2017 Louisiana Tech Football

Head Coach: Skip Holtz (5th season)

Conference: C-USA (5th season)

Record: (7-6, 4-4)

Points Per Game: 30.5 (48th of 130)

Point Allowed Per Game: 25.4 (54th of 130)

Strength of Schedule: -5.97 (108th of 130)

Strength of Record: -2.44 (82nd of 130)

Team Leaders:

J’Mar Smith (229/409, 56%, 2,974 yards, 16 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 127.5 passer rating, 119 rushes, 371 yards, 6 touchdowns)

Boston Scott (183 rushes, 1,047 yards, 5.7 avg, 8 touchdowns, 20 receptions, 181 yards, 1 touchdown

Jarred Craft (119 rushes, 532 yards, 4.5 avg, 3 touchdowns, 13 receptions, 74 yards, 2 touchdowns)

Teddy Veal (74 receptions, 950 yards, 12.8 avg, 7 touchdowns)

Rhasid Bonnette (33 receptions, 582 yards, 17.6 avg, 2 touchdowns)

Jaylon Ferguson (7.0 sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss, 38 total tackles)

Dae’Von Washington (71 total tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 1 pass deflection, 1 forced fumble, 2 interceptions)

Secdrick Cooper (68 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2 pass deflections, 1 fumble recovery, 3 interceptions)

Amik Robertson (63 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, 6 pass deflections, 5 interceptions, 1 touchdown)

Scores/Schedule:

Vs Northwestern State: 52-24 W

Vs Mississippi State: 57-21 L

@ Western Kentucky: 23-22 W

@ South Carolina: 17-16 L

Vs South Alabama: 34-16 W

@ UAB: 23-22 L

Vs Southern Miss: 34-27 L (2OT)

@ Rice: 42-28 W

Vs North Texas: 24-23 L

Vs FAU: 48-23 L @ UTEP: 42-21 W

Vs UTSA: 20-6 W

Vs SMU (Frisco Bowl): 51-10 W

Revamp or Rebuild

Coming off three-straight bowl wins and 9-win seasons, Skip Holtz was going to have to rely on big-time productivity from first-year starters, especially on offense. In the NFL Draft, the three Bulldogs drafted were: Carlos Henderson in the 3rd round, Trent Taylor in the 5th round, and Xavier Woods in the 6th round. Losing starting quarterback Ryan Higgins who shined in his senior season, left a huge hole in the position. Instead of bringing in a transfer quarterback, Holtz gave the keys to redshirt sophomore J’Mar Smith. The hope for Smith was that he would provide a steady starter at the quarterback position, as Holtz never started the same quarterback for consecutive years in his time with the Bulldogs. Tech returned two seniors at the running back position in Jarred Craft and Boston Scott, who looked to provide a consistent running game. Losing star receivers in Taylor and Henderson, Tulane transfer Teddy Veal was expected to lead a young group of receivers and provide a reliable target for Smith. On defense, Secdrick Cooper, Russell Farris, and Jaylon Ferguson led a defense that was looking to improve from the previous season. Highly touted recruit Amik Robertson won one of the starting positions at cornerback, with Trey Spencer as the other corner. After Holtz was forced to replace a large amount of last year’s production, would the Bulldogs turn 2017 into a revamp or a rebuild?

