JOURNAL SPORTS

RUSTON — Louisiana Tech tries to move to 4-0 at home as the Bulldogs return to Origin Bank Field at Joe Aillet Stadium for the first of two consecutive home Conference USA weekday matchups, hosting Western Kentucky tonight.

Tech (4-2, 2-1 CUSA) looks to bounce back from an injury-plagued 35-7 loss at Kennesaw State in its last contest while WKU (5-2, 3-1 CUSA) is also coming off its first league loss, 25-6 to FIU. 

Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. for a game that can be seen on CBS Sports Network. The Louisiana Tech Radio Network broadcast airs on 95.7 FM KLKL locally, featuring analyst Teddy Allen and sideline reporter Jerry Byrd paired with new play-by-play voice Kyle Schassburger.

The Bulldogs’ quarterback situation is unsettled after injuries to the top two on the depth chart forced third-teamer Evan Bullock to finish the Kennesaw State game 10 days ago.

Tech leads the all-time series 6-5, including last year’s 12-7 win in Bowling Green. The Bulldogs are 3-2 against WKU in Ruston.

Tech and WKU renewed its rivalry in 2014 as the Hilltoppers joined the CUSA after spending five years in the Sun Belt. The two schools are 4-4 against each other in that span, which includes the 2016 CUSA Championship game, in which WKU won 58-44.

The two programs first met in 1939 with WKU winning the inaugural game, not before Tech evened the series the following season. The programs met again 33 years later in the 1973 Division II National Championship game in Sacramento Calif., with the Bulldogs earning a 34-0 shutout to claim the D-II title.

Tech will look to win its fifth straight home game tonight. Dating to last season’s finale against Kennesaw State, the Bulldogs have outscored opponents 136-34 while averaging 34 points per game during that four-game stretch and giving up 8.5 defensively. The Bulldogs have not won five straight at home since the 2019 season when they finished 6-0 at Joe Aillet Stadium.