Armed Forces Bowl has league runner-ups Navy, Louisiana Tech

Published Dec. 22, 2016 3:39 p.m. ET

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) Louisiana Tech (8-5 C-USA) vs. Navy (9-4, AAC), 4:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Line: Louisiana Tech by 7.

Series Record: Navy leads 2-0.

WHAT'S AT STAKE

Both teams have lost two straight games, including their conference championship games. Navy, coming off a loss to Temple in the American Athletic Conference championship game and its first loss to Army since 2001, has a three-game bowl winning streak that started with the 2013 Armed Forces Bowl. Conference USA runner-up Louisiana Tech is playing in three straight bowls for the first time, and won the previous two.

KEY MATCHUP

Banged-up Navy rushing game vs. Louisiana Tech rushing defense. The triple-option Midshipmen are one of the nations' top rushing teams with 311 yards per game, but have only 280 yards rushing combined their last two games. The Bulldogs have given up only 134 yards rushing per game. Two of Navy's key runners, QB Will Worth (1,198 yards, 25 TDs) and RB Toneo Gulley (9.9 yards per carry), got hurt in the AAC title game and won't play in the Armed Forces Bowl.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Louisiana Tech: WRs Trent Taylor and Carlos Henderson. The 5-foot-8 Taylor is the nation's leading active receivers with 315 catches for 3,946 yards and 30 TDs in his career. He is third nationally with 1,570 yards receiving and has 10 TDs this season. Henderson has 1,406 yards receiving and his 17 TDs are second nationally.

Navy: LB Micah Thomas leads the Midshipmen with 98 tackles, including 26 in the last three games.

FACTS & FIGURES

Navy's senior class has won 37 games, a program record. ... Louisiana Tech ranks third in NCAA in passing yards (359.8 yards per game), fifth in scoring offense (44 ppg) and eighth in total offense (516 ypg). ... Navy has more players on its roster from Texas (25) - more than any other state. ... Louisiana Tech is the only school to have three different quarterbacks in a three-season span throw for more than 3,000 yards - Cody Sokol in 2014, Jeff Driskel in 2015 and Ryan Higgins this season.

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