2020 Louisiana Tech Football

Head Coach: Skip Holtz (8th season)

Conference: C-USA

Record: (5-5, 4-2)

Points Per Game: 26.7 (78th of 128)

Points Allowed Per Game: 34.7 (96th of 128)

Strength of Schedule: -4.24 (99th of 128)

Strength of Record: -8.94 (98th of 128)

Team Leaders:

Luke Anthony (138/221, 62.4%, 1,479 yards, 16 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 138.0 passer rating, 49 rushes, -58 yards, 1 touchdown)

Aaron Allen (73/121, 60.3%, 602 yards, 4 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 99.8 passer rating, 17 rushes, -17 yards)

Israel Tucker (149 rushes, 648 yards, 4.3 avg, 4 touchdowns, 10 receptions, 59 yards)

Justin Henderson (75 rushes, 252 yards, 3.4 avg, 2 touchdowns, 9 receptions, 37 yards)

Adrian Hardy (33 receptions, 440 yards, 13.3 avg, 4 touchdowns)

Griffin Hebert (19 receptions, 275 yards, 14.5 avg, 3 touchdowns)

Cee Jay Powell (37 receptions, 271 yards, 7.3 avg)

Isaiah Graham (20 receptions, 225 yards, 11.3 avg, 3 touchdowns)

Tyler Grubbs (96 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 pass deflections)

Trey Baldwin (85 total tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, 5 pass deflections, 1 interception)

Milton Williams (45 total tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery)

Bee Jay Williamson (56 total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 3 pass deflections, 3 interceptions)

Cedric Woods (30 total tackles, 6 pass deflections, 2 interceptions)

Ezekiel Barnett (49 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 1 touchdown)

Scores/Schedule:

@ UNLV: Cancelled

@ Baylor: Cancelled

@ Southern Miss: 31-30 W

Vs Houston Baptist: 66-38 W

@ #22 BYU: 45-14 L

Vs UTEP: 21-17 W

Vs Marshall: 35-17 L

@ UTSA: 27-26 L

Vs UAB: 37-34 W (2OT)

Vs Rice: Cancelled

Vs: UL Monroe (Shreveport): Cancelled

@ FIU: Cancelled

@ North Texas: 42-31 W

Vs Georgia Southern (New Orleans Bowl): 38-3 L

Pandemic

The looming question for Louisiana Tech and every program in the nation was if the 2020 season would even be played. With the coronavirus devastating the United States in March, causing several deaths throughout the nation, college football had to decide whether or not it was wise to continue with the season. Star quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields public rallied for the season to be played, heavily influencing the probability of football in the fall. After the NCAA allowed teams to participate in football, a few times still decided to sit out the season: Old Dominion, UConn, and New Mexico State. Initially, the Pac-12, Big Ten, Mountain West, and MAC decided to cancel their conference’s entire seasons, before following the path of the SEC and ACC by playing out the season. Some conferences such as the SEC opted for a season of only conference play, but C-USA opted to continue to play out of conference games. For Louisiana Tech, the losses of J’Mar Smith, and 4th round picks L’Jarius Sneed and Amik Robertson would be extremely difficult to replace. Additionally, with players from nearly every program throughout the country opting out, the Bulldogs’ roster was likely to be thinner than usual. Transfer quarterback Luke Anthony from Abilene Christian was brought in by Holtz to compete with Aaron Allen for the starting job after the graduation of Smith. In a season with such uncertainty, how would the Bulldogs perform after their 10-win season?

