2022 Louisiana Tech Football

Head Coach: Sonny Cumbie (1st Season)

Conference: C-USA (10th season)

Record: (3-9, 2-6)

Points Per Game: 29.0 (61st of 131)

Points Allowed Per Game: 37.9 (128th of 131)

Strength of Schedule: -4.50 (101st of 131)

Strength of Record: -12.66 (123rd of 131)

Team Leaders:

Parker McNeil (123/214, 57.5%, 1,908 yards, 8.9 yards per attempt, 18 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 152.7 passer rating)

Landry Lyddy (82/126, 65.1%, 767 yards, 6.1 yards per attempt, 3 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 117.7 passer rating, 1 rushing touchdown)

Marquis Crosby (183 rushes, 918 yards, 5.0 yards per carry, 9 touchdowns, 9 receptions, 65 yards)

Charvis Thornton (80 rushes, 464 yards, 5.8 yards per carry, 3 touchdowns, 5 receptions, 25 yards)

Tre Harris (65 receptions, 935 yards, 14.4 yards per catch, 10 touchdowns)

Smoke Harris (65 receptions, 635 yards, 9.8 yards per catch, 5 touchdowns)

Cyrus Allen (22 receptions, 500 yards, 22.7 yards per catch, 4 touchdowns)

Griffin Hebert (23 receptions, 431 yards, 18.7 yards per catch, 3 touchdowns)

Jaiden Cole (51 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 3 pass deflections, 1 interception)

Cecil Singleton (56 total tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 5 pass deflections, 1 interception)

Hugh Davis (76 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 3 pass deflections)

Maki Carabin (68 total tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, 2 pass deflections, 1 interception)

Bee Jay Williamson (57 total tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 3 pass deflections, 1 interception)

Willie Roberts (29 total tackles, 5 pass deflections, 4 interceptions, 1 touchdown)

Myles Brooks (29 total tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 8 pass deflections, 3 interceptions, 1 touchdown)

Scores/Schedule:

@ Missouri: 52-24 L

Vs Stephen F. Austin: 52-17 W

@ #5 Clemson: 48-20 L

@ South Alabama: 38-14 L

Vs UTEP: 41-31 W

@ North Texas: 47-27 L

Vs Rice: 42-41 L (OT)

@ FIU: 42-34 L (2OT)

Vs Middle Tennessee: 40-24 W @ UTSA: 51-7 L

@ Charlotte: 26-21 L

Vs UAB: 37-27 L

New Beginnings

After the firing of Skip Holtz, Louisiana Tech had a crucial decision to make regarding who was going to lead the football program going forward. Athletic Director Eric Wood opted to hire offensive coordinator at interim head coach of Texas Tech in Sonny Cumbie. Cumbie played college football at Texas Tech as well under college football legend Mike Leach, where he learned the air raid offense. Following his playing career, Cumbie became an offensive coordinator at Texas Tech under Kliff Kingsbury before departing for TCU in 2014 for the same position, helping TCU coming up just short for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Cumbie returned to Texas Tech after the 2020 season under Matt Wells before Wells was fired, and Louisiana Tech hired Sonny to be the 34th head coach in program history. For the defensive coordinator position, Cumbie hired Stephen F. Austin defensive coordinator Scott Power to take the rein. An entirely new quarterback room was brought in for the 2022 season, with TCU transfer Matthew Downing, Texas Tech transfer Parker McNeil, and Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year Landry Lyddy highlighting the group.

