2019 Louisiana Tech Football

Head Coach: Skip Holtz (7th season)

Conference: C-USA (7th season)

Record: (10-3, 6-2)

Points Per Game: 32.5 (35th of 130)

Points Allowed Per Game: 21.8 (30th of 130)

Strength of Schedule: -9.51 (130th of 130th)

Strength of Record: -1.05 (76th of 130)

Team Leaders:

J’Mar Smith (236/367, 64.3%, 2,977 yards, 18 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 145.9 passer rating, 100 rushes, 264 yards, 4 touchdowns)

Justin Henderson (188 rushes, 1,062 yards, 5.6 avg, 15 touchdowns, 24 receptions, 200 yards, 1 touchdown)

Israel Tucker (65 rushes, 340 yards, 5.2 avg, 2 touchdowns, 13 receptions, 109 yards, 1 touchdown)

Malik Stanley (40 receptions, 649 yards, 16.2 avg, 3 touchdowns)

Griffin Herbert (30 receptions, 537 yards, 17.9 avg, 6 touchdowns)

Adrian Hardy (42 receptions, 534 yards, 12.7 yards, 1 touchdown)

Cee Jay Powell (43 receptions, 488 yards, 11.3 avg, 1 touchdown)

Connor Taylor (75 total tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception)

L’Jarius Sneed (73 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 6 pass deflections, 3 interceptions, 1 touchdown)

Willie Baker (51 total tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks)

Milton Williams (59 total tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries)

Ezekiel Barnett (59 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception, 1 touchdown)

Michael Sam (46 total tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss, 6 pass deflections, 3 interceptions)

Amik Robertson (60 total tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 16 pass deflections, 5 interceptions, 2 touchdowns)

Scores/Schedule:

@ Texas: 45-14 L

Vs Grambling: 20-14 W

@ Bowling Green: 35-14 W

Vs FIU: 43-31 W

@ Rice: 23-20 W (OT)

Vs UMass: 69-21 W

Vs Southern Miss: 45-30 W

@ UTEP: 42-21 W

Vs North Texas (HC): 52-17 W

@ Marshall: 31-10 L

@ UAB: 20-14 L

Vs UTSA: 41-27 W

Vs Miami, FL (Independence Bowl): 14-0 W

Now or Never

With J’Mar Smith returning for his 3rd and final year at quarterback, Adrian Hardy coming off a season with over 1,000 yards, Amik Robertson and L’Jarius Sneed leading a constantly improving defense, and Skip Holtz coming back for his 7th season as head coach of Louisiana Tech, the time was now to finally win the C-USA title. In the conference preseason media poll, the Bulldogs were voted to finish 3rd in the west division behind the favorites in North Texas and Southern Miss. The coaching staff maintained offensive coordinator Todd Fitch for his 4th season, but lost defensive coordinator Blake Baker to the Miami Hurricanes, as the former Tech defensive coordinator was named as head coach for Miami and brought Baker back to his staff as defensive coordinator. Replacing Baker was Bob Diaco, the defensive coordinator for the 2012 Notre Dame team that made a national championship appearance, the head coach for UConn for a three-year stint, defensive coordinator at Nebraska, and outside linebackers coach at Oklahoma before being hired at Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs saw a one-game improvement from 2017 to 2018, despite the offense’s points per game dropping from approximately 30 to 24. In order to get the results they wanted, Tech would need to establish a much more consistent run game with Dancy, Tucker, and possibly Henderson. If the run game noticeably improved, Smith would have all the tools to finish his career with a championship.

