Touchdown: 80, Antonio Banks, Virginia Tech vs. Indiana, 1993

Kevin Faulk, LSU

Team Records

RUSHING

Most Attempts: 73, Syracuse vs. McNeese State, 1979

Fewest Attempts: 19, North Carolina vs. Missouri, 2011

Most Yards: 337, Missouri vs. North Carolina, 2011

Fewest Yards: 12, Louisiana Tech vs. East Carolina, 1978

Highest Average Per Carry: 7.3, Missouri vs. North Carolina, 2011

Lowest Average Per Carry: 0.4, Louisiana Tech vs. East Carolina, 1978

PASSING

Most Attempts: 59, Texas A&M vs. Georgia, 2009

Fewest Attempts: 7, Air Force vs. Virginia Tech, 1984 7, Air Force vs. Ole Miss, 1983

Most Completions: 39, Oklahoma vs. Ole Miss, 1999

Fewest Completions: 4, East Carolina, vs. Louisiana Tech, 1978

Most Yards: 440, Duke vs. Temple, 2018

Fewest Yards: 41, Georgia Tech vs. Air Force, 2010

Most Passes Had Intercepted: 5, Arkansas vs. Georgia, 1991

Highest Completion Percentage: 86.0, Air Force vs. Ole Miss, 1983 86.0, Air Force vs. Virginia Tech, 1984

Lowest Completion Percentage: 27.0, McNeese State vs. Tulsa, 1976

Most Yards Per Completion: 23.2, McNeese State vs. Southern Miss, 1980

Fewest Yards Per Completion: 5.1, Syracuse vs. McNeese State, 1979

TOTAL OFFENSE

Most Plays: 92, Texas A&M vs. Georgia, 2009

Fewest Plays: 47, McNeese St. vs. Syracuse, 1979

Most Yards: 598, Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa, 2015

Fewest Yards: 161, Louisville vs. Louisiana Tech, 1977

Highest Average Yards Per Play: 9.1, Ohio vs. ULM, 2012

Lowest Average Yards Per Play: 2.4, Louisville vs. Louisiana Tech, 1977

SCORING

Most Touchdowns: 8, Duke vs. Temple, 2018

Most Touchdowns Rushing: 5, Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa, 2015 5, East Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech, 1978

Most Touchdowns Passing: 5, Duke vs. Temple, 2018

Most Interception Return Touchdowns: 1, six times, most recently: Temple vs. Duke, 2018

Most Fumble Return Touchdowns: 1, four times, most recently: Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss, 1998

Most Kickoff Return Touchdowns: 1, six times, most recently: NC State vs. Vanderbilt, 2016

Most Punt Return Touchdowns: 2, Southern Miss vs. UTEP, 1988

Blocked Punt Returned for Touchdown: 1, Tulsa vs. Oregon, 1989

Blocked Field Goal Returned for Touchdown: 1, Virginia Tech vs. Indiana, 1993 1, Tulsa vs. McNeese State, 1976

Most Field Goals: 4, Arkansas vs. Missouri, 2003 4, Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State, 1981

Most Points, Winning Team: 56, Duke vs. Temple, 2018

Most Points, Losing Team: 52, Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech, 2015

Largest Point Difference: 31, Ohio vs. ULM, 2012

Fewest Points, Winning Team: 9, Air Force vs. Ole Miss, 1983

Fewest Points, Losing Team: 0, Miami vs. Louisiana Tech, 2019

Smallest Point Difference: 1, Alabama 14 vs. Iowa State 13, 2001

Games Ending In A Tie: Louisiana Tech 34 vs. Maryland 34, 1990

Most Points Scored in First Half: 45, Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa, 2015

Most Points Scored in Second Half: 35, Duke vs. Temple, 2018

Most Points Scored in One Half: 45, Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa, 2015 (first)

Most Points Scored in First Quarter: 24, Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa, 2015

Missouri vs. North Carolina, 2011

Independence Bowl Records:

Rush Yards: 337

Yards Per Carry: 7.3 James Franklin (18 carries, 142 yards) and Kendial Lawrence (16 carries, 108 yards) are just the second pair of teammates to rush for more than 100 yards in the same game.

