Saturday’s college football slate features three bowl games. I’ve listed the bowl game viewer guide in the article. There’ll be a single game thread for all three bowl games today, and it will post at noon CT.
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, ABC, 2:30 p.m. CT
#19 Louisiana “Ragin’ Cajuns” (9-1) vs. UTSA (7-4)
Reasons Why You Should Watch The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
– Louisiana’s running style under head coach Billy Napier has been among the nation’s most effective over the last few years. UTSA might be relatively new to the bowl world, but this is the third bowl in a row under Napier. His team is going to bring the attitude along with RB Elijah Mitchell and a great backfield.
– UTSA will be fired up to play in this, but Louisiana is going to play disrespected. It beat Fiesta Bowl-bound Iowa State 31-14, and it’s only loss of the season is to unbeaten Coastal Carolina. Nothing against this bowl, but the Ragin’ Cajuns deserved a brighter spotlight against a bigger opponent. Now they have to show why.
Lending Tree Bowl, ESPN, 2:30 p.m. CT
Western Kentucky (5-6) vs. Georgia State (5-4)
Reasons Why You Should Watch The LendingTree Bowl
– WKU went from having no offense to rolling late in the year, winning its last three games and getting the attack working in the last two to help earn the bowl nod. It might not bring a ton of high-flying O, but it’s a well-coached team under Tyson Helton that pulled out one of the more fun bowl games of last year – a 23-20 win over Western Michigan. The effort will be there.
– If WKU doesn’t bring the offense, Georgia State will. The Panthers – led by dangerous freshman QB Cornelious Brown – are versatile, explosive, and can put up points and yards in bunches. The program has just one bowl win in its young history – a 2017 victory over WKU.
FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl, ESPN, 6:30 p.m. CT
Liberty (9-1) vs. #12 Coastal Carolina (11-0)
Reasons Why You Should Watch The Cure Bowl
– Be super-ticked if this isn’t among the best bowl games of the entire season. Liberty beat two ACC teams and would’ve made it a third if not for a late blocked kick against NC State. The team is the real deal, and so is a Coastal Carolina team that deserved to finish higher than 12th in the final College Football Playoff poll. Both of these teams were hoping for something bigger than this, but facing each other will be enough of a test.
– The Liberty offense is all but unstoppable when it gets going. Former Auburn quarterback Malik Willis is a total yardage machine, former FCS star Joshua Mack leads a loaded group of backs, and the offense keeps on coming with big play after big play. It’s a fun team with a fun style, but …
– No one is more interesting than a Coastal Carolina team with a great energy, an offense that no one can quite seem to figure out – it’s brilliant at getting the key guys in space on the outside – and a defensive front that’s as active and productive as any in college football.