Let’s Get It Started

Kicking off the 2019 season, the Bulldogs were scheduled to travel down to Austin to face Tom Herman and Sam Ehlinger-led #10 Texas. On the first drive of the game, the Longhorns scored with relative ease, Ehlinger throwing a 4-yard touchdown to Devin Duvernay to cap off the drive. Tech was able to move the ball down the field on their first drive, but just resulted in a missed 43-yard field goal from Bailey Hale. After the Bulldogs failed to take advantage of a Connor Taylor forced fumble, Texas marched down the field and scored on a 6-yard passing touchdown to take a 14-0 lead in the early 2nd quarter. Turnovers and missed opportunities continued to plague the Bulldogs in the 1st half as Justin Henderson rushed for a 1st down but fumbled, Hale missed a 43-yard field goal again, and Smith was intercepted, leading to Texas taking a 24-0 halftime lead after the Longhorns scored on a 28-yard touchdown pass and a 43-yard field goal. To start, Smith led the Bulldogs down to the 26-yard line of Texas but could not convert on a 4th and 1 pass to Bobby Holly, leading to a 25-yard touchdown pass from Ehlinger. Next drive the Bulldogs drove down to the Texas 39-yard line but failed to convert on 3rd and 5 and 4th and 5, followed by a short Longhorns’ touchdown run, taking a 38-0 lead. In the early 4th, Tech finally found the endzone on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Malik Stanley. The Bulldogs scored again on the next drive, lasting 12 plays, and capped off with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Griffin Hebert. The Longhorns would end the game with a short touchdown run, resulting in a 45-14 loss in the season opener for Louisiana Tech. Despite the blowout loss, the Bulldogs were only outgained 454-413 in total yards, had 1 more first down than Texas, and had possession of the ball 5 more minutes than the Longhorns. The missed field goals, failed 4th down attempts, and 3 turnovers were the major difference in the contest and were the main area of improvements needed moving forward. In the loss, Smith completed 34 of 51 passes for 331 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. A lead back failed to emerge in the 1st game, with Dancy being the leading rusher with just 7 carries for 25 yards, Henderson rushing 5 times for 18 yards and a fumble, and Tucker rushing 6 times for 12 yards. Several receivers contributed through the air, Smoke Harris caught 6 passes for 58 yards, Powell caught 6 passes for 56 yards, Hebert caught 5 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown, Stanley caught 4 passes for 48 yards and a touchdown, Isaiah Graham caught 4 passes for 39 yards, and Hardy caught 3 passes for 38 yards. Defensively, Jackson and Scott finished with 9 total tackles, Taylor had 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 fumble recovery, and Robertson deflected 2 passes. Texas finished the season with an 8-5 record and a 5-4 record in the Big XII.

After the loss showed much room for improvement, Louisiana Tech returned to Ruston to face their next-door neighbor the Grambling State Tigers for the home opener. The Tigers entered the game 0-1 after losing to UL Monroe 31-9 in their first game of the season. Grambling drove down to the Tech five-yard line on the first possession of the game, but the Bulldogs’ defense stuffed the running play on 4th and 1. To end the quarter, Smith drove the offense down the field and capped the drive off with a Henderson 7-yard touchdown run, taking a 7-0 lead. In the early 2nd, Tech extended their lead to 10-0 after a 33-yard Hale field goal and scored again on a 40-yard Smith dart to Hebert for a touchdown. Ending the half, Hale knocked down a 48-yard field goal to give Tech a 20-0 lead at halftime. On the 1st drive of the 2nd half, Tech drove down to the Grambling 8-yard line, but Tucker could not get the first down on 4th and 2. In the ensuing possession, the Tigers marched 93 yards down the field and scored their first points of the game on a 23-yard passing touchdown. Tech’s defense came up with another stop inside their own 10-yard line, but Grambling forced a Tech punt and scored a 2-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 20-14 with 3:23 remaining. Bulldogs’ fans got extremely nervous after the Tigers subsequently recovered the onside kick, but the Tech defense was able to force a 4-and-out after a 4th and 5 incompletion. Henderson powered through for a first down and the offense was able to run the clock out, resulting in a 20-14 win over Grambling. It was a lopsided effort for the Bulldogs’ offense, failing to put together a single scoring drive in the 2nd half. In the first win of the year, Smith completed 17 of 25 passes for 220 yards with 1 touchdown and rushed 8 times for 25 yards. On the ground, Tucker rushed 16 times for 71 yards, Dancy rushed 5 times for 49 yards, and Henderson rushed 6 times for 23 yards and 1 touchdown. Through the air, Hebert caught 3 passes for 68 yards and 1 touchdown, Powell caught 4 passes for 57 yards, and Stanley caught 1 pass for 40 yards. Defensively, Taylor had 11 total tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 1 tackle for loss, Barnett had 1 sack and 1 tackle for loss, and Robertson finished with 2 pass deflections. Grambling State finished the season with a 6-5 record and a 4-3 record in the SWAC.