Taking Off the Training Wheels

Louisiana Tech was privileged to open the 2017 season at home versus long-time rival Northwestern State. Most recently playing in 2014, the Bulldogs were looking to avenge the crushing loss that the Demons caused on a walk-off field goal in Joe Aillet Stadium. Starting off the game, the Bulldogs’ defense looked very similar to the one from 2016, giving up a 52-yard touchdown pass less than 2 minutes into the game. J’Mar Smith marched the Bulldogs down the field, but Tech had to settle for a 31-yard field goal from Jonathan Barnes to make it a 7-3 game. On the ensuing kickoff, a Northwestern State fumble was recovered by Dejuawn Oliver and returned for a 26-yard touchdown. In the 2nd, Teddy Veal flashed his explosive-play ability with an electric 66-yard punt return touchdown, giving the Bulldogs a 17-7 lead. After NSU knocked down a 26-yard field goal, Jarred Craft closed out the half with a 2-yard touchdown run, creating a 24-10 lead for Tech at halftime. After a long return to start the second half, the Demons scored on a 3-yard touchdown, scored a second time with under two minutes into the 3rd quarter on a 27-yard passing touchdown to tie the game and make the Bulldog faithful nervous at the possibility of the 2014 game repeating itself. Under a minute to go in the 3rd, Jaquis Dancy found the endzone of a 4-yard touchdown run, finally breaking the tie and providing a 31-24 lead going into the 4th. Early in the 4th, Smith led another touchdown drive, capped off by a 2-yard touchdown run from Craft. Continuing to put the Demons in the dirt, Smith threw a 36-yard touchdown strike to Rhashid Bonnette. Smith found Craft out of the backfield for a 17-yard touchdown for the Bulldogs, capping off 28 unanswered points to end the game. In the 52-24 win, Smith completed 18 of 35 passes for 276 yards, 2 touchdowns, and rushed 10 times for 72 yards. Craft and Scott expectedly led the ground game, Craft rushing 16 times for 86 yards and 2 touchdowns, catching 1 pass for 17 yards and a touchdown, and Scott rushing 9 times for 55 times, and catching 4 passes for 55 yards. Through the air, Javonte Woodard caught 1 pass for 53 yards, Rhashid Bonnette caught 2 passes for 45 yards and a touchdown, and Teddy Veal caught 3 passes for 40 yards, with a punt return touchdown. The Bulldogs’ defense forced 3 turnovers, led by 2 interceptions from Dae’Von Washington, and a fumble recovery and touchdown on special teams from Dejuawn Oliver. Northwestern State finished the season with a 4-7 record and a 4-5 record in the Southland Conference.

Following the opening day win, Louisiana Tech received the rare opportunity to host an SEC opponent at home with Mississippi State coming to Ruston. With over 28,000 in attendance, Smith connected with Marcus Gaines for a huge gain through the air on the first drive of the game. The MSU defense kept Tech out of the endzone, however, leading to a 27-yard Barnes field goal. After the Bulldogs in maroon took over on offense, freshman Amik Robertson flashed his immense talent on an interception of Nick Fitzgerald and a wild 61-yard return. A few plays later, Kam McKnight punched it in for a touchdown followed by a missed extra point, giving Tech an early 9-0 lead. After the Tech defense held State out of the endzone and forced a 36-yard field goal, Tech’s punt was blocked and returned for a touchdown, quickly giving Mississippi State a 10-9 lead in Ruston. After Smith was intercepted on a deflected pass, State extended the lead to 16-9 on a 17-yard touchdown pass to finish the 1st. Next drive, Smith fumbled on a strip sack, giving MSU a short field leading to a short touchdown pass and a 23-9 lead. State would continue to score on a 30-yard touchdown run from Fitzgerald and a 21-yard touchdown pass to cap off 36 unanswered points for the team from Starkville. On the conversion, Jaylon Ferguson returned a fumble 99 yards for a 2-point score, and Barnes converted on a 45-yard field goal, to make it a 36-14 game at the half. MSU scored early in the 3rd on a 44-yard touchdown run from Fitzgerald. On 4th and goal, a Smith fumble was returned 90 yards by Jeffrey Simmons for a touchdown and putting Tech in a 50-14 deficit. Closing out the 3rd, MSU punched it in for a short touchdown, taking a commanding 57-14 lead going into the 4th. On 2nd and goal in the early 4th, a miscommunication on the snap led to Tech and State players continually failing to recover the loose ball, muffing and kicking the ball all the way back down the other end of the field and leading to the now-infamous “3rd and 93.” Finishing the game, Westin Elliot found Zach Cousar for a 9-yard touchdown, resulting in a 57-21 loss for Louisiana Tech. Smith struggled in the game, completing 10 of 23 passes for 140 yards, 1 interception, and 2 fumbles. Scott and Craft had good days on the ground, Scott rushing 13 times for 96 yards and Craft rushing 18 times for 81 yards. Through the air, Marcus Gaines caught 3 passes for 104 yards, and no other Bulldogs had more than 15 receiving yards. The Tech defense struggled against a potent MSU rushing attack, giving up 327 rushing yards and 459 total yards in the loss. Mississippi State finished the season with a 9-4 record and a 4-4 record in the SEC.

