2014 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Football

Head Coach: Skip Holtz (2nd season)

Conference: C-USA (2nd season)

Record: (9-5, 7-2)

Points Per Game: 37.4 (14th of 128)

Points Allowed Per Game: 24.7 (39th of 128)

Strength of Schedule: -1.61 (75th of 128)

Team Leaders:

Cody Sokol (260/448, 58%, 3,436 yards, 30 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 138.8 Passer Rating)

Kenneth Dixon (253 attempts, 1,299 yards, 5.1 avg, 22 touchdowns, 30 receptions, 385 yards, 6 touchdowns)

Trent Taylor (64 receptions, 834 yards, 13.0 avg, 9 touchdowns)

Carlos Henderson (29 receptions, 569 yards, 19.6 avg, 4 touchdowns)

Paul Turner (42 receptions, 514 yards, 12.2 avg, 4 touchdowns)

Houston Bates (10 sacks, 16.0 tackles for loss, 42 total tackles, 1 interception)

Kentrell Brice (86 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, 5 pass deflections, 4 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions)

Adairius Barnes (5 interceptions, 46 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 8 pass deflections)

Xavier Woods (6 interceptions, 71 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, 7 pass deflections, 3 forced fumbles, 2 touchdowns)

Scores/Schedule:

@ #4 Oklahoma: 48-16 L

@ ULL: 48-20 W

@ North Texas: 42-21 W

Vs Northwestern State: 30-27 L

@ Auburn: 45-17 L

Vs UTEP: 55-3 W

Vs UTSA: 27-20 W

@ Southern Miss: 31-20 W

Vs Western Kentucky: 59-10 W

@ UAB: 40-24 W

@ Old Dominion: 30-27 L (OT)

Vs Rice: 76-31 W

@ Marshall (C-USA Championship): 26-23 L

Vs Illinois (Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl): 35-18 W

Season Breakdown

Questions Answered

After Skip Holtz entered the Louisiana Tech program in 2013, most rational fans understood that it would take more than one season for the Bulldogs to reach the success they wanted again. The first issue that Holtz addressed was the quarterback position, bringing in former Scottsdale Community College and Iowa redshirt-senior quarterback Cody Sokol to take the reigns of the starting quarterback position. When I asked Sokol why he chose Louisiana Tech, Sokol said “LA Tech was the place I chose because the coaching staff said I would have to come in and earn the job. They were the only school that told me this while I was being recruited for my final year. They said nothing was being promised to me or anyone else at my position on the roster and everyone would have to earn their job. That always stuck out with me because they were the only other school that was just being flat out honest with me.” Additionally, Tech had to replace two stars on the defensive line in Justin Ellis who was drafted in the 4th round, and IK Enemkpali who was drafted in the 6th round. The Bulldogs lost defensive coordinator Kim Dameron left the program to become the head coach at Eastern Illinois, leading to Holtz hiring former Mississippi State and Texas defensive coordinator Manny Diaz to become the new defensive coordinator. Diaz was coming off a humbling ending to his stink at Texas, where Mack Brown fired him a day after the Longhorns allowed a school record 550 yards to Taysom Hill and BYU. After being forced to sit out in 2013 due to transferring from LSU, wide receiver Paul Turner was expected to contribute to a new-look Tech offense. Kenneth Dixon was looking to bounce back after an injury-riddled 2013 season with only 4 rushing touchdowns. On the defensive end, the Bulldogs were optimistic that Illinois transfer and All-Big Ten honorable mention redshirt senior Houston Bates would be a dominant force along the defensive line. A vast improvement in 2014 would ensure Bulldog fans that Holtz was the right hire and provide much-needed stability for the program.

