It's true.
Lavell was 7-14-1 in bowl games. A .341 win pct.
Every single team he played in a bowl game was either: 1. A .500 or better team from a major conference or major independent or 2. A nonmajor team that finished ranked in a major poll (Navy, Tulane, Marshall).
His regular season record against such competition was 17-38. A .309 win pct.