Rough Transition

Beginning the season, the Bulldogs canceled their previously schedule series with Baylor to take on Missouri in Week One on a Thursday night. The game started off extremely rocky, as Matthew Downing was picked off on the 3rd play of the game, but a pass interference penalty kept the drive alive. Later in the possession, Downing was intercepted on 3rd and 10, but a three and out forced by the Tech defense allowed the Bulldogs to score the only points of the quarter on a 33-yard Barnes field goal, taking a 3-0 lead. The Tigers went on a run in the 2nd, scoring on a 5-yard touchdown run, coming up with a 29-yard pick six of Downing, and scoring on a 5-yard touchdown pass to quickly take a 21-3 lead over the Bulldogs. Tech would finally strike back on a one-play drive with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Downing to Hebert. Closing the half, Missouri knocked down a 31-yard field goal to take a 24-10 lead at halftime. With the Missouri defense blanking the Bulldogs in the 3rd, the Tigers’ offense extended their lead with a 1-yard touchdown run and 20-yard touchdown run, creating a 38-10 advantage going into the 4th. With Parker McNeil entering the game at quarterback, the Bulldogs scored on a 64-yard touchdown pass from McNeil to Cyrus Allen for a 64-yard score. After Missouri scored two more times on touchdown runs of 34 and 2 yards, McNeil closed the game with a 37-yard touchdown pass to Allen, resulting in a 52-24 opening loss. In the opener, Downing noticeably struggled, completing 20 of 35 passes for 194 yards with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions, while McNeil showed promise, completing 7 of 11 passes for 142 yards with 2 touchdowns. The Bulldogs’ ground game failed to find their rhythm, with Marquis Crosby being the leading rusher, carrying the ball 7 times for 23 yards. Through the air, true freshman Cyrus Allen shined, catching 5 passes for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns, followed by Hebert with 3 catches for 93 yards and 1 touchdown, and Smoke Harris with 5 catches for 43 yards. Defensively, Williamson had a team high 10 total tackles, Singleton recovered a fumble, and Maki Carabin finished with 1 interception. Missouri finished the season with a 6-7 record and a 3-5 record in the SEC after losing to Wake Forest in the Gasparilla Bowl.

Next up on the schedule was the home opener for Louisiana Tech versus defensive coordinator Scott Power’s former team, Stephen F. Austin. The Lumberjacks entered the game after losing to Jacksonville State and defeating Alcorn State on the road. Getting the start, McNeil began the game strong, completing a 7-yard touchdown pass to Smoke Harris for a 7-0 lead. After SFA scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, the Bulldogs finished the quarter with momentum, scoring on a Charvis Thornton 11-yard touchdown run and a 40-yard touchdown pass from McNeil to Tre Harris. Louisiana Tech began to dominate in the 2nd, taking a 38-7 halftime lead after a 3-yard Crosby touchdown run, a 42-yard Crosby touchdown run, and an 18-yard field goal from Barnes. The Bulldogs continued their run in the 3rd after a 63-yard touchdown pass to Hebert, and a 30-yard scoop and score from Burnett to take a commanding 52-7 lead. The Lumberjacks would score the last two times with the game out of reach, scoring on a 32-yard field goal, and a 44-yard touchdown pass, resulting in a 52-17 win for Louisiana Tech. McNeil had a mostly positive first start, completing 11 of 23 passes for 197 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. Crosby led an excellent rushing attack, with 16 carries for 197 yards and 2 touchdowns, followed by Thornton with 10 carries for 62 yards and 1 touchdown. In the passing game, Tre Harris caught 4 passes for 72 yards and 1 touchdown and Hebert caught 1 pass for 63 yards and 1 touchdown. On defense, Grubb led with 10 total tackles, Burnett finished with 2 fumble recoveries including one for a touchdown, and Cole had 6 total tackles and 1 interception. Stephen F. Austin finished the season with a 6-5 record and a 3-2 record in the WAC.

Hitting the road after the loss, Louisiana Tech traveled to South Carolina to face #5 Clemson in a Saturday night matchup. The Tigers entered the game with a 2-0 record after defeating Georgia Tech and Furman. Leading up to the game, Coach Cumbie showed his character by getting the entire team to write an individual letter to Bryan Bresee after the death of his younger sister the week leading up to the game. The game started out as a low-scoring affair, with Clemson scoring the only points of the 1st on a 22-yard field goal and a 2-yard touchdown run from Will Shipley. Tech cut the deficit to 10-3 after a 35-yard field goal from Barnes, matched by a 36-yard field goal from the Tigers. Closing the half, Barnes converted on a 27-yard field goal, to make it a competitive 13-6 game at halftime. As the scoring began to open up, Clemson dominated the 3rd quarter, scoring on a 32-yard touchdown run, a 4-yard touchdown run, and a 32-yard touchdown pass from DJ Uiagalelei to take a 34-6 lead over Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs would fight back in the early 4th, cutting into the lead with a 3-yard Crosby touchdown and a 13-yard touchdown pass to Tre Harris, creating a 34-20 game. Clemson would finish off the Bulldogs however, extending their lead with a 19-yard passing touchdown and a 3-yard touchdown run, culminating in a 48-20 loss for the Bulldogs. In the loss, McNeil completed 23 of 42 passes for 311 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. The Tech ground game heavily struggled and only netted 6 rushing yards total with Thornton rushing 4 times for 9 yards and Crosby rushing 12 times for 7 yards and 1 touchdown. Through the air, Hebert caught 5 passes for 122 yards, Julian Lewis caught 7 passes for 76 yards, and Tre Harris caught 4 passes for 56 yards and 1 touchdown. Defensively, Grubbs finished with 15 total tackles, Cole had 1 sack and 1 tackle for loss, and Noah White recovered a fumble. Clemson finished the season with an 11-3 record and a 9-0 record in the ACC after defeating North Carolina in the ACC Championship and losing to Tennessee in the Orange Bowl.

