Three Keys to Victory: Coastal Carolina
Your Louisiana Tech Bulldogs are heading back to the Independence Bowl tomorrow for an early afternoon clash with the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina.
After rattling off six straight bowl victories in the 2010s, Tech suddenly finds themselves halfway through the 2020s without a postseason W. What can Sonny Cumbie and the Bulldogs do to get back to their winning ways?
1) Run, Run, and Run some more
Let’s be honest here – this could be the one and only key to victory this week. But this ain’t “One Key to Victory”!
Let’s take a second to think about how Tech got here. In their first ten games, I would’ve struggled to describe their true offensive identity. They passed the ball, but not very effectively. They ran the ball – at times with great success (NMSU, SHSU, for example) – but in other games could not get anything going at all (here’s looking at you, UTEP).
When Blake Baker went down in the Delaware game, followed by Evan Bullock the next week, there was nowhere else for Tony Franklin and the Bulldogs to turn: We are a running team.
And wouldn’t you know it – we actually thrived as a running team against Liberty and Missouri State to finish the season strong and actually earn this year’s Indy Bowl berth!
Okay – so now for some stats. Tech enters the game as the #23 rushing offense in the nation, averaging 197 yards per game. The advanced stats paint a slightly less optimistic view: Tech is successful on just 44% of their run plays (76th in FBS).
Here’s the bright side – and why running the football effectively is the best way to ensure a Bowl victory for the Bulldogs. Coastal Carolina is terrible against the run. They allow 210 yards per game (129th), and a success rate of 49.5% (130th). Tony Franklin and the RB room must be licking their chops waiting for this one!
2) Defense wins Bowl Championships
Statistically speaking, Tech’s defense will be the best unit on the field entering tomorrow afternoon’s matchup. They allowed teams to move the ball this season (68th in yards per game allowed, 94th in passing and 57th in rushing), but became extremely stingy when it came to finishing those drives. The Bulldog defense was the 16th-best in college football in red zone D, and 38th in scoring D.
Coastal’s offense really shouldn’t be able to do much against Luke Olson’s scheme – their offense really struggled all season to move the ball both through the air and on the ground. The only thing that scares me a little bit is some of the names missing from LA Tech’s pre-Bowl Depth Chart – but they have proven the “next man up” mentality all year, so why stop now?
If Tech can be as solid defensively as they’ve been all year, this one could get ugly.
3) Storylines
When it comes to Bowl season, there’s a little more to it than just the matchups on the field. There’s also pageantry – it’s a battle of the bands on the U.S.S. Midway before the Poinsettia Bowl in 2011, handing out toys at a toy drive for underprivileged kids, or… getting tased at Barksdale AFB??
The point is, when you play in a Bowl Game, it’s not just about the game itself. Maybe you’re a senior suiting up for the last time. Maybe you’re a Sophomore who’s going to see their first action due to opt outs and the transfer portal. Maybe you’re an interim coach trying to make the best impression possible looking forward to your next gig.
Bowl games have storylines that go along with them – and I often think that the team with the best storylines has some sort of advantage on the field. There are some generic stories, like this being the first-ever meeting between future conference mates…. But let’s look at each team:
This year, Coastal comes in having fired their HC after a disappointing end to the season. Former Tech DC Jeremiah Johnson is the interim coach for the game, but he’s also a lame duck – he’ll be moving on to Kansas State to be their defensive backs coach. There’s not much of a story there (not like when a newly-hired Sonny Dykes coached SMU to disastrous results in the 2018 Frisco Bowl).
Meanwhile, Tech has quite a few storylines to keep your eyes on: Coach Sonny Cumbie is coming back in 2026, but hasn’t signed an extension yet – could a big Bowl victory get him where he wants to be, contractually speaking? Senior CB Cedric Woods is suiting up for the 58th time in a Bulldog uniform – do you think he wants to go out with an L? (I highly recommend this piece by Ben Carlile on Ced’s journey and what it means to him to be a Bulldog). Several Tech players will be looking to provide the coaching staff with tape for next season. Which storylines will win out? We’ll have some answers tomorrow!
Evan is a contributor at go tech pls dont die, a weekly podcast, Twitter, and blog that covers Louisiana Tech sports in a not-so-serious way.