Most Points Scored in Second Quarter: 21, Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa, 2015 21, Virginia Tech vs. Indiana, 1993

Most Points Scored in Third Quarter: 21, Duke vs. Temple, 2018 21, LSU vs. Michigan State, 1995 21, Southern Miss vs. UTEP, 1988

Most Points Scored in Fourth Quarter: 22, Army vs. Auburn, 1996

Most Points Scored in Any Quarter: 24, Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa, 2015 (first)

Most Points Scored in Overtime: 8, Mississippi State vs. Texas A&M, 2000

Team Records

FIRST DOWNS

Most First Downs: 30, Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa, 2015

Fewest First Downs: 11, five times, most recently: TCU vs. Virginia, 1994

Most First Downs Rushing: 20, Syracuse vs. McNeese State, 1979

Fewest First Downs Rushing: 2, North Carolina vs. Missouri, 2011

Most First Downs Passing: 20, Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech, 1986

Fewest First Downs Passing: 1, Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M, 1981

Most First Downs by Penalty: 9, Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M, 1981

DEFENSE

Fewest Total Yards Allowed: 161, Louisiana Tech vs. Louisville, 1977

Fewest Rushing Yards Allowed: 12, East Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech, 1978

Fewest Passing Yards Allowed: 41, Air Force vs. Georgia Tech, 2010

Fewest Points Allowed: 0, Louisiana Tech vs. Miami, 2019

Fewest Touchdowns Allowed: 0, five times, most recently: Louisiana Tech vs. Miami, 2019

Fewest Completions Allowed: 4, Louisiana Tech vs. East Carolina, 1978

Lowest Completion Percentage Allowed: 27.0, Tulsa vs. McNeese State, 1976

Most Pass Interceptions: 5, Georgia vs. Arkansas, 1991

Most Interception Return Yards: 103, Missouri vs. South Carolina, 2005

Fewest First Downs Allowed: 11, five times, most recently: Virginia vs. TCU, 1994

Most Blocked Punts: Several teams tied at one

Most Turnovers Gained: 7, East Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech, 1978

Most Quarterback Sacks: 8, Oklahoma vs. Ole Miss, 1999

PUNTING

Most Punts: 9, Louisiana Tech vs. Miami, 2019 9, Miami vs. Louisiana Tech, 2019 9, McNeese State vs. Tulsa, 1976

Fewest Punts: 1, Oklahoma vs. Ole Miss, 1999 1, Maryland vs. Louisiana Tech, 1990

Highest Punting Average: 48.8, North Carolina vs. Missouri

Lowest Punting Average: 10, Oklahoma vs. Ole Miss, 1999

PUNT & KICKOFF RETURNS

Most Punt Returns: 8, Nebraska vs. Ole Miss, 2002 8, Indiana vs. Virginia Tech, 1993

Most Punt Return Yards: 132, Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa, 2015

Most Kickoff Returns: 8, North Carolina vs. Missouri, 2011 8, Texas A&M vs. Georgia, 2009

Most Kickoff Return Yards: 177, South Carolina vs. Missouri, 2005

LSU vs. Notre Dame, 1997

Independence Bowl Records:

. One of just four teams in Independence Bowl history to keep its opponent out of the endzone, the Tigers held the Irish to just 9 points.

Highest Punt Return Average: 86.0 (one return) Alabama vs. Oklahoma State, 2006

Highest Kickoff Return Average: 59, NC State vs. Vanderbilt, 2016

FUMBLES

Most Fumbles: 8, Louisville vs. Louisiana Tech, 1977

Fewest Fumbles: 0, 12 times, most recently: Florida State vs. Southern Miss, 2017

Most Fumbles Lost: 4, McNeese State vs. Southern Miss, 1980 4, Louisiana Tech vs. East Carolina, 1978

Fewest Fumbles Lost: 0, 34 times, most recently: UAB vs. BYU, 2021

PENALTIES

Most Penalties: 16, Tulsa vs. McNeese State, 1976

Fewest Penalties: 0, Louisiana Tech vs. East Carolina, 1978

Most Yards Penalized: 112, Virginia Tech vs. Air Force, 1984

Fewest Yards Penalized: 0, Louisiana Tech vs. East Carolina, 1978

SCORING DRIVES

Longest Scoring Drives: 94 yds. in 12 plays, Boston College vs. Arizona, 2013

Most Plays in Scoring Drives: 17 plays, 76 yds., Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss, 1986

Quickest Scoring Drives:

1 play, 75 yards, 12 seconds, Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa, 2015

1 play, 9 yards, 4 seconds, Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech, 2015

1 play, 2 yards, 4 seconds, Georgia vs. Texas A&M, 2009

1 play, 41 yds., 10 sec., Arkansas vs. Missouri, 2003

1 play, 42 yds., 8 seconds, Texas A&M vs. Miss. St., 2000

1 play, 80 yds., 13 sec., Ole Miss vs. Oklahoma, 1999

1 play, 33 yds., 8 sec., Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech, 1998