Concluding the Bulldogs’ out of conference schedule, Louisiana Tech traveled to Mobile to face South Alabama. The Jaguars entered the game with a 2-1 record after defeating Nicholls State and Central Michigan while losing by one-point at UCLA on a last second field goal. South Alabama blanked the Bulldogs in the 1st, while scoring 14 points on a 3-yard touchdown pass and a 57-yard punt return for a touchdown. The Bulldogs finally responded in the 2nd with a 52-yard touchdown strike from McNeil to Smoke Harris. Closing the half, the Jaguars knocked down a 24-yard field goal to take a 17-7 lead at halftime. As the Bulldogs’ offense continued to struggle in the 3rd, South Alabama came up with a 24-yard pick six of McNeil and a 19-yard touchdown pass to put Tech in a 31-7 hole entering the 4th. In the final quarter, South Alabama extended their lead on a 28-yard touchdown pass before McNeil finished the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Hebert, resulting in a messy 38-14 loss on the road. In the turnover-filled loss, McNeil failed to take care of the ball, completing 19 of 34 passes for 251 yards with 2 touchdowns and 4 costly interceptions. Tech’s ground game rushed for 57 total yards, led by Garner who rushed 7 times for 51 yards. Through the air, Tre Harris caught 6 passes for 85 yards, Smoke Harris caught 4 passes for 84 yards and 1 touchdown, and Hebert caught 5 passes for 49 yards and 1 touchdown. Defensively, Williamson finished with 9 total tackles, Grubbs finished with 8 total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, and Roberts had an interception. South Alabama finished the season with a 10-3 record and a 7-1 record in the Sun Belt after losing to Western Kentucky in the New Orleans Bowl.

Defensive Disasters

Coming off a bye week, Louisiana Tech geared up for the middle stretch of their season, starting C-USA play with a home game versus UTEP. The Miners entered the game with a 3-3 record highlighted by a loss at New Mexico and a win over Boise State. Offensive fireworks were prevalent in the 1st, starting with an 8-yard passing touchdown to Magee and a 38-yard touchdown strike to Tre Harris for an early 14-0 lead. After UTEP knocked down a 31-yard field goal, McNeil found Smoke Harris for a 9-yard touchdown followed by a blocked extra point, giving the Bulldogs a 20-3 lead after the 1st. The Miners would cut into their deficit with a 5-yard rushing touchdown to open the quarter, but a 28-yard Barnes field goal and a Myles Brooks 44-yard pick six would give Louisiana Tech an impressive 30-10 lead at halftime. After neither team scored in the 3rd, the Miners attempted a rally in the 4th, started with a 3-yard touchdown rush and a 44-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 30-24 with 10 minutes to play in the game. Avoiding the blown lead, McNeil connected with Smoke Harris for a 15-yard touchdown while completing the two-point conversion and Buck Buchanan knocked down a 52-yard field goal to give Tech a comfortable 41-24 lead with 4 ½ minutes remaining. The Miners would score the final points of the game on a 52-yard passing touchdown, but the Bulldogs would bounce back with a 41-31 victory to open C-USA competition. McNeil was excellent in the win, completing 18 of 27 passes for 266 yards with 4 touchdowns. On the ground, Crosby rushed 14 times for 75 yards and Thornton rushed 5 times for 30 yards. In the aerial attack, Tre Harris caught 5 passes for 126 yards and 1 touchdown, Hebert caught 6 passes for 76 yards, and Smoke Harris caught 4 passes for 45 yards and 2 touchdowns. On the defensive end, the Bulldogs did allow 501 total yards, but also forced 4 turnovers. Cole had a team-high 11 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack, Williamson and Grubbs each had 10 total tackles, Singleton and Robert finished with an interception, Reginald Johnson recovered a fumble, and Brooks had an interception return for a touchdown. UTEP finished the season with a 5-7 record and a 3-5 record in C-USA after losing 3 out of their last 4 games.

