Louisiana Tech Football Preview, Best Players, Top Transfers, Season Prediction, Win Total 2024

Louisiana Tech College Football Preview 2024

The fun times in the Skip Holtz era seem like a long, long time ago.

Louisiana Tech was a Conference USA power from 2014 to 2019 with six straight winning seasons and six straight bowl wins. The high point was 2019 with the school’s only ten-win campaign since moving to the D-I world, ending with a shocking 14-0 win over Miami in the Independence Bowl.

Louisiana Tech has won a total of nine games in the last three seasons, with Sonny Cumbie having a hard time pulling the program out of the nosedive.

Cumbie took over after Holtz went 3-9 in 2021, and two more 3-9 seasons followed. The losses were rough—dropping the last six last season—but so far under Cumbie, it’s been the way they happened.

It’s not like the Bulldogs were close.

Five of the nine defeats last year were double-digit blowouts, making it 11 of 18 losses over the last two years by ten points or more. But this year, things should change.

The team is loaded up with transfers to provide more depth, if not fix the problem, and the schedule is about as friendly as possible.

It’s only fair to give any new head coach two years to get his parts in place. Cumbie might not have a perfect starting 22, but enough is there to matter again.

Louisiana Tech Football Preview 2024: Offense

- The passing game has been okay, and the offense overall has been decent, but it’s not enough. The problem is more on the other side of the ball, but the Bulldog attack has to be more consistent.

It starts with doing more with the passing attack. Hank Bachmeier left for Wake Forest, and now it’s a battle for the starting gig with backup Jack Turner a 6-5, 230-pound bomber and Southern Miss transfer Ty Keyes pushing for the spot. Turner has the experience, but he has to watch the picks. It doesn’t help that …

- The receiving corps needs reworking. The three top receivers are gone - Smoke Harris caught all the little throws, new Texas A&M Aggie Cyrus Allen caught the big ones. Tru Edwards was third on the team with 23 grabs, and after him are a slew of inexperienced parts.

Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim comes in from Bowling Green, and Decoldest Crawford will likely take over on the outside. TE Nate Jones will be more of a factor after missing a chunk of last year.

- The offensive line isn’t starting over, but it needs to replace a slew of parts. It should still be one of the team’s bigger strengths helped by Grambling State’s Ashanti Cole at tackle and all-star center Zairan McGill coming in from ULM.

The ground game should be good enough to rely on more. Texas State transfer Donerio Davenport bring a good thump and a toughness to pound away, and Marquis Crosby a star returning after missing almost all of last season.

Crosby ran for 918 yards and nine scores in 2022, and now he’ll bring back the flash to go with Davenport.

Louisiana Tech Football Preview 2024: Defense

- How much will all of the transfers matter? Louisiana Tech gave up 418 yards and 33 points per game starting with a run defense that ripped though like it wasn’t there.

Mykol Clark is back at one end, and that’s about it. The hope is for JUCO transfers Trevell Vivians and Adam Lamar to rotate into the tackle situation to hold up.

- The linebacking corps is also getting some help. North Texas transfer Sifa Leota and Jamarcus Jones from UAB will get their time, but Zach Zimos should lead the team in tackles from his spot on the inside.

- There wasn’t much of a pass rush, but the secondary was still okay. There were just five picks, but overall the passing yards were held down mainly because everyone worked at running on the Bulldogs defensive front.

Transfers are coming in for all five spots, with Iowa State safety Blake Thompson likely the best of the bunch.

Michael Richard is a great-looking young safety who makes plays all over the field, and Demarcus Griffin-Taylor is a quick veteran who can return kicks and be more of a factor freelancing in the secondary. Cedric Woods didn’t make too much happen, but he’s a returning starter.

Key To The Louisiana Tech Football Season

Get running.
The idea of the Sonny Cumbie offense is to crank up the passing game, but Louisiana Tech was better when it ran well.

The Bulldogs were 3-3 when coming up with more than 105 yards on the ground, and 0-6 when they didn’t. Over the last two seasons they were 0-11 when they didn’t get to at least 112 yards on the ground.

Louisiana Tech Key Player

Zion Nason, DT Sr.
Or new transfer Trevell Vivians. SOMEONE has to hole down the interior of the defensive line that got torn to shreds for 5.5 yards per Carr and 185 yards or more in every game but four.

The 6-2, 295-pound Nason came up with 35 tackles with a sack and 3.5 tackles for loss, and now he’ll be asked to do even more to hold on on the nose. Having the large Vivians rotating in should help.

Louisiana Tech Football Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss

Top Transfer In: Donario Davenport, RB Sr.
The Bulldogs are solid at running back is Marquis Crosby is back to normal, but getting Davenport in from Texas State will matter. He ran for 458 yards and two scores and was good when used as a receiver.

Top Transfer Out: Cyrus Allen WR Jr.
A dangerous deep threat, he averaged 18.8 yards per catch over his two years with 68 grabs for 1,278 yards and eight scores. He had the speed to take the top off the D, and now he’ll do it for Texas A&M.

Louisiana Tech Key Game

at FIU
Can Louisiana Tech start out the Conference USA season strong? There aren’t too many killers on the league slate - there’s no Liberty to play - and there’s a week off before going to FIU. The Bulldogs beat the Panthers in the 2023 season opener and are 5-1 all-time in the series.

10 Best Louisiana Tech Football Players

1. Marquis Crosby, RB Jr.
2. Zarian McGill, C Sr
3. Michael Richard, S Soph.
4. Zion Nason, DT Sr.
5. Zach Zimos, LB Sr.
6. Jack Turner, QB Jr.
7. Donerio Davenport, RB Sr.
8. Ty Keyes, QB Jr.
9. Demarcus Griffin-Taylor, S/KR Sr.
10. Ashanti Cole, OT Jr.

Louisiana Tech 2023 Fun Stats

- Fumbles: Louisiana Tech 21 (lost 7), Opponents 11 (lost 3)

- 2 Point Conversions: Louisiana Tech 2-for-6, Opponents 0-for-0

- Rushing Yards Per Game: Opponents 206.5, Louisiana Tech 131

Louisiana Tech Football 2024 Win Total Prediction: What to Expect This Season

Liberty beat Louisiana Tech 56-30 last season. Now the defending Conference USA champ is off the schedule.

There aren’t two home games in a row all season, but UTEP, Kennesaw State, and Nicholls State are all gettable, and there are more than enough 50/50 games to stay alive late in the year for six wins and a bowl.

It’ll take an upset win or two on the road, and the team has to be far more competitive every week. It won’t be easy, but after three straight three-win seasons, getting to at least five victories would be a huge step forward.

Set The Louisiana Tech Win Total At … 4.5

Likely Wins: Kennesaw State, Nicholls State, UTEP

50/50 Games: at FIU, Jacksonville State, Middle Tennessee, at New Mexico State, at Sam Houston, Tulsa

Likely Losses: at Arkansas, at NC State, at WKU

2024 Louisiana Tech Football Schedule

Aug 31 Nicholls State
Sept 7 OPEN DATE
Sept 14 at NC State
Sept 21 Tulsa
Sept 28 at FIU
Oct 5 OPEN DATE
Oct 10 Middle Tennessee
Oct 15 at New Mexico State
Oct 22 UTEP
Oct 29 at Sam Houston
Nov 9 Jacksonville State
Nov 16 at WKU
Nov 23 at Arkansas
Nov 30 Kennesaw State

Missing: Liberty

Related: College Football Preview 2024: CFN 134 Team Previews, Rankings, Top Players, Win Totals & Schedules