By MALCOLM BUTLER, Lincoln Parish Journal
HUNTSVILLE, Texas — It will be a Dog and Kat fight tonight on ESPNU when Louisiana Tech travels to Bowers Stadium to face Sam Houston State.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The game can be heard locally on The Light 92.1 FM with Malcolm Butler and Teddy Allen providing a call of the action.
Tech (3-4, 2-2 CUSA) is coming off a 14-10 homefield win over UTEP last week while Sam Houston (6-2, 3-1) scored a 10-7 victory at Florida International.
“This game is very important in the conference landscape,” said Tech head coach Sonny Cumbie. “When you look at the rest of the teams that we play … they are all ahead of us in the standings. So if we want to make a run in October and November, then we have to beat those teams.
“All of those teams still have to play each other as well as Liberty so I believe there will be a team playing in the C-USA championship game with multiple conference losses. I think parity has taken over in this league.”
The Bulldogs need to win three of their final five games in order to get to six wins and become bowl eligible.
“It’s important as far as bowl eligibility,” said Cumbie. “We need to find a way to get this one on the road. It will be a physical football game in terms of their style of play on both offense and defense. I think our kids have handled this week well. We have really challenged them.”
After starting last year 0-8, Sam Houston State has won nine of its last 12 games, including a 42-27 victory over Tech last season in Ruston. This year marks just the second in CUSA for the Bearkats, formerly a national power at the FCS level and a 2021 national champion.
The game will pit each team’s strength going head to head. Tech ranks among the league leaders in defense, including a stingy run defense that gives up only 94.9 yards per game on the ground. Sam Houston State is run-heavy, averaging 208.6 yards on the ground.
And the Bearkats’ offensive success starts with dual threat quarterback Ben Watson, who is expected to return to the field after missing last week’s game against FIU. Watson has passed for 987 yards and nine scores while rushing for 500 yards and four more TDs.
“This week we will be challenged with their quarterback who can really run the football,” said Cumbie. “Their two running backs are also really good players. Their offensive line is big and physical. The line of scrimmage will be critical to us getting this fourth victory.”
The Bulldogs counter with a passing offense that has been led by redshirt freshman Evan Bullock. The Anna, Texas, native has thrown for 1,038 yards and nine TDs in just four starts and has yet to throw an interception in 138 attempts.
Bullock was 10-of-12 for 123 yards and one TD on third downs in last week’s win over UTEP.
“I just tell him everything is third down,” laughed Cumbie. “Just play first and second down like its third down. The message to him this week has been consistency. There have been a lot of clutch throws that he has made since he has taken over. He just has to be consistent through the course of the game.”
Contact Malcolm at lpjnewsla@gmail.com