Tag: ReliaQuest Bowl

ReliaQuest Bowl: How to watch Wisconsin vs. LSU on TV or live stream

Wisconsin take son LSU in the ReliaQuest Bowl and is still a big underdog despite Jayden Daniels not playing.

This season may not have gone according to plan for the Wisconsin Badgers, but they will get a chance to ring in the new year with a bowl victory over an SEC opponent on New Years Day. Wisconsin faces the LSU Tigers on Monday afternoon in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, but they will be an underdog in the matchup.

Wisconsin won’t get much relief in facing an LSU team without the best player in the country, quarterback Jayden Daniels (opting out), because the status of the Wisconsin roster leaves them undermanned against the Tigers, who will be pretty well-stocked outside of the absence of this year’s Heisman Trophy winner.

The Big Ten is 1-2 against the SEC so far this bowl season with Ohio State and Penn State each taking losses to Missouri and Ole Miss, respectively, in their New Years Six bowl games. Maryland picked up the win against Auburn in its bowl game. New Years Day will feature three Big Ten vs. SEC bowl matchups, including the College Football Playoff semifinal between Michigan and Alabama. Can the Big Ten gain an upper hand on the SEC in head-to-head matchups this year?

Here is how to watch Wisconsin take on LSU in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa.

Brian Kelly ‘excited’ to see Da’Shawn Womack’s expanded role in ReliaQuest Bowl

The true freshman and former five-star has said he will start at JACK when LSU is in dime packages.

While bowl games have lost quite a bit of luster in recent years, they still serve a very important purpose.

These games don’t count toward the four-game redshirt limit, meaning young players will have ample opportunity to participate when LSU takes on Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Monday morning.

One of those players is [autotag]Da’Shawn Womack[/autotag], a former five-star recruit and true freshman who told the media he will be starting at the JACK position when LSU sets up in dime packages.

Coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] elaborated on the role he would play.

“Again, another true freshman that will get an opportunity to play quite a bit. ‘Development’ is an interesting word, right? You develop at different times throughout the year,” Kelly said. “It’s time to come out of the oven, right? You keep them in there for so long, then it’s time to play.

“We feel like it’s time for him to play. We’re going to put him in a position where we think he can help us. He’s done a really good job this year of maturing. I think a lot of it was his maturation. That was the first time he was put in front of the media, and that was not by accident. We do things here pretty intentional. We think he’s ready. It will be fun to watch him play.”

Womack has appeared in 11 games as a rotational player this season, making 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

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Garrett Nussmeier discusses first start at quarterback for LSU ahead of ReliaQuest Bowl

Garrett Nussmeier has made 17 appearances for the Tigers, but Monday’s ReliaQuest Bowl will be his first start.

With [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] opting out of the ReliaQuest Bowl against Wisconsin to focus on the NFL draft, the reins have now been handed over to redshirt sophomore [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag].

Nussmeier has seen quite a bit of action in his three years at LSU, but Monday’s New Year’s Day showdown will be his first start. He said that with his familiarity with the team and system, it doesn’t really feel new to him.

“It doesn’t really feel new to me,” Nussmeier said in a release. “I feel like I have great relationships with all my teammates, all my coaches. It doesn’t feel new getting reps with these guys. It’s great to get all the reps now and build chemistry with them, but I think we’ve done a great job as an offense of coming together and doing the right things.”

The son of an NFL assistant, Nussmeier has been a reliable backup for the Tigers, seeing action in 17 games while completing 98 of 174 passes for 1,325 yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions.

He shined in extended action against Georgia and Purdue last season, and he also entered at the end against Alabama after an injury to Daniels.

For his part, Daniels also made the trip to Tampa to support his team.

“We made each other better every day,” Nussmeier said of Daniels. “That was the best part. I think that’s helped my career the most, having to compete against such a high level player every single day. We pushed each other. There were no off days. I think that’s what I took away the most.”

