2018 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team

2018 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football
Hawaii Bowl champion
Hawaii Bowl, W 31–14 vs. Hawaii
ConferenceConference USA
DivisionWest Division
Record8–5 (5–3 C-USA)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorTodd Fitch (3rd season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorBlake Baker (4th season)
Base defenseMultiple
Captains
  • O'Shea Dugas (Sr. year)
  • Teddy Veal (Sr. year)
  • Jaylon Ferguson (Sr. year)
  • Dae'Von Washington (Sr. year)
Home stadiumJoe Aillet Stadium
Seasons
← 2017
2019 →
2018 Conference USA football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Middle Tennessee x   7 1     8 6  
Marshall   6 2     9 4  
FIU   6 2     9 4  
Charlotte   4 4     5 7  
Florida Atlantic   3 5     5 7  
Old Dominion   2 6     4 8  
Western Kentucky   2 6     3 9  
West Division
UAB x$   7 1     11 3  
North Texas   5 3     9 4  
Louisiana Tech   5 3     8 5  
Southern Miss   5 3     6 5  
UTSA   2 6     3 9  
UTEP   1 7     1 11  
Rice   1 7     2 11  
Championship: UAB 27, Middle Tennessee 25
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions

The 2018 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team represented Louisiana Tech University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs played their home games at the Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston, Louisiana and competed in the West Division of Conference USA (C-USA). They were led by sixth-year head coach Skip Holtz. They finished the season 8–5, 5–3 in C-USA play to finish in a three-way tie for second place in the West Division. They were invited to the Hawaii Bowl where they defeated Hawaii.

Preseason[edit]

Award watch lists[edit]

Listed in the order that they were released

Award Player Position Year
Chuck Bednarik Award[1] Jaylon Ferguson DE SR
Fred Biletnikoff Award[2] Teddy Veal WR SR
Jim Thorpe Award[3] Amik Robertson CB SO
Bronko Nagurski Trophy[4] Jaylon Ferguson DE SR
Outland Trophy[5] O'Shea Dugas OL SR
Wuerffel Trophy[6] J'Mar Smith QB JR
Ted Hendricks Award[7] Jaylon Ferguson DE SR
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award[8] J'Mar Smith QB JR

Preseason All-Conference USA team[edit]

Conference USA released their preseason all-Conference USA team on July 16, 2018, with the Bulldogs having four players selected.[9]

Preseason media poll[edit]

Conference USA released their preseason media poll on July 17, 2018, with the Bulldogs predicted to finish in second place in the West Division.[10]

West Division
Predicted finish Team
1 North Texas
2 Louisiana Tech
3 UAB
4 Southern Miss
5 UTSA
T–6 Rice
T–6 UTEP

Roster[edit]

