By Stephen Featherston, Louisiana Tech Director Strategic Communications; featured photo by Josh McDaniel
RUSTON — The Louisiana Tech football team returns to Joe Aillet Stadium to host the 1-2 Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. The Bulldogs eye their third-consecutive season starting 2-0 at home.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Sept. 21
Time: 6 p.m. (CT)
Location: Ruston, La. (Joe Aillet Stadium)
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats:LATechSports.com/Stats
Radio: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics App
SERIES HISTORY
Series: LA Tech leads 7-3
In Ruston: 2-1
In Tulsa: 3-2
Neutral: 2-0
This will be the 11th meeting all-time between the Bulldogs and the Golden Hurricane and the first contest between the two since 2013. LA Tech leads the series 7-3. Tech won four in a row over TU to start the series with the first matchup being played in Tulsa in 1986. Tech and Tulsa matched up against each other for four consecutive seasons from 2000-04, and then most recently in 2013.
ABOUT LA TECH (1-1)
Louisiana Tech moved to 1-1 after falling 30-20 on the road to NC State. The Bulldogs held a 17-6 lead at the half before posting just three points in the second half.
Starting quarterback Jack Turner returned from his week one injury and took command of the offense against NC State, playing the entirety of the contest. Turned passed for 281 yards and one touchdown, marking the second most passing yards of his Bulldog career.
Tru Edwards had a breakout performance against the Wolfpack as the redshirt senior logged his first 100-yard receiving game with four grabs for 148 yards and a score. The Shreveport native recorded three receptions of 25+ yards (29, 41, 71).
LA Tech’s defense had another standout performance, surrendering just 23 points and two touchdowns to the Wolfpack offense. Jeremiah Johnson‘s defense didn’t give up any touchdowns through the air while holding NC State’s offense to 210 passing yards. The Bulldogs had a player finish with 10+ tackles for the second straight game as linebacker CJ Harris logged 10 stops to combine with his 3.0 tackles for loss.
Tech is ranked 35th in the FBS in yards allowed per game with 280., while sitting at the top in the CUSA ranks. In addition, the Bulldog defense ranks first in the CUSA in fewest rushing yards per game (106.5), passing defense (174.) and touchdowns allowed (three).
The Bulldog offense is averaging 355.0 yards per outing after two games (279.0 passing, 76.0 rushing). Tech has accumulated 710 total yards and five scores with three touchdowns through the air and two on the ground. 558 of the Bulldogs’ yards have come via the pass with 11 different players logging a reception.
BY THE NUMBERS
66 – Tru Edwards became the 66th different Bulldog to record a 100-yard receiving game after posting a career-high 148 yards against NC State.
57 – Buck Buchanan tied the program long with a 57-yard field goal to put Tech up 17-6 over NC State just before halftime.
52 – Tech is 52-50-1 all-time against current American Athletic Conference foes. The Bulldogs last faced a team from the American last season as North Texas was in its first year in the conference.
15 – The Bulldog defense has logged 15 tackles for loss through two games. Tech finished with 6.0 TFLs against NC State after tallying 9.0 in the opener. Linebackers Kolbe Fields and CJ Harris lead the team with 3.0 a piece.
ABOUT TULSA (1-2)
Tulsa enters Saturday’s matchup with 1-2 record after back-to-back losses. The Golden Hurricane won their season opener 62-28 over Northwestern State before falling to Arkansas State (28-24) and Oklahoma State (45-10).
Tulsa, who was picked to finish 12th in the American Athletic Conference, is averaging 32.0 points per game while giving up 36.67. The team is averaging 445.3 yards on offense while the defense is giving up 394.0.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Kirk Francis leads the team with 651 passing yards and five scores through the air. He has completed 53-of-89 passes with 17 of them going to his top target Kamdyn Benjamin. Benjamin leads the team with 17 grabs, 290 yards and two scores. Tight end Connor Vaughn has logged two scores on four catches while Jeremiah Ballard has also found the end zone once.
The team has two 100-yard rushers in Lloyd Avant (143) and Anthony Watkins (126). Watkins has two rushing scores along with Cardell Williams who has scored twice on six attempts.
Dayne Hodge leads the Tulsa defense with 22 tackles, followed by Gavin Potter who has 17 stops and 4.0 tackles for loss. The Golden Hurricane defense has 25.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks.