Louisiana Tech Athletic Communications
Louisiana Tech continues its Conference USA slate by traveling to Murfreesboro, Tenn. to face the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 10
Time: 6 p.m. (CT)
Location: Murfreesboro, Tenn. (Floyd Stadium)
Live Stats:LaTechSports.com/stats
Radio:LA Tech Sports Network (KXKZ 107.5 FM)
TV:CBS Sports Network
SERIES HISTORY
Series: LA Tech leads, 5-2
In Ruston: LA Tech leads, 4-0
In Murfreesboro: Middle Tennessee leads, 2-1
Neutral: LA Tech leads, 1–0
ABOUT LA TECH (3-4, 2-1)
Louisiana Tech is 3-4 this season with a 2-1 mark in CUSA play. The Bulldogs’ comeback effort fell short its last time out. Down by as much as 28 points, Louisiana Tech made a furious rally in the second half but fell short with a 35-28 loss to Conference USA preseason favorite WKU on Thursday night at Joe Aillet Stadium. Tyre Shelton rushed for a game-high 118 yards, his third straight game over 100. He has registered at least one rushing touchdown in all four games he has played in this season. Smoke Harris recorded his fourth career 100-yard receiving game with 118 yards.
Wide receiver Smoke Harris is the Bulldogs’ most dangerous skill player. He has tallied a reception in each of the past 39 games, which is the seventh-longest active streak among all FBS players. He ranks among the FBS active career leaders in receptions (1st, 273), all-purpose yards (1st, 4,415), punt return yards (2nd, 799), and receiving touchdowns (8th, 22). Harris has tallied 48 receptions for 485 yards and three touchdowns this season. He ranks third in program history with 273 career receptions and ninth in receiving yards with 2,598. The St. Francisville native is the only active FBS player with 2,000 receiving yards, 800 kickoff return yards, and 600 punt return yards in a career.
Cyrus Allen is the Bulldogs’ second-leading receiver with 19 receptions for 349 yards and two touchdowns.
Jack Turner and Hank Bachmeier have both made multiple starts at quarterback this season. Turner leads Tech in passing this season, completing 69 of 121 attempts for 849 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions. Bachmeier has completed 70 of his 106 passing attempts for 756 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions.
Tyre Shelton has emerged as the leading rusher for Tech despite missing three games due to injury this season. Shelton has 58 carries for 436 yards and five touchdowns. Shelton has topped the century mark in rushing in his three consecutive games, the first Bulldog to do so since Boston Scott in 2017. Most recently, Kenneth Dixon did it in five straight games (2014-15) over the span of two seasons. Daniel Porter, in 2008, was the last Bulldog to do it in four consecutive games in the same season.
Explosive plays have been a trademark for LA Tech this season. The Bulldog offense ranks in the top ten nationally in plays from scrimmage over 50 (7th, 6) and 60 yards (7th, 4).
Safety Myles Heard has been the star of the Bulldog defense since transferring from Stephen F. Austin. Heard leads the Dogs with 60 total tackles, including 3.5 for loss. At UTEP, he recorded a game-high 10 tackles with a career-high three pass breakups and a forced fumble. Heard ranks 12th nationally in tackles per game with 10.0 a contest.
Linebacker Jeslord Boateng is the Bulldogs’ second-leading tackler with 46 tackles, including 6.5 for loss with a sack and a pass breakup.
Defensive back Willie Roberts has been a lockdown corner this season. Roberts leads the country with nine pass breakups this season. The Fort Worth, Texas, product has tallied 27 total tackles in addition to an interception, forced fumble, and fumble recovery. Cedric Woods leads Tech with two interceptions this season, recording his second interception on the opening drive of last week’s loss to WKU. Roberts and Woods are an integral part of a LA Tech secondary that ranks 16th nationally in passing defense, allowing just 172.7 yards a contest. The Bulldogs’ 34 pass breakups this season rank second nationally.
Head Coach Sonny Cumbie is in his second season at the helm of the LA Tech football program with a record of 6-13. Cumbie holds a 1-0 record against Middle Tennessee as the Bulldogs defeated the Blue Raiders 40-24 in his first meeting on Nov. 5, 2022.
ABOUT MIDDLE TENNESSEE (1-5, 0-2)
The Blue Raiders are 1-5 overall and 0-2 in CUSA play this season. Middle Tennessee lost to Jacksonville State 45-30 their last time out on Oct. 4. The Blue Raiders led the game 23-7 before the Gamecocks reeled off 38 unanswered for a convincing road victory.
Nicholas Vattiato leads the Blue Raider offense. The redshirt sophomore has completed 154 of 229 passing attempts for 1,576 yards and nine touchdowns with six interceptions. Vattiato also is a threat on the ground, with 136 rushing yards and a touchdown this season.
Running backs Jaiden Credle and Frank Peasant are the two leading rushers for Middle Tennessee. Credle has accumulated 251 rushing yards and a touchdown on 46 carries, while Peasant has rushed 48 times for 171 yards and two touchdowns. After averaging 2.2 yards a rush in the first two games this season, the Blue Raiders have been averaging 4.4 yards a carry over their last four games combined.
Elijah Metcalf, Justin Olson, and Holden Willis are the Blue Raiders’ three top receivers. Metcalf has hauled in a team-high 31 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns. His streak of 12 consecutive games with a reception leads the team. Olson has 26 receptions for 323 yards and a touchdown, while Willis has caught 23 passes for 309 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, linebacker Sam Brumfield is the leading tackler with 48 total stops, including 4.5 for loss and two sacks in addition to four quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles. Safety Tra Fluellen ranks second on the team with 42 total tackles, including 2.5 for loss. Fluellen led Middle Tennessee with 104 total tackles a year ago. Defensive end Quindarius Dunnigan leads the Blue Raiders with 6.5 tackles for loss this season.
The Blue Raiders are led by head coach Rick Stockstill, who is in his 18th year at Middle Tennessee. Stockstill is 110-108 in his career as a head coach, all of which has been spent at Middle Tennessee. Stockstill attended Florida State, where he started at quarterback for the Seminoles under Bobby Bowden and earned honorable mention honors as a senior in 1981.