BATON ROUGE – LSU will face Texas Tech for the first time since 1957 when the 20th-ranked Tigers travel to Houston to take on the Red Raiders in the 10th annual AdvoCare Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium.
Kickoff for the Texas Bowl is set for 8 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Dec. 29. Tickets are currently on sale at www.LSUtix.net for what will be LSU’s second trip to NRG Stadium, home of the NFL’s Houston Texans. A year ago, the Tigers opened the season with a 28-24 win over Wisconsin in NRG Stadium.
“We are very excited to be invited to the AdvoCare Texas Bowl in Houston,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “It’s a great venue for our players and fans. Our recruiting efforts there are certainly significant, and we recruit our student population from that area too. It’s a major city and a great place for us to bring the LSU brand.”
LSU will be playing in a bowl game for the 16th consecutive year, which represents an on-going school record. The Tigers have played in a bowl every year since the 2000 season, which includes all 11 years under Les Miles.
LSU is 2-0 all-time against Texas Tech, winning 20-13 in Baton Rouge in 1954 and then 19-14 in Lubbock in 1957.
Texas Tech (stats | results) is 7-5 overall and coming off wins over Kansas State and Texas to close out the regular season. The Red Raiders have one of the most dynamic offenses in college football as they are averaging 46.6 points, 594.5 total yards and 389.7 passing yards a game, all of which rank No. 2 nationally. The Red Raiders led the nation in third-down conversion percentage at 51.9 percent.
Defensively, Texas Tech is allowing 42.6 points (124 out of 127 teams) and 540.2 total yards per game, which includes 271.8 rushing yards.
“We look forward to participating and playing against a very talented Texas Tech team,” Miles said. “Kliff Kingsbury has them going. They are second in the nation in total offense. They won their last two games and they beat a very good Arkansas team at Arkansas earlier in the season.
“It’s going challenge for our guys. Our secondary will be looking forward to that challenge.”
| NRG Stadium – 2015 Texas Bowl |
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| LSU ticket allotment (8,000) in highlighted sections. |
LSU will bring into the game the nation’s leading rusher in Leonard Fournette, who is averaging 158.3 yards per game. Fournette set LSU’s single-season rushing record this year as he’s rushed for 1,741 yards and 18 touchdowns on 271 carries.
The Tigers will look to cap the season with a bowl win for the second time in three years. Last year, Notre Dame kicked a last-second field goal to beat LSU, 31-28, in the Music City Bowl in Nashville. LSU beat Iowa, 21-14, to win the 2014 Outback Bowl. LSU is 6-4 in bowl games under Miles.
“A win in the backend of the season really sets the momentum in my opinion as you go into the off-season,” Miles said. “You are getting ready for the spring. The team starts to collect its thoughts in preparation for goals and next year. A positive bowl victory is certainly something every coach wants.”
LSU will start its on-field preparations for Texas Tech on Monday, Dec. 14. The Tigers are currently going through final exams, which run through Saturday.
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LSU is headed to the @TexasBowl where the Tigers will face Texas Tech on Dec. 29. https://t.co/8qhI4keQ7f pic.twitter.com/dokKZGRPU7
— LSU Football (@LSUfball) December 6, 2015