5 Thoughts ... 2008 Independence
Bowl
Louisiana Tech 17 ... Northern Illinois 10
GAME REVIEW: Phillip Livas & Tech gets
by NIU
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2008 CFN Independence
Bowl Preview
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2008 Independence Bowl
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1. Unlike a number of bowls, the
Independence has some staying
power and an appreciably long
history (dating back to 1976).
This is a bowl game that--by
dint of its longevity--should
not be blown up. With that said,
this matchup--cobbled together
because the SEC and Big 12
couldn't fill slots--offers a
perfect reason why there are far
too many bowl games. Louisiana
Tech at least had a 7-5 season,
but Northern Illinois--a .500
team from the MAC--frankly had
no business being in this game.
With the way these two teams
performed--including the
victors, who play in Boise
State's conference--it's not
hard to see why fans in BCS
conferences look down on the
little guys in the sport.
The Independence Bowl should
have a future. The amount of
bowl games--and the 6-6 teams
invited to them--should decrease
in number. -
Matthew Zemek
2. This time around, it was
pretty hard to argue with those
who rail on college football’s
all-inclusive, overstuffed
postseason. Coming from someone
who won’t pass on a good spring
game, I’ve got to admit that it
was painful navigating through
four quarters of Northern
Illinois versus Louisiana Tech.
No disrespect is intended to the
Huskies or the Bulldogs, who’ve
both authored feel-good stories,
or the bowl committee in
Shreveport, which has a passion
for this game. However, when you
put a mid-level WAC team in the
same building with a 6-6 MAC
team, it’s going to be a tough
sell nationally. While I hung in
for all 60 minutes, don’t
despair. You’re no less of a
football fan if you declared
you’re independence from this
game much earlier. -
Richard Cirminiello
3. I’m sure the world will dump
on this game since it was such a
dull dud, so I’ll try to find
the silver lining in a game with
no offense, one really big
kickoff return, and ineptitude
triumphing over strong play. On
the plus side, Chandler Harnish
really does look like a keeper
at QB for NIU. He ran just
enough to add a little bit of
pop, as he always does, and he
spread the ball around well with
10 receivers catching passes.
They just didn’t give their quab
much help. Louisiana Tech might
just use this win as a big
recruiting tool. It might not
have been a thriller, but it
proved that Derek Dooley has the
program on the right track. And,
of course, Phillip Livas got a
national showcase game, at least
for those not watching San Diego
pound Denver. He’s a special
talent who took over the game
with one big kickoff return. Now
let’s get on with the rest of
the bowl season. -
Pete Fiutak
4. If Louisiana Tech was LSU’s
AAA farm team, Bulldog WR
Phillip Livas would be ready to
be called up to the bigs. Tech’s
version of a Swiss army knife
looks like one of those
diminutive, do-everything
weapons that usually winds up
taking classes in Baton Rouge.
The most exciting and versatile
player in the game Sunday night,
he carried the ball, caught
passes, and was the special
teams star with a 97-yard
kickoff return for a score in
the first quarter. Best of all,
he’s only a sophomore, which
means the fans in Ruston, not
Baton Rouge, will be enjoying
his big-play ability over the
next two seasons. -
Richard Cirminiello
5. As bad as this game was on
both sides, one impressive
feature of the contest was the
effort level of both
secondaries. Corners and
safeties repeatedly contested
passes, and poked at the
football even when it appeared
that a catch had been made. By
refusing to give up on plays,
the back lines of each
defense--especially NIU's unit,
which had to play under the
pressure of a seven-point
deficit for most of the second
half--acquitted themselves quite
well.
(As for the passing, catching
and coaching involved in this
game, don't get me started.)
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Matthew Zemek