1 play, 3 yds., 5 seconds, Virginia Tech vs. Air Force, 1984

MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS

Record of Teams Leading at Halftime: 33-11

Ties at Halftime: 1990, La. Tech 14, vs. Maryland 14

Tie Games: 1990, La. Tech 34 vs. Maryland 34

Overtime Games: 2000, Miss. St. 43, Texas A&M 41

Largest Deficit Overcome by Winning Team: 21 pts Missouri vs. South Carolina, 2005 Virginia Tech vs. Indiana, 1993

Most Points Scored in Fourth Quarter: 22, Army vs. Auburn, 1996

Most Points Scored in Any Quarter: 24, Virginia Tech vs. Tulsa, 2015 (first)

Bowl Participant Award Winners

DOAK WALKER AWARD

Presented for the first time in 1990 to honor the nation’s best running back among Division I-A juniors or seniors who combine outstanding achievements on the field, in the classroom and in the community. Sponsored by the GTE-Southern Methodist Athletic Forum in Dallas, Texas, a $10,000 scholarship is donated to the recipient’s university in his name. It is voted on by a 16-member panel of media and former college football standouts. The award is named after Doak Walker, SMU’s three-time consensus All-America halfback and 1948 Heisman Trophy winner.

1990 Greg Lewis, Washington

1992 Garrison Hearst, Georgia

2013* Andre Williams, Boston College

MAXWELL AWARD

First presented in 1937 to honor the nation’s outstanding college football player by the Maxwell Memorial Football Club of Philadelphia. The award is named after Robert “Tiny” Maxwell, a Philadelphia native who played at the University of Chicago as a lineman near the turn of the century.

2003 Eli Manning, Ole Miss

WALTER CAMP AWARD

First presented in 1967 to honor the nation’s outstanding college football player by the Walter Camp Foundation in balloting by Division I-A coaches and sports information directors. The award is named after Walter Camp, one of the founders of modern American football.

2000 Josh Heupel, Oklahoma

BUTKUS AWARD

First presented in 1985 to honor the nation’s best collegiate linebacker by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Fla. The award is named after Dick Butkus, two-time consensus All-American at Illinois and sixtime all-pro linebacker with the Chicago Bears.

2001 Rocky Calmus, Oklahoma

2009 Rolando McClain, Alabama

2010 Von Miller, Texas A&M

JIM THORPE AWARD

First presented in 1986 to honor the nation’s best defensive back by the Jim Thorpe Athletic Club of Oklahoma City. The award is named after Jim Thorpe, Olympic champion, two-time consensus All-American halfback at Carlisle and professional football player.

2001 Roy Williams, Oklahoma

BRONKO NAGURSKI AWARD

First presented in 1993 to honor the nation’s top collegiate defensive player by the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte (N.C.) Touchdown Club. The award is named after Bronko Nagurski, consensus All-America tackle and running back at Minnesota in 1929, and a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame.

2001 Roy Williams, Oklahoma

2014 Scooby Wright III, Arizona

2017 Bradley Chubb, NC State

DAVE RIMINGTON TROPHY

First presented in 2000 to honor the best center in college football, it is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. The trophy, named after University of Nebraska center Dave Rimington (197982), it serves as a fundraiser for the Boomer Esiason Foundation’s fight against cystic fibrosis.

2018 Garrett Bradbury, NC State

CHUCK BEDNARIK AWARD

Presented annually to the top defensive player in the nation, as voted on by the Maxwell Football Club. Voters for the Maxwell College Awards are NCAA Head College Football Coaches, members of the Maxwell Football Club & sportswriters and sportscasters from across the country. The award was first presented in 1995.

2014 Scooby Wright III, Arizona

ROTARY LOMBARDI AWARD

The Rotary Lombardi Award is hosted by the Rotary Club of Houston and benefits the American Cancer Society. The Award was initiated by the Rotary Club in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi to cancer. The Rotary Lombardi Award goes annually to the college football lineman — offense or defense — who, in addition to outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the discipline of Vince Lombardi.

2014 Scooby Wright III, Arizona

OUTLAND TROPHY

Honoring the outstanding interior lineman in the nation, first presented in 1946 by the Football Writers Association of America. The award is named for its benefactor, Dr. John H. Outland.

1984* Bruce Smith, Virginia Tech 1987 Chad Hennings, Air Force 2008 Andre Smith, Alabama

JOHNNY UNITAS GOLDEN ARM AWARD

First presented in 1987 to honor the nation’s top senior quarterback by the Kentucky Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame. Each year, a committee composed of NFL executives, coaches, scouts, and media members selects the winner based on citizenship, scholarship, leadership and athletic accomplishments. The award is named after Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas.

