Four games make up the bowl schedule on Monday, as the SEC brings in a pair of teams, starting with Mississippi State taking on Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
That game will kick off at noon ET on ESPN2 from Tampa, Florida, as Raymond James Stadium offered a tribute to the late Mike Leach with a turf tribute on the field, and picture with flowers of Leach on the pirate ship, a fitting tribute for the coach who loved all things pirates.
Players and staff decided to remain in the game because they said it was what Leach would have wanted. Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett was hired as the new head coach on Dec. 15. Meanwhile, Illinois is looking for its first 9-win season since its Rose Bowl team in 2007 went 9-4.
There will be a pair of 1 p.m. ET games between Tulane and Southern Cal in the Cotton Bowl on ESPN, while LSU will meet Purdue in the Citrus Bowl, which is on ABC. Purdue is dealing with plenty of roster turnover amid the coaching change from Jeff Brohm to Ryan Walters. While LSU will have Jayden Daniels at the helm and their leading receiver, Malik Nabers after Kayshon Boutte’s departure.
A fitting captain on deck ?☠️ pic.twitter.com/VUMMCMjEF7
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) January 2, 2023
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