Getting on the Field

Week one and two matchups at UNLV and Baylor were canceled due to Covid-19 concerns, leading to Louisiana Tech opening its 2020 season at rival Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles lost to South Alabama 32-21 16 days prior to the matchup, entering the game with an 0-1 record. At quarterback for the Golden Eagles was Jack Abraham once again, the former Tech quarterback who threw 4 interceptions versus the Bulldogs a year ago. On the first drive of the game, USM drove down to the 24 yard-line of Tech, but the Bulldogs’ defense tackled Gore after a gain of only 3 on 4th and 7. With Allen starting the game for Tech, he led the offense down the field and connected with Hebert for a 5-yard touchdown pass to put the Bulldogs up 7-0 after a 7-minute drive. In the early 2nd quarter, Southern Miss responded with a one-yard rushing touchdown but missed the conversion before a 28-yard field goal from Barnes helped the Bulldogs retake the lead. USM would score quickly however, throwing a 74-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the drive to take a 13-10 lead. With Luke Anthony now at quarterback, Tech drove down to the USM 35-yard line but turnover the ball over on downs after an incomplete pass on 4th and 3 and trailing 13-10 at the half. Starting the 3rd, Allen threw an interception on the second play of the drive, leading to Southern Miss scoring on a 20-yard touchdown pass on the first play of their drive to take a 20-10 lead. Allen could not spark the offense, and the Golden Eagles took a 27-10 lead over the Bulldogs on a 5-yard touchdown pass in the middle of the 3rd. With Anthony back in at quarterback, Tech marched down the field and scored on a 32-yard touchdown pass to Hardy, cutting the deficit to 27-17. Back with the ball, Abraham attempted a screen pass that was deflected and intercepted by Bulldogs’ defensive lineman Deshon Hall for a momentous play for the road team. Taking advantage of the momentum, Anthony dropped an absolute dime to Smoke Harris for a 35-yard touchdown pass, narrowing the score to 27-24 at the end of the 3rd. Tech’s defense would force a punt, but the Bulldogs gave the ball back to Southern Miss after Allen was sacked on 3rd and 2 from the 50-yard line. The Golden Eagles converted on a 37-yard field goal, taking a 30-24 lead over the Bulldogs with 5:06 remaining. On a long, 17-play drive, Anthony led the offense down the field and converted multiple 3rd downs, and Greg Garner rushed for 24 yards on his first carry to get the ball to the USM 27-yard line. After a couple of runs and short passes to Powell got the Bulldogs inside the 10, Anthony lost 3 yards on 2nd and goal from the 2 and fumbled but recovered the ball. With 33 seconds remaining, Garner gained only a yard on 3rd and goal from the 5 before being driven backward and suplexed well after the play was over, but no flag was thrown in Hattiesburg. The game on the line, with 4th and goal on the 4-yard line with 21 seconds to go, Anthony stepped up and drifted left before lobbing a pass to Hebert in the back of the end zone, which was caught, but ruled as incomplete after it appeared Hebert was shoved out of bounce before he could get a foot down. Southern Miss players and fans began to celebrate after the play, but on the review, it was clear that Hebert made an excellent play to get his toes down right before being shoved out of bounce, causing the call to be overturned for a touchdown, and the stunned silence of Southern Miss. Barnes knocked down the extra point, giving the Bulldogs a 31-30 lead in the 2020 thriller. With just 9 seconds left, the Golden Eagles lateraled the ball around before the Bulldogs forced a tackle out of bounce, resulting in a nerve-racking 31-30 victory over Southern Miss for the 2nd straight win over the Golden Eagles. Leading the 17-point comeback, Anthony completed 13 of 21 passes for 149 yards with 3 touchdowns and Allen completed 11 of 14 passes for 69 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. On the ground, Henderson rushed 18 times for 69 yards, Tucker rushed 11 times for 65 yards, and Garner rushed 6 times for 40 yards. Through the air, Hardy caught 5 passes for 79 yards and 1 touchdown, Harris caught 5 passes for 59 yards and 1 touchdown, and Hebert caught 4 passes for 48 yards and 2 touchdowns. Defensively, Tyler Grubbs had a team-high 16 total tackles with 1 tackle for loss, Barnett had 10 total tackles and 2 tackles for loss, Williams had 1.5 tackles for loss and 1 sack, and Hall forced the only turnover on his 1 interception. Southern Miss finished the season with a 3-7 record and a 2-4 record in C-USA.