Next up, Louisiana Tech would travel to Ohio to take on the Bowling Green Falcons in their homecoming game. Bowling Green entered the game with a 1-1 record with a win over Morgan State and a loss at Kansas State. The Falcons took an early lead on the first drive of the game on a 59-yard pass and a 1-yard touchdown run. On Tech’s first drive of the game, Smith connected with Graham for a 49-yard touchdown to tie the game. Amik Robertson gave the Bulldogs the lead on a 36-yard interception returned for a touchdown. In the 2nd, Dancy scored the only touchdown of the quarter on an 8-yard touchdown run, giving the Bulldogs a 21-7 lead at the half. Neither team scored in the 3rd, as the Tech defense continued to stifle the Falcons. In the late 3rd and early 4th, Smith threw a 41-yard strike to Hardy and finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run from Dancy. Wrapping up the dominant performance, the Bulldogs scored one last time on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Harris, resulting in a 35-7 Louisiana Tech win. Smith excelled in the blowout win, completing 19 of 26 passes for 267 yards and 2 touchdowns. Henderson took the reigns on the ground, rushing 9 times for 95 yards versus the Falcons. Hardy returned to form, catching 6 passes for 95 yards, followed by Harris catching 5 passes for 64 yards and 1 touchdown, and Graham catching 1 pass for 49 yards and 1 touchdown. On defense, Robertson had a team-high 10 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 interception, and 1 touchdown, Aaron Roberson had 3 pass deflections, and Barnett had 8 total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Bowling Green finished the season with a 3-9 record and a 2-6 record in the MAC.

Opening conference play, the Bulldogs returned home to face the 1-2 Florida International Panthers in a Friday night showdown with Tech wearing the stars and stripes helmet with the red jerseys and red pants. With neither team scoring in the 1st quarter, Hale scored the first points of the game on a 25-yard field goal early in the 2nd quarter. After FIU tied the game, Henderson broke through Panthers’ defenders and found the end zone on a 29-yard touchdown run, giving Tech a 10-3 lead. FIU tied the game again on a 15-yard touchdown run, but Hale converted on a 45-yard field goal to create a 13-10 lead for Louisiana Tech at the half. In the back-and-forth 3rd quarter, the Panthers stuck first on a two-yard touchdown rush, but the Bulldogs retook the lead on a Henderson 6-yard touchdown run. A 31-yard touchdown pass from James Morgan gave FIU a 24-20 lead, but Henderson’s 3rd touchdown from 6-yard out gave the Bulldogs a 27-24 lead heading into the 4th quarter. Louisiana Tech’s defense was able to keep the Panthers off the scoreboard for most of the 4th, and Hale converted on field goals of 41, 25, and 29 yards to give Tech a 36-24 lead with 2:17 remaining. After FIU scored on a one-yard passing touchdown, their ensuing onside kick was taken to the end zone by Amik Robertson to send the Panthers back to Miami with a 43-31 loss. In the opening C-USA win, Smith completed 27 of 41 passes for 290 yards with an interception and rushed 10 times for 63 yards. Henderson had the best game of his career so far, rushing 15 times for 141 yards with 3 touchdowns, and Dancy rushed 17 times for 73 yards and caught 4 passes for 23 yards. Through the air, Hebert caught 5 passes for 78 yards, Stanley caught 3 passes for 54 yards, Powell caught 6 passes for 52 yards, and Hardy caught 5 passes for 49 yards. Defensively, Baker, Barnett, Robertson, and Scott had 6 tackles, Williams and Barnett each had 1 sack, and Robertson had 3 pass deflections and 1 touchdown. Florida International finished the season with a 6-7 record and a 3-5 record in C-USA.

