CFB Bowl Preview 2025: 68 Ventures Bowl
By Rory Daniels
Bowl season is in full swing, and we will be previewing every bowl game this year. This year’s 68 Ventures Bowl will be contested between the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens. Let’s take a look at the key matchups.
Where and When
Location: Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, Alabama.
Date: Wednesday 17th December 2025.
Time: 8.30pm ET, 1.30am GMT.
Story So Far...
After a tricky start to the season, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns finished with a flourish to secure a bowl spot. They began the year 2-6, with a crushing 52-10 loss to Missouri, the lowlight of the season. A change at QB (which we’ll discuss later), invigorated the team, and despite a porous defense they went 5-3 in the Sun Belt and finished the season on a four-game winning streak. It was a downturn from last season’s 10-4 record, but just enough to continue the Cajuns’ seven-year run in a bowl game. They’ve lost their previous 3, and homegrown Head Coach Michael Desormeaux hopes to reverse that trend.
For Delaware, the 2025 season should be held up as a success even though, on paper, a 6-6 record isn’t particularly impressive. It was their first season as an FBS program after moving up from the FCS. They were immediately competitive in Conference USA, ending with a 4-4 record. Most of that success came from a high-powered passing attack that ranked 6th nationally. Head Coach Ryan Carty is a Blue Hen alum and has developed a vertical passing attack that has proved difficult to stop. It will be particularly worrying for Louisiana, whose deep coverage has been a season-long weakness.
The Quarterbacks
The Ragin’ Cajuns have one of the best-named players in the country leading them at QB. ‘Lunch’ Winfield, a nickname he assumed after stealing a chicken wing from his grandpa’s lunch, is an exciting dual-threat QB. He began the year sat behind highly regarded LSU transfer Walker Howard (co-star of Brian Kelly’s cringe dance video, you remember the one!) After Howard was benched mid-game against Marshall, Winfield led Louisiana to a double-overtime win and never looked back. He racked up 10 passing TDs and nine in the run game. He did suffer an injury in the final game, but the hope is that he can start on game day.
Delaware QB Nick Minicucci is a New Jersey native who led the well-reknowned Don Bosco Prep in his high school days. Like Winfield, he wasn’t the starter at the beginning of the season, but a long-term injury to Zach Marker gave him his opportunity midway through week 1. He amassed over 3,500 passing yards and is one of the most efficient redzone QBs in the nation. His deep ball ability should thrive against a weaker Louisiana defense, but can he continue to finish with TDs, not Field Goals, against a unit that does stiffen in their own 20?
Who to Watch
Louisiana
Zylan Perry / Bill Davis, Running Backs – It’s challenging to split up this running back duo. Their stats are nearly identical, and they are the offensive engine that drives the Cajuns forward. Davis pipped Perry in rushing yards, 748 vs 664, but Perry averaged 5.2 yards per carry vs Davis’ 5. He also had two more touchdowns on the year. Whoever gets the ball in the backfield, the injury to Winfield could mean these two have to shoulder a bit more of the load than usual.
Delaware
Kyre Duplessis / Sean Wilson, Wide Receivers – Much like the Louisiana running back tandem, the Blue Hens have two receivers that are difficult to separate in Kyre Duplessis and Sean Wilson. The pair both average over 13 yards per reception and have an average depth of target of 11+ yards. This Louisiana secondary will have difficulty covering both receivers so it will be interesting who Mincucci finds more often.
Prediction
This could be a close one. I’m tempted to lean with Delaware, on the back of Minicucci’s deep ball efficiency, particularly against a fragile Louisiana defense. However, the Ragin’ Cajuns’ experience in bowl games plus their efficient running game vs a Blue Hen defense that is giving up over 160 rushing yards per game, means I will go with the Sun Belt team here.
Louisiana 34-31 Delaware
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.