The R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl will happen Dec. 17 at the Superdome and will showcase a Louisiana squad this year representing the Sun Belt Conference. It may seem to be a home game for the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns when they play the San Diego State Aztecs of the Mountain West Conference in the third of 35 college football bowl contests.

This is the first time in the 11-year history of the New Orleans Bowl that a home-state squad will play in the contest. And this will mark the first-ever meeting between San Diego State and Lafayette.

Our current New Orleans Bowl spread lists San Diego State as a 4.5-point chalk, while the total is listed at 58.5 points.

San Diego State

San Diego State finished 4-1 in their final five matchups to finish 4-3 in the Mountain West, and are coming off a 35-28 home victory over Fresno State. The Aztecs are a strong 4-1 away from home, with the sole defeat coming in Ann Arbor (28-7).

The Aztecs rate 50th in the nation in points (30 points per game), amassing 423 yards per contest (229 passing, 194 rushing). Ronnie Hillman leads the running attack with 1,656 yards and 19 touchdowns on 5.8 yards per attempt.

Ryan Lindley hits on 52 percent of his attempts for 2,740 yards and 20 touchdowns with eight picks. His offensive line has allowed just 10 sacks. Colin Lockett paces the receiving corps with 42 grabs for 885 yards and five scores, while Gavin Escobar has 47 catches for 710 yards and seven scores.

SDSU ranks 52nd nationally in scoring defense (24 ppg), giving up 376 yards per game (199 through the air, 177 rushing), while compling 28 sacks and forcing 27 turnovers.

Miles Burris paces the defense with 72 tackles, eight sacks and three fumble recoveries, while Jerome Long adds 69 tackles, five sacks and a forced fumble. Larry Parker has a school-best seven picks and three forced fumbles with 56 tackles and a fumble recovery.

Lockett and Brandon Davis both have kickoff returns for scores.

Louisiana-Lafayette

The Ragin’ Cajuns come into this contest on a low, having dropped their last two regular-season games at Sun Belt champion Arkansas State (30-21) and at Pac-12 member Arizona (45-37), but finished third in the Sun Belt conference (6-2). The school was 5-0 in its home state, posting at least 30 points in each game and started the year 6-1 overall (the only defeat at BCS No. 3 Oklahoma State).

The Cajuns rate 32nd in the nation in points (32 points per contest) while compiling 380 yards per game (251 in the air, 129 rushing). Blaine Gautier leads this offense by completing 63 percent of his throws for 2,488 yards and 20 scores with five interceptions, plus listing second in the run game with 464 yards and three touchdowns on 4.3 yards per carry. The offensive line has given up 25 sacks.

When Gautier hands the ball off, his top rushing mate is Alonzo Harris with 638 yards and eight scores on 4.3 yards per attempt. When Gautier passes, his favorite targets are Javone Lawson with 54 catches for 899 yards and six TDs and Harry Peoples with 53 for 647 yards and a TD.

Defensively, the Cajuns have been able to force mistakes. They rate just 83rd in the country scoring defense (30 ppg) and give up 393 yards per contest (249 in the air, 144 rushing), but managed 27 sacks and forced 23 turnovers – with one-third of them (eight) returned for TDs (Jemarlou Moten, Dwight Bentley, Lionel Stokes, Melvin White and Devon Lewis-Buchanan, seven picks; White, fumble).

Lance Kelley leads the defense with 107 stops (29 more than anyone else), three picks and two forced fumbles, also contributing three sacks. Bernard Smith has 6.5 sacks, 40 tackles and a fumble recovery, while Moten and Bentley each have three picks and a combined 134 tackles, two forced fumbles and a recovery.

Head over to BetFirms for additional bowl game predictions and to get help beating the college bowl odds this year.

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