JOURNAL SPORTS
ATLANTA – In a collision of rising Conference USA teams Thursday night, Louisiana Tech landed with a thud.
The Bulldogs began the game with their best defender, preseason CUSA Defensive Player of the Year Kolbe Fields, sidelined by a leg injury. The degree of difficulty ramped up when starting quarterback Blake Baker was knocked out of the game in the first half.
Meanwhile, turnovers proved costly in a 35-7 setback for Tech at Kennesaw State inside Fifth Third Stadium as the Owls won their fourth straight and halted a three-game roll by Tech
“Kennesaw State did a great job—they outplayed us on all three sides and they were the more physical team,” said Tech’s fourth-year coach, Sonny Cumbie. “They were the faster team tonight, and we just did not play up to the standard and the level that we can play at.”
The Bulldogs (4-2, 2-1 CUSA) looked sharp early, getting a 3-and-out by the defense on the opening series and then marching 70 yards on their opening possession and capping it with a one-yard touchdown run by Omiri Wiggins to take a 7-0 lead.
The defense forced punts on each of the Owls’ first three series, holding Kennesaw State (4-2, 2-0 CUSA) to just 34 yards in the opening quarter.
Momentum shifted in the second quarter when Baker left with an injury and the Bulldogs’ offense staggered.
KSU took advantage, scoring 14 unanswered points before halftime – one being a 15-play, 92-yard drive for a touchdown and the other coming just one play after an interception thrown by Trey Kukuk.
The Owls stretched the margin with three second-half touchdown passes from Dexter Williams II, who finished 27-of-36 for 290 yards and four scores. Kennesaw State ended up outscoring Tech 28-0 after the opening period.
The Bulldog defense, which had forced at least one turnover in every game this season (13 total), was unable to come up with a takeaway. Meanwhile, two Bulldog interceptions were directly converted into 14 Owls points.
Evan Bullock, who made 10 starts for the Bulldogs last season, saw his first action at quarterback this season, going 11-of-21 for 112 yards. Wiggins paced the rushing attack with 67 yards and the team’s lone touchdown. Jacob Fields registered a team-high nine tackles.