Texas Bowl Football History: H2H, records, top matchups and more ahead of Baylor vs LSU 

The Texas Bowl will see the red-hot Baylor Bears take on the talented LSU Tigers. The game will be played at 3:30 p.m. ET on New Year’s Eve at NRG Stadium, home of the NFL’s Houston Texans.

With 17 editions of the game, the Texas Bowl’s history is shorter than other top bowl games, but it has quickly become a tradition in Houston. The game’s inception came in 2006, a year after the Houston Bowl was discontinued.

The game has been played at NRG Stadium every year since, except for 2021, when the TCU Horned Frogs canceled their participation due to COVID-19.

Baylor (8-4) comes into the game as one of the hottest teams in the nation. The Bears won the final six games of the regular season, including a 45-17 victory over Kansas in the season Finale. LSU (8-4) dropped three of its final five games to close a disappointing season.

Baylor vs LSU: Head-to-head record ahead of Texas Bowl

Although Baylor and LSU have played each other 11 times, the Texas Bowl will be their first meeting since the Bears' 21-7 victory in 1985. The Tigers lead the series 8-3, but most of their wins came before 1960 including an 89-0 drubbing in 1908.

LSU has split its two Houston appearances. In its most recent participation, they lost 45-20 to Kansas State in 2022. Baylor is also 1-1 in the game, winning their most recent trip in 2018 over Vanderbilt.

Notable Texas Bowl records

The Tigers and Bears hold some of the games’ most important records. LSU hung 56 points on Texas Tech in 2015. The 39-point differential in the final score is also the largest margin of victory in the game’s history. Baylor racked up 668 yards in their win over Vanderbilt to set the mark for total offense.

Leonard Fournette exploded in the 2015 edition for the Tigers, setting the mark for all-purpose yards (256), touchdowns (five) and rushing scores (four). Patrick Mahomes still holds a game record, as he’s the only quarterback to throw for four touchdown passes in the game.

What to watch for Baylor in the Texas Bowl?

Bryson Washington ran for 1,004 yards during the season. - Source: Imagn

Baylor head coach Dave Aranda will face his former team. Aranda was LSU's defensive coordinator for four years before taking the Bears’ head coaching job. Baylor will have their most important offensive contributors suiting up in Houston.

Quarterback Sawyer Robertson threw for 2,626 yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions in Big 12 play while running back Bryson Washington surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in 2024.

What to watch for LSU in the Texas Bowl?

Like Robertson, Garrett Nussmeier is capable of carrying the offense. Nussmeier finished the season with 3,739 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. However, starting tackles Will Campbell and Emery Jones opted out of the game.

The Tigers’ defense struggled against the pass, so they will have to find a way to get Robertson off his rhythm if they expect to take the win in Houston.

Who do you think will win the Texas Bowl on New Year's Eve when the LSU Tigers take on the Baylor Bears? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.