The 2023 Independence Bowl features the 6-6 California Golden Bears against the 6-6 Texas Tech Red Raiders. Here is the 2023 Independence Bowl Preview.
California Golden Bears (6-6)
Cal won six games to make their first bowl game since 2019. They defeated one bowl-eligible team this season: UCLA. All six of their losses came to teams who qualified for bowl games.
The Golden Bears score 31.6 points per game, which ranks 39th in the country. They pass for 214.6 yards (ranked 80th) and rush for 181.1 yards per game (ranked 34th).
Freshman Fernando Mendoza took over as starting quarterback for Cal this season. He passed for 1,447 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions on 62.4 percent completion. Four players have over 300 receiving yards for the Golden Bears. Jeremiah Hunter led the team with 58 catches for 669 yards and seven touchdowns.
Three running backs have at least 200 rushing yards this season. One of the most underrated running backs in the country, Jaydn Ott, has rushed for 1,260 yards and 11 touchdowns. Behind him, Isaiah Ifanse and Ashton Stedrick have notched 365 and 200 rushing yards respectively.
Defensively, Cal allows 32.7 points per game ranking them 113th in the country. They allow 133.9 rushing yards (ranked 39th) and 282.5 passing yards per game (ranked 127th). Kaleb Elarms-Orr leads the team with 87 total tackles, but he is in the transfer portal. David Reese has a team-high with 6.5 sacks. Safety Patrick McMorris has been great in the secondary with seven passes defended and one interception.
Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-6)
Texas Tech won six games to qualify for their third straight bowl game. They defeated two bowl-eligible teams this season: UCF and Kansas. Their only loss to a team that didn’t make a bowl game was to BYU.
Their offense scores 26.8 points per game, which is ranked 70th in the country. They pass for 221.1 yards (ranked 73rd) and rush for 165.8 yards per game (ranked 56th).
Behren Morton has taken over the starting job for the Red Raiders. He has passed for 1,498 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions on 62 percent completion. Six pass-catchers have over 200 receiving yards on the season. Xavier White, Jerand Bradley and Myles Price have all impressed with 495, 431 and 410 receiving yards respectively. Bradley and Price are both in the transfer portal.
Tahj Brooks was one of the most productive running backs in the country this season. He has rushed for 1,443 yards and nine touchdowns. Cam’Ron Valdez backed him up with 250 yards and one touchdown.
The defense allows 27 points per game, which ranks them 69th in the FBS. They concede 167.7 rushing yards (ranked 94th) and 226.5 passing yards per game (ranked 67th). Linebacker Ben Roberts leads the team with 100 total tackles. Tony Bradford Jr. leads the team with four sacks. Dadrion Taylor-Demerson has made plays in the secondary with six passes defended and four interceptions.
Prediction
Texas Tech has several impact players in the transfer portal. Cal has some as well, but a lot of their difference-makers have stayed. Look for them to give Ott the ball a lot and let him carry them to victory.
Cal Golden Bears 27 Texas Tech Red Raiders 24
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- Source: https://thegamehaus.com/college-football/2023-independence-bowl-preview/2023/12/06/