After the messy loss, the Bulldogs prepared to open C-USA on the road versus the team they lost to in the 2016 C-USA Championship. Western Kentucky entered the matchup only losing 1 C-USA game in the past two seasons and winning two straight C-USA titles, with the only loss being to Louisiana Tech in the 2015 regular season. The Hilltoppers came into the game with a 1-1 record as well, winning against Eastern Kentucky and losing at Illinois. WKU opened the game on a touchdown drive with a 4-yard Mike White touchdown run as well as the two-point conversion. Closing the 1st, Barnes knocked down a 33-yard field, making it an 8-3 game to end the 1st. In the early 2nd, the Hilltoppers added to their lead with a short touchdown run to make it 15-3 over the Bulldogs. Back with the ball, Smith threw a bomb to Bonnette for an 87-yard Tech touchdown, cutting the lead to 15-10. To finish the half, Barnes converted on a 36-yard field goal to pull the Bulldogs within 15-13 going into the locker room. The only score in the 3rd came on a 19-yard WKU touchdown run, extending their lead to 22-13. The 4th quarter was about the Bulldogs defense, who continually forced the Hilltoppers to punt. Kam McKnight ran it in for a little over 6 minutes to go, giving Tech a chance down 22-20. After Smith threw an interception, the Tech defense provided another vital stand, with Ferguson sacking White on 3rd down, giving the Bulldogs one last chance. Smith calmly led the Bulldogs down the field, leaning on Adrian Hardy and Teddy Veal, putting Barnes in position to win the game. From 21 yards out, Barnes stepped up and knocked down the game-winning field goal, giving Tech a gigantic 23-22 win over the back-to-back conference champions on the road. In a bounce-back effort, Smith completed 22 of 39 passes for 306 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Craft led Tech on the ground, rushing 14 times for 81 yards. Through the air, Bonnette had a career day, catching 3 passes 140 yards and a touchdown, followed by Veal with 9 catches for 81 yards, and Hardy with 2 catches for 31 yards. Ferguson anchored a stellar opponent from the Bulldogs’ defense, finishing with 6 total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, and 2.0 sacks. Western Kentucky finished the season with a 6-7 record and a 4-4 record in C-USA.

With the huge road win over Western Kentucky, the Bulldogs were due a trip to Columbia to take on 2-1 South Carolina. With neither offense being very productive in the 1st, Barnes scored the only points of quarter on a 33-yard field goal. In the middle of the 2nd quarter, Barnes knocked down a long 52-yard field goal to give the Bulldogs a 6-0 lead at the half after the Gamecocks missed a couple of field goals. In the 3rd, Smith connected with Veal for a 3-yard touchdown, giving the Bulldogs an impressive 13-0 lead. The Bulldogs missed a huge opportunity with under 4 minutes to go in the 3rd, still leading 13-0. On 3rd and 6 with the ball just inside the 10-yard line, Smith rolled to his right and threw a critical interception on the sideline. In the 4th, South Carolina took advantage of the miscue when Bentley threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 13-7. With under 5 minutes to play, the Gamecocks scored again on a 35-yard touchdown run and took a 14-13 lead over the Bulldogs. Smith led the Bulldogs down the field but could not get Tech into the endzone, settling for a 25-yard field goal, giving Tech a 16-14 lead with 55 seconds left. With 22 seconds left and the ball on their own 45 yards line, Bentley launched a deep pass that caught Bryan Edwards after the ball was tipped in the air. Edwards' catch led to Parker White, who missed his 2 earlier field goal attempts, to knock down the game-winning 31-yard field goal. The heartbreaking 17-16 loss was stunning, having the game stolen by South Carolina as the Bulldogs had stolen the previous game over Western Kentucky. Smith completed 23 of 33 passes for 281 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Tech had a poor performance on the ground, with the leading rusher being Craft with 14 rushes for 48 yards. The Bulldogs had two receivers with big-time performances in Veal, who caught 10 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown, and Bonnette, who caught 6 passes for 94 yards. Despite the Gamecocks fumbling 4 times, the Bulldogs only recorded one fumble recovery with Deldrick Canty. Tech forced another turnover with an interception from Aaron Roberson, who returned it for 19 yards. South Carolina finished the season with a 9-4 record and a 5-3 record in the SEC.

