The Rundown Take
Independence Bowl, Independence Problems: U Talk Reacts to the Louisiana Tech Draw
Selection Sunday brought the answer Miami fans were bracing for — a 6-6 Hurricanes squad heading to Shreveport to face 9-3 Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl on December 26. Devin jumped on a quick live show to break down the matchup and take a call from Jamal Davis, and the verdict from both was the same: this is a slap in the face, but they're watching anyway.
Key Takeaways
- Miami (6-6) draws Louisiana Tech (9-3) in the Independence Bowl, Thursday December 26 at 4 p.m. on ESPN — the same program defensive coordinator Blake Baker left to come coach at Miami.
- The stat line favors the Bulldogs across the board: Louisiana Tech out-gains Miami in total offense (445 to 379 yards a game) and out-scores them (34 to 27 points a game).
- Miami's rushing attack ranks 120th nationally at 122 yards a game — a number Devin calls simply "not Miami football."
- Jamal Davis: stick with this coaching staff and "you're gonna always be mediocre" — he wants a proven Power Five name, not another retread.
- Devin cites a SB Nation column questioning whether Miami's roster is actually as talented as its recruiting rankings suggest.
A Bowl Nobody Feels They Earned
Devin didn't hide his frustration with the matchup itself — a 9-3 Louisiana Tech team he says Miami could easily lay an egg against, made stranger by the Blake Baker connection to the Bulldogs program. Jamal Davis agreed the six-and-six record doesn't merit a bowl bid at all, pointing to Miami's 14th-ranked recruiting class as proof the roster isn't the issue: "if y'all continue to stay with this coach, you're gonna always be mediocre." Both want to see the younger players — names like Jafari Harvey, Corey Couch and Christian Williams — get extended run in Shreveport regardless of the score.
Are They Really That Talented?
Devin leaned on the SB Nation piece to make a point he's been making all year: maybe the star ratings are lying to Hurricane fans. He pointed to safety Amari Carter looking miscast in coverage and Trajan Bandy possibly better suited in the slot as examples of a roster that looks talented on paper but plays undisciplined — blown assignments, jumped snap counts, missed tackles — problems he lays at the feet of the coaching staff rather than the players. Both agreed the bowl trip is really just an extended evaluation period for whoever suits up.