2012 New Orleans Bowl

2012 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
East Carolina Pirates Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns
(8–4) (8–4)
C-USA Sun Belt
34 43
Head coach: 
Ruffin McNeill		 Head coach: 
Mark Hudspeth
1234 Total
East Carolina 021103 34
Louisiana–Lafayette 72466 43
DateDecember 22, 2012
Season2012
StadiumMercedes-Benz Superdome
LocationNew Orleans, Louisiana
MVPTerrance Broadway, Louisiana–Lafayette
FavoriteLouisiana–Lafayette by 5[1]
RefereeClair Gausman (WAC)
Attendance48,828
United States TV coverage
NetworkESPN
AnnouncersBeth Mowins (Play-by-Play)
Joey Galloway (Color Commentator)
Quint Kessenich (Sideline Reporter)
Nielsen ratings1.79
New Orleans Bowl
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The 2012 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game held on December 22, 2012, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The 12th edition of the New Orleans Bowl began at 11:00 a.m. CST and aired on ESPN. It featured the East Carolina Pirates from Conference USA against the Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns from the Sun Belt Conference and was the final game of the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season for both teams.[2] The Ragin' Cajuns accepted their invitation after earning an 8–4 record in the regular season, while the Pirates advanced to the game through the C-USA's contingency plan after earning an 8–4 record.[3]

The 77 combined points scored by both teams set a New Orleans Bowl record.

Teams

Since 2002, the New Orleans Bowl has had its current setup with a team from Conference USA playing a team from the Sun Belt Conference.

This was the eleventh meeting between the two teams. Louisiana–Lafayette leads the all-time record 6-4. The last time they played was in 1990.

East Carolina

See also: 2012 East Carolina Pirates football team

The Pirates continued their winning history in Conference USA, becoming the East Division co-champions with a 7-1 conference record (though losing the championship game tiebreaker through their only conference loss to the UCF Knights). After said Knights lost the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the 2012 Conference USA Football Championship Game, the conference's corresponding contingency plan for the 2012–13 NCAA Bowl season put the Pirates in the 2012 New Orleans Bowl.[3]

This will be the Pirates' first-ever New Orleans Bowl.

Louisiana–Lafayette

See also: 2012 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football team

The Ragin' Cajuns are the defending New Orleans Bowl champions, and their road to this year's game is similar to the previous year's. Although the Sun Belt has a record five bowl-eligible teams this year, the Ragin' Cajuns stood out amidst the competition by compiling a 5-2 conference record, including victories over fellow bowl-eligible teams the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. After defeating the South Alabama Jaguars to improve their regular-season record to 7-4, the Ragin' Cajuns accepted the fifth invitation of the 2012–13 NCAA Bowl season to the 2012 New Orleans Bowl.[4]

Game summary

Scoring summary

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP East Carolina Louisiana–Lafayette
1 8:10 12 73 4:59 ULL Terrance Broadway 12-yard touchdown run, Brett Baer kick good 0 7
2 14:17 10 70 3:52 ULL Harry Peoples 10-yard touchdown run, Brett Baer kick good 0 14
2 12:48 5 77 1:29 ECU Reggie Bullock 5-yard touchdown run, Warren Harvey kick good 7 14
2 11:07 5 71 1:41 ULL Alonzo Harris 6-yard touchdown run, Brett Baer kick good 7 21
2 7:05 5 98 1:52 ULL Alonzo Harris 68-yard touchdown run, Brett Baer kick good 7 28
2 3:09 10 80 3:56 ECU Justin Hardy 19-yard touchdown reception from Shane Carden, Warren Harvey kick good 14 28
2 2:56 1 16 0:13 ECU Danny Webster 16-yard touchdown reception from Shane Carden, Warren Harvey kick good 21 28
2 0:00 5 47 0:37 ULL 50-yard field goal by Brett Baer 21 31
3 9:46 12 54 4:16 ECU 45-yard field goal by Warren Harvey 24 31
3 5:57 7 60 2:19 ECU Reggie Bullock 13-yard touchdown run, Warren Harvey kick good 31 31
3 3:07 7 76 2:50 ULL Javone Lawson 14-yard touchdown reception from Terrance Broadway, Brett Baer kick blocked 31 37
4 13:36 12 70 4:31 ECU 26-yard field goal by Warren Harvey 34 37
4 3:11 11 77 5:01 ULL 25-yard field goal by Brett Baer 34 40
4 0:10 5 8 2:22 ULL 40-yard field goal by Brett Baer 34 43
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.

Statistics

Statistics ECU ULL
First Downs 23 25
Total offense, plays - yards 73-421 77-591
Rushes-yards (net) 30-143 42-267
Passing yards (net) 278 324
Passes, Comp-Att-Int 25-43-1 22-35-1
Time of Possession 27:18 32:42

References

  1. ^ Bowl Schedule, Los Angeles Times, December 22, 2012
  2. ^ "Louisiana-Lafayette tops East Carolina, wins repeat New Orleans Bowl". Associated Press. December 22, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  3. ^ a b "C-USA Announces Bowl Contingency Plan". Conference USA. November 26, 2012. Archived from the original on December 1, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2012.
  4. ^ "Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns Accept invitation to the 2012 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl". New Orleans Bowl. November 24, 2012. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved November 24, 2012.