Take Two

Kicking off the 2014 season, the Bulldogs were tasked with 3 straight road games to open the year, starting with a trip to Norman to take on the #4 Oklahoma Sooners in the season opener. The Sooners were coming off an 11-2 campaign in 2013, capping off the season win an upset win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Louisiana Tech was huge underdogs entering the matchup and it showed early in the contest. The Bulldogs’ offense was struggling to find their footing with Sokol leading the way, unlike the Sooners who jumped out to a 21-0 first-quarter lead on two Keith Ford touchdown runs and a Sterling Shepherd touchdown catch from Trevor Knight. Jonathan Barnes attempted a long field goal in the first half that was blocked by OU, and the Sooners added a field goal after the mishap. Oklahoma ran in for another rushing touchdown before Barnes knocked down a 37-yard field goal to end the first half, with the Bulldogs trailing 31-3. The Sooners wasted no time scoring again in the 3rd quarter with a rushing touchdown and a field goal to take a commanding 41-3 entering the 4th quarter. In the early 4th quarter, the Bulldogs scored their first touchdown of the game on a Kenneth Dixon touchdown reception from Sokol. Samaje Perine would score for the Sooners less than a minute later to extend the OU lead to 48-10. With under a minute to go, Sokol found Trent Taylor for a 22-yard touchdown to end the game with a 48-16 loss. Despite fumbling 3 times, Tech recovered all of their fumbles and actually won the turnover battle after recovering a Knight fumble and an interception from Houston Bates. Oklahoma would finish the season with an 8-5 record and a 5-4 record in the Big 12. The first real indication of how the Bulldogs’ 2014 season was going to go was the next week at Louisiana Lafayette, an old rival that the Bulldogs had not faced since 2004.

The significance of the upcoming game at ULL could not be overstated. Louisiana Tech had not had a signature win in the Holtz era up to this point, and a win over the Ragin Cajuns on the road would be just that. Most experts and bettors did not believe in the Bulldogs, however, with ULL listed as a 12.5-point favorite at home over Tech. After neither team was able to score for the first seven minutes of the game, the Ragin Cajuns pinned the Bulldogs at their own one-yard line looking to force a safety. Instead, Kenneth Dixon exploded up the middle and outran the ULL defense for a ridiculous 99-yard touchdown run to silence the home crowd in Lafayette. The Ragin Cajuns would respond with a short touchdown to tie the game before Sokol threw a strike down the middle to Hunter Lee for a 16-yard touchdown. With 10 seconds left in the first half, Jonathan Barnes knocked down a 28-yard field goal to give the Bulldogs a 17-7 halftime lead on the road. In the first minute of the second half, Sokol faked the handoff and play action and tossed a bomb to Sterling Griffin for an electric 78-yard touchdown pass and a commanding 24-7 lead. Xavier Woods would follow them up with a Sportscenter top-ten play, intercepting a deflecting pass, juking out Cajuns down the right side of the field before completely reversing his path to the left side and receiving big-time blocks to return a 46-yard pick sick. The Bulldog fans who had made the trip to Lafayette were ecstatic, in stark contrast to the stunned home crowd. Refusing to let off the gas, Dixon followed the pulling right guard before putting on the jets and scoring on a 32-yard touchdown run to make it 38-7. Tech’s final two scores would be a Barnes 42-yard field goal and a short rushing touchdown from Jarred Craft. ULL would score two touchdowns after the game was well out of reach, making it a final of 48-20, with Tech taking the decisive upset win. Sokol and Dixon starred for the Bulldogs, Sokol completing 22 of 33 passes for 295 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Dixon rushing for 184 yards on just 12 carries with 2 touchdowns. Louisiana Lafayette would finish the season with a 9-4 overall record and a 7-1 record in the Sun Belt. 2 of the 7 conference wins would later be vacated.

Following his first signature win with Louisiana Tech, Skip Holtz led his team into Denton for the C-USA opener on a Thursday night showdown, with the Bulldogs wearing their American flag helmets. A prominent theme for this team would be avenging losses and the embarrassing losses that they suffered the year prior. That opportunity started on that Thursday night against a UNT team that humbled the Bulldogs at the homecoming game the year before. After neither team scored in the 1st quarter, the Bulldogs would finally strike first after Sokol found Josh Gaston for a touchdown on 3rd and goal. Back with the ball, Sokol pump-faked a pass to Dixon out of the backfield before firing to a wide-open Hunter Lee for a 28-yard touchdown. With the ball in the red zone once again, Sokol continued to deliver with a pass to Turner on a short comeback route for another touchdown and a 21-0 halftime lead over the Mean Green. In the 3rd quarter, Dixon would punch it on a 2-yard touchdown to make it a 28-0 game on the road. North Texas would finally get on the scoreboard on a short touchdown run, but the Tech offense was not finished yet, with Sokol perfectly lobbing a pass over the top for Turner on a 21-yard touchdown pass. With the ball, after UNT lost possession on a punt where the ball touched the calf of a Mean Green player, Sokol sold the handoff on a play-action pass before finding Taylor wide open in the endzone for Tech’s final score of the game. North Texas would score two garbage-time touchdowns in the final four minutes but could not stop the Bulldogs in their 42-21 win over the Mean Green in Denton. Sokol starred again for Tech, completing 20 of 31 passes for 243 yards as well as a whopping 5 touchdowns and 1 interception. North Texas would finish the season with a 4-8 record and a 2-6 record in C-USA.

