Bowl Preview: R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
SuperDome, New Orleans, La.
Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee State

Date: Dec. 20
Time: 8:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Line: Southern Miss -3.5

About Southern Miss (7-5): It's the second year of the Larry Fedora era at Southern Miss and he's taken them all the way back to the Big Easy for a second straight New Orleans Bowl. Wow. Talking about taking a team to new heights. Next year - the Independence Bowl! Dare to dream, Eagles fans!

Intangibles:
Fedora cool hat: +3
Wearing fedora in heat of Southern Mississippi: -2
Still ridiculous that Jeff Bower was fired: -3
Lost to Louisville: -8

About Middle Tennessee State (9-3): The Blue Raiders won their last six games over such luminaries as Louisiana-Monroe and Arkansas State. All are members of some conference called the Sun Belt Conference. Huh. Who knew?

Intangibles:
Located in middle of Tennessee: +0
Not Knoxville or Nashville: -2
Not Gatlinburg: +4
NASCAR! HELL YEAH: +3


Impact player: MTSU QB Dwight Dasher leads the team in rushing and passing. And his name is Dwight Dasher. That's a sweet name.

Bowl slogan: "Come for the game, stay for the hookers and crack!"

Little Known Fact: R&L Carriers used to also be known as Gator Freightways in certain southern states. If you worked in shipping and receiving as a college student like I did, you would know this.

Watchability (1-5): .2

The pick: Southern Miss 38, MTSU 33