Louisiana Tech won 10 games in 2019 for the first time since 1984.
Over the next couple of weeks we are going to take a look at a number of things in regards to the 2019 team.
The 2019 defense allowed 21.8 points per game, good for 31st nationally.
Today we are going to take a look at the snap count totals on the defensive side of the ball. If a player has an asterisk next to his name, that indicates the player is expected to return in 2020.
Defensively, opponents ran 962 plays against the Bulldogs.
It's no secret, Louisiana Tech didn't have a ton of depth up front on the defensive line in 2019.
Only 6 players saw more than 100 snaps in Bob Diaco's base 3-man front.
Milton Williams, a sophomore, led the Bulldog defense with 5.5 sacks in 2019.
D.J. Jackson is expected to compete for a starting role at the nose tackle spot in 2020. Jackson gained valuable experience in 2019 behind Courtney Wallace.
Deshon Hall was the lone true freshman to play a significant role for the Bulldogs on either side of the ball in 2019. Hall finished his true freshman campaign with 6 QB pressures.
Although Willie Baker didn't produce a ton of production from a sack standpoint with only 1 in 11 games, the junior outside linebacker did produce 10 tackles for loss and 33 QB pressures.
Connor Taylor was the best linebacker throughout the season and led the team with 75 tackles, 7.5 TFL, and 2 sacks.
Ezekiel Barnett was the biggest surprise on the defensive side of the football in 2019 as he produced 59 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 4 sacks, and 1 interception that sealed the win over Southern Miss. Expect Barnett to play an even bigger role in 2020.
Both Trey Baldwin and Alex Zayed will compete for starting spots at the inside linebacker spots in 2020.
L'Jarius Sneed played the most snaps on the defensive side of the ball for the Bulldogs in 2019 and collected 73 tackles, 3.5 TFL, and 3 INTs from his safety spot.
Mike Sam and Amik Robertson combined for 8 INTs from their cornerback spots. Robertson was named an All-American by multiple media publications following the season and has declared for the 2020 NFL Draft.
Darryl Lewis lost his starting spot to Bee Jay Williamson in fall camp but earned it back about halfway through the 2019 campaign. Lewis finished 2019 with 56 tackles.
Looking ahead to 2020, Williamson, Jaiden Cole, and Zach Hannibal are the only 3 players to have played significant snaps in their collegiate careers.
Defensive back will be a key storyline to watch when spring practice begins in March.
Louisiana Tech will have to replace 8 starters in 2020 from its 2019 defense. The one positive is that 11 players return who played at least 100 snaps in 2019. Can the Bulldogs reload instead of rebuilding?
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