By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Louisiana Tech was the biggest underdog in the 2024 bowl season, and the Bulldogs weren’t able to defy the odds Saturday night in their 27-6 loss to American Athletic Conference champion Army in the 48th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl.
Despite the outcome, for the first time since 2020, the Bulldogs reached a bowl game – even if they backed into it as a five-win team that plugged a gaping hole created when Sun Belt Conference champion Marshall backed away from its I-Bowl berth five days after accepting it.
The biggest announced attendance in 10 years (34,283) indicates that tabbing Tech was a good business decision for the local bowl.
Outside of the game’s outcome, it was a great experience for the Bulldogs, said third-year coach Sonny Cumbie, whose team was on the wrong end of three overtime losses in its 5-7 regular season. Most importantly, he said, the bowl appearance can be a springboard for success in 2025.
“From (team visits to) Holy Angels, to Barksdale Air Force Base, to the pep rally, to this morning at our hotel, it was just a great experience. It was a win from that experience but unfortunately on the scoreboard it was not,” he said.
“Otherwise, I think we should understand that it was really sweet at this bowl. We can learn how sweet it was from that experience to the game which was not, and (it can) fuel us into this offseason in 2025,” said Cumbie.
He was firm in his belief that core values displayed by this year’s team will be vital in producing a winning season next fall.
“I love being the head coach of this team and I know that our team will not be defined by a number. They will be defined by the cornerstones of our program. That is our actions, how we are as people and how connected we are and how they give to other people,” he said.
“I am really proud of this team. I am very disappointed that we did not get the win, which is what we came to do, but I think this football team has a bright future. I am extremely excited to grow on this as we transition into 2025.”
One area the Bulldogs must improve was apparent Saturday night. Louisiana Tech, which averaged only 22 points this season, got only two field goals and gained just 218 yards going against an Army defense that ranked 12 nationally entering the contest, giving up 314 per game.
At the outset of December, Cumbie brought former offensive coordinator Tony Franklin back to Tech. Franklin ran two of the Bulldogs’ most explosive offenses just over a decade ago, notably averaging 51 points in his final season as OC.
Franklin was involved in bowl preparations and game planning, giving the Bulldogs a head start in their redesign.
“I think our kids learned a lot from what we are doing from a verbiage and technology standpoint,” said Cumbie. “I am excited for Coach Franklin to be able to coach these kids for 10 days and what we were able to do moving forward with guys like (redshirt freshman quarterback) Evan Bullock and (sophomore tight end) Eli Finley coming back.
“I think a lot of what Evan did in high school is what Coach Franklin will do moving forward. I think Evan is very comfortable doing that,” said Cumbie. “I think he is just going to get better and better. I thought he had two of the best weeks of practice that he had this season. I am extremely excited to see what he does with our offense and how he does with his leadership.”
As for Tech’s defense, graduating senior linebacker Zack Zimos was encouraged by how the Bulldogs settled down after halftime against the nation’s No. 1 rushing attack.
“The best offensive line in the country. The quarterback (Bryson Daily) obviously a very good runner. Hats off to them,” said Zimos, who drew praise from Daily in Army’s postgame presser. “I think our guys showed fight, only gave up six in the second half. At the end of the day I think our future is bright.”
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com