Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl: California vs Texas Tech
By Rory Daniels
Welcome to Bowl Season! 84 teams, 42 matchups, 35 different cities; if you thought the College Football postseason was restricted to the four teams in the playoffs, think again. In this game preview, we turn our attention to the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl:
Where and When
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Location: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA
Date: 16th December 2023
Time: 9:15pm (ET)
Story so far…
Head coach Justin Wilcox was firmly on the hot seat in Cal up until the final stretch of the season. The Bears’ schedule certainly din’t help. They had the Pac-12 ‘big dogs’ stacked neatly together, and at 3-6 things looked grim. Wins against Washington State, Stanford and UCLA got them back to .500 and into bowl contention. It was their first non-losing season since 2019 and has gone some way to help Wilcox’s job security. They will transition to the ACC in 2024 with things unlikely to get any easier.
At Texas Tech, coach Joey McGuire came with much fanfare as an elite recruiter in the Texas area. Of course it will take him longer than one-year to show his mettle in that regard. An up-and-down year on the field meant Tech only just squeezed their way to bowl eligibility, going 6-6. It all ended on a sour note with the Red Raiders getting a good shellacking from Texas in a 57-7 season finale. McGuire will hope he doesn’t end the season with back-to-back losses here.
The Quarterbacks…
Redshirt freshman Fernando Mendoza was a big part in Cal’s late season turnaround and cemented his spot as QB1. Bears’ fans will be happy to hear him confirm his commitment to the cause despite offensive coordinator Jake Spavital leaving for Baylor. The bowl practices and game itself give Mendoza chance to get further experience ahead of hopefully starting the season in 2024.
Texas Tech have already seen one QB head for the exit as highly-rated Tyler Shough entered the transfer portal. His time with the Red Raiders had been injury plagued, and four-star Behren Morton ended the year as the signal-caller. He threw three picks against the Longhorns and will be keen to show Tech fans they can expect better than that next year.
Prospects to watch…
California
Jadyn Ott, Running Back – Cal are fairly dependent on their run game and lead back Ott had the most rushing yards in the Pac-12 this season. Ott displays great lateral agility and speed despite his powerful frame (6’0, 200lbs). The offense runs through Ott and they need him to have a big game here.
Cade Uluave, Linebacker – On defense, inside linebacker Cade Uluave made plenty of freshman all-american lists. It’s clear why when he led the Bears in tackles for loss (6.5), recorded 2.5 sacks and 2 interceptions. Quite an impression from a 3-star recruit!
Texas Tech
Tahj Brooks, Running Back – The Red Raiders will also lean heavily on their run game. Brooks amassed 1443 rushing yards at 5.4 yards per carry this season. He also contributed 9 touchdowns. His battle against Uluave will be vital to the final result.
CJ Baskerville, Safety – Baskerville arrived as a transfer from San Diego State this offseason and immediately hit the ground running. The 6’3, 215lbs junior lines up all over the defensive backfield and according to PFF had 54 tackles and only one missed tackle all year.
Prediction
I expect this game to be won on the ground and statistically Cal has the better run defense so they get the nod in what is set up to be a fairly well matched game. All that said I think McGuire and the Red Raiders have the brighter long-term prospects.
California 31-25 Texas Tech