Nussmeier has a big opportunity in front of him in what could be an auction for next year’s starting job. The Tigers also added a transfer portal quarterback with SEC starting experience in former Vanderbilt signal-caller AJ Swann, who will arrive in the spring.

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How to watch LSU take on Wisconsin in ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year’s Day

Here’s everything you need to know as LSU prepares to wrap up the 2023 season with win No. 10.

LSU will ring in the new year by wrapping up the 2023 season.

The Tigers are in Tampa to face Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl as they look to finish with 10 wins and a bowl victory in back-to-back seasons under Brian Kelly.

It will be the first start of Garrett Nussmeier’s career as he gets the nod in place of Heisman winner [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], who opted out of the game. However, Nussmeier will have top weapons at his disposal as [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] will play in the game.

The 7-5 Badgers meanwhile will be without top offensive player Braelon Allen, who declared for the draft.

Here’s everything you need to know as LSU prepares to wrap up the 2023 season with win No. 10.

LSU Wire Roundtable: Predictions for ReliaQuest Bowl against Wisconsin

Here’s how our staff sees Garrett Nussmeier’s first start playing out.

LSU will look to cap off back-to-back 10-win seasons on Monday as it takes on Wisconsin in a New Year’s Day ReliaQuest Bowl matchup.

While the Tigers will be without starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], who opted out, it will have potential first-round receivers [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], as well as defensive tackle [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag], who makes his return from injury following surgery in October.

The Badgers sit at 7-5 in what has been a somewhat disappointing Year 1 for Luke Fickell, and they’re dealing with some opt-outs of their own, headlined by star running back Braelon Allen.

Here’s how our staff thinks that bowl matchup will play out as quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] prepares for his first career start.

Brian Kelly talks about the impact of Logan Diggs

Logan Diggs carried the ball 118 times for 652 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023.

[autotag]Logan Diggs[/autotag] transferred to LSU after being with [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] at Notre Dame. He immediately became the featured back for the Tigers and he got better as the season went on. Diggs carried the ball 118 times for 652 yards and seven touchdowns as well as catching eight passes for 82 yards.

His best game of the year happened when the Tigers needed an offensive spark the most. LSU went on the road to play the Missouri Tigers, who finished with an 11-win season by the way, and Missouri was giving LSU a run for their money. Diggs rushed 24 times for 134 yards and a touchdown to help lead LSU to a 49-39 win.

Kelly was asked about the impact Diggs could have against Wisconsin and here is what he had to say.

“Yeah, I think it’s very important,” Kelly said per On3. “Look, I think we all know that his physicality, his ability to play injury-free helped our football team immensely. When he’s banged up, obviously we’ve turned to other players that we think very highly of, as well. He looks good in practice. He’s got a great attitude. We expect him to be the kind of player he’s been when he’s been healthy for us.

“We’re really fortunate that we’ve got I think 20 out of the 21 players playing in this game. That allows these guys to go out and finish on a high note. So it should be fun to watch him play.”

Hopefully, we get to see a lot of Diggs in the bowl game.

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WATCH: LSU’s football team takes a trip to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay ahead of ReliaQuest Bowl

“I’m with my giraffe. It’s mine. I got a giraffe, y’all.”

While many will — understandably — bemoan the diminishing importance of non-playoff bowl matchups, one fact remains: They can provide a fun excursion for the team, at least if you land in a desirable destination.

There are few more desirable than the Sunshine State in the winter, and LSU lucked out by getting sent to Tampa to play in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Wisconsin.

While the team had some downtime on the trip, it took a day to spend at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, where the team rode flat rides and roller coasters and had close encounters of the animal kind.

LSU put out a video summarizing the trip.

LSU will have to turn its attention back to football this weekend, however, as it looks to reach the 10-win mark in back-to-back seasons under Brian Kelly.

