The 2024 Texas Bowl features the 8-4 Baylor Bears against the 8-4 LSU Tigers. Here is the 2024 Texas Bowl Preview.
Baylor Bears
Baylor won eight games to qualify for a bowl game this season. They defeated three bowl-eligible teams this season: Texas Tech, TCU and West Virginia. Their lone loss to a team that didn’t make a bowl game was to Utah.
The Bears score 34.7 points per game, ranking 24th in the country. They pass for 246 yards (ranked 26th) and rush for 188.5 yards per game (ranked 33rd).
Sawyer Robertson took over the starting quarterback job for the Bears this season. He has passed for 2,626 yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions on 62.8 percent completion. Six players have at least 200 receiving yards this season. Their leading receiver has been Josh Cameron with 44 catches for 643 yards and nine touchdowns.
Four players have at least 200 rushing yards on the season for the Bears. Bryson Washington leads the team with 1,004 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. Dawson Pendergrass has played well behind him with 608 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
On defense, the Bears allow 25.3 points per game, ranking 71st in the country. They give up 227.6 passing yards and 155.2 rushing yards per game. Keaton Thomas and Matt Jones lead the team with 100 and 96 tackles a piece. Jones leads the team with four sacks. Lorando Johnson has made plays on the ball with 10 passes defended and one interception.
LSU Tigers
LSU won eight games to make a bowl game this season. They defeated six bowl-eligible teams this season: South Carolina, South Alabama, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt. All four of their losses were to bowl-eligible teams.
The Tigers score 29.8 points per game, ranking 51st in the country. They pass for 315.3 yards per game (ranked eighth) and rush for 116.6 yards per game (ranked 108th).
Garrett Nussmeier had a solid first season as the starting quarterback of the Tigers. He has passed for 3,739 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on 63.7 percent completion. Six players have at least 200 receiving yards on the season. Kyren Lacy has opted out, while CJ Daniels is in the transfer portal. That means Aaron Anderson is the leading active receiver with 784 yards and five touchdowns.
Caden Durham is a freshman who took over most of the work on the ground this season with 693 yards and six touchdowns. Josh Williams has provided a lot of value too with 440 yards and five touchdowns.
Defensively, the Tigers concede 23.8 points per game, ranking 57th in the FBS. They allow 205.9 passing yards and 146.6 rushing yards per game. Whit Weeks has been all over the field with 114 total tackles. Bradyn Swinson has provided a good pass rush with 8.5 sacks. Ashton Stamps has nine passes defended, which leads the team.
Prediction
LSU has some opt-outs, but having Nussmeier playing with Anderson should give them plenty of chance to put up points. The Tigers can win the game with just a few defensive stops.
LSU Tigers 41 Baylor Bears 28
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