The 3-2-1 | Tech enjoys bye week, will play host to NMSU on Tuesday
Louisiana Tech enjoyed a bye week this past week and will get a chance to host New Mexico State on Tuesday night.
After playing eight games in 45 days, Louisiana Tech will now play one game in the next 24 days. For a team that is needing to win three of its last four games to go bowling, the rest was likely welcomed to gear up for the stretch run.
The Bulldogs and Aggies will kick off at 6 PM on CBS Sports Network on Tuesday night.
Three Things We Learned during the Bye Week
1 — Rest is important for Health
Sonny Cumbie mentioned that Tyre Shelton (questionable), Charvis Thornton (questionable), Myles Heard (questionable), and Keith Willis (doubtful) all have a chance to play this week.
There's no doubt that an extra week of rest was not only beneficial for those four guys but also the entire roster.
The energy level on Tuesday night should be off the charts for the 'Dogs.
2 — Early Betting Line
We don't talk about betting lines too often, but Tech opened as a 2.5-point favorite at home against the Aggies.
Sonny Cumbie's squad is 3-5 against the spread this season.
Does any of that necessarily matter that much? Probably not, especially when you are fighting for your bowl lives.
3 — Yards per Play
We took a look at some numbers during the bye week and wanted to point out how the Tech offense & defense performs from a yards per play perspective.
Offensively, the Bulldogs rank 72nd out of 133 FBS team averaging 5.4 yards per play.
Defensively, Tech ranks 70th out of 133 FBS teams allowing 5.6 yards per play.
Both units have been in the middle of the pack.
One area that would lead to improvement? The offense is 113th nationally in converting third downs.
Sonny Cumbie mentioned how hard his team is working to improve in that area. Something to watch for on Tuesday night.
Two Questions Going Forward
1 — Can the Tech defense slow down Diego Pavia?
Diego Pavia does it all for New Mexico State from the quarterback position.
The Aggies have four of their last five games, and the Albuquerque, NM native is a big reason why.
In the last five games, Pavia is averaging 217.2 yards passing and 90 yards rushing per game.
The junior has accounted for 14 TDs and only one turnover in those five games.
Whether or not Tech can slow down Pavia will be the difference in the game.
2 — Is Tech still in the Conference USA race?
With four games remaining in the regular season, Tech is only a game back of second place in the conference standings.
The good news?
New Mexico State is one of those teams that is ahead of the 'Dogs in the standings, and Jacksonville State is ineligible for postseason play due to its transition to FBS.
The bad news?
The loss to WKU could loom large in the event of the two teams finishing in a tie.
There is no margin for error for the 'Dogs the remainder of the way.
We get it, one game at a time. But that's a glimpse at the big picture at this juncture.
One Prediction for Next Week
Smoke Harris & Cyrus Allen go for 100+ yards receiving on Tuesday night.
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