Clicking on all Cylinders

After the first third of the season was complete, Louisiana Tech had a record of 3-1 and 1-0 in C-USA, right where they wanted to be to make a potential run. Next up for the Bulldogs was a trip to Houston to take on 0-4 Rice. Even though they were winless, the Owls lost at Army, versus Wake Forest, against Texas on a neutral site, and versus Baylor. In the 1st, Rice took an early lead after a 16-yard touchdown rush, but the Bulldogs tied it up after Smith threw a 9-yard touchdown strike to Hardy to even the score at 7 after the 1st. Early in the 2nd, the Owls marched down the field and retook the lead on a 2-yard touchdown rush. After the Bulldogs were only able to punt in the 2nd, Rice had the ball at Tech’s 5-yard line on 3rd and goal with 10 seconds left in the quarter, but Lewis made a huge play on the ball and came up with an interception. Leading 14-7 in the 3rd quarter, Rice missed another opportunity to extend their lead, missing a 36-yard field goal. Following a series of punts, Henderson blazed through Owls’ defenders and tied the game at 14-14 after a 26-yard rushing touchdown. In the 4th, Rice used a 14 play, 7 minutes to drive to take a 17-14 lead after knocking down a 37-yard field goal with 2:51 remaining. 22-yard passes to Hardy and Powell jumpstarted the next drive for Tech, and Hale converted on a 31-yard field goal with 1:10 to play. After the Bulldogs’ defense got a crucial stop, the game was sent to overtime. Tech’s defense was able to remain strong, holding the Owls to a 36-yard field goal, and giving the offense a chance to win the game with a touchdown. On 2nd and 10 trailing 20-17, Smith ran the ball up the middle on a quarterback draw and found the end zone on a game-winning 13-yard rushing touchdown for the Bulldogs. Though it was far from the prettiest win, Tech fans had to be happy with a close conference win after all of the devasting losses the past two years. In his birthday win, Smith completed 21 of 39 passes for 210 yards and 1 touchdown and rushed for the game-winning touchdown. Henderson continued to play with the role of the feature back, rushing 12 times for 64 yards and 1 touchdown while catching 4 passes for 27 yards. Hardy and Powell led the Bulldogs through the air with Hardy catching 6 passes for 78 yards and 1 touchdown, and Powell catching 6 passes for 71 yards. Defensively, Sneed finished with 8 total tackles, Robertson finished with 7 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 2 pass deflections, Jackson had 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass deflection with 6 tackles, and Lewis had 5 total tackles and 1 interception. Rice finished the season with a 3-9 record and a 3-5 record in C-USA.

Returning to the city of peaches, the Bulldogs prepared for their last non-conference matchup of the regular season versus a 1-5 UMass team whose lone victory was an 8-point win over winless Akron. As huge favorites, Louisiana Tech was expected to provide a convincing result and earn their 5th win of the season. On the first drive of the game for the Minutemen, Robertson picked off Randall West for a 42-yard interception return for a touchdown. In a first quarter filled with fireworks, the Bulldogs scored on a 74-yard rushing touchdown from Henderson, a 4-yard rushing touchdown from Henderson, and a 3-yard touchdown run from Henderson to take a commanding 28-0 lead after the 1st quarter. The offense continued to click in the 2nd, with Smith connecting with Hebert for a 17-yard touchdown, and with Henderson for a 1-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 42-0. UMass would score two consecutive touchdowns on a 1-yard touchdown run and a 12-yard touchdown pass, but Tech finished the quarter with a Smith touchdown strike to Powell from 2-yards out and a 42-yard field goal from Hale, creating a wild 52-14 lead at the half. In the 3rd, a 23-yard Hale field goal and a 30-yard touchdown run from DeAndre Marcus extended the lead to 62-21 after the Minutemen scored on a 51-yard touchdown run. As the only score in the 4th, backup quarterback Aaron Allen threw a 13-yard touchdown strike to Tahj Magee, resulting in a statement 69-31 win for the Bulldogs. In the blowout win, Smith completed 16 of 28 passes for 239 yards and 3 touchdowns while rushing 5 times for 69 yards. Henderson had a stellar game on the ground, rushing 11 times for 137 yards and 3 touchdowns and catching 2 passes for 31 yards and 1 touchdown, and DeAndre Marcus rushed 8 times for 99 yards and 1 touchdown. Through the air, 9 different Bulldogs caught passes, led by Powell with 4 catches for 70 yards and 1 touchdown, Hardy with 3 catches for 58 yards, and Graham with 3 catches for 43 yards. On the defensive side, Baldwin finished with 10 total tackles and 2 tackles for loss, Baker had 6 total tackles and 3 tackles for loss, Taylor had 4 total tackles and 1 interception, and Robertson had 4 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 interception returned for a touchdown. UMass finished the season with a 1-11 record as an Independent.