2018 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
WR 1 Rhashid Bonnette  Jr
QB 3 Aaron Allen Fr
WR 4 Alfred Smith  So
WR 6 Adrian Hardy  So
QB 8 J'Mar Smith  Jr
WR 9 Teddy Veal  Sr
QB 10 Westin Elliott Jr
WR 11 Jon Randall Belton  So
QB 13 Nate Cox  Fr
WR 13 Isaiah Graham Jr
WR 14 Praise Okorie So
RB/WR 15 Kam McKnight  Sr
TE 16 Zach Cousar  So
WR 19 Smoke Harris Fr
RB 22 Israel Tucker  So
RB 23 Jaqwis Dancy  Jr
WR 24 Joshua Matthews  Fr
WR 27 Cualan Williams  Fr
RB 29 DeAndre Marcus Fr
RB 30 Jordan Myles Fr
RB 31 Justin Henderson  So
WR/RB 41 Bobby Holly  Jr
OL 54 Hanner Shipley  Sr
OL 55 Drew Kirkpatrick  Jr
OL 56 Jacob Adams  Fr
OL 57 DeVante Lovett  Jr
OL 59 Noah Pitre Fr
OL 61 Ethan Reed  Jr
OL 62 Abraham Delfin  Fr
OL 64 Joshua Mote  Fr
OL 65 Kody Russey  So
OL 66 Shane Carpenter  Sr
OL 68 Justin Throckmorton  Fr
OL 69 Drake Carroll Fr
OL 72 Christian Henderson Fr
OL 73 Willie Allen  So
OL 74 O'Shea Dugas Sr
OL 75 Michael Rodriguez  Sr
OL 76 Biron Rossell Fr
OL 77 Gewhite Stallworth Sr
OL 78 Taylor Fondel  So
WR 80 Griffin Hebert  Fr
WR 81 Cee Jay Powell  So
TE 82 Peyton Braswell  Jr
WR 83 Jake Norris  So
WR 84 Javonte Woodard  Jr
WR 86 Wayne Toussant Fr
WR 87 George Scott So
WR 89 Tahj Magee Fr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
LB 2 Connor Taylor Jr
LB 3 Trey Baldwin Jr
CB 5 Michael Sam  Jr
S 7 Jaiden Cole So
S 8 Brandon Floyd Jr
S 10 James Jackson  Jr
S 14 Daniel Lewis  Sr
LB 16 Reggie Cleveland  So
CB 17 Brodrick Calhoun Fr
CB 18 Zach Hannibal  So
S 20 Kollin Hurt  Fr
CB 21 Amik Robertson So
CB 24 L'Jarius Sneed Jr
S 25 Bee Jay Williamson Fr
S 26 Jacorion Andrews  Fr
S 28 Jordan Baldwin Sr
CB 30 Aaron Roberson  Jr
CB 32 Trey Spencer Sr
LB 33 Dae'von Washington  Sr
LB 35 Collin Scott  Jr
CB 37 Ephraim Kitchen  Jr
S 38 Darryl Lewis  Jr
LB 39 Randy Hogan Sr
S 42 Derek Turner Fr
S 43 Xavier Lodge Fr
LB 44 Brandon Durman Sr
DE 45 Jaylon Ferguson  Sr
S 46 Ezekiel Barnett  So
DE 47 Eric Kendzior Jr
LB 48 Alex Zayed  So
LB 49 Isaiah Windmon Fr
DT 50 Chris Spence  So
DT 52 D. J. Jackson Fr
LB 56 Jacob Adams  Fr
DT 58 Charles Adeola  Jr
DE 86 Willie Baker  So
DT 90 Courtney Wallace  Jr
DE 91 Steven Shaw Fr
DT 92 La'Dante Davenport  Jr
DE 93 Immanuel Turner Sr
DT 94 Jordan Bradford Sr
DE 95 Matthew Ydarraga  Sr
DT 96 Ka'Derrion Mason Jr
DE 97 Milton Williams  Fr
DE 98 Tristan Allen  Fr
DT 99 Keonatye Garner Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
P 18 Will Parker  Sr
K 29 Brady Farlow Jr
K 34 Bailey Hale  Jr
P 36 Davan Dyer Sr
LS 40 Kyle Conrad  So
LS 49 Reeves Blankenship  Fr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster
Last update: April 20, 2019

Schedule[edit]

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 16:00 p.m.at South Alabama*ESPN+W 30–2613,457
September 86:00 p.m.Southern*ESPN+W 54–1722,926
September 226:00 p.m.at No. 6 LSU*ESPNUL 21–38102,321
September 296:30 p.m.at North TexasbeINW 29–2730,105
October 66:00 p.m.UAB
  • Joe Aillet Stadium
  • Ruston, LA
StadiumL 7–2818,983
October 136:00 p.m.at UTSAESPN+W 31–320,057
October 202:30 p.m.UTEP
  • Joe Aillet Stadium
  • Ruston, LA
ESPN+W 31–2418,972
October 265:30 p.m.at Florida AtlanticCBSSNW 21–1314,948
November 36:30 p.m.at No. 21 Mississippi State*SECNL 3–4558,709
November 106:00 p.m.Rice
  • Joe Aillet Stadium
  • Ruston, LA
ESPN+W 28–1315,283
November 172:30 p.m.at Southern MissStadiumL 20–2119,142
November 2411:00 a.m.Western Kentucky
  • Joe Aillet Stadium
  • Ruston, LA
CBSSNL 15–3011,459
December 229:30 p.m.at Hawaii*ESPNW 31–1430,911
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Central time
Schedule Source:[11]

Radio[edit]

Radio coverage for all games will be broadcast statewide on the Louisiana Tech Sports Network by Learfield Sports. The radio announcers are Dave Nitz with play-by-play, Teddy Allen with color commentary, and Nick Brown with sideline reports.

