Louisiana Tech (5-7) to Face Army in Independence Bowl After Marshall Loses 36 Players to Transfer Portal

Dec 14, 2024, 08:35 PM

Marshall University has withdrawn from the Independence Bowl matchup against Army due to a significant loss of players entering the transfer portal, totaling 36 players including their top three quarterbacks and 17 from the two-deep roster. The Thundering Herd, who recently won the Sun Belt championship and underwent a coaching change, is the first team to opt out of a bowl game because of portal losses. With most players having left campus, the team cited a lack of available players as the reason for opting out of the December 28 game. In response, bowl officials have announced that Louisiana Tech, a 5-7 team ranked 126th in Academic Progress Rate (APR), will replace Marshall and face Army. The APR rankings were bypassed in favor of Louisiana Tech's proximity to the bowl venue in Shreveport, Louisiana, and player availability. This will be Louisiana Tech's sixth Independence Bowl appearance, breaking the tie for the most appearances in the bowl's history. The Bulldogs last played in the Independence Bowl in 2019, defeating Miami (FL) 14-0. Army, with a 10-1 record as the American Conference champion, will now prepare to face Louisiana Tech.