It’s the end of an era for Houston in a multitude of ways. For one, Friday will mark the final time the Cougars wear American Athletic Conference logos and branding before their upcoming transition to the Big 12. Additionally, the Independence Bowl will serve as the backdrop to the final collegiate outing for Cougar stars Clayton Tune and Tank Dell. The du led Houston to a crunch-time win over Auburn last December to usher in the first bowl win of the Dana Holgorsen era, and they string together back-to-back bowl wins with a storybook sendoff in Shreveport.
On the other side lines up Louisiana, which partakes in an in-state bowl game slightly over 200 miles northwest of campus.