Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Louisiana Tech rode a dominant first half and a game-changing defensive score to knock off rival Southern Miss, 30-20, Saturday night inside Origin Bank Field at Joe Aillet Stadium.
LA Tech (3-1) posted all 30 of its points in the first half, building a 20-point lead at the midway point. That was all the scoring the Bulldogs needed as the defense limited USM (2-2) to just two scores in the second stanza to win the renewed rivalry that dates to 1935.
“I think our players did a great job of starting this game fast, and I think being able to stack consistent performances-we’ve been able to do that since week one, two three and four,” said head coach Sonny Cumbie. “There’s been some glaring improvements, but there’s also some glaring things we must clean up. But I was just proud of our football team.”
The ‘Dogs came out firing in the opening quarter. Following a 3-and-out by the defense, LA Tech marched 74 yards in just two plays to grab the early lead on a one-yard keeper by quarterback Blake Baker. Setting up the easy score was a 73-yard catch-and-run by tight end Eli Finley who was wide open over the middle.
“There’s always a lot at stake every week,” said Finley, who finished with a career-high six catches for a career-high 155 yards. “No one week is more important than the other, so we had that mindset coming into the week, attacking every practice. Every time we get on that field there’s one outcome that we want, and that’s to win. So, that’s how we attack every week.”
After the Golden Eagles quickly answered, kicker Drew Henderson booted a 24-yard field goal and Omiri Wiggins added a three-yard touchdown run to send the Bulldogs in front, 17-10, after one.
The second quarter proved decisive. Linebacker Kolbe Fields jumped a route and returned an interception 48 yards for a touchdown to give LA Tech a two-score cushion.
“All throughout the week we go to film study, and you usually get the same things from offenses week to week because they are who they are,” said Fields. “Our safeties coach, Coach [Sam] Carter, he said anytime the back motions away they’ll screen on the back side, so I just trusted it. They ran it on the second play of the game, and I tackled it, but you can’t ever be satisfied with a tackle when you can go make a bigger play.
Just before halftime, Clay Thevenin powered in from a yard out to cap a 14-play, 80-yard drive, sending the Bulldogs into the locker room with a commanding 30-10 lead.
USM controlled much of the second half statistically – finishing with 514 total yards compared to LA Tech’s 340 – but the Bulldogs’ defense bent without breaking. The Golden Eagles were stuffed on a goal-line stand in the third quarter and managed just a field goal and a late touchdown, never fully erasing the early deficit.
Baker finished an efficient 15-of-21 through the air for 239 yards and 29 yards on the ground. Finley led all receivers with six catches for a career-high 155 yards. Wiggins paced the ground attack with 49 rushing yards.
“I think it was a complete win, and when I say that: the offense, defense and special teams all took turns making plays,” said Cumbie. “Really making plays together at times in the first half where we played well on all three sides of the ball. And I think in other parts of the second half our guys, whether it was the defense picking up the offense.”
Defensively, Fields anchored the effort with nine tackles and the pick-six, while Mekhi Mason and Sifa Leota each added seven tackles. The linebacker trio also combined for two tackles-for-loss, three pass breakups, and two quarterback hurries.