Returning home after a huge win in the conference opener, the Bulldogs were about to face another old rival, the Northwestern State Demons. After playing the Demons every season for multiple decades until the late 80s, the Bulldogs and Demons had not met for 20 years prior in 1994. NSU had not beaten Tech since 1979, with the Bulldogs winning 8 games and a tying one since that season. With a packed house at Joe Aillet Stadium and two significant road wins, the Bulldogs were confident in this setting. Tech started right where they left off, with Sokol finding Dixon for a 38-yard touchdown with less than 3 minutes into the game. Jonathan Barnes would connect on a 38-yard field goal to extend the home team’s lead to 10-0. Miscues from the Bulldogs would start adding up however, with freshman receiver Carlos Henderson dropping a potential touchdown pass and Dixon having a touchdown called back due to a penalty. Sokol would play his sloppiest game of the season up to this point, completing 20 of 34 passes for 280 yards and a touchdown, but 3 brutal interceptions. The Bulldogs would go into the half with a 13-3 lead after another Barnes field goal, but Tech knew they left an array of points on the field. Northwestern State would cut the lead to 13-10 on a 10-yard touchdown run to continue to remain in the game. Dixon would respond with a 3-yard touchdown of his own to give the Bulldogs some separation and a 20-10 lead. Unfortunately, the turnovers would continue to mound up for the Bulldogs. After forcing a three-and-out, a Bulldog teammate would run into Taylor on the punt, causing Taylor to muff the punt and give the Demons the ball in excellent field position. Just a few players later, NSU would rush in for a 10-yard touchdown and make it a competitive 20-17 ballgame. Once again, Dixon would answer with another rushing touchdown with a little over 8 minutes left to put Louisiana Tech up 27-17. The Demons refused to go away, marching down the field and scoring on a 14-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 27-24 with just 4:20 to go. On a crucial late 3rd and short, Dixon fumbled the ball and gave NSU a short field to tie the game or take the lead. The Demons knocked down a 29-yard field goal with 1:05 left to tie the game. With less than a minute to go, Sokol’s first pass of the drive was tipped and intercepted, giving the Demons the ball in great field position yet another time. From 47 yards out with time expiring, Northwestern State kicker Chris Moore hit the game-winning field goal to stun the Bulldog faithful. The five-turnover evening for Louisiana Tech predictability came back to bite them and proved that the team was not exactly where they wanted to be yet. Northwestern State would finish the season with a 6-6 record and a 4-4 record in the Southland Conference.

Regaining Momentum

Following the deflating loss, Louisiana Tech was scheduled to hit the road to take on 3-0 and #5 Auburn, the BCS runner-ups from the previous season, looking for revenge after blowing an 18-point lead to Jameis Winston and FSU in the title game. The Tigers had plenty to play for and returned star quarterback Nick Marshall for his senior season. Auburn did not come to play around with the Bulldogs, leaping out to a 24-0 lead after a short touchdown run, short field goal, and two touchdown passes from Marshall. Right before the first half ended, Barnes connected on a 25-yard field goal to go into the locker room trailing 24-3. The Bulldogs would make the game slightly interesting following a one-yard Dixon touchdown run to cut the score to 24-10. In the 4th quarter, Marshall found Quan Bray for a 44-yard touchdown pass and Bray would return a punt for a 76-yard touchdown to quickly take a 38-10 lead over the visitors. The Bulldogs would score their final point of the game on a 9-yard touchdown run. The Tigers scored their last touchdown on a pass from backup Jeremy Johnson, resulting in a 45-17 loss for Louisiana Tech, in their last non-conference game of the regular season. Auburn would finish the season with an 8-5 record and a 4-4 record in the SEC.

