2013 College Football Bowl Picks: R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Odds and Predictions – Tulane vs LA-Lafayette 12/21/2013

2013 College Football Bowl Picks: R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Odds and Predictions – Tulane vs LA-Lafayette 12/21/2013: It will be a clash of styles when the Tulane Green Wave (7-5, 5-3 C-USA) meet the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (8-4, 5-2 Sun Belt) in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. The Green Wave own one of the better defenses in the country but a horrible offense while the Ragin’ Cajuns have a solid offense but a very shaky defense. Something will obviously have to give in this matchup, and neither side is favored.

To say that Tulane struggles on offense is an understatement. The Green Wave rank 90-th in the country in scoring, managing just 25.1 points per game. Worse yet, they rank outside the top 100 nationally in both passing and rushing yards. On the flip side, Tulane ranks in the top 20 in terms of fewest points allowed. In addition to being stingy, the Green Wave’s defense ranks in the top 20 nationally in sacks and in the top five in passes defensed.

For the Ragin’ Cajuns, a stout rushing attack has fueled an equally strong offense. Running backs Alonzo Harris and Elijah McGuire have combined for 20 scores and more than 1,600 yards for a rushing attack that ranks just outside the top 25 nationally. Meanwhile, Louisiana-Lafayette ranks 31st in the country in scoring, averaging 34.6 points per game. Defensively, the Ragin’ Cajuns have struggled. They rank 67th in the country in points allowed.

The Green Wave Win If:

For the Green Wave to win the game, they have to play mistake-free football on offense and get a stellar performance from their defense. Expecting such an abysmal offense to put a ton of points on the board is unrealistic, but if Tulane can at least move the ball a bit and burn some clock, the Green Wave can keep their defense rested. For its part, Tulane’s defense has to help set up the offense with some easy scoring chances by forcing turnovers and winning the field position battle. A low-scoring defensive battle is what Tulane needs.

The Ragin’ Cajuns Win If:

A strong performance on offense, especially early in the game, will put the Ragin’ Cajuns in the driver’s seat. Tulane wants to slow the pace and rely on its defense, but if Louisiana-Lafayette can crack the scoreboard early, the Green Wave will have to pick up the pace and try to make some plays on offense. If the Ragin’ Cajuns can turn the game into a high-scoring shootout, they have too much firepower for Tulane to keep pace.

Bottom Line:

In a clash of styles, the poor play of Tulane’s offense down the stretch is tough to ignore. As stout as the Green Wave’s defense has been, the team’s offense has managed 17 points or less in four of its last five games. The Ragin’ Cajuns have some legit weapons to work with on offense, and while they have a mediocre defense, Tulane doesn’t have the weapons to exploit it. At the end of the day, Louisiana-Lafayette is going to be able to score some points, and even if they don’t light up the scoreboard, the Ragin’ Cajuns won’t have to in order to knock of the offensively-challenged Green Wave.

Prediction: Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns Win the Game

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