Following the win, the 2-3 Bulldogs traveled to Denton to face North Texas. The Mean Green entered the game with a 3-3 record highlighted by a blowout loss at UNLV and a win over Florida Atlantic. In the 1st, UNT took a 7-0 lead after a 1-yard touchdown run, answered with a 46-yard field goal from Buchanan. Closing the 1st, North Texas completed a 51-yard touchdown pass to create a 14-3 lead after the first quarter. Extending their lead, the Mean Green scored on a frustrating 92-yard touchdown run to make it a 21-3 game. Louisiana Tech would cut into the deficit with a 34-yard McNeil touchdown strike to Magee, but a 1-yard touchdown run followed by a blocked extra point put UNT up 17. Ending the half, Tech scored on a 1-yard Garner touchdown rush to cut the score down to 27-17 at halftime. In the 3rd, the Bulldogs’ offense drove down the field but were forced to settle for a 23-yard field goal, answered with a 20-yard passing touchdown from the Mean Green. Finishing the quarter, McNeil threw a 58-yard dart to Tre Harris for a touchdown, showing signs of a competitive game entering the 4th. Instead, North Texas’s ground game continued to gash the Bulldogs’ defense, and the offense for Tech was unable to keep up. After converting on a 30-yard field goal, a 66-yard touchdown run, and a 20-yard field goal matched by no points from the Bulldogs’ offense would wrap up an embarrassing 47-27 loss to North Texas. With offense not being the issue, McNeil completed 26 of 37 passes for 424 yards and 2 touchdowns. Crosby rushed 9 times for 46 yards on the ground for the afternoon. Through the air, both of the Harris receivers enjoyed big days, with Smoke catching 10 passes for 156 yards and Tre catching 6 passes for 129 yards and 1 touchdown. Defensively, the Bulldogs allowed an unacceptable 475 rushing yards, giving up over 10 yards per rush and 4 rushing touchdowns. Cole finished with a team high 9 total tackles and Williamson had 1 interception. North Texas finished the season with a 7-7 record and a 6-3 record in C-USA after losing the C-USA Championship to UTSA and losing to Boise State in the Frisco Bowl.

Louisiana Tech looked to recover after the loss, with a matchup versus Rice for the Homecoming Game and the Bulldogs wearing the newly unveiled powder blue jerseys. The Owls entered the game with a 3-3 record highlighted by a win over UL Lafayette and a loss at Houston. In the 1st, the Bulldogs built a 10-0 lead after an 8-yard touchdown pass from McNeil to Tre Harris and a 48-yard field goal from Buchanan. Rice would cut into the lead in the 2nd with a 32-yard touchdown pass to make it a 10-7 game halftime after quarterback Parker McNeil exited the game with an injury. In the 3rd the scoring amped up with Downing connecting with Nate Jones for a 13-yard touchdown followed by the Owls scoring on a 12-yard touchdown pass. Later in the quarter, Downing would throw a 32-yard touchdown strike to Tre Harris, but Rice answered again with a 9-yard touchdown pass. Closing the quarter, Barnes converted on a 41-yard field goal to create a 27-21 lead for Tech entering the final quarter. Rice would take the lead in the 4th on a 64-yard touchdown run and extended their lead to 35-27 after a 17-yard touchdown run. On the Bulldogs final drive of regulation, Downing was injured on a roughing the pass penalty, leading to true freshman Landry Lyddy entering the game. With ice in his veins, Lyddy’s first pass was a 19-yard touchdown dart to Cyrus Allen followed by a contested catch by Tre Harris on the conversion to tie the game with 37 seconds remaining. The Owls took a 42-35 lead in overtime on a 4-yard touchdown run, but on 4th and 3, Lyddy threw a dime to Tre Harris for an 18-yard touchdown pass. Going for two and the win, Lyddy’s pass fell incomplete on the fade route, resulting in a wild 42-41 loss in overtime. With three different quarterbacks playing a role, McNeil completed 5 of 7 passes for 32 yards and 1 touchdown, Downing completed 12 of 24 passes for 159 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, and Lyddy completed 3 of 6 passes for 38 yards with 2 touchdowns. On the ground, Crosby provided a decent rushing attack, carrying the ball 14 times for 87 yards. Through the air, Tre Harris caught 8 passes for 92 yards and 3 touchdowns, Smoke Harris caught 6 passes for 59 yards, and Allen caught 2 passes for 50 yards and 1 touchdown. Defensively, the Bulldogs allowed 487 total yards including 279 rushing yards, but did force 3 turnovers with fumble recoveries from Davis, Singleton, and Calhoun. Davis finished with a team-high 11 total tackles and 2 pass deflections and Nason had 2 tackles for loss and 1 sack. Rice finished the season with a 5-8 record after losing to Southern Miss in the Lending Tree Bowl.