Close Game Growing Pains

Returning home from a road trip where the Bulldogs won by 1 and lost by 1 in consecutive weeks, Louisiana Tech prepared to welcome South Alabama from the Sun Belt into Ruston. Wearing their crisp red jerseys, the Bulldogs were ready to close out their non-conference play with a bang. Tech’s first drive of the game was promising but was prematurely ended when Watts fumbled the ball after Smith hit him in stride. The Jaguars took advantage of the miscue and finished the drive with a 29-yard touchdown pass. On the ensuing possession, Smith threw a dart to Veal to tie the game with a 40-yard touchdown. Smith found Craft out of the backfield for a 10-yard touchdown, to give the Bulldogs a 14-7 lead after the 1st. Early in the 2nd quarter, Barnes knocked down a 31-yard field goal, followed by South Alabama field goals of 26 and 41 yards, cutting the Tech lead to 17-13 at the half. The only score in the 3rd came on a 46-yard field goal from the Jaguars, narrowing the deficit to 17-16 heading into the 4th. In the 4th, it was all Louisiana Tech, started by Hardy making a spectacular catch on the pass from Smith for a 30-yard touchdown. With a little over 4 minutes to play, Barnes converted on a 29-yard field goal to make it a two-possession game at 27-16. After the Bulldogs’ defense came up with another stop, Boston Scott exploded for a 27-yard touchdown run, sending the Jaguars back to Mobile. In the 34-16 win, Smith excelled, completing 24 of 39 passes for 317 yards, 3 touchdowns, and rushing 11 times for 37 yards. Despite only rushing the ball 6 times, Scott for 76 yards and a touchdown and caught 2 passes for 26 yards, and Craft rushed 14 times for 49 yards and caught 4 passes for 21 yards and a touchdown. Veal continued to impress, catching 4 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown, Hardy caught 4 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown, and Watts caught 4 passes for 56 yards. The Bulldogs’ defense allowed the offense to take over by repeatedly holding the Jaguars to field goals, led by Secdrick Cooper with 2 interceptions and 1 pass deflection, and L’Jarius Sneed with a team-leading 8 tackles and 3 pass deflections. South Alabama finished the season with a 4-8 record and a 3-5 record in the Sun Belt.

Resuming C-USA play, the Bulldogs were due a trip to Birmingham to face UAB, who shut down their football program for the 2015 and 2016 seasons but returned to the field in 2017. The Blazers came into the game with a 2-2 record, losing 46-43 at North Texas the previous week. In the 1st, UAB took an early 13-0 lead on a 3-yard touchdown run with a missed extra point and an 11-yard touchdown run from Spencer Brown. Louisiana Tech responded later in the quarter with Smith hitting Veal for a 16-yard touchdown. In the low-scoring 2nd quarter, Barnes knocked down a 39-yard field goal and UAB made a 27-yard field goal to put Tech in a 16-10 deficit at the half. Neither team scored in the 3rd quarter, but the Bulldogs closed the quarter on a serious drive. Smith marched the Bulldogs down the field and capped the drive off with a 1-yard touchdown run. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty called on McKnight resulted in a 15-yard field goal, leading to Barnes missing the extra point with the ball on the 18-yard, to make the score 16-16. Later in the 4th, the Blazers responded with a short touchdown run, finishing off their 11-play drive. With the ball and under 6 minutes to play, Smith kept the drive alive with a 10-yard completion to Veal on 3rd down, a 12-yard rush from Smith, and a 42-yard touchdown strike from Smith to Oliver. The Bulldogs were called for a false start on the extra point, moving the ball to the 8-yard line. With a chance to tie the game, Barnes shockingly missed his second extra point of the game, leaving Tech down 23-22 with 3:32 to go. On 2nd and 3 the following drive, Ferguson sacked Erdely for a loss of 5, and the Tech defense forced an incompletion on 3rd down, giving Tech’s offense one last chance. Starting the drive at their own 45-yard line with 2 minutes to play, the Bulldog’s offense was ready. Smith began the drive by finding Veal for a 19-yard gain and Scott for a 23-yard gain, quickly getting the ball down to the 13-yard line. With 3 seconds remaining, Barnes had a chance for redemption for 30 yards up. Before the ball could get all the way up, the Blazers blocked Barnes’ attempt, sending the Bulldogs home with an excruciating 23-22 loss. In a one-point loss, the Bulldogs’ extra point/field goal unit left five points on the board, with every attempt coming inside the 20-yard line. Smith completed 17 of 29 passes for 208 yards, 2 touchdowns, and rushed 8 times for 30 yards. On the ground, Scott rushed 14 times for 48 yards and caught 1 pass for 23 yards, and Dancy rushed 5 times for 44 yards. Veal led the receivers once again, catching 6 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown, followed by Oliver catching 1 pass for 42 yards and a touchdown. Amik Roberston and Jaylon Ferguson were solid for the defense, Robertson finishing with a team-high 8 tackles and Ferguson finishing with 5 tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss, and 1.0 sacks. UAB finished the season with an 8-5 record and a 6-2 record in C-USA.

