The 3-2-1 | 'Dogs beat North Texas, at #23 NC State this weekend
Louisiana Tech (2-2, 1-0) began conference play with a 24-17 win over North Texas Saturday night.
The win marked the fifth straight conference opener that the Bulldogs have won dating back to 2017.
Louisiana Tech will be back in action Saturday night at #23 NC State.
Kickoff is set for 5 PM CT on ESPN+.
Three Things We Learned
1 -- With Austin Kendall out, the offense struggled to find its rhythm
With Austin Kendall out due to medical reasons, Louisiana Tech turned to Aaron Allen and JD Head at quarterback. The first half resulted in 206 total yards and 24 points. The second half resulted in 80 total yards and 0 points. There's no doubt that an Allen lost fumble, a blocked punt, and multiple offensive penalties played a role in the 2nd half struggles. That's where Kendall's presence at quarterback provides such an impact. The 6th-year senior is never phased, and the Bulldogs are hoping to get him back at NC State this weekend.
2 -- The defense took a step forward
There's no denying that North Texas struggled offensively on Saturday night. However, that's the same Mean Green offense that totaled 500+ yards of offense in 2 of its first 3 games. The Tech defense entered the game with 10 TFL in its first 3 games of the season. David Blackwell's unit had 7 on Saturday night. The Bulldog defense also limited North Texas to only 3.7 yards per play. It wasn't a perfect performance by any means, but it's a performance that can help build towards better performances later on in the year.
3 -- Not that much
What? We didn't learn much? Yes, I said it. In the first 3 weeks of the season, we learned that LA Tech is very potent on the offensive side of the ball, and the defense can struggle at times with potent passing attacks. Austin Kendall is the starting quarterback for Louisiana Tech, and he wasn't in the lineup Saturday night. It's tough to truly gauge how the Bulldog faithful would feel if he'd have played. I'm still more interested to see what a Kendall led offense looks like against C-USA competition after the Bulldogs averaged 35.5 points per game against Mississippi State and SMU.
Two Questions Going Forward
1 -- What is going on up front?
The Tech offense had 79 yards rushing on 40 carries Saturday night. Not good. Tech also allowed 3 sacks, but with QBs lacking experience some of that could have been due to Allen or Head holding the ball too long. The rushing game though, Tech MUST get it going if they want to contend with the UTSA's and UAB's of the world in C-USA.
2 -- Is it quality depth or a sign of struggles to come?
Louisiana Tech saw 23 players play 22% of the snaps on the defensive side of the ball Saturday night. To allow just 3.7 yards per play and 17 points is impressive. I know it has been 4 weeks, but I'm still trying to figure out this unit. Let's see if they can string together a few good weeks in a row to prove that depth is for real on that side of the ball.
One Prediction for Next Week
Heart attack #5 is coming up on Saturday. Prepare yourself. The 'Dogs will find themselves in another tight game against the Wolfpack, because why wouldn't they?
---
Join the discussion on the Tech Drive. We are your #1 source for Louisiana Tech football throughout the 2021 season.
Follow us on Twitter: @BCarlisle37, @BleedTechBlue