At this point in the season, it was obvious that the defense was going to be what held this team back, with 38 points being the lowest amount that the Bulldogs’ defense allowed to an FBS team at this point in the season. Next up for Louisiana Tech was a trip to Miami to face Florida International on a Friday night, with Landry Lyddy getting his first start of his young career. FIU entered the game with a 3-4 record highlighted by a 73-0 loss at Western Kentucky, a blowout loss at Texas State, a blowout loss versus UConn, and a win at Charlotte. In the 1st, Tech built an early 10-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown rush from Lyddy and a 36-yard field goal, but losing Tre Harris to injury early in the game. Closing the quarter, the Panthers scored on a 34-yard passing touchdown. In the 2nd, Crosby got loose for a 29-yard rushing touchdown, but FIU scored on a 16-yard passing touchdown and an 18-yard passing touchdown to take a 21-17 lead over the Bulldogs at halftime. The only points of the 3rd game on a 45-yard Panthers’ field goal, creating a 24-17 deficit for Tech entering the final quarter. Louisiana Tech would quickly tie the game in the 4th on a 9-yard Thornton touchdown rush and took the lead on a 32-yard Barnes field goal with 5:31 remaining. After FIU’s defense forced a three and out, the Panthers sent the game to overtime with a 28-yard field goal. In overtime, Tech took a 34-27 lead on a 5-yard touchdown run from Crosby, but FIU kept the game alive with a 1-yard touchdown rush. In 2nd overtime, the Panthers scored first on another 1-yard touchdown rush and converted the two-point conversion as well. On 4th and 10, Lyddy’s pass fell incomplete, resulting in a 42-34 loss in double overtime. In his first start, Lyddy completed 28 of 40 passes for 256 yards and 1 rushing touchdown. On the ground, Crosby let a strong performance with 21 rushes for 115 yards and 2 touchdowns followed by Thornton with 12 rushes for 53 yards and 1 touchdown. In the passing game, Jones caught 4 passes for 72 yards, Smoke Harris caught 9 passes for 56 yards, and Allen caught 4 passes for 55 yards. Defensively, the Bulldogs limited the Panthers to just 57 rushing yards, but allowed 321 passing yards. Davis finished with a team high 8 total tackles, Brooks had 7 total tackles and 4 pass deflections, and Cole had 1 tackle for loss and 1 sack. FIU finished the season with a 4-4 record and a 2-6 record in C-USA after losing their final four games.

