The 3-2-1 | Bulldogs fall to Tulsa, set to open CUSA play at FIU
Louisiana Tech (1-2) dropped its second straight game Saturday night in a 23-20 overtime defeat to Tulsa.
The Bulldogs will now turn their attention towards Conference USA action when they'll travel to FIU this weekend.
Kickoff is scheduled for 5 PM on ESPN+ Saturday night.
Let's take a look back at the game against Tulsa + a quick glimpse into the matchup against FIU.
Three Things We Learned
1 — QB Question Mark
Sonny Cumbie benched Jack Turner in favor of Blake Baker in the first quarter of the Tulsa game on Saturday.
Turner returned to the lineup to start the third quarter. After three drives that resulted in punts, the Round Rock, TX native was once again removed from the game and Baker returned to the lineup.
After Baker was injured in the fourth quarter, Evan Bullock got his shot at the position.
Turner, Baker, and Bullock combined to go 17/30 for 197 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT.
Tech's offense only totaled 284 yards and went 3/13 on third down.
Sonny Cumbie mentioned postgame that Baker would be out 4-6 weeks with injury, so who starts at quarterback at FIU?
2 — Defense Battles
Jeremiah Johnson's unit continues to play at a high level on the defensive side of the football.
Tech's defense limited Tulsa to 333 total yards, 4/16 on third down, and forced 10 punts on Saturday night.
If there is one certainty in 2024, the Bulldog defense is giving the team a chance to win every time out.
3 — Small Details Impact the Game
Small mishaps can be the difference in winning and losing tight games.
What were those small details that played a large role on Saturday?
Failed PAT, fair catch of a punt at the 4-yard line, Tulsa punt hits a Tech defender in the back, illegal hands to the face on a TD throw, no timeout call late in 4th quarter prior to game-tying FG..
On the surface none of these plays seemed to play a significant role in the outcome. They weren't game-changing plays to the naked eye.
However, if the script is flipped on a few of them Tech likely wins the game pretty handily.
Two Questions Going Forward
1 — How will the Bulldogs respond?
Emotional defeats can be difficult to come back from for a football team.
Saturday evening in Miami will be no different.
The Bulldogs have lost the last two games to NC State and Tulsa, and they probably should've won both contests.
Throw in the fact that Tech is 1-21 in its last 22 road games, and there is no denying that Saturday night will test the mental makeup of the team.
2 — Can Tech find a rhythm on offense at FIU?
Louisiana Tech had 14 offensive possessions against Tulsa on Saturday.
In those 14 possessions:
- 7 punts
- 3 turnovers
- 1 turnover on downs
- 3 TDs
The average first down play resulted in a 3.1 yard gain. Seven of the 14 drives began with a play that went for no gain or negative yardage.
Tech has punted or turned the football on 65% of its offensive drives in 2024.
Getting into a rhythm offensively on the road against FIU is a must on Saturday.
One Prediction for Next Week
Evan Bullock makes his first career start at quarterback.
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