Headed back home to Ruston after the two-game losing streak, the Bulldogs gearing up for their home conference opener versus the 2-2 UTEP Miners, a team that Tech narrowly defeated in 2013. The Miner’s offense was led by future pro bowl running back Aaron Jones and was looking to spoil the Bulldogs’ big night. Getting the night started in the bright red jerseys and the helmets with the Bulldog logo, Dixon cut back and scored a 4-yard touchdown to give Tech an early 7-0 lead. Following a Woods interception on the sideline, Sokol showed off his legs and scored a 32-yard rushing touchdown on the Miners’ defense. After another interception from Woods, Sokol hit Carlos Henderson on a perfectly placed ball for an explosive 69-yard touchdown. These offensive fireworks after the porous offense from the year before were a welcoming sight for Bulldog fans. UTEP lined up for a 28-yard field goal attempting to score its first points of the game, but the Bulldogs not only blocked the attempt but lateraled the ball into the hands of Levander Liggins who returned it for an incredible 54-yard touchdown. The Miners successfully converted their next field goal, making it a 28-3 game headed into halftime. Rather than letting UTEP make the score look closer than what it was at the end, the Bulldogs throttled the Miners in the second half, scoring 31 unanswered points started with a Barnes 45-yard field goal and a touchdown pass from Sokol to Lee from 20-yards out. Barnes would next connect on a 39-yard field goal before Tech closed out the Miners with a Sokol touchdown pass to Marcus Gaines, who made a contest one-handed catch in the end zone, and a closing 18-yard touchdown run from Craft. The focus of the Bulldogs’ win was their dominant defense which forced 5 turnovers, highlighted by two picks from Woods, a pick from Colby Brown, a forced fumble from Tony Johnson, and another forced fumble from Kentrell Brice. Additionally, the stout Tech defense limited Aaron Jones to just 63 yards on 18 carries, amounting to only 3.5 yards per carry. With the defense and special teams leading the way, Sokol only had to throw the ball 16 times, completing 6 passes for 173 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. On the ground, Dixon ran for 86 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, Sokol ran for 60 yards and a touchdown on 5 carries, and Craft ran for 44 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. UTEP would finish the season with a 7-6 record and a 5-3 record in C-USA.

Following the bye week, the Bulldogs remained at home to welcome the 2-4 UTSA Roadrunners to Ruston, a team the Bulldogs got crushed by 30-10 to end last season. The Bulldog defense set the tone early, and Nick Thomason came up with an interception off a dropped pass in the early 2nd quarter to give Tech the ball in excellent field position. Tech was unable to punch it in the endzone and tied the game on a short Barnes field goal. Trailing 10-6 in the early 3rd quarter, the Bulldogs took advantage of a mishandled snap, and Terrell Pinson returned the fumble for a momentum-shifting touchdown. Making his presence felt again, Pinson undercut a UTSA pass a gave the Bulldogs the ball back on a huge interception. Sokol and company took advantage, finding Griffin in the endzone for a contested 19-yard touchdown pass to give the team wearing the patriotic helmets a 20-10 lead. On defense again, the Bulldogs pressured the Roadrunner quarterback and Pinson made another crucial play, intercepting the ball again and giving the offense possession just inside the 10-yard line. Louisiana Tech extended their lead to 27-10 after Dixon rumbled into the endzone from 3 yards out. In the 4th, UTSA would convert on a 27-yard field goal and scored a 35-yard passing touchdown with 11 minutes remaining, but the Tech defense was able to shut down UTSA the rest of the way, leading to a 27-10 Bulldogs win. Sokol completed 14 of 31 passes for 157 yards as well as a touchdown and an interception. Dixon was a workhorse on the group, rushing 28 times for 121 yards and a touchdown. In the receiving department, Griffin led the way with 6 catches for 70 yards and a touchdown, and Taylor contributed with 4 catches for 56 yards. Defensively, Terrell Pinson was the clear standout, finishing with 7 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 interceptions, 2 pass deflections, one fumble recovery, and a touchdown. UTSA would finish the season with a 4-8 record and a 3-5 record in C-USA.

With a 4-3 overall record and 3-0 record in conference play, the Bulldogs’ next stop was in Hattiesburg to take on Southern Miss in the “Rivalry in Dixie.” The Bulldogs dominated a 1-11 USM team the season prior, but the Golden Eagles were 3-4 at this point in the season and were looking to hand Tech their first conference loss. Southern Miss took an early 7-3 lead after an 18-yard touchdown run and a 24-yard field goal from Kyle Fischer. With the ball back on offense, Sokol found Dixon on a short checkout pass. Dixon made several USM defenders miss and was assisted with a crushing block from Trent Taylor to score an 84-yard touchdown. Southern Miss tied the game at 10 in the middle of the 3rd quarter on a 44-yard field goal. With under a minute to go in the 3rd quarter, Sokol hit Dixon out of the backfield for a 5-yard touchdown, giving Tech a 17-10 lead going into the final quarter. After the Golden Eagles cut the lead to 4 on a short field goal, Sokol threw a beautiful pass to Henderson in the endzone for a 29-yard touchdown and a 24-13 lead. Following a long pass caught by Taylor on 3rd down to put the Bulldogs inside the 10, Dixon rushed to the outside for the dagger, giving Tech a 31-13 lead with 4 minutes left on the touchdown run. Southern Miss scored a passed touchdown with under three minutes to go, but the Bulldogs left Hattiesburg with a stellar 31-20 victory over a rival. Sokol threw all over the USM defense, completing 27 of 46 passes for 423 yards and 3 touchdowns. Dixon led tech rushers with 19 rushes for 41 yards and a touchdown, while also having 6 receptions for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns. For the receivers, Watts led the team with 5 catches for 72 yards, Taylor added 5 catches for 68 yards, and Paul Turner had 4 catches for 43 yards. On the defensive end, Adairius Barnes and Bryson Abraham came up huge, both finishing with an interception. Southern Miss ended the season with a 4-8 overall record and a 1-7 record in C-USA.

