by Malcolm Butler
Louisiana Tech has spent the month of October building momentum, winning four straight games and putting itself in position to contend for a Sun Belt Conference championship.
Now the Bulldogs will make their first trip out of the state since it’s loss at Baylor back on September 19 and have an opportunity to take another important step.
A rather significant step.
Tech (5-2, 3-0) will look to remain unbeaten in conference play Saturday when it travels to Mobile, Alabama, to face South Alabama (4-3, 2-1) at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m., with the game televised on ESPN+.
The matchup carries significant implications in the Sun Belt West Division standings, where the Bulldogs currently sit atop the division and the Jaguars are among their closest challengers. With a victory today, Tech would own a 2-game lead and the tiebreaker against USA and UL-Lafayette and a two-game lead over Troy with the Trojans next up for the Bulldogs.
Tech head coach Sonny Cumbie believes the challenge is making sure his team continues doing the things that have produced its recent success.
“As we started this month of October, we challenged our team,” Cumbie said. “We talked a lot about really this is an October of opportunity for our football team. We had five football games in this month, which is nearly half of our season. I am really proud of how they’ve handled this month, and how they’ve played.”
The Bulldogs enter Saturday riding one of their most impressive defensive stretches in decades.
Tech has recorded consecutive shutouts for the first time since 1959, blanking ULM 24-0 and Old Dominion 26-0 in its last two outings. Against Old Dominion, the Bulldogs limited the Monarchs to just 141 yards of total offense, including minus-13 rushing yards, while recording six sacks and 13 tackles for loss.
But keeping that streak alive won’t be easy.
South Alabama features the Sun Belt’s top rushing offense, led by running backs Keenan Phillips and PJ Martin. The Jaguars also present a dangerous play-action passing attack that could test a Tech defense that has dominated opposing offenses in recent weeks.
“They do it with two different backs that are really, really productive,” Cumbie said. “They’re really, really hard to tackle from the standpoint of Keenan Phillips and PJ Martin. So they do a great job in play action because they run the ball so well.”
Offensively, the Bulldogs have found their rhythm behind quarterback Blake Baker, who has thrown for 800 yards while completing 77 percent of his passes in three conference games. Baker has accounted for 10 touchdowns without committing a turnover during that stretch, helping Tech develop a more consistent offensive attack.
“I believe so,” Cumbie said when asked if Baker was playing the best football of his career. “One thing, too. Blake started 12 football games. He’s been here for four years … but he’s only started 12 games. For a quarterback, experience is everything.”
Cumbie also wants more production from Tech’s running game and better execution in finishing drives after the Bulldogs failed to capitalize on several scoring opportunities against Old Dominion.
“We’ve got to have a killer instinct,” Cumbie said. “We’ve got to finish games better.”
Saturday also represents a return to the site of Tech’s last meeting with South Alabama, a 38-14 loss in 2022 during Cumbie’s first season as head coach.
“I remember in ’22 when we went there,” Cumbie said. “That was my first year here and we got our tail kicked. I mean, they absolutely got after us.”
The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 2-1. With five regular-season games remaining, Tech has an opportunity to strengthen its position in the Sun Belt championship race.
“For us, again, it is an opportunity to get better today on Monday, and it’s our one-week season,” Cumbie said. “Everything that we can pour into this one week to try to get us a football win on Saturday.”