Resuming conference play, the Bulldogs welcomed Southern Miss to town, looking to snap the four-game losing streak to the Golden Eagles. Southern Miss entered the game with a 4-2 record including losses to Mississippi State and Alabama and wins over Alcorn State, Troy, UTEP, and North Texas. All signs pointed to the probability of USM and Tech being the top two teams in the west division at this point of the season, making the rivalry game even more impactful. The beginning of the game gave several Tech fans that the back luck versus Southern Miss was reoccurring, as the Golden Eagles returned the opening kickoff for a 100-yard touchdown, and former Tech backup quarterback Jack Abraham threw a 15-yard touchdown pass putting the Bulldogs in a 14-0 hole. Closing out the 4th, Tech finally got on the scoreboard with a Smith 5-yard touchdown pass to Stanley. A play after Robertson picked off Abraham, Henderson slashed through the USM defense for a 30-yard touchdown, quickly tying the game at 14-14. After Abraham rushed for a 37-yard touchdown and spiked the ball, Hale knocked down a 50-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 21-17. USM would increase their lead after a 28 and 46-yard field goal, but the Bulldogs finished the half with Stanley receptions of 32 and 37 yards and capped off the drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown from Henderson, making it a 27-24 game at the half. With neither team surprisingly scoring in the 3rd, Tech’s offense took advantage of a short field and punched it in the end zone on 4th and goal on a 1-yard Smith touchdown run, taking a 31-27 lead. Southern Miss drove the ball down the field on their next possession getting all the way down to the 5-yard line on 2nd and goal, but Robertson came off his assignment from Quez Watkins to make a spectacular play by intercepting Abraham in the end zone for his second pick of the ballgame. The Bulldogs immediately took advantage of this momentum with Smith throwing a 70-yard strike to Hebert off play-action and Holly found the end zone on a 1-yard touchdown, giving Tech a 38-27 lead. The Golden Eagles knocked down a 41-yard field goal and forced a quick punt, getting the ball back with 2:03 remaining, trailing 38-30. On 1st at 10 from the USM 34, Barnett intercepted Abraham and took it to the house for a game-sealing 30-yard touchdown return. USM got the ball back one more time, but Abraham threw his 4th pick of the afternoon and his 3rd to Robertson, giving Louisiana Tech a massive 45-30 win. In the win, Smith completed 14 of 21 passes for 325 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception while rushing for 1 touchdown. Henderson had another big-time game on the ground, rushing 19 times for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns. Malik Stanley had a career day through the air, catching 8 passes for 212 yards, averaging 26.5 yards per catch with 1 touchdown, followed by Hebert with 2 catches for 86 yards. Defensively, Baker finished with 10 total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, Mason had 6 total tackles, 2 sacks, and 3.5 tackles for loss, and Robertson went off with 2 pass deflections and 3 interceptions. Southern Miss finished the season with a 7-6 record and a 5-3 record in C-USA.

Following the huge win, the Bulldogs hit the road to continue their C-USA title journey into El Paso to face the UTEP Miners. In the first, Tucker gave Louisiana Tech a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run, but UTEP tied the game on a 5-yard touchdown run. On to the 2nd quarter, Tech built a strong lead with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Stanley, Smith threw a 23-yard touchdown strike to Hebert, and Henderson closed out the half with a 3-yard touchdown run to take a 28-7 lead at the half. Transitioning to the 3rd, Tech’s defense continued to stuff the UTEP offense, and the Bulldogs added two more scores on a 5-yard touchdown pass to Holly and a 1-yard Henderson touchdown run, giving the Bulldogs a 42-7 advantage going into the 4th. The Miners scored two touchdowns in the 4th on a 1-yard touchdown run and a 54-yard touchdown pass, resulting in a 42-21 conference win for the Bulldogs. Smith shined in the win, completing 29 of 35 passes for 338 yards with 3 touchdowns. On the ground, Henderson rushed 17 times for 65 yards and 2 touchdowns and Tucker rushed 8 times for 56 yards and 1 touchdown. Defensively, Sneed finished with 9 total tackles and 2 pass deflections, Robertson had 4 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 1 pass deflection, and 1 fumble recovery, and Williams and Hall each had a fumble recovery as well. UTEP finished the season with a 1-11 record and an 0-8 record in C-USA.