Clinching the Division

Undefeated in the conference heading back to Ruston with four games left to play, it was clear that with a strong finish, the Bulldogs would earn a spot in the C-USA Championship Game. Starting off the final stretch, Louisiana Tech hosted 3-4 Western Kentucky in Ruston. Adairius Barnes ended the Hilltoppers’ first drive of the game with an interception, followed by Dixon breaking through multiple would-be tacklers on the way to a flashy 48-yard touchdown run. Fischer stretched the lead to 10-0 on an impressive 51-yard field goal, but WKU quarterback Brandon Doughty connected with Taywan Taylor for a 46-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 3. Directly afterward, the speedy freshman Carlos Henderson returned the kickoff 96 yards for a Bulldogs’ touchdown. After receptions from Taylor and Dixon helped the Tech offense get inside the red zone, Sokol found a sliding Taylor in the end zone for a 24-7 lead over Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers answered with just a field goal, and Sokol threw a dart to Taylor in the end zone once again, giving Tech a 31-10 lead at the half. Continuing the momentum into the second half, Sokol dumped it off to Dixon on a screen pass, with Dixon sprinting in for a touchdown behind the offensive line. Tech would recover a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, leading to Sokol throwing a strike across the middle to Taylor for his 3rd touchdown reception of the explosive afternoon. Liggins picked off Doughty on the next drive, followed by Sokol finding Turner for an 11-yard touchdown. The scoring onslaught finally ceased at the beginning of the 4th quarter, with Sokol rushing in for a touchdown, sealing a 59-10 victory for Louisiana Tech. Sokol had an outstanding performance, completing 30 of 42 passes for 335 yards, 5 passing touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdown, and 1 interception. On the ground, Dixon once again led the way, rushing 14 times for 77 yards and a touchdown while also having 3 receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown. Taylor and Turner were the standout receivers as Taylor finished with 9 catches for 113 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Turner had 9 catches for 84 yards and a touchdown. Manny Diaz’s defense came up with 5 big turnovers and held Doughty to 14 completions on 35 touchdowns and just 134 yards while picking him off 4 times. Wester Kentucky finished the season with an 8-5 record and a 4-4 record in C-USA.

Next up for the red-hot Bulldogs was a trip to Birmingham to face 5-4 UAB at Legion Field. Scoring first once again, Dixon put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard with a 12-yard touchdown run to open up the contest. The Blazers followed with a short field goal before Dixon rushed in from 6 yards out for his second touchdown of the game. Future NFL starting running back Jordan Howard would punch it in himself for UAB, making it a 14-10 ballgame. Continuously responding, Dixon found the endzone again on his 3rd touchdown of the first half. To close out the half, Barnes was successful on a 23-yard field goal. A Bulldogs’ fumble that was returned for a 56-yard touchdown put the Blazers right back in the game, trailing just 24-17. Remaining as poised as ever, Sokol led the Bulldogs down the field, finding Taylor for a 10-yard touchdown, creating a 30-17 lead after the unsuccessful extra point. In the middle of the 4th quarter, Sokol threw another strike to Henderson for an 11-yard touchdown, giving Tech a commanding 40-17 lead on the road. The Blazers would return the following kickoff for a touchdown, but the Bulldogs’ defense was able to shut down UAB from that point on, winning 40-24. Sokol finished the game completing 19 of 33 passes for 200 yards as well as 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Dixon carried the ball 15 times for 79 yards and 3 touchdowns while catching one pass for 17 yards. Howard rushed for 148 yards for UAB but was held to 1 touchdown, and another future NFL starter in tight end Gerald Everett had 93 yards but was kept out of the endzone. Tech’s defense forced 3 touchdowns, coming from a Woods’ interception, a forced fumble from Brice, and a fumble recovery from Vernon Butler. UAB would finish the season with a 6-6 record and a 4-4 C-USA record.