2003 Eli Manning, Ole Miss

JOHN MACKEY AWARD

First presented in 2000 and awarded by Nassau County Sports Commission to honor the nation’s top tight end, the award is named after former Syracuse star John Mackey. 2008 Chase Coffman, Missouri

RAY GUY AWARD

First presented in 2000 by the Greater Augusta Sports Council to honor the nation’s top punter. The award is named after Ray Guy, a former All-American at Southern Miss and an all-pro for the Oakland Raiders. 2008 Matt Fodge, Oklahoma State

2009* Drew Butler, Georgia

LOU GROZA AWARD

Presented for the first time in 1992 to honor the nation’s top collegiate placekicker. Sponsored by the Palm Beach County Sports Authority in conjunction with the Orange Bowl Committee. The award is named after NFL Hall of Fame kicker Lou Groza.

1995 Michael Reeder, TCU

2003 Jonathan Nichols, Ole Miss

MOSI TATUPU AWARD

First presented in 1997 to the top special teams player in the Country by the Maui Touchdown Club through 2006. The award is named after Mosi Tatupu, who played high school football in Honolulu and collegiate football at USC. He went on to a 14-year NFL playing career. 2000 J.T. Thatcher, Oklahoma

PAUL HORNUNG AWARD

Established in 2010, the Paul Hornung Award is presented annually by the Louisville Sports Commission to “recognize and reward versatile, highlevel performers in major college football.” The award is named after College and Professional Football Hall of Famer Paul Hornung, who is considered one of the most versatile players in football history.

2011 Brandon Boykin, Georgia

AFCA COACH OF THE YEAR

Selected by the American Football Coaches Association and the Football Writers Association of America.

1983* Ken Hatfield, Air Force 1985 Fisher DeBerry, Air Force 1999 Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech 2000 Bob Stoops, Oklahoma 2013 David Cutliffe, Duke

BOBBY DODD COACH OF THE YEAR

Selected by the American Football Coaches Association and the Football Writers Association of America.

1983* Ken Hatfield, Air Force 1985 Fisher DeBerry, Air Force 1991 George Welsh, Virginia 1996* Bob Sutton, Army 2003 Bob Stoops, Oklahoma 2004 Paul Johnson, Navy 2008 Mack Brown, Texas 2013 David Cutcliffe, Duke 2014 Nick Saban, Alabama

EDDIE ROBINSON COACH OF THE YEAR

Selected by Football Writers Association of America. Named in honor of legendary Grambling State head coach Eddie Robinson, who coached 408 career victories

1985 Fisher DeBerry, Air Force 1994 Rich Brooks, Oregon 1999 Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech 2000 Bob Stoops, Oklahoma 2003 Nick Saban, LSU 2008 Nick Saban, Alabama

2011 Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State 2018 Bill Clark, UAB

HOME DEPOT COACH OF THE YEAR

Given annually to the top head football coach, as voted on by ESPN and ABC college football analysts.

1994 Rich Brooks, Oregon 1999 Frank Solich, Nebraska 2000 Bob Stoops, Oklahoma 2008 Nick Saban, Alabama

PAUL “BEAR” BRYANT COACH OF THE YEAR

The College Football Coach of the Year Award began in 1957 and was renamed for Coach Bryant in 1986, following his death of a heart attack in 1983. It has since benefited the American Heart Association. The award honors excellence in college football coaching, both on and off the field.

1994 Rich Brooks, Oregon

1999 Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech 2000 Bob Stoops, Oklahoma

2003 Nick Saban, LSU 2005 Mack Brown, Texas 2011 Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

*Award was earned during season in which he played/ coached in the Independence Bowl

List current following the 2021 season

A CELEBRATION OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Bowl Season is one of the greatest and longest running traditions in American sports, taking place in late December and running through New Year’s Day, and has been college football’s post-season for over 100 years. It promotes the grand tradition of the bowl system and its endearing value to student-athletes, highlighting the broader university and college communities, including spirit squads, marching bands, athletic staff and fans. Bowl Season spotlights the distinctiveness of each of the bowl games along with their histories and traditions and their proud communities — embracing and honoring the bowl experience for present and future generations.

