The narrative surrounding the Bulldogs has been fairly consistent this season: Tech’s defense is solid, but its offense struggles to find any success. If the Bulldog offense could even operate at an average level, the defense has shown enough promise to potentially carry Tech well past the three-win mark and into the realm of conference championship contention. But while the Bulldog D has outshined the O, Tuesday’s game against Sam Houston may be one of the first real tests for this defense all year

One of the strongest aspects of the Bulldogs' defense this year has been their ability to stifle opposing rushing attacks. While Tech’s passing defense ranks 35th nationally with 194 passing yards allowed per game, they sit at 26th at stopping the run, only giving up 113 rushing yards per game. On a per-play basis, the Bulldogs rank even higher—13th overall—with an impressive average of just 3.2 yards allowed per carry.

However, this week brings a challenge that will test the limits of Tech’s run defense. For comparison’s sake, Tech’s leading rusher this season is Omiri Wiggins with 165 rushing yards. The Bearkats have four players who each have more rushing yards: RB DJ McKinney, QB Hunter Watson, RB Jay Ducker, and QB Jase Bauer. In fact, Hunter Watson, who is returning from injury, has more rushing yards than Tech’s top three running backs combined.

A key factor in Sam Houston’s rushing success is their commitment to the ground game. The Bearkats run the ball on 62% of their offensive snaps, ranking 12th most in college football.

The Bearkats also average 4.5 yards per rush, the 66th highest in FBS football. While not as impressive on the surface, this average is still the best Tech has faced this season. The second-best team Tech has faced in terms of yards per rush was New Mexico State, who managed to rack up 160 yards against the Bulldogs earlier in the season.

While Tech's defense, particularly its run defense, has been the strength of this team, it’s important to recognize that they have yet to face a rushing attack as potent as Sam Houston’s. Even the Power Four matchup against NC State was not a reliable litmus test, as the Wolfpack currently ranks among the bottom 15 in college football for rushing yards per game.

Tech's rush defense also appears to be trending in the wrong direction. After only allowing a total of 465 rushing yards in their first five outings, the Bulldogs gave up 160 yards to New Mexico State and 166 to UTEP.

Maybe the Bulldog run defense is regressing or maybe it only struggles on Tuesdays, but regardless, this is not good news for a Tech team that will be facing off against the Bearkats tomorrow to try to keep their slim chance of making a bowl game alive.

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Nathan is also a contributor to gtpdd.dog, a lighthearted Louisiana Tech blog. Be sure to check out @gotechplsdntdie on Twitter.