The last road game of the regular season entailed a trip to Virginia to take on Old Dominion in their first season in C-USA as well as the FBS. It was senior day for the Monarchs, and they were led by senior quarterback and future NFL quarterback Taylor Heinicke. With a win over Old Dominion, the Bulldogs would clinch the west division and a spot in the C-USA Championship Game. With the first quarter winding down, Sokol connected with Taylor for a 10-yard touchdown, giving the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead. After ODU responded with a touchdown run, Dixon did what he did best and powered through for the score and a 14-7 lead. Tech would extend their lead on a Marlon Seets short touchdown run, taking a 21-7 lead in the mid-2nd quarter. The Monarchs scored on a Heinicke 26-yard touchdown pass to David Washington, the Bulldogs scored last to end the half, with Fischer knocking down a 43-yard field goal as time expired. In the second half, the Bulldogs’ offense unfortunately stalled, being kept off the scoreboard altogether by the Monarchs. ODU knocked down a 46-yard field goal before a 16-yard touchdown run tied the game at 24 in the 4th quarter. Neither time was able to break the tie with 6 minutes to spare, leading to the Bulldogs’ first overtime game of the year. After getting the ball first in overtime, Tech got near the end zone but ultimately had to settle for a 25-yard field goal from Fischer. Only needing a touchdown for the win, Heinicke found Washington for an 8-yard touchdown, walking off the Bulldogs in Norfolk. Despite Barnes, Brice, and Abraham combining for 4 interceptions of Heinicke, Tech’s lackluster second-half offense resulted in a crushing loss. Sokol completed 19 of 31 passes for just 217 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception. Dixon rushed 23 times for 106 yards and a touchdown while catching 4 passes for 32 yards. Trent Taylor was the only Tech receiver with over 20 yards, finishing with 5 catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. The loss was obviously extremely upsetting, but Tech had everything to play for the next week. Old Dominion finished the season with a 6-6 record and a 7-2 record in C-USA.

To close out the regular season, the Bulldogs were hosting the Rice Owls, for a spot in the C-USA Championship Game on the line. The season prior, the Owls embarrassed the Bulldogs in Houston, in route to their C-USA Championship Game Win. Looking for revenge, Tech geared up on senior day to take on the challenge ahead. Rice would strike first on a 35-yard field goal, but Tech would promptly answer on a touchdown run from #28 Kenneth Dixon. After a defensive stand, Sokol tossed a 72-yard touchdown pass to Henderson to take an early 14-3 lead over the Owls. To end the quarter, Sokol found Turner for a 35-yard touchdown, taking a 21-3 lead and proving that Holtz prepared the Bulldogs for the moment. Rice would not go away that early however, scoring a 7-yard and 51-yard passing touchdown to cut the deficit to just 21-17. The final score of the first half was a 10-yard touchdown from Dixon, giving Tech a 28-17 halftime lead. After the no-show from the offense the previous week at ODU, the Bulldogs clearly wanted to make sure to avoid that from occurring again in this pivotal game. The Owls would quickly come out and score within the first minute on a 35-yard passing touchdown. Right on que, Dixon turned on the jets to score a 31-yard touchdown and creating a 35-24 lead for the home team. Next up, it was Jared Craft’s turn, scoring a 58-yard rushing touchdown and breaking the game wide open at 42-24. To continue on the offensive explosion, Henderson recovered a fumble in the endzone for a touchdown, and Sokol threw a strike to Taylor for a 35-yard touchdown to close the 3rd quarter up 56-24. Picking right up where they left off, Sokol tossed a 24-yard touchdown pass to Taylor to start the 4th. The defense joined the scoring party next, with Beau Fitte scoring a 19-yard rushing touchdown for the Bulldogs. Rice would finally score a passing touchdown in the 4th, but the Bulldogs closed out the game with a touchdown run from Taylor Burch, resulting in a compelling 76-31 win over Rice, clinching the C-USA West Division and a date in the championship game with Marshall. Sokol finished his huge game by completing 20 of 32 passes for 387 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception. On the ground, Dixon rushed 17 times for 137 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Craft rushed 7 yards for 88 yards and 1 touchdown. In the receiving department, Turner caught 7 passes for 122 yards and 1 touchdown, Taylor caught 7 passes for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Henderson caught 2 passes for 114 yards and 1 touchdown. Defensively, the Bulldogs forced 4 turnovers, on a Pinson interception, Colby Brown interception, Liggins interception, and Woods forced fumble. Louisiana Tech racked up 677 total yards in the victory, rushing for 269 and passing for 408. Rice would finish the season with an 8-5 record and a 5-3 record in C-USA.