Almost There

Coming off a bye week, Louisiana Tech returned home with four games to go, starting with North Texas for the homecoming. Even though the Mean Green were projected to win the west division, UNT had just a 4-5 record entering the matchup. Undefeated in C-USA play, UAB, the conference champions from a year ago were the clear competitors for the west division title. Starting the game, North Texas knocked down a 38-yard field goal before Henderson punched it in the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown giving Tech a 7-3 lead after the 1st. The Bulldogs extended their lead in the 2nd with a 24-yard Hale field goal and a 1-yard Henderson touchdown run to take a 17-3 at halftime. Moving to the 3rd quarter, Tech built on their lead with a Tucker 8-yard touchdown run and a Smith 80-yard touchdown strike to Graham, claiming a commanding 31-3 lead over the foes from Denton. Tech continued their dominance in the 4th with an 8-yard touchdown run from Harris and a 68-yard interception return for a touchdown from Sneed of future Kansas quarterback Jason Bean. UNT would score on a 74-yard passing touchdown, Tech answered with a 15-yard touchdown run from Jawuan Johnson, and North Texas scored on a 22-yard touchdown run, culminating in a focused 52-17 win over the Mean Green for the homecoming game. In the 8th win of the season, Smith completed 21 of 38 passes for 263 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception while rushing 16 times for 44 yards. A balanced attack on the ground was led by Henderson with 15 rushes for 58 yards and 2 touchdowns, Tucker rushed 7 times for 52 yards and 1 touchdown, and Johnson rushed 8 times for 49 yards and 1 touchdown. Through the air, Hardy caught 9 passes for 104 yards and Graham caught 2 passes for 91 yards and 1 touchdown. Defensively, Barnett finished with 7 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass deflection, Michael Sam had 1 interception, and Sneed returned an interception for a touchdown. North Texas finished the season with a 4-8 record and a 3-5 record in C-USA.

After UAB was thrashed 37-2 by Southern Miss giving the Blazers their 2nd C-USA loss of the year, the Bulldogs were in prime position to win the west division by winning 2 out of their last 3 games. Next up for the Bulldogs would be the 6-3 Marshall Thundering Herd, the current leaders of the east division after their win at FAU. Preparing to travel to Huntington, West Virginia, for a Friday night showdown, the Louisiana Tech athletic department announced that J’Mar Smith and Adrian Hardy would be suspended for the Marshall and UAB game, and James Jackson would be suspended for the Marshall game due to “a violation of an athletic department policy.” All 3 suspensions were huge blows for the Bulldogs, especially entering the 2 biggest games of their season with a chance to return to the title game. The best thing that the Bulldogs could do was play with the players they had available, and at quarterback that was redshirt freshman Aaron Allen. Starting off the pivotal game, Allen led the offense down the field on the 2nd drive of the game, and Henderson punched it in the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown rush. After Marshall missed a 31-yard field goal and Hale missed a 42-yard field goal, the Thundering Herd got on the board with a 44-yard field goal midway through the second quarter. Following another Tech punt, Marshall took a 10-7 lead on an 18-yard touchdown pass. On special teams, a muffed punt would gift Marshall the ball at Tech’s one-yard line, leading to the Thundering Herd taking a 17-7 lead at the half after a short rushing touchdown. Starting the 2nd half, a Michael Sam interception led to a 38-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 17-10. Ending the 3rd, Marshall extended their lead on a 17-yard touchdown run, taking a 24-10 lead. In the early 4th, Tech drove down to the 11-yard line of Marshall but was stuffed on 3rd and 1 and 4th and 1. On the ensuing drive, Marshall marched down the field and put the game out of reach with a short touchdown run, resulting in a tough 31-10 loss for the Bulldogs. With the loss, the Bulldogs’ chance to host the C-USA Championship Game was severely damaged, but Tech still needed to win at UAB the next week to even make the game. In his first start, Allen completed 19 of 32 passes for 159 yards. On the ground, Henderson rushed 21 times for 87 yards and 1 touchdown. Harris and Stanley stepped up with the loss of Hardy, Harris catching 9 passes for 91 yards and Stanley catching 7 passes for 82 yards. On defense, Sneed finished with 13 total tackles and 1 pass deflection, Williams finished with 10 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack, Sam had 2 total tackles and 1 interception, and Robertson had 5 total tackles and 2 pass deflections. Marshall would finish the season with an 8-5 record and a 6-2 record in C-USA.

