In this week’s Monday Rewind, we will open the La Tech Dictionary and take a look at some important definitions after Saturday night’s game at Rice.

Defense (d - fence) syn: lethargic, slow, inconsistent, unpredictable - ant: inspiring, intense - def: characterized by the inability to play above the level of opponent; must give ample opportunity for points to inferior competition - use in a sentence: 1. Louisiana Tech played Rice on Saturday night and the slow start can mostly be attributed to defense. 2. Despite a turnover before halftime, the defense fed a lack-luster performance against Rice.

Rushing Attack (ruh-sh[eng] uh-tak) syn: steady, reliable, effective - ant: flashy - def: can be described as backbone-like; a firm foundation upon which great potential is built - use in a sentence: 1. The rushing attack settled the nerves of fans with a 26 yard touchdown run late in the 3rd quarter. 2. Justin Henderson’s 91 yards on 16 touches highlighted an otherwise pedestrian rushing attack Saturday night.

Offensive Line (aw-fence-ive line) syn: porous, sieve-like - ant: fortress, powerful - def: associated with ease of access; one with little resistance; acquiescent - use in a sentence: 1. The quarterback was pressured 16 times Saturday due to offensive line play. 2. The offensive line was pushed backwards at the point of attack on many occasions against Rice.

Quarterback (kwar-tur-bak) syn: leadership, willpower - ant: scapegoat, witherer - def: one who personifies hope; does not quit - use in a sentence: 1. Despite all circumstances, the quarterback led the Bulldogs to an overtime victory.

Bulldogs (bull-dawgs) syn: nebulous, mysterious, incomprehensible - ant: steady, trustworthy, understood - def: characterized by severe perplexity; a difficult puzzle designed to elicit deep frustration - use in a sentence: 1. So far this season, fans have been unable to understand the Bulldogs. 2. Layne has tried desperately to discover the identity of the Bulldogs, he still does not know.

Now that we understand a little bit more about this team and its components, let’s summate. This game had four giant letters stamped all over it: T-R-A-P. I imagine it’s tough to maintain the levels of urgency and intensity you need when you are preparing for a road game against the worst team in the division, but that is no excuse. It is the coaching staff’s job to ensure the team is prepared for every game, no matter the opponent. If they are not, it is a direct failure on their part. I understand games like these happen (ask Dabo Swinney and Clemson) but if this team is going to achieve higher goals, it should be held to a higher standard.

We need to start appreciating J’Mar Smith. The commentary surrounding the 3rd year quarterback has been unapologetically critical over the last two seasons, much of it earned. But right now the senior is proving just how valuable he is. This game was over. I have seen so many like it over the years. Cautious optimism derailed by an inferior opponent and a failure to drive a stake through the heart of a close game. On Saturday, Smith put on his cape and completed a pair of 22 yard passes to set up the game-tying field goal and scrambled for the walk-off touchdown in overtime. This was the game that Tech always loses and thanks to #8, they didn’t. On to the next one.

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