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Louisiana Tech faces Northern Illinois in Independece Bowl

Dec 22, 2008 - 6:40 PM Northern Illinois (6-6) vs. Louisiana Tech (7-5), December 28, 8:15 pm EST

SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (Ticker) -- Louisiana Tech, which tied for second in the Western Athletic Conference, makes its first bowl appearance in seven years Sunday night when it faces Northern Illinois in the Independence Bowl.

This is the only the Bulldogs' third postseason contest since making the jump to the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) in 1989 and first since losing to Clemson, 49-24, in the 2001 Humanitarian Bowl.

Louisiana Tech (7-5) is returning to the Independence Bowl for the first time since 1990, when it tied Maryland, 34-34. The Bulldogs are 1-1-1 in their previous three appearances in Shreveport, which is an hour from the school's campus in Ruston.

Northern Illinois (6-6) finished fourth in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference, but four of the Huskies' six losses came by four points or less to Tennessee (13-9), Minnesota (31-27), Western Michigan (29-26) and Central Michigan (33-30 in overtime).

Louisiana Tech won four of its final five games to become bowl eligible after a 3-4 start. The Bulldogs posted victories this season over Southeastern Conference foe Mississippi State and Fresno State, another bowl-bound team from the WAC.

Louisiana boasts a defense that ranks 11th in the FBS against the run. Daniel Porter, the WAC's third-leading rusher, churned out 1,086 yards and eight touchdowns on 204 carries during the regular season.

Northern Illinois was fortunate to receive a bowl bid after dropping three of its last four games, including a 16-0 defeat to Navy in the regular-season finale.

Still, the Huskies earned a bowl bid in Jerry Kill's first season as coach after going 2-10 last year. Northern Illinois lost its last bowl game, 37-7, to TCU in the 2006 Poinsettia Bowl.