2024 Reliaquest Bowl Preview

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The 2024 Reliaquest Bowl features the 7-5 Wisconsin Badgers against the 9-3 LSU Tigers. Here is the 2024 Reliaquest Bowl Preview.

Wisconsin Badgers (7-5)

Wisconsin won seven games to qualify for their 22nd straight bowl game. They defeated one bowl-eligible team this season: Minnesota. The Badgers lost to two teams who didn’t make bowl games: Washington State and Indiana.

The Badgers score 22.8 points per game, ranking 104th in the country. They pass for 206.9 yards (ranked 89th) and rush for 163.9 yards per game (ranked 57th).

SMU transfer Tanner Mordecai has led the Badgers at quarterback this season. He has passed for 1,687 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions on 64.6 percent completion. Four players have 200 receiving yards this season, but Chimere Dike and Skyler Bell are in the transfer portal. Leading receivers Will Pauling and Bryson Greene will need to step up after having 694 and 375 receiving yards respectively.

Leading rusher Braelon Allen has opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft. That means Chez Mellusi will be counted on after rushing for 307 yards and four touchdowns. Mordecai rushed for 306 yards from the quarterback position to help out too.

Defensively, the Badgers allow 18.9 points per game, ranking them 18th in the country. They give up 138.2 rushing yards (ranked 44th) and 193.4 passing yards per game (ranked 26th). Hunter Wohler has led the team with 113 total tackles. The team-high in sacks belongs to Darryl Peterson with 4.5. Ricardo Hallman has played well in the secondary with five passes defended and six interceptions.

LSU Tigers (9-3)

LSU won nine games to make their third-straight bowl game. They defeated four bowl-eligible teams this season: Missouri, Auburn, Georgia State and Texas A&M. All three of their losses were to bowl-eligible teams.

The Tigers score 46.4 points per game, ranking first in the country. They pass for 334.3 yards (ranked third) and rush for 213.5 yards per game (ranked eighth).

Jayden Daniels won the Heisman Trophy, but has opted out of this bowl game. Garrett Nussmeier will likely start after passing for 196 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions on 72.2 percent completion. Four pass-catchers have at least 200 yards on the season. Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers each had over 1,000 yards this season and currently haven’t opted out for the bowl yet.

Daniels leads the team in rushing from the quarterback position with 1,134 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Logan Diggs has been the lead running back with 652 rushing yards and seven touchowns. Behind him, Josh Williams has rushed for 233 yards and five touchdowns.

On defense, the Tigers give up 27.8 points per game, ranking them 78th in the country. They concede 163.8 rushing yards (ranked 89th) and 245.4 passing yards per game (ranked 102nd). Greg Penn III leads the team with 82 total tackles. Harold Perkins leads the team with 5.5 sacks. Zy Alexander has made plays in the secondary with seven passes defended and two interceptions.

Prediction

LSU will be without Jayden Daniels, but they still have plenty of talented players. Wisconsin could struggle to keep up with LSU’s offense, as the Badgers had difficulty moving the ball consistently this season. LSU will still be able to put up points with their currently active players.

LSU Tigers 31 Wisconsin Badgers 16

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