Staying on the road after only the 2nd loss of the season, the Bulldogs prepared to take on UAB for a chance to clinch the division title. After the Blazers scored the only points of the 1st quarter on a 36-yard field goal, Aaron Allen threw a 42-yard touchdown strike to Graham, taking a 7-3 lead in the 2nd. With the 1st half coming to an end, UAB scored on a 14-yard passing touchdown and knocked down a 31-yard field goal, taking a 13-7 lead over the Bulldogs at the half. On the first drive of the 3rd, the Bulldogs drove down to the Blazers’ 24 yard-line but Tucker was stuffed on 4th and 2. On the next possession, UAB marched down the field and scored on a 2-yard rushing touchdown to take a 20-7 lead over Tech. In the early 4th, Sneed made a huge play, intercepting Hopkins in the end zone to keep the Bulldogs in the game. On the ensuing drive, Allen led the offense down the field and threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Harris, cutting the deficit to 20-14 with 8:07 remaining. Tech’s defense forced a punt, the offense stalled after 6 plays and had to punt right back to the Blazers. After the defense came up with a clutch stop on 3rd and 1, the Bulldogs’ offense would get more last chance with 2:28 remaining. On 4th and 3 from Tech’s own 23rd yard-line, Allen’s pass to Harris was broken up. After turning the ball over on downs, UAB ran the clock out and sent Tech back to Ruston with a 20-14 loss. With the loss, the Bulldogs did not control their own destiny in the west division race and needed to win at home versus UTSA and for UAB to lose at North Texas. In the 2nd consecutive loss, Allen completed 16 of 34 passes for 173 and 2 touchdowns. On the ground, Henderson rushed 16 times for 63 yards and Tucker rushed 7 times for just 15 yards and caught 3 passes for 31 yards. Through the air, Graham caught 1 pass for 42 yards and 1 touchdown, Hebert caught 2 passes for 33 yards, Harris caught 4 passes for 29 yards and 1 touchdown, and Holly caught 3 passes for 29 yards. The Bulldogs’ defense played well enough to win with Lewis finishing with 13 total tackles and 1 tackle for loss, Robertson had 4 total tackles and 1 tackle for loss, and Sneed had 5 total tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, and 1 interception. UAB finished the season with a 9-5 record and a 6-3 record in C-USA.

Returning home for Senior Day with J’Mar Smith back at quarterback for his last start at the Joe. The previous week, Marshall lost at Charlotte, allowing Florida Atlantic an opportunity to clinch the east division. In the 1st, UTSA took the lead on a 28-yard field goal before Smith threw a 22-yard touchdown strike to Hebert and Smith ran it in the end zone for a 5-yard rushing touchdown. The Roadrunners took the lead on a 2-yard touchdown run and a fumble return for a touchdown, leading 17-14 in the early 2nd. Louisiana Tech bounced back, with Smith throwing a dart to Graham for a 39-yard touchdown pass and Hale ended the half on a 34-yard field goal, creating a 24-17 lead at halftime. The Bulldogs extended their lead in the 3rd on a 17-yard interception returned for a touchdown from James Jackson. After UTSA converted on a short field goal, Tech closed the quarter with a 25-yard field goal from Hale. In the 4th, Smith threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Hebert, to extend the lead to 41-20. The Roadrunners cut the deficit to 41-27 with under 7 minutes to go and got the ball back after Henderson fumbled. UTSA drove down to the 6-yard line of the Bulldogs, but a Courtney Wallace sack on 4th and goal put the game on ice, resulting in a 41-27 Senior Day victory. In his final home game, Smith completed 25 of 35 passes for 3 touchdowns and rushed for 1 touchdown. On the ground, Henderson rushed 20 times for 105 yards and caught 4 passes for 39 yards. Through the air, Hebert caught 3 passes for 92 yards and 2 touchdowns, Graham caught 3 passes for 62 yards and 1 touchdown, Hardy caught 2 passes for 43 yards, and Stanley caught 4 passes for 40 yards. Defensively, Taylor finished with 9 total tackles and 1 tackle for loss, Williams had 8 total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, Sneed had 7 tackles and 1 interception, and Jackson had 4 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass deflection, 1 interception, and 1 touchdown. In the later game, UAB defeated North Texas 26-21 after Mason Fine threw a pick-six on 4th and 1 from the UNT 29-yard line. The Blazers’ win clinched an appearance in the C-USA Championship Game, where UAB lost 49-6 to FAU. UTSA would finish the season with a 4-8 record and a 3-5 record in C-USA.

