Two universities separated by just two hours down Interstate 10 in South Louisiana traveled to Central Florida to meet in the first FBS bowl game of the 2018 season. The Tulane Green Wave and Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns will square off Saturday afternoon in the AutoNation Cure Bowl.
Tulane (6-6) finished 5-3 in the American Athletic Conference West Division, tied for the division lead with Memphis and Houston. The Green Wave won four of their last five games — its lone loss at Houston — to become bowl eligible.
Louisiana (7-6) was 5-3 in the Sun Belt Conference, and was the conference runner-up to Appalachian State. Louisiana was more recently known as UL-Lafayette and to some of you old-timers, the University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL).
Though not far apart in geography and having played their first game against each other in 1911, the teams have only met 28 times in history, with Tulane holding a 22-6 advantage. Tulane won the most-recent matchup, 41-39, in a four-overtime thriller in 2016.
2018 AutoNation Cure Bowl
Tulane vs. Louisiana
Camping World Stadium • Orlando, Fla.
Time: 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT
TV Channel: CBS Sports Network
Satellite Radio: Sirius 135, XM 203, Internet 963
Live Streaming: Watch Live with fuboTV – Try Free Trial; or CBS Sports Live
Odds: Tulane -3.5; over/under 61 (Vegas Insider)
KEY MATCHUP:
Ragin' Cajuns run offense vs. Green Wave run defense
The Green Wave has a stout defense against the run while Louisiana can move the ball. There's a lot of etouffee in the bellies of the big men up front who'll decide this game in the trenches.
Whereas Tulane has a strong run defense that has allowed 135 rushing yards, or less, six times this year, the Cajuns have three running backs that can wear on a defense with Trey Ragas (1,141 yards), Elijah Mitchell (959 yards) and Raymond Calais (713 yards).
Game Notes:
- This is the first time these schools will have played each other outside of Louisiana.
- This is the second time these schools have met in a bowl game. Louisiana won the 2013 New Orleans Bowl, 24-21.
- Played on the third Saturday of December, this bowl game raises money for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, in which they've donated $3.55 million in the past years.
Prediction:
Guerry Smith (The Advocate): Tulane 28, Louisiana 24
"On paper, the Wave matches up well with the Cajuns. Few teams have been able to sustain success on the ground against a young, talented front that gets plenty of help from active linebackers and a secondary that tackles well. In a close game, the defense will make all the key stop in the fourth quarter."
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