SHREVEPORT, La.: If not for California operating again Jaydn Ott and Texas Tech ball service Tahj Brooks, the Golden Bears and Red Raiders might need missed the bowl season.
Instead, they’ll meet in an Independence Bowl matchup on Saturday night time that may showcase two of the higher rushers within the nation.
Brooks’ 1,443 yards rank fourth within the nation. Ott, a sophomore, has piled up 1,260 yards on the bottom – thirteenth-greatest nationally.
It may a nightmare for opposing defenders or a chance to measure up.
“I like games like this,” Cal defensive lineman Ricky Correia stated. “It gives both sides the ability to showcase what they have. This is great for a defensive lineman like me. I just want to go out and showcase what I can do.”
Ott earned first-crew All-Pac-12 honors, whereas Brooks enters the matchup as an All-Big 12 first teamer and Doak Walker Award semifinalist.
Ott “is very patient in the hole and he will make you miss,” Texas Tech defensive again C.J. Baskerville stated. “Our goal is to stop the run, make them one dimensional and make their freshman quarterback (Fernando Mendoza) have to make throws and beat us that way.”
Neither crew appeared prefer it was going to be taking part in a postseason recreation as November arrived. The Bears (6-6) needed to win their remaining three video games – together with the finale at UCLA – to develop into bowl-eligible for the primary time since 2019.
“We had the playoff mind-set. It’s win or go home,” stated Correia, whose crew topped the Bruins, 33-7, on the Rose Bowl stadium. “We just wanted to dominate and that’s what we ended up doing.”
Texas Tech (6-6) was getting ready to postseason elimination after a 3-5 begin. They then opened November with three straight wins earlier than dropping their most up-to-date recreation in opposition to No. 3 Texas.
PAC-12 SWANSONG
The Independence Bowl might be Cal’s final as a member of the Pac-12. The flight from the San Francisco Bay space to Shreveport wasn’t even so long as the highway journeys the Bears can count on to make subsequent season, after they transfer into the ACC.
Cal redshirt freshman tight finish Jack Endries stated he is aware of it’ll take even longer to go play ACC opponents like Florida State, however provides that he’s up for brand new experiences.
“It’s good timing for me. I played two seasons in the Pac-12 and will have two or three in the ACC,” he stated. “It will be really cool to get both dynamics.”
Texas Tech isn’t going anyplace, however the Big 12 will increase due to some Pac-12 defectors.
“Colorado, they’re a fun team,” Baskerville stated. “To play against them and legendary (coach) Deion Sanders is going to be amazing.”
SCHEDULING CONFLICT
Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire was pleased his crew earned a bowl for a 3rd straight season. But when he appeared on the schedule and noticed the Independence Bowl was among the many seven video games to kick off the postseason Saturday, he knew there’d be a problem.
This additionally occurs to be commencement weekend in Lubbock, Texas.
“I thought, ‘I’m fixing to get a lot of moms upset with me,’” McGuire stated. “But our president and every dean of my college and my guys that graduated did a ceremony on Monday.
“It was pretty incredible. If you ask the parents and the players, it was probably better than a regular graduation because it was an intimate setting. It worked out.”
RARE MEETING
Texas Tech and Cal have performed each other simply as soon as earlier than and by no means throughout the common season. Their solely assembly got here practically 20 years in the past within the 2004 Holiday Bowl in San Diego.
The Red Raiders prevailed in that recreation in a forty five-31 shootout.
This recreation might be lots totally different with each groups relying closely on the operating recreation. Plus, two of Tech’s high three receivers — Jerand Bradley and Myles Price — are sitting out after coming into the NCAA switch portal.
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AP faculty soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
