KSU football helmet. Date Unknown. Photo Credit: KSU Athletics
Sentinel sports writer Lance Warren spoke with Matt Belinson of Louisiana Tech’s The Ruston Leader to preview Thursday’s contest.
Lance Warren: Louisiana Tech is 4-1 on the season with that one loss being to a top 12 LSU team. How has the team looked so far this year?
Matt Belinson: I think when you look at Louisiana Tech, they’ve overachieved to this point. You know, you look at the previous three seasons under Sonny Cumbie, it’s three straight losing seasons and I think there’s a lot of factors as to why, but I think the biggest has been that this offense has just not performed at a high enough level, and I think you saw that last year where they had a top 25 defense in terms of total defense but the offense just didn’t produce. They had another losing season, I know they made a bowl game, but they didn’t earn their way by record, so this year they’re definitely off to a much better start I think because the offense, just comparatively, is in a better space. But I think the defense is the story of this year’s team through five games. They lead the country in defensive touchdowns, interceptions and are top five in red zone defense, so this defense is making a lot of plays and in their last two games over Southern Miss and UTEP, multiple defensive touchdowns have really allowed them to overcome some of the offensive mistakes that they’ve had. So, this team certainly has a lot of things in front of it. If you beat Kennesaw State, who is also in the top three in the conference standings, I think Louisiana Tech is going to enter the final stretch of the season here with a lot to play for.
LW: What can we expect to see from Louisiana Tech from a play style perspective on both sides of the ball?
MB: Offensively, you’re going to see a heavy run attack. Tony Franklin is this team’s offensive coordinator. He has a real knack for wanting to establish the ground game. You’re going to see a lot of quarterback power and designed runs. Moving the pocket is definitely something this offense is trying to establish. I think in the run game, it’s kind of a by-committee approach, so not necessarily like one guy that they’re going to rely on as that feature guy. Clay Thevenin leads this team in rush attempts, but he’s by no means that kind of every down back. Omiri Wiggins and some of their quarterbacks really like to run too. So, I think this team is going to want to establish the run game before they really think about opening up the passing game.
The passing game is going to be a lot of screens and quick passes. They’ll take their downfield shots every now and then, but this is an offense that really just likes to pick up the yardage one series at a time. They’re not really trying to go chunk play on you a whole lot. So, I think this offense really just wants to kind of stay ahead of the chains and just continue to kind of drive the ball down the field, because they know that this defense is really good. This offense at times likes to be very methodical and likes to dominate the time of possession.
Defensively, it’s going to be a 3-3-5. I think you’re going to see the linebackers on this defense continue to shine. You’re going to see them come from different blitz packages and throw different things at an offense. I think that’s just allowed them to kind of take the ball away. They present one look pre-snap and even post-snap, and then it throws quarterbacks and offenses off. And I think it leads to rushed decisions and bad decision making as far as run lanes or pass attempts. Overall, this defense just wants to create chaos. You’re going to see the linebackers and the safeties on this team range all over the field. They’re going to make open field tackles. They’re going to basically force you to drive the field on them.
LW: Who are some of the key players for Louisiana Tech, and strengths and weaknesses within the team?
MB: I would say offensively they’re still trying to find one. I think in the passing game, Blake Baker, the quarterback, has definitely improved as the season has gone on. I don’t know if he’s a bona fide strength. You know, he had three turnovers in their last win over UTEP, so he needs to show signs of improvement with that.
I think if you were to pick one strength, tight end Eli Finley has proven to be a playmaker for this offense with 230 receiving yards. He doesn’t have a touchdown yet this year but has proven to be one of the better mid major tight ends in the country. So, I would say if this offense were going to get on schedule, you’re going to hear his name quite a bit.
Defensively, I would have said Kolbe Fields, but he suffered a season-ending injury in the last game against UTEP. That being said, his running mate, Mekhi Mason is top five in the country in tackles for loss. He’s got three sacks as well. Has three-pass break ups. So, he’s definitely a linebacker to keep an eye on. I think also safety Jakari Foster’s a name. He’s top five in the country with three interceptions. So, if Kennesaw wants to threaten downfield, they certainly have to find ways to make sure he’s not making plays on the ball.
LW: Moving to this week’s game: What do you see some of the key matchups being and what problems can KSU/Louisiana Tech pose for each other?
MB: From a Kennesaw versus Louisiana Tech standpoint, I think Kennesaw’s going to have a tough time against this defense. Again, even at the LSU game, I watched that game in person and LSU struggled mightily against Louisiana Tech’s defense. They could not establish the run game at all. I have yet to see a team in, frankly, any level, threaten Louisiana Tech on the ground. So, I think if Kennesaw’s quarterback situation really is as dicey as it sounds like it’s going to be, and they maybe want to try and get the run game going, I would be surprised if they can. They haven’t allowed an opponent to rush for more than 60 yards so it’s going to be pretty hard to establish the ground game for Kennesaw.
I think from a Louisiana Tech standpoint, some challenges could definitely be on the offensive side of the ball. Kennesaw has got some pretty good linebackers. They’ve got some pretty veteran defensive backs as well. So, again, it’s just a matter of taking care of the football, staying on schedule. I think for Louisiana Tech they’ve had a hard time at times going the length of the field. I think sometimes the methodical approach kind of hurts them. So, I think if Kennesaw’s pass rush, and their coverage skills can play well, this offense for Louisiana Tech has shown that they can get off schedule pretty quickly, can get behind the sticks, and then they’re just kind of forced into obvious passing situations. So, I think if this Kennesaw defensive line comes to play, and they kind of live up to what they’ve been doing so far, I certainly feel like Louisiana Tech is going to have some issues, and I think that’s why you’re going to try and see them establish the run game and get the pocket moving. I think if Kennesaw can kind of get them off their game early, I think you can see the Owls having a chance to win.
LW: Lastly, how do you see this game unfolding and what is your final score prediction?
MB: I have Louisiana Tech winning this game. Louisiana Tech has the best defense in the conference, and I think given the Kennesaw injury situation Louisiana Tech just has the advantage. I think Kennesaw is averaging less than 20 points per game, so I don’t think Louisiana Tech’s defense really needs to worry. As long as this defense continues to play at a high level, I would expect Louisiana Tech to win pretty comfortably.
The key as far as the flow is if Louisiana Tech cannot establish a lead early on. We’ve seen at times, you know, they beat Southeastern Louisiana to open the season in an FCS team, but it was 0-0 at the half. So, it’s kind of one of those things where it’s like this offense and defense are really good at times, but then there’s times where they let teams that they should beat stick around. You saw that even last week with UTEP. I know the final score says 30-11, but it’s a 10-7 ballgame with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter until the two pick-sixes kind of put it away. So, I think Louisiana Tech has to establish itself pretty early. They have to get out of the gates going and I would expect that just given the fact that they’re coming off a bye week.
So, I think I’m going to expect Louisiana Tech to come out in this first quarter, put up a couple of scores, and then I expect this defense to do what it does. I would expect them to shut Kennesaw’s offense down. Certainly, if Odom plays for Kennesaw State, I think that’s going to present a challenge as far as the downfield passing. But I think if Kennesaw is injured and this offense struggles, I feel like Louisiana Tech is going to win this game pretty easily. I’ll go Louisiana Tech, 28, Kennesaw, 14.
