The 2022 Citrus Bowl features the 9-4 No.17 LSU Tigers versus the 8-5 Purdue Boilermakers. Here is the 2022 Citrus Bowl preview.
No.17 LSU Tigers (9-4)
Brian Kelly’s first year in Baton Rouge was an immediate success. The Tigers won the SEC West, accumulating some impressive wins along the way. They had six wins over bowl eligible teams including big wins against Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Alabama. Their losses all came to teams that finished ranked in the top 25 with the exception of a disappointing season finish against Texas A&M.
LSU averaged 32.3 points per game which ranked 38th in the country. They throw for 261.6 yards per game (ranked 39th) and run for 181.1 yards (ranked 45th).
Injuries and opt outs will affect the LSU offense in this game. Quarterback Jayden Daniels at the very least will play while battling some kind of injury. Several wide receivers will be out including Jaray Jenkins who declared for the NFL Draft. That leaves Malik Nabors (63 receptions, 854 yards) and Kayshon Boutte (48 receptions, 538 yards) as two very solid targets for whoever is calling plays. If Daniels is out that will highly affect the running game as well as he ran for 818 yards and 11 touchdowns.
LSU allows 23.23 points per game which ranks 42nd. They are allowing 209.1 yards per game through the air (ranked 40th) and 152.8 yards on the ground (ranked 71st). The defensive line will be down several starters with B.J. Ojulari, Ali Gaye and Jaquelin Roy all opting out. The secondary is also going to be short some key players with Jay Ward and Mekhi Garner opting out. Both were tied for the team lead in passes defended.
Purdue Boilermakers (8-5)
Purdue also made their way to their conference’s championship game albeit not in so flashy of style. The B1G West was a mess but the Boilermakers accumulated wins against three bowl eligible teams on their way to Indianapolis. Their best win was on the road against a good, ranked Minnesota team. The losses all came inside the B1G and to bowl eligible teams.
Purdue averaged 28.1 points per game which ranked 68th in the country. They throw for 287.2 yards per game (ranked 16th) but struggle on the ground with just 123.1 yards per game (ranked 104th).
The offense is going to be without their most important weapons. Quarterback Aiden O’Connell who’s had a great two seasons won’t be playing. Charlie Jones who leads the nation in receptions to go with his 1,361 yards and 12 touchdowns. Second target tight end Payne Durham also is out. That effectively eliminates the weapons of the Purdue offense. Runningback Devin Mockobee had a solid season (5.1 yards per carry) despite the running game being secondary in this offense.
The Boilermakers allow 24.62 points per game which ties for 53rd in the country. They allow 213.8 yards per game through the air (ranked 48th) and 136 yards on the ground (tied for 44th). The main loss defensively is Cory Trice who led the team with 10 passes defended. He also had two interceptions. That leaves Sanouissi Kane (team lead in tackles) and Cam Allen (team lead in interceptions) to pick up the slack.
Prediction
With so many opt outs for both teams the advantage goes to LSU. Purdue doesn’t have nearly the depth or talent down the roster to be able to make up for the losses like LSU will be able to. The absolute decimation offensively of the Boilermakers weapons will also be detrimental for them.
LSU 24 Purdue 13
Make sure to check out our college football page for more content like 2022 Las Vegas Bowl Preview!
You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers!
- SEO Powered Content & PR Distribution. Get Amplified Today.
- Platoblockchain. Web3 Metaverse Intelligence. Knowledge Amplified. Access Here.
- Source: https://thegamehaus.com/college-football/2022-citrus-bowl-preview/2022/12/31/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2022-citrus-bowl-preview
