NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
Texas Tech and Cal meet in the Independence Bowl on Saturday in Shreveport, Louisiana, on the final game of the day as the Bowl Season festivities begin. This will mark the second all-time meeting between the programs and first since the Red Raiders upset an Aaron Rodgers-led Cal team in the 2004 Holiday Bowl.
The Bears are back in a bowl for the first time since 2019 after three consecutive losing seasons under coach Justin Wilcox. Cal was in danger of extending that streak to four before rattling off wins over Washington State, Stanford and UCLA to close out the regular season. The 33-7 win on Nov. 25 over UCLA marked the final regular-season game of the Pac-12 era before the league splits up amid conference realignment.
After getting off a 1-3 start to the season that included close losses to Wyoming and West Virginia, Texas Tech followed a similar trajectory as Cal to qualify for its third straight bowl game. The Red Raiders closed the season with wins over TCU, Kansas and UCF to reach the six-win mark before falling to in-state rival Texas in the finale.
Texas Tech vs. Cal Need to know
Fernando Mendoza’s rise: Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza took the road less traveled to earn his starting spot. Mendoza entered the season as the third-string QB on Cal’s depth chart behind TCU transfer Sam Jackson V and T.J. Finley before being thrust into the starting role. In seven games as the starter, Mendoza tallied 1,447 yards and 13 touchdowns, and was a major factor in Cal earning a bowl bid.
It all starts with Tahj Brooks: In the era of bowl opt-outs, it’s very common for the best players to not play beyond the regular season. Not only will Brooks play against Cal, but he announced earlier this month he will return to Texas Tech for the 2024…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/texas-tech-vs-cal-prediction-pick-independence-bowl-odds-spread-live-stream-watch-online-tv-channel/
Author : Cameron Salerno
Publish date : 2023-12-15 17:43:03
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
