by Malcolm Butler
Trey Kukuk and Andrew Burnette combined for 304 yards rushing and five TDs as Louisiana Tech bullied its way past Missouri State in cold, windy, rainy conditions Saturday afternoon at Plaster Stadium in Springfield.
With the win, Tech (7-5, 5-3 CUSA) secured its first winning season since 2019 as it now awaits which postseason bowl the Bulldogs will be playing in this year.
“At the beginning of the week, we knew this game was going to be gritty, grimy, ‘who wants it more’ type of game just because of what the weather looked like, and the weather was that and more than we expected,” said head coach Sonny Cumbie. “Our players were excited from the moment we hit the field here and had phenomenal energy in pregame. They were really excited to be here, and that showed in how they fought and how they competed.”
Tech, which rushed for 388 yards and averaged 7.6 yards per carry, set the tone from the very outset of the ball game. After the Bulldogs defense forced a punt on Missouri State’s first possession, Tech started on its own two-yard line.
On the first play from scrimmage, Burnette took the handoff, stutter stepped in the endzone, and then ran off right tackle, racing 98 yards untouched to the endzone for a 7-0 lead. The run was the second longest in program history behind only Kenneth Dixon’s 99-yard run against UL-Lafayette (2014).
After Tech forced another punt, the Bulldogs marched 85 yards on 11 plays as Burnette scored on a 1-yard plunge early in the second quarter to extend the lead to 14-0.
The Bears (7-5, 5-3) scored 10 straight points in the second quarter and closed the gap to 14-10 at the half as the two teams continued to battle in tough elements that saw cold rain come down, much of the time sideways due to the strong winds.
“The elements-our kids didn’t blink,” said Cumbie. “As our friend, Lane Burroughs, likes to say, we dominated the elements today.”
Both teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter as Kukuk, who rushed for a program record (by a QB) 178 yards, scored on a 2-yard run as the Bulldogs entered the final quarter leading 21-17.
The fourth quarter was full of big plays.
Kukuk’s second 2-yard TD run upped the lead to 28-17 before Missouri State answered with a 75-yard scoring strike on a busted coverage in the Tech secondary. On the ensuing kickoff, Devin Gandy capitalized on outstanding blocking and sprinted 93 yards down the near sideline for a score as Tech once again led by two scores (35-23).
“A couple weeks ago, we moved Clay [Thevenin] into the starting kickoff returner role, and Devin stayed the course,” said Cumbie. “We kept him at it, and he got his opportunity tonight. A great job by our wedge and frontline guys, and then Devin taking it. There’s not a better time for a kick return than what we had tonight.”
Missouri State wasted little time in responding, driving 75 yards on just six plays in 2:31 to close the Tech lead to 35-30 with 6:44 to play.
With the game still in doubt, Tech’s offense went to work. Kukuk hit Eli Finley for 17 yards on a big third down play to keep the drive alive. Two plays later, Kukuk faked the handoff, ran off left tackle, and raced 58 yards down the sideline for his third score of the game.
“I think you can’t say enough about Trey Kukuk and our offense and the way we ran the football,” said Cumbie. “388 yards against the number one rush defense in our conference. You score 42 points on the road in these types of conditions. I think it’s a testament to the progression of our team offensively as the season has gone on and how much better we’ve gotten and finding our identity with Trey at quarterback.”
Missouri State had one last opportunity to get back into the game. However, Jakari Foster recorded his nation-leading seventh interception of the season and the Bulldogs were able to run out the clock for the win.
“Defensively, it wasn’t our best outing but when they needed it, Jakari Foster was there for another takeaway,” said Cumbie. “We got pressure on Jacob Clark. We talk about it all the time, tips and overthrows we have to have those, and we were able to do that with Jakari.”
The Bulldogs defense registered eight tackles for loss, four sacks, and the 20th interception of the year in the win.