Returning home after another brutal loss, the Bulldogs prepared themselves for rival Southern Miss, who got the best of the Bulldogs the past two seasons. The Golden Eagles entered the contest with a 4-2 record, with the losses being against Kentucky and North Texas. Wearing all red, Tech was looking to get back on track and remain in the race for the C-USA title. In the 1st quarter, Barnes knocked down a 23-yard field goal and USM knocked down a 45-yard field goal to make it a 3-3 game. Boston Scott opened up the second with a smooth 15-yard touchdown run, matched by a 23-yard touchdown pass to Ito Smith for Southern Miss. Closing first half, Darryl Lewis intercepted Keon Howard, returning the pick 63-yards for a massive Bulldogs touchdown and a 17-10 lead at the half. With the Bulldogs unable to score in the 3rd, Southern Miss converted on field goals of 34 and 26 yards to cut the deficit to 17-16 heading into the 4th. Early in the 4th, Barnes made a 45-yard field goal to extend the lead to 20-16. With 6:30 to play in the 4th and USM inside the five-yard line on 3rd and goal, the Bulldogs’ defensive line forced a fumble recovered by Cooper for a gigantic 4th quarter stand. In the ensuing drive on 3rd and 5, Smith found Watts on a short out route, but Watts stayed in bounds and served past Golden Eagles’ defenders for a huge gain of 82 yards. A few plays later, Smith ran the ball into the end zone for a touchdown putting the Bulldogs up 27-16 with a little over 4 minutes remaining. USM would settle for a 49-yard field goal with 1:23 remaining but would recover the onside kick after Tech could not hold onto the football. Poor tackling led to a 22-yard touchdown for Korey Robertson of Southern Miss, and USM would also convert on the two-point conversion to shock the Bulldogs and tie the game. In overtime, Smith threw an interception of the 2nd play of the drive, but Amik Robertson made it for it with a game-saving interception to force double overtime. On the 1st play of 2nd overtime, Howard lobbed up a pass for Robertson that was caught over the shorter Robertson for a 25-yard touchdown. After a first down, Craft would be tackled for a 3-yard loss and Smith would be sacked for an 11-yard loss, followed by an incomplete pass from Smith. On 4th and 24, Smith’s pass was tipped from behind and incomplete, resulting in another brutal loss for the Bulldogs in an extremely winnable game by a score of 34-27 in double overtime. Smith was inefficient in the loss, completing 11 of 28 passes for 194 yards, with 1 interception and a fumble. Scott was productive on the ground rushing 11 times for 106 yards and a touchdown. Watts led the Bulldogs in receiving, catching 5 passes for 121 yards, followed by Veal who caught 3 passes for 56 yards. Defensively, Dae’Von Washington finished with 14 total tackles and Robertson finished with 10 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and an interception. Southern Miss finished the season with an 8-5 record and a 6-2 record in C-USA.

