If the traffic gods aren’t moody and you avoid getting behind a chicken truck or a Cell Phone Fanatic with poor lane discipline, it takes 40 minutes or less to get from Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston to FMOL Health/St. Francis Stadium in Monroe.
Candy from a baby. And easy 40 minutes from one football stadium to the other.
Unless … unless you are a football player at either Louisiana Tech or Louisiana-Monroe.
Then it takes 26 years.
Until Saturday’s 24-0 Tech victory over ULM on a comfy early-fall night in Monroe, the two teams hadn’t played since 2000, a well-documented but still mind-numbing fact, considering they are rivals and neighbors.
Think about it: The last time these two played, a boy with a new PlayStation and a girl with frosted hair tips picked out tapes at Blockbuster before the game and listened to Britney Spears after. Maybe talked about President Clinton. Maybe went to see “Gladiator,” speaking of blockbusters, at the picture show Sunday.
It’s been a minute.
So, since Tech joined ULM in the Sun Belt Conference this past July 1, October 17 had been circled in Warhawk Maroon and Bulldog Blue. Which is why we offer the briefest of recaps, just to applaud to football gods for MAKING these two finally play.
At least the wait seemed worth it, maybe even for sides, although you knew there had to be a winner and a loser. Lots of pregame tomfoolery in shady Pecan Grove. Good weather. Tech coming off a tight, emotional win over its south Louisiana rival, ULL, and ULM, 0-5, looking for an upset to get the wheels back on the bus and start the season’s backside strong.
At halftime, things were far from decided.
More to the point, for a score in this rivalry, we had to wait 26 years plus a half of football. Egg-Egg after 30 minutes. Tech couldn’t kick a field goal and ULM couldn’t get past the enemy 43, a piece of real estate the Warhawks didn’t invade until the game was decided.
Tech got an interception on the first play from scrimmage in the second half — that’s nine straight games with a takeaway — quickly turned its possession into a touchdown drive, ran the ball and threw short passes to minimize Warhawk pressure, created bonus points, and let its defense post its first shutout since the 2025 season opener.
The Bulldogs, 4-2, moved to 2-0 in the Sun Belt and, with wins over ULL and ULM, captured the inaugural Governor’s Cup, a three-team football competition decided as quickly as possible with Tech’s back-to-back wins. The Dogs also got an early lead in the Radiance Technologies I-20 Showdown Rivalry Series, another inaugural competition, this one between interstate rivals ULM and Tech. Tech’s Soccer Bulldogs beat ULM earlier this fall, and Tech’s win in football gives the school a 2-0 edge in a competition that continues until the final shot put is thrown, until the final softball and baseball out is made.
Love it.
The most immediate bottom line is this: at 2-0, Tech is undefeated against ULM in football this millennium. We won’t have to wait another 26 years for the rematch.
Tech plays its Homecoming game Saturday at 4 against Old Dominion (2-5, 1-3) and its stingy defense; ULM is at even-steven Troy (3-3, 1-1) at 3.
Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu
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