Following the Bulldogs’ exciting win over the Golden Eagles, Louisiana Tech returned to Ruston to face Houston Baptist of the FCS in the home opener. The Huskies entered the matchup with an 0-2 record after a 57-31 loss at North Texas and a 35-33 loss at Texas Tech. HBU was led by Bailey Zappe and an array of other offensive players who would join offensive coordinator Zach Kittley at Western Kentucky a year later. Starting the game, Barnes knocked down a 51-yard field goal, but Houston Baptist took the lead on a 4-yard touchdown pass. Later in the quarter, Anthony threw a 44-yard touchdown strike to Toussant to give the Bulldogs a 10-7 lead. After the Huskies retook the lead on a 6-yard touchdown pass, Anthony threw another dart on a 43-yard touchdown pass to Toussant, creating a 17-14 lead for Tech after the 1st. Louisiana Tech began creating separation in the 2nd, with Anthony connecting with Graham for a 15-yard touchdown pass, Henderson rushing for a 3-yard touchdown, and a 15-yard touchdown pass from Anthony to Graham. Closing the half, HBU converted on a 42-yard field goal, to make it a 38-17 game at the half. In the 3rd, the Huskies cut the deficit to 14 on a 2-yard touchdown pass before Anthony found Johnson for a 41-yard touchdown pass. To end the quarter, Anthony punched it in from one yard out, giving the Bulldogs a 52-24 lead heading into the 4th. HBU started the 4th with a 1-yard touchdown pass, followed by a 2-yard Garner touchdown run. Ending the game, the Huskies scored on another 1-yard touchdown pass, before Elliot connected with Maxwell for a 7-yard touchdown pass, resulting in a 66-38 victory over Houston Baptist. In the win, Anthony completed 17 of 30 passes for 314 yards with 5 touchdowns and 1 interception while also rushing for 1 touchdown. On the ground, Henderson rushed 11 times for 77 yards and 1 touchdown and Tucker rushed 9 times for 63 yards. Through the air, Toussant caught 3 passes for 91 yards and 2 touchdowns, Hardy caught 4 passes for 69 yards, Hebert caught 2 passes for 47 yards, and Johnson caught 2 passes for 44 yards and 1 touchdown. Defensively, Grubbs had a team-high 12 total tackles and 1 tackle for loss, Williams had 1 tackle for loss and 1 sack, and Williamson finished with 1 interception. Tech’s defense struggled heavily versus HBU’s pass-heavy attack, allowing future WKU stars to shine, with Zappe throwing for 406 yards and 5 touchdowns, and allowing Jerreth Sterns and Ben Ratzlaff to finish with 138 yards with 3 touchdowns and 137 yards and 2 touchdowns respectively. Houston Baptist finished the season with a 1-3 record.

After their first win of the season, the Bulldogs traveled to Provo, Utah, to take on #22 BYU and Zach Wilson. The Cougars entered the game with a 2-0 record with blowout wins at Army and versus Troy. BYU scored first, with Wilson rushing for a 9-yard touchdown, but the Bulldogs tied the game on a 66-yard dart from Anthony to Harris. In the 2nd, the Cougars took control of the game, scoring on a 22-yard touchdown pass, a 1-yard touchdown run, and another 22-yard touchdown pass, taking a 28-7 lead over Tech at halftime. Tech’s offense continued to still in the 3rd, and BYU increased their lead with a 1-yard touchdown run and a 45-yard field goal, creating a 38-7 lead heading into the 4th. BYU stretched their lead out to 45-7 before Anthony found Harris for a 4-yard touchdown, culminating in a 45-14 loss for Louisiana Tech. In the loss, Anthony completed 18 of 27 passes for 191 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception while rushing 12 times for 28 yards. The Bulldogs struggled mightily on the ground with Henderson rushing 13 times for 29 yards and Tucker rushing 6 times for 17 yards. Through the air, Harris caught 3 passes for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns, Maxwell caught 2 passes for 31 yards, and Toussant caught 3 passes for 30 yards. Defensively, Hannibal finished with a team-high 7 total tackles and Grubbs had 5 total tackles and 2 tackles for loss. Louisiana Tech’s defense had another rough outing, allowing Wilson to complete 24 of 26 passes for 325 yards and 2 touchdowns while rushing 8 times for 43 yards and 3 touchdowns. BYU finished the season with an 11-1 record and ranked #11 in the nation.