Finding an Identity

Returning home for the final stretch, the Bulldogs had to win their final four games to qualify for a bowl. Next up was a matchup with the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. MTSU entered the game with a 4-4 record highlighted by a win over the Miami Hurricanes and a blowout loss to UAB. In the 1st, the Blue Raiders took an early 7-0 lead on a 69-yard touchdown run to open the game. Returning from injury, McNeil threw a 41-yard touchdown strike to Allen and a 10-yard touchdown strike to Tre Harris for a 14-7 after the opening quarter. MTSU tied the game with a 2-yard touchdown rush in the 2nd, but the Bulldogs built a 27-14 lead after Barnes field goals of 40 and 36 yards and a 27-yard touchdown pass from McNeil to Tre Harris. Closing out the half, the Blue Raiders scored a 3-yard touchdown to make it a 27-21 at halftime. The 3rd quarter was dominated by Louisiana Tech, with the defense shutting out Middle Tennessee and scoring on an 18-yard pick six from Roberts and Barnes converting on field goals of 32 and 36 yards, giving Tech a 40-21 lead entering the final quarter. Middle Tennessee scored the only points of the 4th on a 26-yard field goal, but Tech’s defense held the Blue Raiders for the remainder of the game, resulting in a 40-24 victory. In the win, McNeil completed 14 of 33 passes for 285 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. Crosby had a big game on the ground, rushing 24 times for 123 yards. In the passing attack, Tre Harris caught 7 passes for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns and Allen caught 4 passes for 109 yards and 1 touchdown. Defensively, the Bulldogs forced a staggering 5 turnovers on fumble recoveries from Fisher and Burnett, 1 interception returned for a touchdown from Baker, and 2 interceptions from Brooks. Singleton finished with 8 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack and Morrison had 8 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. Middle Tennessee finished the season with an 8-5 record and a 4-4 record in C-USA after defeating San Diego State in the Hawai’i Bowl.

With three games to go and a 3-6 record, Louisiana Tech traveled to San Antonio to take on the defending C-USA Champions in UTSA. The Roadrunners entered the game with a 7-2 record highlighted by a triple overtime loss versus Houston, a win at Army, and a win over Western Kentucky. With McNeil being out due to injury once again, Lyddy started the 2nd game of his career versus a stellar UTSA team. In the 1st, the Roadrunners wasted no time building a 21-0 lead on a 9-yard touchdown pass, a 46-yard touchdown run, and a 1-yard touchdown run. Closing the quarter, Lyddy connected with Smoke Harris for a 32-yard touchdown to make it a 21-7 game after the 1st. UTSA build on their lead in the 2nd on a 27-yard touchdown run followed by field goals of 29 and 22 yards to take a dominant 34-7 lead over Tech at halftime. In the 3rd, the Bulldogs were unable to score and the Roadrunners continued to run up the score on a 26-yard touchdown run and a 46-yard field goal. UTSA scored the only points of the 4th on a 1-yard touchdown run, resulting in a 51-7 loss for Louisiana Tech, eliminating the Bulldogs from bowl contention. In the loss, Lyddy completed 14 of 26 passes for 138 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. On the ground, Thornton rushed 8 times for 48 yards and Crosby rushed 17 times for 47 yards. Through the air, Smoke Harris caught 4 passes for 49 yards and 1 touchdown and Tre Harris caught 5 passes for 49 yards. Defensively, Carabin fished with 11 total tackles, Davis had 10 total tackles and 1 tackle for loss, and Carson Bruno recovered a fumble. UTSA finished the season with an 11-3 record and a 9-0 record in C-USA after defeating North Texas in the C-USA Championship and losing to Troy in the Cure Bowl.

Next up for the Bulldogs was a trip to North Carolina to take on Charlotte for the final road game of the season. With a win, Louisiana Tech would earn their first road win since December of 2020. The 49ers entered the game with a 2-9 record highlighted by a 17-point loss to Williams & Mary and wins at Georgia State and at Rice. After neither team scored in the 1st, Charlotte scored the first points of the game in the 2nd on a 22-yard field goal. Later in the quarter, Crosby found the end zone on a 3-yard touchdown run, but the 49ers answered back with a 4-yard touchdown run and a 23-yard field goal to create a 13-7 deficit for Tech at halftime. The Bulldogs were shut out in the 3rd quarter, and Charlotte extended their lead on a 25-yard touchdown rush but failed on the conversion to make it a 19-7 game entering the final quarter. In the 4th, Crosby made the game competitive with a 6-yard touchdown rush, but the 49ers extended their lead to 26-14 after a 33-yard touchdown run. With 3:05 remaining, Crosby scored his 3rd touchdown of the game from 11 yards out to make it a 26-21 game. After Tech’s defense committed a pass interference penalty and allowed a 3rd and 6 conversion, the 49ers were able to run out the clock and send the Bulldogs back to Ruston with a 26-21 loss. Lyddy completed 23 of 31 passes for 213 yards with 2 interceptions on the afternoon. On the ground, Crosby rushed 21 times for 105 yards and 3 touchdowns and Thornton rushed 9 times for 46 yards. In the passing game, Allen caught 3 passes for 82 yards and Smoke Harris caught 9 passes for 51 yards. On the defensive end, Carabin had a team high 9 total tackles, Fisher finished with 6 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack, and Rose had 2 tackles for loss and 1 sack. Charlotte finished the season with a 3-9 record and a 2-6 record in C-USA.

