By Sanderson “Snuffy” Smith
BATON ROUGE – LSU will ring in the New Year in Tampa as the 13th-ranked Tigers will face Wisconsin in the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year’s Day at Raymond James Stadium.
Kickoff for the fifth all-time meeting between LSU and Wisconsin is set for Monday, Jan. 1 at 11 a.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN2.
LSU enters the contest with a 9-3 overall mark and ranked No. 13 in all three major polls – CFP, AP, and Coaches. The Tigers closed the regular season by winning six of their final seven games, including wins over Florida (52-35), Georgia State (56-14) and Texas A&M (42-30) to close out the month of November.
Wisconsin tied for second in the Big Ten Western Division and brings a 7-5 overall mark into the contest. The Badgers closed the regular season on a two-game winning streak with victories over Nebraska and Minnesota.
“A SEC-Big Ten matchup always creates a lot of excitement, but facing a Wisconsin team led by a great coach in Luke Fickell makes this bowl game even more attractive,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “Wisconsin has a great tradition with a tremendous fan base. I know both teams are excited to be in Tampa during New Year’s to play in the ReliaQuest Bowl.”
LSU will be making its third appearance in the ReliaQuest Bowl (formerly known as the Hall of Fame Bowl and the Outback Bowl). LSU last played in the ReliaQuest Bowl during the 2013 season when the Tigers posted a 21-14 win over Iowa. LSU’s other ReliaQuest Bowl appearance came in during the 1988 season when the Tigers fell to Syracuse, 23-10.
“We are excited for the opportunity to showcase our football program and represent our university in the ReliaQuest Bowl,” LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward said, “Our student-athletes, staff, and fans will enjoy the chance to travel to Tampa and compete in a New Year’s Day bowl against another program with great tradition and support.”
This will mark the first meeting between the teams in post-season. LSU holds a 3-1 advantage in the series that dates back to 1971 when the Tigers posted a 38-28 win over the Badges at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisc. LSU followed that with a 27-7 win in Tiger Stadium in 1972.
The teams didn’t play again until 2014 when LSU beat Wisconsin, 28-24, at NRG Stadium in Houston. Wisconsin followed that with a 16-14 win over LSU at Lambeau Field in the 2016 season opener.
LSU brings the nation’s top-rated offense into the game as the Tigers lead the FBS in scoring (46.4), total offense (547.8) and third-down efficiency (56.7 percent). LSU is the only team in the FBS average 200 yards rushing (213.5) and 300 yards passing (334.3) a game. The Tigers rank No. 4 nationally in passing offense and No. 8 in rushing offense.
LSU gone over 500-yards of offense and topped the 40-point mark nine times this year.
Wisconsin features a defense that is allowing only 18.5 points per game and 331.7 total yards per game.
COURTESY LSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