Conference Clashes

Following the loss, the Bulldogs returned home with a 2-1 record, resuming conference play with a matchup versus UTEP for the Homecoming Game. The Miners entered the game with a 3-1 record with wins over Stephen F. Austin, Abilene Christian, and at ULM, and a loss at Texas. Tucker scored the only points of the first on a 15-yard touchdown run, giving the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead after the 1st. UTEP tied the game in the second quarter on a 33-yard touchdown pass before Henderson slashed through the Miners’ defense for a 14-yard touchdown, creating a 14-7 lead over UTEP at halftime. The Miners scored the only points of the third on a 29-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 14-10 heading into the final quarter. With Allen now at quarterback, the Bulldogs drove down the field and took the lead on a 1-yard touchdown run from Tucker to extend the lead to 21-10, but the Miners reduced the lead to 4 again after returning the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Following a series of punts, Cedric Woods picked off Gavin Hardison to give the Bulldogs the ball back with 7 minutes to go. After the Bulldogs were forced to punt again, Milton Williams recovered a UTEP fumble on a lateral on the last play of the game to seal a 21-17 Louisiana Tech win. Anthony and Allen both saw action in the win, with Anthony completing 11 of 20 passes for 85 yards and Allen completing 3 of 8 passes for 34 yards. On the ground, Henderson rushed 15 times for 54 yards and 1 touchdown and Tucker rushed 16 times for 47 yards and 2 touchdowns. Through the air, Hardy and Powell were the only receivers with over 10 yards, with Hardy catching 4 passes for 58 yards and Powell catching 4 passes for 41 yards. On defense, Barnett finished with 10 total tackles and 1 tackle for loss, Woods had 2 pass deflections and 1 interception, and Williams had 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 fumble recovery. UTEP finished the season with a 3-5 record and an 0-4 record in C-USA.

Staying at home, the Bulldogs welcomed 3-0 Marshall into Ruston for another C-USA showdown. The Thundering Herd entered the game with wins versus Eastern Kentucky, Appalachian State, and at Western Kentucky. In the 1st, Marshall scored first on a 1-yard touchdown run from future Virginia Tech quarterback Grant Wells. Trailing 7-0 in the 2nd, Louisiana Tech got on the scoreboard with Barnes knocking down a 35-yard field goal. Closing the half, Knox found the end zone for Marshall to put the Thundering Herd up 14-3 at halftime after Henderson was stuffed twice at the 1-yard line to end the quarter. Marshall added to their lead in the 3rd on a 7-yard touchdown run from Knox. Later in the quarter, Anthony found Hardy for a 12-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to 21-10, before a 46-yard touchdown pass from Wells gave the Thundering Herd a 28-10 lead heading into the 4th. After Marshall took a commanding lead on a 26-yard touchdown pass before Allen threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Graham, resulting in a 35-17 loss for Louisiana Tech. In the loss, Anthony completed 18 of 25 passes for 180 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception and Allen completed 8 of 9 passes for 80 yards with 1 touchdown. Tech’s ground game was virtually non-existent, as the Bulldogs netted only 7 total yards as Tucker rushed 4 times for 20 yards, Henderson rushed 11 times for 16 yards, Allen rushed 1 time for 2 yards, and Anthony was sacked numerous times resulting in 8 rushed for -31 yards. In the passing attack, Hardy caught 9 passes for 102 yards and 1 touchdown, Hebert caught 4 passes for 66 yards, and Johnson caught 4 passes for 36 yards. On defense, Baldwin finished with 16 total tackles and 1 tackle for loss and Woods finished with 3 total tackles and 1 interception. Marshall finished the season with a 7-3 record and a 4-2 record in C-USA after losing to UAB in the C-USA Championship.

