The Illinois Fighting Illini will play in the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl on December 16, 2014, against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. The Fighting Illini, from the Big Ten Conference, come into the game with a record of six wins and six losses. The Bulldogs, from Conference USA, come into the Heart of Dallas Bowl with a record of eight wins and five losses.
The Illini are led by senior quarterback Reilly O’Toole. O’Toole has come on strong this season while filling in for injured quarterback Wes Lunt. O’Toole has thrown for over 1,000 yards and has added a little over 250 yards on the ground. O’Toole has accounted for ten total touchdowns for the Illini this season. Freshman receiver Mikey Dudek has been a huge part of the Illini offense all season. Dudek has caught 69 passes for 965 yards and six touchdowns. Dudek was awarded with the honor of Freshmen 1st team All-American.
Louisiana Tech is led by senior quarterback Cody Sokol who has thrown for 3,189 yards and 29 touchdowns. Junior running back Kenneth Dixon has rushed for 1,236 yards and scored 21 touchdowns, catching 26 passes for 306 yards and five touchdowns. The Bulldogs also have a solid group of receivers led by sophomore Trent Taylor. Taylor has caught 62 passes for 814 yards and nine touchdowns.
All signs point to a shootout at the Heart of Dallas Bowl when the two high-powered offenses square off the day after Christmas. Hopefully for the Illini, the Christmas celebration carries over with a win over Louisiana Tech.
My prediction: Illinois- 45 Louisiana tech- 38