Each week, we take a look into the weekend's matchup and try to pinpoint three things Louisiana Tech needs to do to win on Saturday. This week, the Dogs head over to Denton to take on the undefeated Mean Green of North Texas. How can Tech start out conference play with a huge win over the Western division favorites?
1) Don't Come Out Flat
I think anyone who watched the game against LSU wouldn't say that Tech came out of the gate strong. Just to show you how ugly the first half was, here’s the drive chart:
Punt, Punt, Fumble, Punt, Interception, Touchdown, Punt, Turnover on Downs
Yikes. Part of that may be due to playing a supposedly great LSU defense, but I’d argue that we didn’t exactly have the best first half against South Alabama either. The offense seemed to be much better in the second half against LSU, and we'll need to start the game looking like that. UNT has a potent offense, so we’re going to need to score on as many drives as possible without falling behind. If we do fall behind, who knows if we can catch up.
2) Slowing Down the Fine Machine
It’s no secret that Mason Fine is having another great year as the Mean Green's signal-caller. His current stats include a 10:1 TD to INT ratio, a completion rate nearing 65%, and 8.2 yards per passing attempt. He’s on pace to have his best year yet and while I don’t think it’s possible to stop him completely, Tech will need to slow him down and limit his effectiveness as much as possible. He’s only been sacked 4 times this year thus far, but he hasn't faced the talent that Tech's D-Line possesses. If Tech can generate enough pressure and Ferguson can do his thing, we might be able to add onto that sack total and prevent Fine from slicing and dicing through the air.
3) No Pastries
Tech has had a handful of turnovers since the season has started: Three turnovers in the game against USA, one of which led to a scoring drive; one against Southern, which led to a scoring drive; and two against LSU, which led to two scoring drives. These are the kind of costly mistakes that can let a game get out of hand (see last week in Baton Rouge). The Mean Green currently have the #4 turnover margin in the nation at +9. Breaking that down, they’ve forced 11 turnovers while only losing 2 so far. That’s pretty good. In order to come out of Denton victorious, Tech needs to win the turnover battle Saturday by whatever means necessary. Whether it’s by committing fewer mistakes and not losing the ball, or by taking away as many drives as possible from UNT, it has to happen.
Josh is also a contributor to gtpdd.dog, a lighthearted Louisiana Tech blog. Be sure to follow @gotechplsdntdie on Twitter.