Next up for Louisiana Tech was a road trip to take on UTSA in the Alamodome. The Roadrunners entered the game with a 3-3 record after wins over Texas State, Stephen F. Austin, and Middle Tennessee, with losses to UAB, BYU, and Army. UTSA was led by first-year head coach Jeff Traylor as well as quarterback Frank Harris and running back Sincere McCormick. In the 1st, Barnes knocked down a 27-yard field goal, and the Roadrunners converted on a 21-yard field goal, resulting in a 3-3 game after the quarter ended. In the 2nd, Barnes made field goals of 46 and 22 yards to give the Bulldogs a 9-3 lead. After UTSA converted on a 37-yard field goal, Anthony threw a 13-yard touchdown strike to Jacob Adams and Barnes knocked down a 24-yard field goal to close the half with a 19-6 lead. In the 3rd, UTSA cut into the lead with a 2-yard touchdown run, but Barnett intercepted Harris and took it to the house for a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown, and a 26-13 going into the 4th. Early in the 4th quarter, Hall blocked a 43-yard Roadrunners’ field goal to maintain the 13-point lead. After the Bulldogs were forced to punt, a 54-yard Harris completion and a 6-yard touchdown run narrowed the lead to 26-20. After a Tech three and out, the Roadrunners took a 27-26 lead 45-yard McCormick touchdown run. Following another Bulldogs’ three and out, Tech’s defense forced a punt to give the offense one last chance to retake the lead and win the game. On 1st and 10 from Tech’s 43-yard line, Allen was picked off with 1:43 remaining, leaving the Roadrunners with the opportunity to run out the clock, and resulting in a 27-26 Louisiana Tech loss. In the brutal loss, Anthony completed 22 of 33 passes for 148 yards with 1 touchdown and Allen completed 3 of 6 passes for 21 yards with 1 interception. On the ground, Tucker had a team-high 70 rushing yards on 19 rushes and Henderson rushed 3 times for 11 yards. Through the air, Powell caught 8 passes for 54 yards, Graham caught 3 passes for 43 yards, and Hardy caught 4 passes for 31 yards. Defensively, Baldwin finished with a staggering 18 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 interception, Grubbs had 12 total tackles and 2 tackles for loss, and Barnett returned an interception for a touchdown. UTSA finished the season with a 7-5 record and a 5-2 record in C-USA.

Cancellations on End

Following the loss, the Bulldogs returned home to take on the defending west division champion in UAB. The Blazers entered the game with a 4-2 record with wins over Central Arkansas, South Alabama, UTSA, and WKU with losses to Miami, FL, and UL Lafayette. The only score in the 1st quarter came on a 27-yard Barnes field goal to put the Bulldogs up 3-0. In the 2nd, Khalil Ladler picked off Lucero for an 81-yard pick-six. With the Bulldogs leading 10-0, the Blazers struck back with a 75-yard rushing touchdown and a 6-yard rushing touchdown to take a 14-10 lead. Closing out the quarter, Anthony connected with Hardy for an 18-yard touchdown, giving Tech a 17-14 halftime advantage. UAB dominated Tech in the 3rd quarter with a 22-yard rushing touchdown, a 10-yard rushing touchdown, and a 45-yard field goal while blanking the Bulldogs’ offense to take a 31-17 going into the 4th quarter. Early in the 4th, Allen threw a dart to Johnson for a 30-yard touchdown, reducing the lead to 31-24. With a little over two minutes remaining, the Bulldogs’ defense forced a punt, giving Tech the ball with a chance to tie the game. With Allen in the game, the offense marched down the field and capped off the 90-yard drive with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Hardy with 10 seconds remaining to force overtime. In overtime, Barnes converted on a 36-yard field goal and the Blazers extended the game with a 42-yard field goal. In double overtime, Williamson forced a fumble on the 1-yard line, recovered by Hannibal to give the offense the ball back with a chance to win. On 4th and 5, Barnes missed a potential game-winning 38-yard field goal, but a roughing the kicker penalty by UAB gave Tech another chance on 1st down. From 35 yards out, Barnes converted on his second chance, kicking the game-winning field goal in the 37-34 double-overtime victory. In the clutch win, Allen completed 18 of 26 passes for 191 yards with 2 touchdowns and Anthony completed 11 of 20 passes for 141 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. On the ground, Tucker rushed 17 times for 54 yards as was the only Tech rushed with over 10 yards. In the aerial attack, Hardy caught 7 passes for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns, Johnson caught 6 passes for 73 yards and 1 touchdown, Harris caught 7 passes for 54 yards, and Hebert caught 1 pass for 42 yards. Defensively, Williamson finished with 10 total tackles, 1 pass deflection, 1 forced fumble, and 2 interceptions, Williams had 9 total tackles and 3 tackles for loss, and Hannibal had 3 total tackles with a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. UAB finished the season with a 6-3 record and a 4-1 record in C-USA.