Following the Bulldogs’ 3rd one-possession loss of the year, the Bulldogs were gifted a trip to Houston to face 1-6 Rice. Going into the game with a 3-4 record, Louisiana Tech desperately needed a win. In the 1st, Washington recovered an Owls’ fumble, leading to Scott scoring a rushing touchdown from 5 yards out for the only score in the quarter. During the early 2nd quarter, Smith connected with Woodard for a 31-yard gain, followed by Scott scoring again from 6 yards out. After Rice punched it in from a yard out, Smith drove the Bulldogs down the field and found McKnight for a 5-yard touchdown to give Tech a 21-7 lead at the half. Rice quickly answered on the first drive of the 3rd quarter, capped off with a 4-yard rushing touchdown. With the 3rd quarter winding down, Craft punched it in the endzone for a 4-yard touchdown, creating a 28-14 lead. The Owls would not go away in the 4th, Rice scored on an 8-yard touchdown run and scored again on a 51-yard passing touchdown to tie the game with 4:33 remaining. With Smith leading Tech down the field, Scott rushed for a 21-yard gain and scored a 2-yard touchdown, giving the Bulldogs a 35-28 lead with 1:00 remaining. With 37 seconds left, Trey Spencer picked off Glaesmann for a game-sealing 37-yard interception return for a touchdown, giving the Bulldogs a 42-28 lead. Rice got the ball back again, but Darryl Lewis intercepted the ball and closed the ballgame. Smith completed 21 of 32 passes for 237 yards, 1 touchdown, and rushed 8 times for 27 yards. On the ground, Scott rushed 17 times for 87 yards and 3 touchdowns and Craft rushed 13 times for 67 yards and a touchdown. Veal continued to be a proven commodity for the passing game, catching 11 passes for 118 yards, and Watts catching 3 passes for 38 yards. Defensively, Robertson finished with 6 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 2 pass deflections, and Spencer, Lewis, and Sneed all had interceptions. Rice finished the season with a 1-11 record and a 1-7 record in C-USA.

Fighting for a Bowl

Coming off the win, Louisiana Tech returned home for their homecoming game versus the team leading the west division, North Texas, who was 4-1 in conference play with the only loss being to the Lane Kiffin-led Florida Atlantic Owls. In the first, the Mean Green would strike first with Jeff Wilson scoring on an 8-yard touchdown run. To close the quarter, Barnes converted on a 47-yard field goal, cutting the lead to 7-3. Early in the 2nd quarter, Scott gave the Bulldogs the lead on a 4-yard touchdown run. With under a minute to play before the half, Smith took it himself for a 7-yard touchdown to give the Bulldogs a 17-7 lead, but a late Mean Green cut the lead to 17-10 at the half. UNT scored under 4 minutes into the 3rd, with Mason Fine throwing a 22-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 17. Jonathan Barnes knocked down a 37-yard field goal to retake the lead for Louisiana Tech going into the 4th. Early in the 4th, Barnes made a 35-yard field goal to extend Tech’s lead to 23-17 over North Texas. After each time was forced to punt, North Texas completed a 9-play, 78-yard drive finished by a 14-yard rushing touchdown from Wilson to give UNT a 24-23 with 6 minutes remaining. After a drive highlighted by a 27-yard reception from McKnight, Smith was only able to get the Bulldogs to the 36-yard line of North Texas. On his 53-yard field goal attempt, Barnes was wide left, giving the Mean Green the ball back with 2:39 to play. The Tech defense was unable to stop future NFL starting running back Jeff Wilson, and the Mean Green ran out the clock to hand the Bulldogs yet another gut-wrenching loss. Smith completed just 16 of 28 passes for 168 yards and rushed 11 times for 29 yards and a touchdown. Scott led the rushing attack, carrying the ball 16 times for 64 times and a touchdown. Through the air, Bonnette caught 6 passes for 77 yards and Veal caught 6 passes for 50 yards. Baldwin and Washington led the defense with 9 tackles apiece, and Spencer intercepted Fine for the only turnover. North Texas finished the season with a 9-5 record and a 7-2 record in C-USA.

Staying at home with a 4-5 record, the Bulldogs were tasked with an even bigger issue in Florida Atlantic, who entered the game 5-0 in C-USA play, winning 4 of those games by 14 points or more. In the first, future Bills’ starting running back Devin Singletary scored on a 3-yard rushing touchdown and FAU failed on the two-point conversion. The Bulldogs scored their only points of the quarter on a 26-yard Barnes field goal. In the 2nd, Jason Driskel, brother of former Bulldogs’ quarterback Jeff Driskel, threw a 77-yard touchdown pass to give the Owls a 13-3 lead. Smith led the offense down the field, but Tech had to settle for a 24-yard field goal from Barnes. FAU responded again on a 33-yard touchdown pass from Driskel to future Mackey winner Harrison Bryant for a 33-yard touchdown. To close the half, the Bulldogs marched down the field once again but had to settle for a 22-yard field goal again, cutting the deficit to 20-9 at the half. In the pivotal 3rd quarter, Florida Atlantic returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, extending the lead to 27-9. After having to punt, Singletary scored again on a short touchdown, putting the Bulldogs in a 34-9 hole. Tech finally responded after an Owls’ fumble, with Smith connected with Veal for a 34-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 34-16. FAU added to the lead again, with Singletary rushing for a 44-yard touchdown. The Bulldogs scored their last point of the game on a 5-yard Scott touchdown. With 37 seconds left, FAU went for it on 4th down and scored a 3-yard touchdown to result in a 48-23 loss for the Bulldogs. In the loss, Smith completed 30 of 51 passes for 326 yards, 1 touchdown, and rushed 17 times for 78 yards. Scott rushed 19 times for 87 yards and a touchdown and caught 5 passes for 24 yards. Veal caught 6 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown, Bonnette caught 6 passes for 81 yards, and Hardy caught 6 passes for 76 yards. Cooper led the defense with 9 total tackles and 1 tackle for loss. Florida Atlantic finished the season with an 11-3 record and a 9-0 record in C-USA.

