On Saturday, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs defeated the UTSA roadrunners while closing the curtain on Joe Alliet Stadium for the year. The result was expected, but the ending of the season at large was not. Time to react.
Last week I wrote about the four stages of grief for this lost Bulldog football season. Saturday’s game against UTSA enlightened me to a fifth stage. Apathy. I simply did not care what happened as the damage had already been done. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed being in The Joe for the last time until next September, but the passion was gone.
Like many, I kept a more watchful eye on what was happening in Denton than on the field in front of me. If the Mean Green could have pulled off an upset against the Blazers, Tech would would be traveling to FAU this week for a chance at C-USA glory. For a while, it looked as if that piece might fall into place with North Texas up 21-20 and in the redzone. However, the imbalance registered on the football universe seismograph and Mason Fine quickly threw an 80 yard pick-six to give UAB the lead. From there, more apathy set in.
But wait, there was another scenario that could have seen Tech into the C-USA title game. A three way tie at the top of the conference’s west division (Tech, UAB, Southern Miss) would force an unprecedented tiebreaker that might fall in the Bulldogs favor. However, this would require all three teams to win on Saturday. As I remembered this hail mary chance, I quickly went in search of the Golden Eagles score only to find a 34-17 drubbing at the hands of Lane Kiffin and the FAU Owls. Jack Abraham threw 4 interceptions in a last-laugh troll job of the Bulldogs. More apathy.
I turned my attention back to what was happening on the field in Ruston. It was all very positive. J’Mar Smith threw 3 touchdowns in his comeback performance, one a 39 yard dime to Isaiah Graham in the back of the North endzone. Griffin Hebert added 2 more touchdowns to his team leading total. Justin Henderson ran hard all night behind a decent performance from the offensive line. Connor Taylor led the defense with 9 tackles and James Jackson found the endzone with a 17 yard pick-six. But I couldn't help but feel none of it mattered.
The Bulldogs sealed their fate two weeks ago when they put themselves in a position to lose the two most important games of the year. I think it is easy to scapegoat and play the blame game, in fact it is a necessary stage in the grieving process as we discussed last week. However, it has diminishing return. Did three crucial players that accounted for 5 touchdowns on Saturday cause themselves to miss two important conference games? Yes. Should the process and criteria for such suspensions be more codified? Yes. Should the players that were on the field at Marshall and UAB have executed at a higher level? Yes. Should the coaches have more control of their culture and players? Yes. There is plenty of blame to go around, but that game has no sum. It is not worth your time, effort and emotional sanity. Swallow the apathy, let it settle and discharge it. This program needs your undying support and as frustrating as that sentiment seems, it is true. Without you, progress will stall and eventually die.
Does that mean being satisfied with moral victories and 9 win seasons? Certainly not. If you want greatness, expect greatness and be discontent when you do not see it. That can be an agent of change, but never stop supporting the Bulldogs.
A bowl appearance looms and I can feel the collective eye-roll from fans everywhere. But adding a trophy to the case and beating a P5 opponent in the process is good for business and good for recruiting. So while the game may seem meaningless, it is anything but.
Overall, leave the sting of the conference title game in the past. The burn of being let down can be channeled into positive change instead of disengaged bitterness. North Louisiana deserves a better brand of university and I believe Louisiana Tech can give it to them. It starts with the current war between apathy and passion. Which will win?
