CFB Bowl Preview 2025: Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
By Rory Daniels
Bowl season is in full swing, and we will be previewing some of the bigger matchups over the next couple of weeks. This year’s Independence Bowl will be contested between the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Rory-Joe Daniels takes a look at the key matchups.
Where and When
Location: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana
Date: Tuesday, December 30
Time: 2.00pm EST / 7.00pm GMT
Story So Far...
Tim Beck’s third year as Coastal Carolina’s Head Coach was his last. He failed to continue the success the program achieved under Jamey Chadwell. The season was bookended with rough results. They suffered a mauling at the hands of Virginia before a shutout to East Carolina, despite some mid-season form; heavy losses to South Carolina and James Madison were simply too much for Beck to survive. Defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson will be the interim coach for the bowl game before heading to coach DBs at Kansas State. New Head Coach Ryan Beard, a hire from Missouri State, will take over in 2026.
After starting the season 4-1, Louisiana Tech endured some close losses in conference play that made its chances of reaching bowl eligibility look slim. However, winning the last two games of the season meant the Bulldogs finished with a 7-5 record. It was Head Coach Sonny Cumbie’s first winning season in his 4-year tenure and the best record for the program since 2019. They return to the Independence Bowl here after a loss in the same game last offseason. Cumbie would love to start a bowl-winning record similar to the Skip Holtz era when they won six back-to-back between 2014-2019.
The Quarterbacks
The Chanticleers’ QB position was unstable throughout the season, probably a key reason why the offense never really got off the ground. Sammy Collier finally emerged as the starter but missed the last two games through injury and is a question mark going into this one. That would leave things in the hands of Tad Hudson, who started six games, throwing for 942 yards, four TDs and more worryingly five interceptions. His yards per attempt is under 5, showing the difficulty he has getting things going.
There’s a degree of uncertainty on Louisiana Tech’s side as well. They have suffered injuries to their two first-choice QBs. Blake Baker tore his ACL in mid-November, and backup Evan Bullock was lost to an upper-body injury. So the starting gig will likely fall to Trey Kukuk, the JUCO transfer who began the year as starter but was soon replaced. While we are unsure about his passing ability, he is a concern as a runner. His Week 14 display against Missouri State, where he ran for 172 yards, showed how dangerous he is as a scrambler.
Who to Watch
Coastal Carolina
Xamarion Gordon, Safety
Former 4-star recruit Gordon never secured a starting role at USC, but after his transfer to Coastal Carolina, he immediately became the chief playmaker on the defense. Despite his physicality and big hits from a box role, Gordon still attracted the ball like a magnet in coverage. He had three interceptions and five pass deflections. All the while leading the team in tackles. I would expect him to keep a close eye on shutting down Trey Kukuk’s running ability.
Louisiana Tech
Jakari Foster, Safety
The Coastal Carolina offense will also need to be wary of a play-making safety. Louisiana Tech defensive back Jakari Foster earned a 90.5 PFF grade in coverage, helped by seven interceptions, three in the last two games that helped secure bowl eligibility. Tad Hudson will need to keep a close eye on the whereabouts of Foster, who will undoubtedly like to add to his tally.
Prediction
Neither side having an established QB healthy and ready to go in this one does add some difficulty to selecting a winner; however, LA Tech was certainly more efficient on both sides of the ball during the season. Trey Kukuk will likely lean on his legs, but it should be enough to give the Bulldogs a win.
Coastal Carolina 19-35 LA Tech
Rory-Joe Daniels
COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYST
AS A LONG-SUFFERING CINCINNATI BENGALS FAN, RORY HAS FOLLOWED THE NFL FOR OVER 20 YEARS. HIS PASSION FOR THE DRAFT LED HIM TO GET ENTANGLED WITH COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND HE HAS BEEN WRITING ABOUT PROSPECTS AND THE CFB LANDSCAPE EVER SINCE.