Now at 4-6, the Bulldogs had to win their final two games to be bowl eligible and keep their postseason success alive. Step one of that task would be a little easier than the previous game they played, with Louisiana Tech traveling to El Paso to take on the 0-11 UTEP Miners. Late in the 1st quarter, Scott found the end zone on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Smith to take a 7-0 lead. Louisiana Tech would build on that lead in the 2nd with three scores on a 54-yard touchdown run from Dancy, a 71-yard interception return for a touchdown from King, and a 10-yard touchdown run from Smith to give the Bulldogs a comfortable 28-0 lead at the half. The Miners would make it interesting however, scoring twice in the 3rd on an 11-yard touchdown run and an 83-yard touchdown pass, bringing it to a 28-14 entering the final quarter. Early in the 4th, Smith connected with Veal for a 9-yard touchdown, increasing the lead back to 21, but UTEP would answer with a 33-yard touchdown pass to create a 35-21 game with under 10 minutes to play. Louisiana Tech finally put the game with under 4 minutes to go on a 9-yard touchdown run from Smith, resulting in a needed 42-21 Bulldogs win. In the win, Smith completed 15 of 28 passes for 203 yards and 2 touchdowns, while rushing 8 times for 49 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dancy and Scott both had big days on the ground, Dancy rushing 15 times for 135 yards and a touchdown, and Scott rushing 22 times for 134 yards and catching 2 passes for 25 yards and a touchdown. Veal and Bonnette were the leading receivers, Veal finishing with 6 passes for 66 yards and a touchdown, and Bonnette finishing with 3 catches for 55 yards. On defense, Washington recorded a team-high 8 tackles and a tackle for loss, and Robertson and King each finished with an interception. UTEP finished the season with a 0-12 record and an 0-8 record in C-USA.

After the win to put the Bulldogs at 5-6 and keep their hopes for a bowl game alive, their next opponent would be 6-4 UTSA coming into Ruston on senior day. Giving the seniors one extra game to play in was the mission at hand for the Bulldogs. In the 1st, Smith capped off an 11-play drive but punched it in the end zone himself, putting the Bulldogs up 7-0. After a punting competition took place throughout the end of the 1st and most of the 2nd quarter, the Roadrunners missed a 25-yard field goal. The following drive, Smith led the Bulldogs down the field, highlighted by runs of 16 and 15 yards from Scott and Craft, and ending the half with a 26-yard field goal from Barnes, making it a 10-0 lead at halftime. On the second play of the 2nd half, Smith was intercepted, and the ball was returned 35 yards to the Bulldogs’ 13-yard line. Tech’s defense remained strong and forced UTSA to score their first points of the game on a 19-yard field goal. On the ensuing drive, a 21-yard completion to Veal got the Bulldogs in field goal range, leading to Barnes knocking down a 53-yard field goal and giving Tech a 13-3 lead. After the Roadrunners held the ball for over 9 minutes and ran over 18 plays on the next possession, the Tech defense stood their ground again, forcing a 20-yard field goal. After Tech had to punt, UTSA did as well, but Veal fumbled on the return and gave the Roadrunners the ball back down just 7. With UTSA having the ball on the Tech 11-yard line, Robertson came up clutch with an interception on the very next play. After a quality drive, Scott burst past the Roadrunners’ defense for a 35-yard Bulldogs’ touchdown, creating a 20-6 lead with 2:23 left. After UTSA got the ball back, Darryl Lewis ended any chance at a comeback with an interception, giving Tech the vital 20-6 senior day victory. Smith survived by completing 7 of 21 passes for 101 yards, 1 interception, and rushing 10 times for 18 yards and a touchdown. Scott led the way on the ground, rushing 20 times for 138 yards and a touchdown. Bonnette carried Tech through the air, catching 4 passes for 64 yards in the win. In the strong defensive effort, Farris had a team-high 13 total tackles, Washington had 8 total tackles, Robertson had 7 total tackles and an interception, Lewis had 4 total tackles and an interception, and Ferguson had 3 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. UTEP finished the season with a 6-5 record and a 3-5 record in C-USA and was not selected for a bowl game following the loss.