Game summaries[edit]

At South Alabama[edit]

Louisiana Tech at South Alabama – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bulldogs 7 13 3730
Jaguars 0 7 61326

at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, AL

  • Date: September 1
  • Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C); partly cloudy
  • Game attendance: 13,457
  • Referee: Steve LaMantia
  • TV: ESPN+
  • [1] [2] [3]
Game information

Southern[edit]

Southern at Louisiana Tech – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 7 7 3017
Bulldogs 21 10 14954

at Joe Aillet Stadium, Ruston, LA

  • Date: September 8
  • Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C); cloudy
  • Game attendance: 22,926
  • Referee: Justin Elliott
  • TV: ESPN+
  • [4] [5] [6]
Game information

At LSU[edit]

Louisiana Tech at LSU – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bulldogs 0 7 7721
No. 6 Tigers 7 17 01438

at Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA

  • Date: September 22
  • Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C); light rain
  • Game attendance: 102,321
  • TV: ESPNU
  • [7] [8] [9]
Game information

At North Texas[edit]

Louisiana Tech at North Texas – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bulldogs 6 20 3029
Mean Green 21 0 6027

at Apogee Stadium, Denton, TX

  • Date: September 29
  • Game time: 6:30 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C); overcast
  • Game attendance: 30,105
  • TV: beIN Sports
  • [10] [11] [12]
Game information

UAB[edit]

UAB at Louisiana Tech – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Blazers 0 7 71428
Bulldogs 7 0 007

at Joe Aillet Stadium, Ruston, LA

  • Date: October 6
  • Game time: 6:30 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C); scattered thunderstorms
  • Game attendance: 18,983
  • TV: Stadium
  • [13] [14] [15]
Game information

At UTSA[edit]

Louisiana Tech at UTSA – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bulldogs 7 10 7731
Roadrunners 0 0 303

at Alamodome, San Antonio, TX

  • Date: October 13
  • Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C); none (domed stadium)
  • Game attendance: 20,057
  • TV: ESPN+
  • [16] [17] [18]
Game information

UTEP[edit]

UTEP at Louisiana Tech – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Miners 7 0 14324
Bulldogs 14 3 7731

at Joe Aillet Stadium, Ruston, LA

  • Date: October 20
  • Game time: 2:30 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C); partly cloudy
  • Game attendance: 18,972
  • TV: ESPN+
  • [19] [20] [21]
Game information

At Florida Atlantic[edit]

Louisiana Tech at Florida Atlantic – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bulldogs 0 14 0721
Owls 10 0 3013

at FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, FL

Game information

At Mississippi State[edit]

Louisiana Tech at Mississippi State – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
(LT) Bulldogs 3 0 003
No. 18 (MSST) Bulldogs 21 10 7745

at Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, MS

  • Date: November 3
  • Game time: 6:30 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C); clear
  • Game attendance: 58,709
  • TV: SEC Network
  • [25] [26] [27]
Game information

Rice[edit]

Rice at Louisiana Tech – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Owls 0 3 7313
Bulldogs 0 7 14728

at Joe Aillet Stadium, Ruston, LA

  • Date: November 10
  • Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 41 °F (5 °C); clear
  • Game attendance: 15,283
  • TV: ESPN+
  • [28] [29] [30]
Game information

At Southern Miss[edit]

Louisiana Tech at Southern Miss – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bulldogs 7 10 0320
Golden Eagles 7 7 0721

at M. M. Roberts Stadium, Hattiesburg, MS

  • Date: November 17
  • Game time: 2:30 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C); mostly sunny
  • Game attendance: 19,142
  • TV: Stadium
  • [31] [32] [33]
Game information

Western Kentucky[edit]

Western Kentucky at Louisiana Tech – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Hilltoppers 14 9 0730
Bulldogs 0 12 3015

at Joe Aillet Stadium, Ruston, LA

Game information

Vs. Hawaii (Hawaii Bowl)[edit]

Hawaii vs. Louisiana Tech – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Rainbow Warriors 0 7 0714
Bulldogs 3 0 21731

at Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI

  • Date: December 22
  • Game time: 9:30 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C); fair
  • Game attendance: 30,911
  • TV: ESPN
  • [37] [38] [39]
Game information

Players drafted into the NFL[edit]

Round Pick Player Position NFL Club
3 85 Jaylon Ferguson DE Baltimore Ravens

References[edit]

  1. ^ "2018 Bednarik Award Watch List - Maxwell Football Club". Maxwell Football Club. July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  2. ^ "2018 Biletnikoff Award Watch List". July 19, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  3. ^ "Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Names 2018 Preseason Watchlist". July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  4. ^ "2018 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List". July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  5. ^ "22018 OUTLAND TROPHY WATCH LIST UNVEILED". July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  6. ^ "Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List". July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  7. ^ "Preseason Watch List - 2018 edition of the Ted Hendricks Award" (PDF). August 14, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  8. ^ "Watch List for 2018 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award ® Presented by A. O. Smith Announced". August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  9. ^ "FB: 2018 Preseason Awards".
  10. ^ "FB: Preseason Media Poll".
  11. ^ "2018 LA Tech Football Schedule | Bulldogs | FBSchedules.com". FB Schedules. Retrieved April 5, 2018.