Louisiana Tech fell to 2-4 (1-2) with a 33-30 double overtime loss at New Mexico State.

Let's take a look at some of our takeaways.

Three Things We Learned

1 — Penalty Issues

The Bulldogs were penalized 9 times for 93 yards in the loss in Las Cruces on Tuesday night.

Sonny Cumbie's squad ranks 131st nationally in averaging 10.7 yards per penalty in 2024.

Tough to win close games when you're having to overcome self-inflicted wounds time after time.

2 — Kicking Woes

Buck Buchanan had a 27-yard field goal blocked in the final seconds of regulation that would have given the Bulldogs the victory on Tuesday night.

The Bulldogs have now missed at least one field goal or extra point in 4 of 6 games this season.

Whether its the snap, the hold, or the kick it's been a struggle throughout the first half of 2024.

3 — Tru Edwards stepping up

Tru Edwards was phenomenal at wide receiver for the Bulldogs on Tuesday night with 9 catches for 110 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The senior wide receiver leads Tech with 32 catches for 445 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2024.

Edwards has become the go-to target for quarterback Evan Bullock over the last 3 weeks and has been playing at an all-conference level.

Two Questions Going Forward

1 — Will the lack of havoc eventually cause issues for Tech's defense?

Jeremiah Johnson's defense has been fantastic throughout the 2024 season ranking 30th in total defense.

However, the Bulldogs have only been able to come up with 6 sacks against opponents not named Nicholls State and only have a combined 5 tackles for loss the last two weeks.

Can the unit continue to play at such a high level without forcing a substantial amount of havoc in the backfield? Time will tell.

2 — Can the Bulldogs fix their issues in one score games?

Tech is 1-3 in one score games in 2024.

The program is 2-10 in one score games under Sonny Cumbie dating back to 2022.

The two victories came against FIU (2023) and Nicholls State (2024).

One-score games aren't easy to win, but it feels like the 'Dogs find themselves in them a lot lately. Figuring out how to make winning plays in these tight games is essential.

One Prediction for Next Week

The winner of Louisiana Tech and UTEP will be decided by 7 points or fewer.

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