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Ohio To Play UL-Monroe in Independence Bowl


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After losing four of their last five games, the Ohio Bobcats knew their chances of making a bowl was questionable, but they received the news Sunday night that they will be playing in the Avocare V100 Independence Bowl against UL-Monroe. The game will be held at Shreveport, La. on Dec. 28 at 2 p.m.

UL-Monroe finished 8-4 this season including a 34-31 overtime win over No. 8 Arkansas at the beginning of the season. They finished third in the Sun Belt with a record of 6-2. The Warhawks feature a passing game that averaged 297.6 yards a game, which was 26th in the nation.

Controversy surrounded the Bobcats' selection for the bowl, as Louisiana Tech was projected to receive the bowl bid, but reports by Yahoo! Sports indicated that the Bulldogs turned down a bowl game bid because it didn't want to face rival UL-Monroe.

CBSSports.com reported the Louisiana Tech Athletic Director Bruce Van De Velde did not decline the bowl appearance based on their rival, but on other opportunities. Louisiana Tech asked the Independence Bowl to let other games play out, hoping they'd get an opportunity to play in the Heart of Dallas or Liberty Bowl. The Independence Bowl did not wait, opening a slot for other teams. Ohio took the open slot.

This will be the fourth consecutive time Ohio plays in a bowl. They are 1-5 all time in bowls, with their one victory coming last season in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.