The 2025 Independence Bowl features the 6-6 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and the 7-5 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Here is the 2025 Independence Bowl Preview.
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
The Chanticleers won six games to make their sixth-straight bowl game. They didn’t defeat a team that went .500 this season. Their only loss to a team that didn’t make a bowl game was to South Carolina. Head coach Tim Beck was fired and defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson will be the interim coach.
Coastal Carolina scores 22.8 points per game, ranking 100th in the FBS. They pass for 157.8 yards (ranked 122nd) and rush for 164.4 yards (ranked 62nd) per game.
The quarterback position has changed a few times this season. They passed for 1,893 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on 55.1 percent completion as a team. Three players have over 200 receiving yards on the season. Cameron Wright, Robby Washington and Bryson Graves have all been good in their own ways with 274, 231 and 231 receiving yards apiece.
Four players have at least 200 rushing yards on the season. Ja’Vin Simpkins leads the team with 568 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Samari Collier has been effective rushing the football from the quarterback position with 429 yards and seven touchdowns. Dominic Knicely and Jevon Edwards have chipped in with 380 and 332 rushing yards, respectively.
Defensively, the Chanticleers concede 33.92 points per game, ranking 126th in the FBS. They allow 210.2 rushing yards (ranked 130th) and 246 passing yards (ranked 113th) per game. Xamarion Gordon leads the team with 71 total tackles. Zeke Campbell has the team-high with 5.5 sacks. Myles Woods has made plays on the ball in the secondary with five passes defended and three interceptions.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Louisiana Tech won seven games to make their second-straight bowl game. They defeated two bowl-eligible teams this season: Southern Miss and Missouri State. All five of their losses were to teams who qualified for bowl games: LSU, Kennesaw State, Western Kentucky, Delaware and Washington State.
The Bulldogs score 27.7 points per game, ranking 70th in the country. They pass for 167.9 yards (ranked 115th) and rush for 196.6 yards (ranked 23rd) per game.
Trey Kukuk will likely play quarterback in the bowl game after starting the final two games of the year. He passed for 526 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions on 66.3 percent completion. Four players have at least 250 receiving yards on the season for the Bulldogs. Eli Finley has been a matchup problem at tight end with 37 catches for 440 yards. Devin Gandy has been successful with 22 catches for 376 yards and two touchdowns.
Louisiana Tech’s defense allows 21.33 points per game, ranking 36th in the country. The Bulldogs give up 142 rushing yards (ranked 57th) and 234.4 passing yards (ranked 94th) per game. Jacob Fields leads the team in tackles from the secondary with 91. Jadon Mayfield and Mekhi Mason are tied for the team lead in sacks with 3.5. Jhamal Shelby Jr. has been solid in the secondary with nine passes defended.
Prediction
The Bulldogs should win this game, as they have the better offense and defense. Coastal Carolina is playing with an interim coach and couldn’t get much yardage by passing this season.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 29 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 23
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