At Tuesday’s press conference in Ruston, Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny Cumbie laughed when a question was asked about momentum in a football game.
“That’s the third time someone’s asked me about momentum this week,” he said.
But Cumbie got serious after that and said that he believes momentum is a very real thing.
Last Saturday, Cumbie’s Bulldogs definitely had it after scoring 17 points in the final three minutes of the first half to take a 17-6 lead over North Carolina State in Raleigh, N.C.
But they couldn’t sustain it in the third quarter. An interception return for a touchdown got the Wolfpack within 17-13 and they took the lead later in the quarter.
The Bulldogs had a chance to regain the momentum and the lead late in the third but had to settle for a field goal and a 20-20 tie going into the fourth. North Carolina State went on to win 30-20.
Tech, which hosts Tulsa (1-2) Saturday at 6 p.m., dropped to 1-1.
Overall, Cumbie said his team continues to respond well.
“I think our kids have responded the right way at least up to this point,” he said. “I’m really proud of the effort. I think you had a football team at Louisiana Tech that played really fast. I think we played tough, tenacious, together.
“I think we gave a glimpse of ourselves in the second quarter on all three sides of the football and our sideline of what we can become, and really of what we are. I think from the standpoint of how we competed, how we played, our kids didn’t back down. They came out and played very hard.”
Tech quarterback Jack Turner completed 19-of-36 passes for 281 yards and one touchdown with the one interception.
Receiver Tru Edwards had four catches for 141 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown. Jay Wilkerson had five catches for 85 yards.
Cumbie likes how the receivers are performing.
“A couple of those guys stepped up in a big way,” he said. “And I think that guys will continue to emerge and I’m excited about that (receivers) room. It’s a competitive room.”
Cumbie said the players who step up inspire their teammates to do the same.
“I think you saw that last Saturday with Tru, the throws that Jack made,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to react. There is nobody who prepares more than him. Once you see things you’ve got to trigger them.”
Cumbie said that across that across the college football landscape “there weren’t many throws and catches that are better than what we saw in some instances Saturday.”
Cumbie praised the play of his offensive line and said the running backs did a nice job of running the football.
But he also added that the running game needs to improve. The Bulldogs had just 61 yards rushing and 21 of that was by Turner.
“We’ve got to get more production there and I think we will,” he said. “Omiri Wiggins had a critical run on third down. I think he did a great job with his shoulders staying square, breaking an arm tackle, getting the first down.”
Tech will face a Tulsa team that has lost two in a row after defeating Northwestern State 62-28 in the season opener.
The Golden Hurricane lost to Arkansas State 28-24 in Week 2 and nationally-ranked Oklahoma State 45-10 last week.
“I think both teams are going to be hungry for a win,” Cumbie said. “I think both teams are going to come in here and play a physical style of football. It’s going to be a slugfest.”