Louisiana Tech dropped its first conference game of 2023 with a 35-28 loss to WKU on Thursday night.

The Bulldogs will now turnaround and travel to Middle Tennessee for a match-up on Tuesday night.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6 PM on CBS Sports Network.

Three Things We Learned

1 — Shelton & Smoke carry the Offense

Tyre Shelton and Smoke Harris were a definite bright spot on a night that it wasn't always easy to find many on Thursday night.

The duo combined for 39 touches for 324 all-purpose yards and 2 TDs in the loss.

There's no doubt that the sixth year seniors are trying to will their team to a win week in and week out.

2 — Slow start too much to overcome

After scoring a touchdown on a short field after a Cedric Woods interception to open the game, Tech's offense really struggled in the first half.

In the 7 drives following the TD, Tech's drives went as is: Turnover on Downs, Punt, Interception, Punt, Punt, Punt, Missed FG

In Tech's four losses in 2023, the offense is averaging 7 points in the first half.

We can discuss the defense and some of the mistakes on that side of the ball, but with all the playmakers on offense starting so slow is a major concern.

It's just too difficult to have to be nearly flawless on both sides of the ball in the second half of games and consistently expect to win.

3 — Third down woes continue

The Tech offense finished 4/17 (23%) on third down on Thursday night.

In fact, Tech is only 10/40 (25%) on third down in the last three games.

If you can't play pitch and catch, you're going to struggle to score points consistently.

WKU only contested 8 of 41 Tech throws, so it's not like the Hilltoppers were playing dominant defense by any stretch of the imagination.

Two Questions Going Forward

1 — Can Tech make it two in a row on the road?

Louisiana Tech will travel to Middle Tennessee for a Tuesday night contest this upcoming week.

After defeating UTEP in El Paso in the last road game, the Bulldogs will look to make it two in a row.

The Blue Raiders are a dreadful 1-5 in 2023.

2 — What will the energy be like on Tuesday night?

Playing on a Thursday and having to turnaround and play on a Tuesday the following week isn't easy.

There is no denying that.

However, there is also no denying that if you want to stay in the conference race you better find a way to win.

One Prediction for Next Week

Tyre Shelton will rush for 100+ yards for a third straight game.

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