Louisiana Tech finished the 2017 season in grand fashion by outscoring its final three opponents by a combined score of 113-37.

A 7-6 season concluded with the Bulldogs winning their fourth straight bowl game which created a tremendous amount of momentum heading into the offseason.

While finishing 7-6 was a disappointment to some, those close to the program realized that the program would take a step back in 2017 due to inexperience on the roster. Tech was ranked 120th out of 129 teams in experience heading into last season.

Speaking about his experience returning in 2018, Bulldog head coach, Skip Holtz told BleedTechBlue.com, “Huge difference from last year. I think we were 120th of 129 teams in experience returning when you look at our football team a year ago. This year we are 10th, which tells you a little bit about our guys we have coming back. For the first time in five years since we’ve been here our quarterback is back for a return year.”

The experience that Louisiana Tech was able to gain a year ago has the program ready to take the next step forward. With the likes of team captains O’Shea Dugas and Jaylon Ferguson returning for their senior seasons, Holtz has noticed an intense mindset with his team. Holtz said, “These guys feel like they have something to prove. There have been a lot of things that these guys have accomplished, but they feel like they have also left a lot on the table.”

In addition to the experience that Tech will have in 2018, Holtz will have his deepest team since becoming the Bulldog’s head coach in 2013. When talking about his team’s depth, Holtz said, “This is the deepest team we’ve had at every position since I’ve been here. We’ve had some teams that may have had more star-power coming back, but we have not had a team that has had this type of depth that can play at nearly every position.”

Offensively, J’Mar Smith caught plenty of heat in 2017 for his inconsistent play. Overall, Smith completed 56% of his throws for 2,974 yards and 16 touchdowns.

J’Mar will be improved in 2018. When speaking about his signal caller, Holtz stated, “To see the growth in J’Mar, from the two years he sat to last year, he’s just really matured as a football player going into his fourth year.”

“We are watching J’Mar grow up in front of us. We are watching him go through the process. I’m seeing the biggest transition in J’Mar from a mental standpoint. He has a really good grasp; he knows where to go with the ball. He’s more motivated than anybody. He’s lost some weight, he’s running better.”

Replacing Boston Scott and Jarred Craft will not come without difficulty, but the Bulldogs will return eight starters overall on offense.

Defensively, Blake Baker’s unit is going to be the best Tech defense since 2014. Led by the likes of Jaylon Ferguson and Dae’von Washington, the Bulldog defense has the talent to shoulder the load in leading the Bulldogs to their first Conference USA Championship.

With upwards of 20 to 22 guys that could easily start, depth and speed will be on display all season. Speaking about the talented defense, Holtz told BleedTechBlue, “There is a lot of depth over there. There is a lot of carry over, over there. They can draw some stuff up. Going against our defense every day, we see a lot of different looks, a lot of different coverages. I think they are doing a really good job at mixing it up. Blake Baker is doing a really good job; he’s really grown as a coordinator.”

All three levels of the defense will possess plenty of talent, but Holtz specifically mentioned the defensive line saying, “I think we have probably one of the strongest defensive lines that we’ve had.” The defensive line will have five seniors in Jaylon Ferguson, Jordan Bradford, Keontaye Garner, Immanuel Turner, and Matthew Ydarraga.

While the schedule is certainly difficult on paper, there is no reason expectations should not be high in Ruston this season. Skip Holtz and his staff have done a phenomenal job at raising the talent level to heights that Tech has never seen.

Winning a conference championship is the goal, and these Bulldogs are certainly capable.

With the Bulldogs beginning their season at South Alabama Saturday evening, join us at BleedTechBlue.com for only $9.95 a month. We are your #1 source for Louisiana Tech Athletics.