The Streak Lives On

After winning their 6th game of the season, the Bulldogs were selected to play in the DXL Frisco Bowl versus 7-5 Southern Methodist. SMU would be led by interim coach and former Bulldogs’ head coach Sonny Dykes, after head coach Chad Morris took future UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor and other members of the staff with him to Arkansas. The Mustangs ranked 12th in the nation in points per game with 37.8 led by quarterback Ben Hicks, future Broncos’ star receiver Courtland Sutton, and transfer receiver from LSU Trey Quinn. Countering the offensive success, SMU ranked 118th in points allowed per game with 36.7 and notably gave up 43 points to Navy, 56 points to TCU, and 66 points to Memphis. The Bulldogs would strike first in Frisco, with Smith finding the end zone on a 1-yard touchdown rush. On the following SMU drive, Robertson picked off Hicks and took it to the house for an electric 45-yard touchdown return. The Mustangs would settle for a 25-yard field goal, but Tech closed the quarter with Smith throwing a dart to Veal for a 6-yard touchdown pass, giving the Bulldogs a 21-3 lead after the 1st. Tech’s defense would continue to dominate the usually potent SMU offense, with Lewis intercepting Hicks and returning it 23 yards for a Bulldogs’ touchdown. Next, Smith dropped a dime to Veal again for a 27-yard touchdown, and an assertive 35-3 lead over the local team. Smith’s 11-yard touchdown pass to McKnight closed a 42-point first half for the Bulldogs, and SMU would finally score a touchdown through the air with 15 seconds left to cut the halftime deficit to 42-10. In the 3rd, the Bulldogs’ defense would shut down SMU and the offense would get into range for Barnes’s field goals from 28 and 43 yards out, giving the Bulldogs a 48-10 lead going into the 4th. In the 4th, Barnes would finish his senior season with a 41-yard field goal, resulting in a dominant 51-10 win over SMU in the Frisco Bowl. In his first bowl win, Smith completed 15 of 23 passes for 216 yards, and 3 touchdowns, and rushed 10 times for 22 yards and a touchdown. In his last game as a Bulldog, Scott rushed 19 times for 103 yards. Veal wrapped up his junior season catching 5 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown, followed by Hardy catching 4 passes for 49 yards. The Bulldogs’ defense starred in the bowl win, forcing 6 turnovers with fumbles recovered by Ferguson, Farris, and Kendzior, and interceptions by Robertson, Lewis, and Cooper. After the loss, SMU finished the season with a 7-6 record and a 4-4 record in the American. The Mustangs would hire Sonny Dykes as their head coach following the game.

Conclusion

On paper, winning 7 games after winning 9 games for 3 consecutive years seems disappointing, but with how many quality players the Bulldogs lost and how many close games they were in, the season as a whole was a step in the right direction. J’Mar Smith endured his ups and downs as a young first-year quarterback usually does, but he would have two more seasons to improve and grow comfortable within the offense. With Scott and Craft departing, Dancy was the likely successor at the starting running back position going into 2018. At the receiver position, Veal, Bonnette, McKnight, and Hardy would all be back. Defensively, the Bulldogs would lose Cooper and Ferris but would get to enjoy one more season of Ferguson and Washington with the young secondary pairing of Robertson and Sneed. For Holtz, being able to come up with those close-game victories should definitely be the emphasis going into the next season, which might entail not settling for a high amount of short field goals. With the success that he brought the Bulldogs in such a short time, Holtz would surely continue to develop this group and eventually lead Tech back to the conference title game. Would the Bulldogs be able to extend their 4-game bowl winning streak in 2018 and continue to improve, or will the young players fail to step up and lead the Bulldogs back to the postseason?