Watch This 1991 Commercial For Shreveport’s Independence Bowl
This year's Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl is set for Friday December, 23rd at 2pm. The 2022 matchup will feature the UL-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns vs the Houston Cougars. Most local Shreveport fans have celebrated this year's matchup across social media. Now stop to think about all of the things that were just said in those last sentences that wouldn't make any sense back in 1991.
Why 1991? Because that's the year this epic TV commercial is from. This commercial made its way onto YouTube this week, bringing up some strong early 90s nostalgia. But lets go back to our exercise before we get to the commercial.
In 1991, Radiance Technologies, the current title sponsor for the Indy Bowl, did not exist. They wouldn't be founded until 1999. The UL - Lafayette Ragin Cajuns were known as the Southwestern Louisiana Ragin Cajuns back in 1991. Also in 1991, Houston Cougars Head Coach Dana Holgorsen was playing wide receiver at Iowa Wesleyan. Lets also point out how absurd the idea of social media would be to someone in Shreveport in 1991.
So with all the differences, what did the ad for the Indy Bowl look like 31-years ago? Check this out...
That 1991 Indy Bowl featured #24 Georgia vs Arkansas, in what is now an SEC game. But back in December of 1991, this game would be the last for Arkansas as a member of the Southwest Conference. They would join the SEC before the start of the next football season.
Another interesting fact about that 1991 Arkansas team that played in the Indy Bowl is that they actually played Southwestern Louisiana (ULL) that season. It was a hard fought Arkansas win, with a final score of 9-7. Want to tie the 1991 Arkansas team to Houston too? Cool, because that Arkansas team beat Houston in the regular season as well.
The 1991 Georgia team didn't play Southwestern Louisiana or Houston, but they did beat Arkansas in the Indy Bowl 24-15 (spoiler alert in case you haven't watched this three decade old football game). That Georgia team did feature three NFL Draft Picks on their roster. Including Garrison Hearst, Eric Zeier, and Andre Hastings.
Shreveport's college bowl game remains a crown jewel of the community, and is always an exciting quality of life moment on the calendar.