Returning home for the Senior Day to finish the season, the Bulldogs welcomed UAB who was one game away from becoming bowl eligible. The Blazers entered the matchup with a 5-6 record highlighted by a blowout win over Middle Tennessee and a double overtime loss versus UTSA. In the 1st, Louisiana Tech scored the only points of the quarter on a 46-yard field goal from Buchanan to take a 3-0 lead over UAB. The Blazers woke up in the 2nd scoring 17 unanswered points on a 29-yard touchdown run, a punt block returned for a 14-yard touchdown, and a 39-yard field goal. Ending the half, Buchanan converted on a 49-yard field goal to cut the lead to 17-6 at halftime in the final game of the season for the Bulldogs. In the high-scoring 3rd quarter, UAB scored first on a 9-yard touchdown rush but Thornton responded with an explosive 63-yard touchdown rush to make it a 24-13 game. The Blazers scored again on a 23-yard touchdown run, but failing on the conversion, followed by a 17-yard touchdown pass from Jack Turner to Tre Harris. Closing out the quarter, Tech’s defense allowed a 74-yard passing touchdown to create a 37-20 deficit entering the 4th. In the only points of the 4th, Crosby scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, but a turnover on downs with around 2 ½ minutes remaining resulted in a 37-27 loss for the Bulldogs to finish out the season. In the loss, Lyddy completed 9 of 17 passes for 80 yards and Turner completed 15 of 25 passes for 167 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Thornton had a career day on the ground, rushing for 132 yards and 1 touchdown on just 8 carries followed by Crosby rushing 18 times for 72 yards and 1 touchdown while catching 3 passes for 48 yards. Through the air, Tre Harris caught 6 passes for 63 yards and 1 touchdown, Lewis caught 4 passes for 62 yards, and Smoke Harris caught 5 passes for 47 yards. Defensively, Louisiana Tech’s issues defending the rush were on full display, allowing UAB running back DeWayne McBride to rush for a school record 272 yards and 1 touchdown on 16 carries and allowing Jermaine Brown to rush for 119 yards and 2 touchdowns on 22 carries. The Bulldogs’ defense did only allow 91 passing yards on 14 attempts and forced a turnover on a Roberts interception. Carabin had a team-high 9 total tackles and Burnett had 1 tackle for loss and 1 sack. UAB finished the season with a 7-6 record and a 4-4 record in C-USA after a win over Miami (OH) in the Bahamas Bowl.

Conclusion

After the Bulldogs lost 6 of their final 7 games to finish with a 3-9 overall record and a 2-6 record in C-USA, it was abundantly clearly what issues Coach Cumbie and the rest of the coaching staff needed to address going into the 2023 season. After losing Tyler Grubbs to injury in the early part of the season, the Bulldogs; porous rushing defense deteriorated even more, making the number one priority in the offseason to find quality defenders who can instantly provide better tackling. Another high priority would be finding the guy and not a group of guys to lead the Bulldogs at quarterback. After J’Mar Smith’s career ended after the 2019 season, Louisiana Tech rotated multiple quarterbacks during the 2020, 2021, and 2022 seasons leading to mixed results, a lack of chemistry, and struggles on the road. It would be imperative for Cumbie to either bring in a veteran transfer quarterback or rely on Lyddy to develop into a star going into his sophomore season. Some positive signs from the season included a promising running back duo in Crobsy and Thornton as well as an established receiving combination in Smoke and Tre Harris, as well as Cyrus Allen who flashed moments of elite playmaking. If the Bulldogs could keep all of their offensive weapons from entering the transfer portal, the next full-time starter at quarterback would have an array of weapons to rely upon. In year two will Cumbie be able to return Louisiana Tech to its winning tradition, or will the Bulldogs suffer a third consecutive season without a bowl appearance?