R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Noon, ESPN
East Carolina Pirates vs. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns
The college football bowl season kicks into high-gear this weekend as ESPN starts a streak of airing 33 games in 18 days. One such game is the New Orleans Bowl, featuring the home-state Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns and the East Carolina Pirates.
Last year the Pirates missed out on bowl season, while the Louisiana-Lafayette played in its first ever bowl game in the New Orleans Bowl and defeated San Diego State. Louisiana-Lafayette is one of the top-scoring teams in the Sun Belt conference, while the Pirates rank no better than fourth in any statistical category in Conference USA.
Both teams are coming into the game on three-game winning streaks and will battle on Saturday afternoon for the best in the Big Easy. Here is a look at some of the top matchups and positional battles.
Cajuns QB Terrance Broadway vs. East Carolina Secondary
Louisiana-Lafayette comes into the game on a three game winning streak, largely due to the play of Broadway. The dual-threat is dangerous with his feet as well as his arm and has thrown for 2,526 yards and 16 touchdowns with just eight interceptions and has rushed for 661 yards and another eight scores.
Broadway transferred from Houston and took over the starting job after quarterback Blaine Gautier broke his left hand in a win over Florida International on Sept. 29. Over the past three games, Broadway has passed for five touchdowns and just two interceptions and threw for 305 yards in the air in a 52-30 win over South Alabama two weeks ago.
The Cajuns will have to battle against a mediocre secondary in East Carolina that gives up 271.7 yards per game. Junior defensive back Chip Thompson leads the team with three interceptions, but no one else on the roster has more than one. Defensive back Damon Magazu leads the team with 72 tackles and will try to keep Broadway in the pocket for most of the game.
If Broadway can get around the front seven of the Pirates, it will be a long day for East Carolina and a solid day for the Cajun offense. The team scores over 34 points per game and is ranked 48th in passing yards in the nation.
East Carolina QB Shane Carden vs. Louisiana-Lafayette DB Rodney Gillis and Secondary
Carden has been the most skilled player on a Pirates team that went 7-1 in a weak Conference USA. He passed for 2,838 yards and 21 touchdowns this season and has thrown just nine interceptions. Over the past three games, all wins, Carden has passed for nine touchdowns and three interceptions and threw for 439 yards and three scores against Marshall in the 65-59 double overtime regular-season finale.
East Carolina ranks 35th in the nation in passing yards, but is giving up over 30 points per game. The running game hasn't been as successful, meaning Louisiana-Lafayette can focus on Carden all night. The team is averaging 272 yards per game through the air and has won five of the past six games.
The Louisiana-Lafayette defense is giving up 283.9 yards per game and has a deep roster of cornerbacks. Senior defensive back Rodney Gillis leads the team with five interceptions, while fellow senior Jemarlous Moten is second on the team with three picks.
Carden has thrown for at least 300 yards in four of the past six games and set a school record with his yardage in the win over Marshall. He will focus on leading wide receivers Justin Hardy, who has made 83 catches for 1,046 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.
East Carolina RB Vintavious Cooper vs. Louisiana-Lafayette Front Seven
Cooper has gained over 1,000 yards this season, giving the Pirates a 1,000-yard receiver and rusher for the first time in school history. Cooper was named Conference USA newcomer of the year and has gained 1,030 yards and scored 7 touchdowns.
The team ranks just 93rd in rushing in the nation, but Cooper has proven to be adept at gaining tough yards, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. He rushed for 52 yards and two touchdowns in the final win over Marshall and had a streak of three games with at least 121 yards rushing that started on Oct. 20, including 172 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-35 win over UAB.
Louisiana-Lafayette is giving up 143.92 and has the 60th ranked scoring defense in the nation, allowing over 27 points per game. Linebacker Justin Anderson will be the focal point for the defense and is leading the team with 101 tackles in 12 games played. Junior linebacker Derrell Johnson has 6.5 sacks on the season and is also leading the team in tackles for loss with 11.0 on the year.
East Carolina WR Justin Hardy vs. Louisiana-Lafayette Secondary
Hardy has been one of the most impressive players for the Pirates this season, making 83 receptions for 1,046 yards and 10 touchdowns. In the final game against Marshall he had 16 catches for 171 yards and had a streak earlier this season of five straight games in which he caught a touchdown from Carden.
Apart from the finale against Marshall, he also made double-digit receptions against UTEP in September, making 11 catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. The Louisiana-Lafayette secondary will be focusing hard on Hardy and will force Carden to look towards receiver Jabril Soloman, who has made only 14 catches this season.
Senior DB Rodney Gillis will be matched up against Hardy and leads the team with five interceptions and 50 return yards. Louisiana-Lafayette has given up 266 receptions to opponents this season and is allowing over 27 points per game.
The Battle for New Orleans should be a solid matchup, with Louisiana-Lafayette holding a slight advantage over East Carolina as the two prepare to face off.