After the Bulldogs’ win on October 31st over UAB, Louisiana Tech would not play again until December 3rd at North Texas. This was due to a bye week, a canceled game versus Rice, a canceled game versus UL Monroe at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, and a canceled game at Florida International. The Mean Green entered the game after playing the previous two weeks and defeated Rice and lost to UTSA. Starting the Bulldogs’ first game in over a month, Harris rushed into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown to give Tech a 7-0 lead in Denton. UNT closed the quarter with a 13-yard touchdown pass from future Kansas Jayhawk Jason Bean and a 1-yard touchdown run to lead Tech 14-7 after the 1st. In the 2nd quarter, Garner scored on a 1-yard touchdown rush and Tucker punched it in from 2 yards out to create a 21-14 lead for Louisiana Tech. After the Mean Green knocked down a 48-yard field goal, Anthony connected with Maxwell for a 5-yard touchdown to end the half with a 28-17 advantage. The Bulldogs extended their lead in the 3rd on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Anthony to Harris. UNT responded with a 33-yard touchdown pass, but Tech finished the quarter strong with a 1-yard touchdown rush from Tucker, putting the Bulldogs up 42-24 going into the 4th. North Texas cut into the lead on a 10-yard touchdown pass, but Tech’s defense held the Mean Green off the scoreboard for the remainder of the quarter, resulting in a 42-31 Louisiana Tech win. In the road win, Anthony completed 13 of 20 passes for 110 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception and Allen completed 6 of 11 passes for 48 yards. Tucker was a workhouse in the ground game, rushing 37 times for 161 yards and 2 touchdowns and catching 1 pass for 17 yards. In the passing game, Harris caught 7 passes for 40 yards and 1 touchdown, Graham caught 3 passes for 27 yards, Powell caught 3 passes for 27 yards, and Hebert caught 2 passes for 24 yards. On the defensive side, Barnett finished with 8 total tackles and 1 interception, Cole had 1 tackle for loss and 1 sack, and Hall had 1 tackle for loss and 1 sack. North Texas finished the season with a 4-6 record and a 3-4 record in C-USA.

Closing the regular season, Tech brought their 5-3 record to Fort Worth to face 5-4 TCU. The Horned Frogs entered with wins over Texas, Baylor, Texas Tech, Kansas, and Oklahoma State, and losses against Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. In the 1st, TCU took a 10-0 on a 22-yard field goal and a 5-yard touchdown run from Max Duggan. In the 2nd, Louisiana Tech was unable to score again, and the Horned Frogs took control of the game with a 76-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston, a 4-yard touchdown run from Zach Evans, and a 1-yard touchdown run from Johnston, to put the Bulldogs in a 31-0 deficit at halftime. TCU continued to dominate in the 3rd with a 75-yard Evans touchdown run and a 38-yard touchdown run from Kendre Miller before Tech finally got on the scoreboard with a 34-yard Barnes field goal, to make it a 45-3 game entering the 4th. In the final quarter, Anthony connected with Hebert for a 13-yard touchdown and TCU closed the game with an 89-yard Miller touchdown run, resulting in a 52-10 loss for the Bulldogs. Anthony left the game early after being injured in the loss and completed 15 of 25 passes for 161 yards and 1 touchdown and Allen completed 5 of 11 passes for 31 yards and 2 interceptions. Tech failed to threaten on the ground, with Tucker rushing 10 times for 28 yards and Garner rushing 10 times for 24 yards. Through the air, Graham caught 3 passes for 44 yards, Powell caught 3 passes for 34 yards, and Hebert caught 2 passes for 28 yards and 1 touchdown. Defensively, Grubbs finished with 9 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks and Baldwin had 8 total tackles and 1 tackle for loss. Tech’s defense was gashed on the ground by TCU for 333 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns led by Miller with 5 rushes for 136 yards and 2 touchdowns and Evans with 7 rushes for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns. TCU finished the season with a 6-4 record and a 5-4 record in the Big XII.