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Report: Will Campbell back at practice, Miles Frazier now missing time with illness

LSU could be dealing with some availability issues on the offensive line heading into the ReliaQuest Bowl.

LSU got some slightly concerning news on Friday as starting left tackle [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] missed practice while he battled the flu.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said Campbell was still expected to suit up in Monday’s ReliaQuest Bowl, and Saturday’s practice session provided an encouraging update as Campbell was back in action, according to The Advocate’s Wilson Alexander.

It wasn’t all good news along LSU’s offensive line, however, as right guard [autotag]Miles Frazier[/autotag] missed Saturday’s practice as he is now dealing with an illness. In his place, Lunsford saw starting reps.

Frazier is a transfer from Florida International who has started 24 of the 25 games he’s appeared in since arriving at LSU in 2022.

If Frazier isn’t able to go, it would open the door for Lunsford to make his first start of the season. A graduate transfer addition this offseason from Maryland with multiple years of starting experience, he’s been relegated to a reserve role this fall and has appeared in just five games with no starts.

True freshman offensive tackle [autotag]Lance Heard[/autotag] would likely have made the start at right tackle with [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag] shifting inside, but Heard did not make the trip to Tampa as he contemplates his future at LSU, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said.

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Garrett Nussmeier has full control running LSU’s offense, Brian Kelly says

Garrett Nussmeier will make his first start on Monday morning.

LSU will get a sneak peek at the [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] era as the redshirt sophomore is set to make his first start in the ReliaQuest Bowl with [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] opting out.

Nussmeier has seen quite a bit of action, but this will be his first time running the offense for an entire game. While one may expect the team would ease him into the role, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said Nussmeier has the “keys to the car.”

“He’s got the keys to the car going forward in ’24,” Kelly said, per On3. “The offense, he knows it well. He’ll be able to do the things that we need to do offensively, run it, throw it, do the things that are necessary to be a championship football team.”

Kelly said he’s noticed a difference in the way Nussmeier carries himself around the facility.

“I think it’s different,” Kelly said. “Going from being the backup to the starter, everything is a little bit faster. I think there’s a little bit more of a need to communicate and take the reins. When you’re a backup, you can kind of muddle your way through it a little bit, fake your way through it. There’s no faking now. You’re running it.

“He walks around the building a little bit differently, there’s no doubt. But he hasn’t played. So the game is different than practice. He’s preparing. When it’s live, and Wisconsin’s got a great scheme, they do a lot of really good things defensively, and he’ll be challenged.”

This could be an important audition for Nussmeier as he will have to compete with Vanderbilt transfer addition [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag] in 2024. Kelly said Nussmeier has embraced the upcoming competition.

“It’s very similar to last year where Jayden came back, but we gave Nuss a fair shot at competing for that starting position,” Kelly said. “Nuss pushed it, but Jayden was better.

“We’ll have the same situation where AJ will have a chance to take that job from him. It is not a closed position. We were transparent with him. Nuss knows that, too. We’re going to be honest and open about the competition. You don’t bring in a guy who started at Vanderbilt and say, ‘Listen, you’re coming in, but you have no chance.’ That doesn’t make any sense. Nuss knew that, too.”

Nussmeier will make the first start of his career on Monday at 11 a.m. against Wisconsin.

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Brian Kelly explains why Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. are playing against Wisconsin

Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. are both projected to be first-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft.

[autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] are both projected to be first-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft. Even with that knowledge, both of them have agreed to play for LSU in the ReliaQuest Bowl against the Wisconsin Badgers.

In a day and age where so many players are choosing to opt-out or choose to enter the transfer portal, these two guys are choosing to stay with their team and play one more game for the school that they have represented for the past four years.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] was asked about why the two talented prospects decided to put themselves on the line for a bowl game. Here is what he had to say.

You have got to love the old-school mentality these two guys have shown and how they are choosing to suit up in the purple and gold one final time to try and secure a second 10-win season in a row for Kelly.

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