By Malcolm Butler
It’s been 26 years since Louisiana Tech and ULM last met on the football field.
That lengthy absence ends Saturday night in Monroe when the Bulldogs and Warhawks renew their rivalry in the inaugural Radiance Technologies I-20 Showdown.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Malone Stadium, with the contest televised on ESPN+.
Louisiana Tech (3-2, 1-0 Sun Belt) enters the contest riding the momentum of a dramatic 32-31 comeback victory over UL-Lafayette last Saturday in Ruston. The Bulldogs rallied from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to capture their first Sun Belt Conference victory.
Now Sonny Cumbie’s team faces another in-state rival, one that hasn’t beaten the Bulldogs since 1987. But the Tech head coach isn’t interested in records, winning streaks or what happened a week ago.
“None of those plays carry over to this week, and this week we’re 0-0,” Cumbie said. “We’re playing an opponent that’s had two weeks to prepare for us. We’re playing a team that’s going to play extremely physical on offense and defense and special teams, and they’re very well coached.”
ULM enters the contest winless in five games under head coach Bryant Vincent, but the Warhawks have had an open date to prepare for the Bulldogs. Cumbie said the Warhawks’ record doesn’t reflect the effort or talent he has seen on film, particularly from an offense capable of producing explosive plays through the passing game.
For Tech, Saturday represents an opportunity to build on the momentum of consecutive victories over Army and UL-Lafayette while remaining unbeaten in Sun Belt play.
The Bulldogs will once again turn to quarterback Blake Baker, who returned from injury last week and helped engineer the comeback against the Ragin’ Cajuns. Cumbie confirmed Baker will remain the starter, while the availability of Trey Kukuk continues to depend on his recovery from an injury suffered against Army.
“Blake is our starting quarterback,” Cumbie said. “Really proud of how Blake played, and hopefully we can get both of them healthy at the same time and be able to have both of them available.”
Baker’s return has coincided with the continued development of several Tech receivers, including Talyn Shettron, who enjoyed a breakout performance against UL-Lafayette. Shettron said his growing familiarity with the offense has allowed him to play with more confidence.
“Each week we just keep getting better and better,” Shettron said. “Just me growing in my confidence with the playbook and everything going on in the offense has allowed me to go out and just play free.”
The Bulldogs could be without one of their most explosive offensive weapons Saturday. Dylone Brooks, who played a major role in the victory over Army, was listed as questionable earlier this week after leaving the UL-Lafayette contest with an injury. Brooks had 200 yards of total offense and two scores in the win over the Black Knights.
Defensively, Tech will be challenged by a ULM passing attack that Cumbie believes is more dangerous than the Warhawks’ record suggests.
The Bulldogs forced three turnovers against UL-Lafayette, including a game-sealing interception by Jordan McRae, but Cumbie stressed the need for better communication in the secondary and improved execution on third and fourth downs.
Beyond the immediate conference implications, Saturday’s matchup carries considerable historical significance.
The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 30-13, including a 13-8 advantage in Monroe, and have won eight consecutive meetings. The schools last met as conference opponents in 1986 when both competed in the Southland Conference.
For Cumbie, the renewal of a rivalry between schools separated by approximately 35 miles gives his players an opportunity to create their own place in Tech history.
“There’s not many times that you have an opportunity to write history,” Cumbie said. “That’s what this team has an opportunity to do this week and certainly this year, our first season in the Sun Belt.”
And after watching his Bulldogs overcome long odds to defeat UL-Lafayette, Cumbie said you can’t take anything for granted Saturday night.
“There’s no room in football for forecasting or prediction, especially in rivalry games,” Cumbie said.