Will the Streak Stay Alive?

With college teams only playing 10 games or loss in the regular season, Louisiana Tech qualified for a bowl game in 2020 with a 5-4 overall record, keeping the opportunity to with their 7th straight bowl game. The Bulldogs were selected to play in the New Orleans Bowl for the first time since 2015 to take on 7-5 Georgia Southern. In the 1st, the Eagles marched down the field and scored the first points of the game on a 1-yard touchdown run. After the Bulldogs turned the ball over on downs and Allen threw a couple of red zone interceptions, Georgia Southern extended their lead to 14-0 after a 65-yard touchdown pass early in the 2nd quarter. Later in the quarter, the Eagles would score again on a 37-yard touchdown run before the Bulldogs finally got on the board with a 45-yard Barnes field goal to close the half trailing 21-3. Tech’s offense continued to struggle mightily in the 3rd, and the Eagles added to their lead with a 1-yard touchdown run, creating a 28-3 deficit for Louisiana Tech entering the 4th. The Bulldogs were still unable to get any momentum going on offense in the 4th, with freshman JD Head entering the game after Anthony was unable to play due to injury and Allen was pulled earlier in the game. Georgia Southern knocked down a 25-yard field goal and scored on a 4-yard touchdown run to end the Bulldogs’ bowl game winning streak at 6 in the 38-3 defeat. In the big loss, Allen completed 10 of 24 passes for 41 yards and 3 interceptions and Head completed 9 of 14 passes for 78 yards and 1 interception. Tucker closed out his Tech career with a solid performance, rushing 20 times for 123 yards. Through the air, Graham caught 3 passes for 26 yards, Tre Harris caught 1 pass for 20 yards, Smoke Harris caught 4 passes for 19 yards, and Powell caught 4 passes for 19 yards. On the defensive end, Grubs finished with 10 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack, Baldwin had 10 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass deflection, and Williamson had 1 tackle for loss and 1 sack. The Eagles rushed for 322 yards against the Bulldogs’ defense, led by 108 yards from Gerald Green and 3 touchdowns from Shai Werts. Georgia Southern finished the season with an 8-5 record and a 4-4 record in the Sun Belt.

Conclusion

What a season it was. Beginning with not even knowing of football would be played in the fall, to the various opt-outs and game cancellations, the 2020 season was finally over for Louisiana Tech. With everything considered the Bulldogs’ 5-5 record was understandable, but the blowout bowl loss to Georgia Southern undoubtedly soured the fan base heading into the offseason. With the 2021 season expected to proceed as most college football seasons had in the past, the hope was that the Bulldogs would regain their footing and be a consistent contender to win the conference. The two-quarterback system in 2020 definitely had its ups and downs but choosing one quarterback to run the offense in 2021 was likely the correct decision. Would Holtz look to bring in another transfer or rely on Anthony or Allen to be the full-time starter? Would the Bulldogs’ running game be able to improve in 2021 after the surprising regression of Justin Henderson? After losing yet another defensive coordinator after Bob Diaco left in 2019, would Tech’s defense be able to recover and return to a similar form they were in the previous season All of these questions would be answered in 2021, with Skip Holtz entering his 9th season as head coach.