Christmas in Shreveport

With a chance to finish with a 10-win season, Louisiana Tech earned a bid to the Independence Bowl in Shreveport to face the 6-6 Miami Hurricanes led by former Tech coaches Manny Diaz and Blake Baker. For Smith, it was a chance for redemption after being suspended for the two biggest games of the season. Star cornerback Amik Robertson declared for the NFL Draft, wrapping up his great Louisiana Tech career in the win over UTSA. After each team took turns punting in the 1st quarter, Smith found Tucker for a 26-yard touchdown, giving the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead in the 2nd. For the remainder of the quarter, Miami and Tech continued their punting fest, leading to a 7-0 game at halftime. Closing the 3rd, Baldwin picked off Jarren Williams to give the Bulldogs the ball at the Miami 30-yard line. The drive ended, however, with a Smith interception, giving Miami new life. After Tech came up with another stop versus the Hurricanes but had to punt again, giving Miami an opportunity to tie the game late in the 4th. On 1st and 10 from the 50-yard line, Aaron Roberson came up with a crucial interception of N’Kosi Perry. With the ball on the 8-yard line of Miami with a little over a minute to go, Smith sent the Hurricanes back to Coral Gables with a 26-yard run and an 8-yard touchdown run to clinch a 14-0 Independence Bowl win. In his final game as a Bulldog, Smith completed 13 of 28 passes for 163 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception while rushing 10 times for 34 yards and 1 touchdown. Henderson concluded his 1,000-yard season on the ground with 22 rushes for 95 yards. Through the air, Stanley caught 3 passes for 75 yards, Tucker caught 1 pass for 26 yards and 1 touchdown, and Hebert caught 2 passes for 26 yards. Defensively, the Bulldogs’ defense dominated versus all three quarterbacks in Williams, Perry, and Martell, holding the trio to 15 of 34 for 153 yards and 2 interceptions. Taylor finished the season with 9 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and 1 pass deflection, Barnett had 6 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack, Williams had 5 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks, Roberson finished with 2 pass deflections and 1 interception, Baldwin had 4 total tackles and 1 interception, and Sneed concluded his great career with 2 pass deflections. Miami finished the season with a 6-7 record and a 4-4 record in the ACC.

Conclusion

Winning 10 games for the first time in program history as an FBS program with an Independence Bowl win over Miami was definitely a successful year. After the win, Louisiana Tech became the only active FBS program in the nation. with 6 consecutive bowl wins. The Bulldogs also became the first team in Independence Bowl history to record a shutout in its long history. The only disappointment came in losing senior quarterback J’Mar Smith for two games with a division title on the line. As a whole, Smith easily had the best season of his Bulldog career and went out as a winner. Replacing Smith at quarterback would be Holtz’s first task for the 2020 season. With the departures of Robertson and Sneed on defense, Tech would desperately need players to emerge to fill the big shoes left by the duo. Henderson proved to be the feature back this season and would surely be a security blanket to fall back on for the new quarterback. Entering the 2020 season, would Holtz be able to keep his staff in tact and develop a star at quarterback to elevate the Bulldogs to a conference championship game?