Liberty will attempt to rebound from two straight losses as the Flames remain on the road for a CUSA contest on Saturday, November 22 at Louisiana Tech. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN+ from Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston, Louisiana.
Sonny Cumbie is in his fourth year guiding the Bulldogs. He enters Saturday’s game with a 16-31 record and 11-19 mark in conference play. Following two 3-9 seasons to begin his tenure in Ruston, Cumbie led Louisiana Tech to a 5-8 mark last year, losing in the Independence Bowl.
Many expect Cumbie is on the hot seat, and entering the season he and the Bulldogs got off to a hot start. They opened the season at 4-1 with the only loss at LSU. This included a win over one of the current Sun Belt leaders Southern Miss and UTEP and New Mexico State to open CUSA play at 2-0. It looked like Louisiana Tech was going to be firmly in the mix at the top of the conference, but things have gone south since then. The Bulldogs have dropped four of their last five games, including a loss at Washington State, 28-3, last week in a non-conference matchup.
Cumbie, the former quarterback, has had difficulty finding his signal caller this season. Trey Kukuk started the first two games before giving way to Blake Baker who started game three through the game a couple weeks ago against Delaware. Baker, who had completed 102 of 155 passes for 1,251 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions tore his ACL against the Blue Hens. Since Baker’s injury, Cumbie has gone back and forth between Kukuk and Evan Bullock. Bullock got the start this past week against Washington State, but Kukuk rotated in frequently. In the loss to Wazzou, Bullock completed 4 of 10 passes for 36 yards, while rushing three times for 1 yard. Kukuk completed 5 of 8 passes for 24 yards and an interception. He ran 9 times for 39 yards.
Cumbie announced earlier this week that Bullock suffered an injury that will force him to miss the rest of the regular season, so it will be Kukuk getting the start with true freshman Jackson Bradley his backup. On the season, Kukuk has completed 36 of 53 passes for 321 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. He’s also rushed 44 times for 173 yards.
Largely due to the inconsistency at quarterback, the Bulldogs have struggled on offense. They are currently 11th in CUSA in passing yards, last in the league with 7 passing touchdowns, 10th in passing offense (194.4), and 8th in total offense (366.1). They are averaging 28.1 points per game, which ranks 4th in the conference. Louisiana Tech has the 4th best rushing offense in the league, averaging 175.4 yards per game and 4.34 yards per rush.
Clay Thevenin leads the team in rushing with 101 carries for 516 yards and 8 touchdowns. Omiri Wiggins has 87 carries for 415 yards and 4 touchdowns. Eli Finley leads Louisiana Tech in receiving with 31 catches for 365 yards. Devin Gandy has 21 receptions for 356 yards and a team-leading 2 touchdowns.
Especially early in the season, Louisiana Tech was led by their defense. The Bulldogs lead the nation with 7 defensive touchdowns, five on interceptions and two on fumbles. They also have a CUSA best 15 interceptions on the season. The Bulldogs are the top scoring defense in the conference and 24th nationally, holding teams to 18.9 points per game. They are also the top rushing defense in CUSA and 41st nationally while holding teams to 126.9 rushing yards per game. Louisiana Tech is the 8th best passing defense, allowing 248 yards through the air each game, and rank 4th in CUSA in total defense, with teams averaging 374.9 yards of offense against them.
Previous Meeting
- Liberty defeated Louisiana Tech, 56-30, on Nov. 4, 2023.
- Series: Liberty leads, 1-0
Key Players to Watch
- Trey Kukuk (QB)
- Clay Thevenin (RB)
- Sifa Leota (LB)
- Mekhi Mason (LB)
- Jacob Fields (DB)
Louisiana Tech Recent/Upcoming Schedule & Results
- October 31: LA Tech 55, Sam Houston 14
- November 8: Delaware 25, LA Tech 24
- November 15: Washington State 28, LA Tech 3
- November 22: vs Liberty
- November 29: at Missouri State
