By Malcolm Butler
Louisiana Tech hopes its October magic carries into November as the Bulldogs look to move one step closer to a Sun Belt Conference West Division championship.
Winners of five straight games and nine of their last 11 dating back to last season, the Bulldogs (6-2, 4-0) travel to Troy (4-4, 2-2) today for a 3 p.m. kickoff at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN+.
The Bulldogs’ winning streak is tied for the eighth-longest active streak, and their six-game conference winning streak ranks sixth.
Tech enters the weekend as the Sun Belt’s lone remaining unbeaten team in conference play, holding a two-game lead in the West Division standings. A victory over the Trojans would put the Bulldogs in position to clinch the division title with just one win in their final three regular-season games.
“We talked about it being an October of opportunity because we had five games in the month, which is nearly half your season,” head coach Sonny Cumbie said. “I was really proud of how our players attacked it and approached it one week at a time. To get through the month of October at 5-0 was a testament to their willingness to believe and to buy in.”
The Bulldogs secured bowl eligibility for the second straight season with last Saturday’s 35-20 victory at South Alabama, extending their winning streak to five games for the first time since 2019.
Despite the recent success, Cumbie believes Saturday’s matchup against Troy presents another significant test.
“I think this is going to be the biggest challenge that we’ve faced up to this point in our conference,” Cumbie said. “It’s a great opponent on the road.”
Troy is 3-1 at home this season but is looking to bounce back from a tough loss its last time in The Vet, when the Trojans surrendered 21 points over the final 2:34 as ULM came back from a 14-3 deficit and stunned Troy. Troy upset James Madison in overtime in its last outing.
The Trojans feature an explosive offensive attack led by a talented group of running backs and playmakers at receiver as TK Keys, Howard Kinchin and Norel White as players capable of creating problems for Tech’s defense.
Defensively, Troy presents its own challenges.
“Defensively, very aggressive,” Cumbie said. “They have athleticism and they play extremely hard. … Very opportunistic, very athletic on defense and very disruptive in terms of their pass rush.”
Troy forced five turnovers in its most recent game against James Madison, the most since the 2022 Cure Bowl. Justin Powe had himself a game for the Trojans becoming the first college football player since Louisiana Tech’s Amik Robertson (Oct. 19, 2019) to have three interceptions and two pass break ups in a game.
Tech’s defense has been equally impressive during its winning streak. The Bulldogs have held opponents scoreless in 10 of the past 12 quarters, including a second-half shutout against South Alabama.
Offensively, the Bulldogs will look to build on a performance that included five touchdowns in five red-zone opportunities against South Alabama. Quarterback Blake Baker helped lead the offensive attack, displaying both his passing ability and toughness as a runner.
“Our guys have some battle scars and some calluses that resiliency has created,” Cumbie said. “They have a determination on a daily basis to be the best at getting better.”
A victory Saturday would give Tech its first 5-0 conference start and first six-game winning streak since 2019. It would also mark the program’s first consecutive seasons with at least seven victories since 2018-19.
