As WKU Football hopes for a homecoming victory against Lousiana Tech, I talked with Matt Bellinson, Sports Editor of the Ruston Leader, to talk about the Bulldogs.
LA Tech comes to Bowling Green with a 3-6 overall record and a 2-4 record in Conference USA. Each of the Bulldogs’ conference losses came within one score. Most recently, LA Tech blew a nine-point lead against conference-undefeated Jacksonville State for a 44-37 loss.
“Someone that’s watched them closely the last three years, I would actually say this is kind of who they are,” Bellinson said. “This is a team that doesn’t execute late in games. They don’t execute for four quarters.”
Offensively, Bellinson said the Bulldogs have struggled to execute in the red zone. LA Tech hosts the fifth-worst red zone offense in the Football Bowl Subdivision, scoring on 25 of their 36 red zone attempts.
“In the critical situations offensively, they’re not executing,” Bellinson said.
While the offense has not finished in critical situations, Bellinson said the defense has struggled to finish games. In the Bulldogs’ three overtime losses, they have held a lead in the fourth quarter.
Bellinson said there have been some things LA Tech has done well. Redshirt freshman quarterback Evan Bullock has led the Bulldogs to the third-best passing offense in C-USA. Bullock has thrown for 1452 yards, 12 touchdowns and two picks in eight games.
Wide receiver Tru Edwards has been “without a doubt Lousisna Tech’s best receiver,” Bellinson said. He has amassed 708 yards and six touchdowns on 52 receptions.
“I would definitely say the connection between then and the passing game has definitely been the best thing for this offense,” Bellinson said.
The passing game of LA Tech has needed to be productive as the Bulldog run game has been almost non-existent. LA Tech has the ninth rushing offense in C-USA, averaging 102 ground yards per game. The Bulldogs do not have a rusher with over 305 yards on the season.
“If you’re Western Kentucky, as long as you stack the box and tackle well, the run game should be pretty tightly fixed,” Bellinson said.
Defensively, Bellinson said the Bulldogs have done well limiting big plays, forcing teams to “drive down the field methodically.”
A few names Bellinson said to look out for on the defensive side of the ball are linebacker Kolbe Fields, the team’s leading tackler, defensive lineman David Blay and defensive back Demarcus Griffin-Taylor.
Bellinson expects LA Tech to “be in the ball game,” keeping the game within two scores in the fourth quarter. He doesn’t expect the Bulldog offense to go blow for blow with WKU, but said the LA tech defense has kept good offenses from doing what they want to do.
“If you’re Louisana Tech, I think you just hope that your defense continues to do what they do, and they give you a chance to win in the fourth,” Bellinson said.
Sports Editor Jake McMahon can be reached at [email protected]