Championship Game Bound

Heading into the last week of the regular season, Marshall was a perfect 11-0 and ranked #25 in the nation before their home matchup against Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers went for 2 in overtime, giving the Thundering Herd their first loss of the season in a wild 67-66 contest. Marshall earned the hosting tiebreaker over the Bulldogs, resulting in Tech traveling to Huntington, West Virginia, for the game. Jonathan Barnes helped the Bulldogs strike first on a 26-yard field goal, giving Tech a 3-0 lead in the 1st. Later in the 1st, Dixon throttled the Marshall defense, giving the Bulldogs a 10-0 lead on a 33-yard touchdown run. A touchdown pass from Marshall’s Rakeem Cato would cut the deficit to 10-7 in the early 2nd quarter. Dixon would strike again for the Bulldogs, this time pulling off a 30-yard touchdown to stretch the lead out to 17-7. Marshall added two field goals to close out the quarter, making it 17-13 heading into halftime. The Thunder Herd would connect on another field goal in the 3rd quarter, creating a one-point deficit. With under a minute to play in the 3rd, Dixon completed the hat trick by rushing for his 3rd touchdown of the game, this one being a 19-yard run, giving the Bulldogs a 23-16 lead after the missed extra point. With the ball near the 50-yard line at the beginning of the 4th quarter, Marshall stripped Sokol on a run play to take possession. Tech’s defense would bend but not break once again, allowing another Thunder Herd field goal. In the final minutes of the game with the Bulldogs up 23-19, Marshall would execute a long drive down the field, leading to a Cato touchdown pass with 1:50 left in the game, and Marshall leading 26-23. With the ball and only one timeout, Sokol threw an interception to the Thundering Herd, all but sealing the Championship Game loss. A very banged-up Sokol finished the game completing 7 passes of 20 passes for 72 yards and an interception. Dixon carried the Bulldogs’ offense, rushing 20 times for 156 yards and 3 touchdowns. Sterling Griffin led the Bulldogs’ receivers, with one reception for 30 yards. The Tech defense was a vital reason that the Bulldogs were able to stay in the game throughout, as they forced 4 turnovers and repeatedly forced Marshall to kick field goals. Nick Thomason had an interception, DeAngelo Brooks had a fumble recovery, Darrell Travis had a fumble recovery, and Secdrick Cooper had a fumble recovery. Marshall would win the Boca Raton Bowl, finishing the season with a 13-1 record and an 8-1 C-USA record.

Bowling in Dallas

After concluding an overwhelmingly successful season, the Bulldogs received a bid to play in the Heart of Dallas Bowl to face 6-6 Illinois from the Big 10. The Bulldogs accepted the bid, giving defensive lineman Houston Bates to close out his career versus his former school on the day after Christmas. The Bulldogs took an early 7-0 lead on a 16-yard touchdown run from Jared Craft. After the Fighting Illini added a field goal, Dixon caught a pass from Sokol and took it 80 yards for a big-time touchdown and a 14-3 1st quarter lead. Illinois would score on a 25-yard touchdown pass, followed by Xavier Woods’ 69-yard pick-six to build the Tech lead to 21-9 at halftime. Illinois punched in a 3-yard rushing touchdown in the 3rd and knocked down a field goal in the 4th to bring the score to 21-18. As he had done the entire season, Dixon increased the Tech lead to 28-18 on a short touchdown run. With the Bulldogs leading by 10 with under 4 minutes to play, Blake Martin put the dagger into the Fighting Illini, scoring on the ground from 28 yards out, and clinching a 35-18 Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl victory, Tech’s first bowl win since 2008. In the last game of his collegiate career, Sokol completed 14 of 28 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown. Dixon rushed 13 times for 63 yards and a touchdown, Craft rushed 5 times for 16 yards and a touchdown, and Martin rushed 4 times for 38 yards and a touchdown. Through the air, Henderson caught 4 passes for 93 yards and Dixon caught 4 passes for 79 yards and a touchdown. Houston Bates ended his career with a dominant performance versus his former team, finishing with 6 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. Xavier Woods finished the game with 9 tackles as well as the pick-six. Undoubtedly, all of the questions that Louisiana Tech had entered the season had been emphatically answered.