BOWLSEASON.COM | @BOWLSEASON

Bowl Participant Award Winners

Some of football’s top players and coaches have participated in the Independence Bowl during it’s first 45 years, including the members of the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame listed below. Three former Independence Bowl players and coaches were added to the College Football Hall of Fame in the 2022 class, matching the 2012 and 2014 classes with the most Independence Bowl representatives. Those three are Kevin Faulk (LSU – 1995 & 1997), Gary Pinkel (Missouri – 2003, 2005 & 2011) and Roy Williams (Oklahoma – 1999). Former LSU offensive guard Alan Faneca, who played alongside Faulk in the 1995 and 1997 Independence Bowls was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the 2021 class –making him the sixth Independence Bowl alumni to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Championship Coaches

Many of greatest coaches in the history of college football have walked the sidelines of Independence Stadium – including seven who have won National Championships. Below are the former I-Bowl coaches who have one National Championships:

The Greater Bossier Economic Development Foundation is a proud long-time supporter of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl. Our strategic community investment helps to grow northwest Louisiana by providing direct support to the tourism industry.

On behalf of our organization, we extend a warm welcome to our region! Enjoy the game, and we encourgae you to experience the unique culture of northwest Louisiana by shopping and dining local during your stay!

COMMUNITY SERVICE SCHOLARSHIP

Each year

2006,

KYLEIGH TREE Benton High School

Kyleigh excels in the classroom while also balancing an expansive extracurricular schedule. She currently has a 4.16 GPA and has been awarded numerous academic honors — including being named a member of the National Honor Society, Technical Honor Society and Honor Roll. Kyleigh has been a prominent member of the Student Government at Benton and leader in the National Beta Club.

Her impressive accomplishments are not limited to the classroom. Kyleigh has also excelled as an athlete. She has been on the varsity swim team all four years of high school and a varsity cheerleader for the last three years. Not only is she a member of those teams, but she is a leader, as she has been the captain of both squads her junior and senior years. Tree has also been a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes throughout her high school career – including being on the FCA Leadership Team the past two years.

Being a community service scholarship recipient, Kyleigh truly understands the value of giving back to her local community. She has served numerous hours for a bevy of different non-profit organizations and events. The bulk of her community service came from her time working with Foster Closet Ministry, where she volunteered to help with clothing donations, as well as various events. The organization provides resources for Louisiana’s foster children and teens. The Foster Closet Ministry events Tree assisted with included back to school, Christmas, Easter and summer events. She plans to continue her service with Foster Closet Ministry in the spring of her senior year.

HANNAH BETH HERRINGTON Northwood High School

Hannah Beth is an outstanding student, as she has a 4.2 GPA. She maintained her strong GPA while excelling in a number of different programs – including AP U.S. Government; English I, II and III; Algebra I, II and III and Spanish II. She has been a member of the National Honor Society and Beta Club over the past three years, while also being heavily involved in the Student Council her entire high school career. Herrington is also very involved outside of school, as she has been a member of the golf team and varsity cheer.

Not only has Hannah Beth been involved, but she has been a leader at Northwood during her time there. She is currently the Student Council President and served as Vice President and other leadership roles in the past. She is also the president of LASC District IX and is the current Varsity Cheer Captain. She served as the co-captain of the cheer squad her junior year. Her leadership skills have been present to many other groups throughout her time at Northwood.

Hannah Beth has served over 10 hours for 10 different community organizations or events and over 100 hours for three different organizations – serving organizations such as LASC Summer Workshop, Louisiana Girls State, Alzheimer’s Association and the ARC Caddo-Bossier. Her work with LASC Summer Workshop helped research how to improve schools and communities. She also participated in the Alzheimer’s Association’s walk around Louisiana to find a cure for the disease. Her work has also found her packing bags for Geaux 4 Kids and volunteering at the ARC’s field day for their residents.

Kyleigh Tree, who is receiving the scholarship on behalf of Bossier Parish Schools, hails from Benton High School.

Hannah Beth Herrington, the representative of Caddo Parish, is a graduating from Northwood High School.

since

the Independence Bowl Foundation partners with the Willis-Knighton Health System to award a $2,500 scholarship to one Caddo Parish and one Bossier Parish graduating senior for his or her academic performance and commitment to our communities through service. The annual scholarship has provided a total of $85,000 in scholarships over the 17 years of the program. 2022 features recipients from two new schools that have never been represented in the previous 16 years – Benton High School and Northwood High School.

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Huntington | 6800 Pines Road | Shreveport, LA

Line Avenue | 1751 Line Ave. | Shreveport, LA

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Pierre Bossier | 2948 E. Texas St. | Bossier City, LA

WE SERVE

At Radiance Technologies, we recognize that our employees don’t want just a paycheck; they want a place where they can make a difference. Through the Radiance Gives foundation’s charitable efforts, we empower our employees by letting them own the work and serve the communities where they live. They directly influence the charities we give to, the causes we support, and the lives we help change. Our employees’ generosity creates a workforce of dedicated people who inspire diligence and integrity, both inside the company and within their local communities.

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