Teams headed in opposite directions as the regular season ended will meet in the Independence Bowl on Tuesday as Coastal Carolina faces Louisiana Tech in Shreveport, La.
Coastal Carolina (6-6), appearing in a bowl for the sixth consecutive season, is trying to snap a three-game losing streak. A loss would mean back-to-back losing records for the Chanticleers, who won 11 games in both 2020 and 2021.
Head coach Tim Beck was fired on Nov. 30. Interim Coastal Carolina coach Jeremiah Johnson is familiar with Louisiana Tech as his previous employer. He was the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator for last year’s Independence Bowl.
Louisiana Tech (7-5) won its final two games of the regular season to clinch its first winning season since 2019. Adding a little more to that would be an ideal finishing touch. The Bulldogs lost to Army in the 2024 Independence Bowl when they were a late fill-in for the game.
“It’s a lot easier this year and we got a lot more time to plan for it than what we had last year,” said Louisiana Tech coach Sonny Cumbie, who said he expects a supportive crowd on hand.
Johnson is in charge for the bowl and Ryan Beard, previously of Missouri State, has been hired as the next head coach for the Chanticleers.
“We’re looking forward to putting our best foot forward,” Johnson said.
That might come with challenges. Offensive linemen Nick Del Grande and Joe Hanson, who have both received all-conference recognition during their time with the Chanticleers, plan to hit the portal.
The status of Coastal Carolina quarterback Samari Collier, who missed the last two games with an injury, remains unclear. Tad Hudson has thrown for four touchdowns and five interceptions this season.
Johnson is completing his first season with the Coastal Carolina program. He acknowledged uncertainty about his future, adding another complication for the Chanticleers leading to this game.
“There are so many unknowns,” Johnson said. “I’m focused on trying to win this football game.”
Things are fluid throughout the Chanticleers’ coaching offices, where there have been departures ahead of the new regime taking over. Former Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall, whose playing career ended last year at NC State, has been elevated from an offensive analyst to a coaching role for the bowl.
Louisiana Tech safety Jakari Foster is a first-team All-American, giving the program a player with that distinction for the first time in 13 years. Foster intercepted seven passes in his first season as a starter.
Yet the co-Defensive Player of the Year in Conference USA is Louisiana Tech defensive back Jacob Fields.
It’s a productive defensive unit, with the Bulldogs leading the country with seven defensive touchdowns.
Louisiana Tech’s seventh appearance in the Independence Bowl is a record for that bowl. The Bulldogs are 3-2-1.
Louisiana Tech is moving to the Sun Belt next season, putting it in the same conference with Coastal Carolina.
