Louisiana Tech found a replacement for the Independence Bowl after Marshall opted out. Louisiana Tech, 5-7, announced Saturday that it will take over the vacated bowl spot and play No. 19.
Earlier Saturday, sources told Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger that Marshall missed the Dec. 28 game against Army because he has so many players in the transfer portal.
Louisiana Tech will replace Marshall in the Independence Bowl, the game announced.
Several power conference schools were ranked among five to seven teams ahead of Louisiana Tech in April, but the timing of Marshall’s announcement made it difficult for many schools to participate in games. . pic.twitter.com/NhjM0I5lSx
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 14, 2024
Marshall won the Sun Belt title game a week ago and finished the season with a 10-3 record. However, this was coach Charles Huff’s last game at the school. He is currently in the final year of a four-year contract with the Thundering Herd and is currently coaching at Southern Miss.
Huff’s departure led to a number of players transferring from the program. Players are free to enter the transfer portal after a coaching change. Marshall previously announced that North Carolina State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson will replace Huff.
No team with a record of 6-6 or higher missed a bowl game, so a team with a record of 5-7 will be selected to fill that spot. Louisiana Tech was runner-up among 5-7 teams based on academic progress rate.
But getting called up to play a bowl game on late notice isn’t easy, especially when the school’s winter break has already begun. The match will take place on December 28th.
The Army is also not an easy opponent to prepare for with a triple option attack. The Black Knights are 11-1 after defeating Tulane in the AAC title game and could finish at 12-1 with a win over Navy on Saturday.