Keys to Success

To better understand the nature of this season, I interviewed Cody Sokol and Trent Taylor and asked them questions regarding the successful year. I asked Taylor what he thought the main element was of the Bulldogs’ drastic improvement from 2013 to 2014. Taylor responded saying, “I think we had some great leaders on that team and we grew up very quickly. Coach Holtz put together an incredible roster in such a short amount of time. For example, how they brought Cody Sokol in and helped him reach his full potential. Looking back at the amount of NFL talent on that roster, it is crazy that we didn’t win even more than 9 games.”

Next, I asked Sokol how the Bulldogs were able to rally back together after the highs of the ULL and North Texas wins and the low of the Northwestern State loss. Sokol answered, “We were a bunch of puzzle pieces put together that fall camp. There were a lot of new faces and young players in the locker room going into that year. Many who were new starters and never played together before. Fall camp was us trying to quickly fit that puzzle together. Coaches and players had an ongoing label we would joke about saying we were the team of “misfit toys”. And we would laugh about it but it was partly true and we all had a huge chip on our shoulders because of it. It drove our competitiveness to prove others they were wrong. I would say our biggest fault that season was our inexperience and it showed in our consistency. That Northwestern State loss was hard because it was one we really wanted back and had a few of those throughout that season. We were a new team that hadn’t been through adversity or even learned what it took like to win consistently. Because we were so new we didn’t have much time at all with each other especially in the beginning of that season. We were all trying to figure each other out and what our identity was as a team. We could come out one day and compete with the best of the best and look like all cylinders were firing and then the next lose a heartbreaker like that. We were a losing program that wasn’t used to winning yet. Everyone has to buy in before you can do anything great and that’s what happened after that devastating loss. Everyone collectively on the team decided to buy in and I think that’s why you saw what you saw at the latter end of season where we rattled off 5 consecutive conference USA wins and ended the year 7-1 in conference play.”

Lastly, I asked Sokol what his favorite game or moment from the 2014 season was. He responded by saying, “It’s probably strange because we lost but I would choose the Marshall game every time. It wasn’t our best game, it wasn’t a win and certainly wasn’t a memorable performance from me but everything we got through that season and the hurdles we had to get over to get to that point was special to me. We came into that game beat up, with injuries and a lot of starters unable to play due to academic reasons. The fact we were able to hang in there till the very end with not only how bad we performed but the circumstances in front of us just confirmed to me we were supposed to be there and were deserving of that stage. We all worked very hard that year and to go through that much and get that far and lose was hard on us but it made me very proud of the grit we had. I think that’s why I was so emotional after that game because we really came together that year and did something special and it hurt to not get the reward in the end. I wish we could have won the Championship game but I’m also proud of what it meant and that year catapulted us into many more successful years long after the 2014 roster was gone. We went on to get our first FBS bowl game win against power five University of Illinois which was the start to a record 6 consecutive bowl game wins. There was just a lot to be proud about and I truly believe the blueprint was made during that year with every individual on that team that took on the challenges we had to endure. I was always so proud to be a part of that team and how hard we always fought. The culture we built that season was special. I read something at the end of the season that said we were tied for the #1 school against the Vegas spread. It just shows a lot about how we were perceived and how we changed that perception through the work we put in. Probably broke a lot of hearts betting against the “misfit toys” that year.”

Conclusion

Contrasting the 2013 season, 2014 was full of excitement and dominant performances on both sides of the ball. Skip Holtz proved himself as the correct guy to lead the Louisiana Tech program. Trent Taylor and Carlos Henderson showed major signs of being a nuclear receiving duo in the future. Cody Sokol proved that bringing in the right guy from another program can truly spark the locker room. Manny Diaz was able to prove his ability as a defensive coordinator once again, leading a defense that came up with several clutch stops and forced an array of turnovers. The defense for the upcoming season looked very promising, returning Xavier Woods, Vernon Butler, Kentrell Brice, Nick Thomason, Adairius Barnes, Vontarrius Dora, and Bryson Abraham. Going from 4 wins to 9, including a C-USA Championship Game in a tougher league than the year before was an extremely impressive feat. One of the only questions to be answered heading into 2015 was who the quarterback was going to be. Would the Bulldogs look to strike gold in the portal once again, or was Ryan Higgins ready to succeed as the starting quarterback?