If you want to see a ton of points, then the Armed Forces Bowl is for you, as Louisiana Tech and Navy will be in an offensive arms race in Fort Worth. The Bulldogs are averaging 44.0 points per game this season, which has caused the OVER to cash in 10 of their 13 games. Not to be outdone, the Midshipmen are tallying 39.3 ppg with the OVER going 8-4 in their games.
Louisiana Tech is going to air out the ball in this game. It is what the Bulldogs have done all season, as they are averaging the third-most passing yards per game in the nation. In 12 games this season, quarterback Ryan Higgins is averaging 38 passes per game. Higgins has a deadly pair of diminutive receivers in Trent Taylor and Carlos Henderson, who have both recorded over 1400 receiving yards.
The Bulldogs’ passing defense is just a step above being comprised of mannequins. Louisiana Tech ranks in the bottom six in the nation in yards and touchdowns allowed. The rushing defense looks respectable according to the stats but that is only because the passing defense is so bad teams don’t even bother rushing the ball.
Navy will be in a rough spot to duplicate its successful triple-option offense without quarterback Will Worth, who injured his leg in the AAC title game against Temple. Worth accounted for nearly 50 percent of the team’s offensive yards and over half the touchdowns. It will be interesting to see who steps up in the annual Army-Navy game for the Midshipmen on offense.
Navy has not been great defensively, allowing 436 yards and 30.4 points per game. It’s been the passing defense that has been Navy’s biggest issue, as the Midshipmen are allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 64 percent of their passes while giving up 8.4 yards per pass attempt.
LA Tech Bulldogs vs Navy Midshipmen Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Navy Midshipmen sport a record of 9-3 and 7-4-1 ATS heading into this betting matchup, while the LA Tech Bulldogs sit at 8-5 and 7-5-1 ATS on the season. The over under totals records are 8-4 for the Midshipmen and 10-3 for the Bulldogs. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Navy vs LA Tech injuries news.
The power rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Navy Midshipmen rated this week at No. 40 and the LA Tech Bulldogs sitting at No. 19.
Statistical Matchup
Offensively, the game matches up the Navy Midshipmen No. 18-ranked offense (39.08 PPG) against a LA Tech Bulldogs defense that ranks No. 96 at 32.69 PPG. The Navy Midshipmen passing attack has averaged 128.83 yards per game, less than the LA Tech Bulldogs give up through the air (283.62 YPG on average).
In comparing defenses, the LA Tech Bulldogs own the league's No. 28-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 137.88 yards per game when on the road. Navy, on the other hand, rates No. 4 this week in generating rushing yards at home.