The 2025 New Orleans Bowl features the 8-4 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and the 7-5 Southern Miss Golden Eagles. Here is the 2025 New Orleans Bowl Preview.
Western Kentucky won eight games this season to make their seventh-straight bowl game. They defeated three bowl-eligible teams this season: Missouri State, Delaware and Louisiana Tech. All four of their losses were to teams that made bowl games: Toledo, Florida International, LSU and Jacksonville State.
The Hilltoppers score 29.8 points per game, ranking 50th in the country. They pass for 273.2 yards (ranked 22nd) and rush for 132.8 yards (ranked 92nd) per game.
While Maverick McIvor started the year at quarterback, freshman Rodney Tisdale has taken over. He has passed for 1,367 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions on 67.7 percent completion. Six players have at least 200 receiving yards on the season for Western Kentucky. Matthew Henry leads the team with 762 yards and six touchdowns. K.D. Hutchinson has also been impressive with 61 catches for 619 yards and three touchdowns.
Three running backs do most of the work on the ground for Western Kentucky. Marvis Parrish leads the team with 511 rushing yards. La’Vell Wright has the team-high with 10 rushing touchdowns to go along with his 460 yards. George Hart III has chipped in with 272 yards and four touchdowns.
Defensively, they give up 23.42 points per game, tying them for 57th in the country. They allow 181.3 rushing yards (ranked 108th) and 221.4 passing yards (ranked 68th) per game. Jaylen Wester has been the leading tackler for the Hilltoppers with 94. Dominic Oliver leads the team with three sacks. Nazir Ward has made plays on the ball in the secondary with five passes defended and one interception.
The Golden Eagles won seven games to make their first bowl game since the 2022 season. They defeated four teams who were at least .500 on the season: Jacksonville State, Georgia Southern, Louisiana and Arkansas State. Southern Miss lost to two teams that didn’t make a bowl game: Mississippi State and South Alabama.
Southern Miss scores 29.8 points per game, tying for 48th in the FBS. They pass for 266.8 yards (ranked 25th) and rush for 137.4 yards (ranked 88th) per game.
Former Marshall quarterback Braylon Braxton followed head coach Charles Huff to Southern Miss to suit up for the Golden Eagles. He has passed for 2,796 yards, 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions on 65.2 percent completion. Five pass-catchers have at least 300 receiving yards on the season. Elijah Metcalf leads the team with 52 catches for 677 yards. Carl Chester has the team-high with six touchdown catches to go with his 532 receiving yards.
Three running backs have over 200 yards on the season for Southern Miss. Jeffery Pittman leads the team with 640 yards and eight touchdowns. Matt Jones and Robert Briggs have also chipped in with 314 and 268 rushing yards this season.
The Golden Eagles’ defense allows 27.42 points per game, tying them for 84th in the country. They concede 176.1 rushing yards (ranked 102nd) and 226.1 passing yards (ranked 77th) per game. Chris Jones has shown good pursuit with his 127 total tackles this season. J’Mond Trapp has found success getting after the quarterback with 7.5 sacks. Josh Moten has been a game-changer in the secondary with nine passes defended and five interceptions.
Both of these teams have solid passing offenses and below-average pass defenses this year. Tisdale received enough experience during the season to show that he has plenty of potential to develop. He can have a big game and get the win in New Orleans.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 31 Southern Miss Golden Eagles 24
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