The late great philosopher (hall of fame coach and genuinely great guy) Lou Holtz said, “The good Lord put eyes in the front of your head so you can see where you are going, rather than where you have been.” When the red-clad Louisiana Tech Bulldogs take the field in Ruston just before 4 o’clock Saturday they will be looking at an old foe in Southern Miss that has gotten the best of them over the years.
The Golden Eagles lead the series 36-18, but only one of those wins has come in the last four meetings. Last year, Tech won 30-20, but that game was played in late September.
It’s early November and the Bulldogs sit firmly in the driver’s seat of the Sun Belt Conference’s West Division and can clinch at least a share of the title with a win over USM. And there are two more games remaining on the schedule after tomorrow’s contest – a senior day game at Joe Aillet Stadium the following Saturday when Tech will host Arkansas State and the season finale – a road contest at Georgia Southern.
Don’t worry, I’m not about to jinx the Bulldogs by going ahead and crowning them Sun Belt Conference champions in their first year in the conference. With apologies to Coach Holtz, I do want to pass out a few game balls.
It’s got to start with Haynesville’s Alonzo Jackson Jr. He has been the best player on the best defense in the Sun Belt. If he doesn’t play another snap, he has done enough to rightfully earn Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors. He goes into Saturday’s game with 69 tackles, including a league-leading 15.5 behind the line.
Although he had to leave last week’s game against Troy with an injury, quarterback Blake Baker has come back bigger, stronger, and mentally tougher after an injury-riddled 2025 campaign. If you looked for Baker in pre-season Sun Belt All-Conference teams, you are still looking. However, you will find him at the top of Sun Belt completion percentage.
Baker is the only quarterback in the league to connect on over 70 percent of his passes. He is also the only quarterback in the league to have thrown just one interception.
While those two Bulldogs have made play after play on the field and deserve the accolades they have received this season, there was one play that didn’t happen on the artificial turf at Joe Aillet Stadium or in an opponent’s arena. It happened in a board room in the Louisiana Tech Athletics office back in February when head coach Sonny Cumbie agreed to a restructured salary.
This came a little over a month after leading the Bulldogs to a 23-14 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl win over Coastal Carolina.
It was an uncommon situation. Bowl-winning Division I coach agreeing to pay cut. I don’t have to remind you that it’s usually the other way around.
Cumbie stayed the course during back-to-back-to-back 3-9 seasons to start his tenure at Tech. And he stayed the course when Tech AD Ryan Ivey came to him with a restructured salary in February for the sake of “student-athlete enhancements.”
What the money saved by the athletic department went to doesn’t matter. What matters is the statement it made to the young men in the locker room.
A coach can talk about doing the right thing until he is blue in the face, when players see an unselfish coach doing the right thing … it speaks volumes.
The 2026 Bulldogs are a mature football team that has avoided the peaks and valleys most Sun Belt teams experience. They have played unselfishly. It mirrors the unselfishness their head coach demonstrated earlier this year.
It’s been a fun season of football in Ruston. It should continue on Saturday when the Bulldogs take the field as a 17.5-point favorite.
Will the Bulldogs be able to finish strong? That question remains, but there is no doubt that unselfish play – both on the field and off – have helped the Bulldogs climb into the Sun Belt’s driver’s seat.
Contact Jerry at sports@journalservicesllc.com