LAST TIME OUT: Louisiana Tech held its ground in its last game, going toe-to-toe with the No. 3 team in the country, Miami (Fla.). The Bulldogs put a scare in the Hurricanes, losing only 42-31 at the Orange Bowl. Quarterback Luke McCown set a Louisiana Tech and NCAA freshman record with 72 passing attempts. He completed 42 of those tosses for 418 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Delwyn Daigre pulled down 10 grabs for 145 yards and one touchdown grab while Faheem Ali had six receptions for 52 yards and two touchdowns. The Bulldogs had three receivers catch 10 or more passes for the second time in school history (Daigre, John Simon - 10 and James Jordan - 10). The first time the feat occured was last season against UCF.
SERIES VS. UCF:
Today's contest marks the fourth meeting between the Bulldogs and the Golden Knights. UCF holds the edge 2-1 but ironically, neither team has won this matchup at home. Tech lost in Ruston in 1993 and in 1998 and won last season's contest in Orlanda 46-35. In that game, Tim Rattay finished the day completing 46-of-62 passes for 561 yards and five scores. The passing yardage was second best in school history, behind Rattay's 590-yard performance against Nebraska in 1998.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT:
The Golden Knights pulled off an upset last week, defeating Alabama 40-38 in Tuscaloosa. Placekicker Javier Beorlegui nailed a 37-yard field goal with :03 left in the game to pull out the victory for UCF. QB Ryan Schneider completed 27 of 48 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns. Tyson Hinshaw pulled down eight catches for 102 yards and two touchdowns.
NCAA STATISTICS:
Each week the NCAA ranks all 114 Division I-A teams in several catagories. Below is a listing of all the catagories and both Tech's and UCF's national rankings. Category Tech UCF Rushing Offense 84 101 Passing Offense 13 15 Total Offense 29 52 Scoring Offense 46 25 Rushing Defense 113 36 Pass Defense 11 29 Total Defense 97 25 Scoring Defense 107 20 Net Punting 113 32 Punt Returns 93 44 Kickoff Returns 95 106 Turnover Margin 112 52 Fumbles Recovered 30 7 Passess Intercepted 57 13 Fumbles Lost 99 99 Passes Had Intercepted 114 98 Turnovers Gained 48 5 Turnovers Lost 114 110 Passing Efficiency 39 16 Pass Efficiency Defense 69 30 cool hand luke:
Louisiana Tech quarterback Luke McCown, in only four and a half games, has accomplished quite a bit. McCown has already broken the Tech record for completions in a game (47), attempts in a game (72), tied for fourth for touchdowns in a game (6), tied a NCAA freshman record for TD's in a game (6), broken three NCAA freshman records for completions in a game (47), attempts in a game (72), and total plays in a game (80), and thrown for over 1,500 yards (1,522 thus far). McCown already holds the Tech freshman record for touchdowns and passing yards in a season. The Jacksonville, Texas, native has 15 touchdowns on the season which places him ninth in the Tech record books for a single season. His .665 completion rate is on pace to break the NCAA freshman record for highest percentage of passes completed in a season.
DYNAMIC DUO:
Louisiana Tech boasts some of the top receivers in the nation. In fact, two of the Bulldogs rank as one of the top receiving tandems in the nation. James Jordan and John Simon are first in the nation by total catches and first for catches per game as a duo.
Leading Division I-A Receiving Tandems
(min. 10.0 cpg.)
By Total Catches
1. James Jordan (78/705)/John Simon (50/490), Louisiana Tech 128rec./1,195 yards
2. Vinny Sutherland (55/783)/John Standeford (51/567), Purdue 106/1,350
3. Deion Branch (56/797)/Arnold Jackson (47/455), Louisville 103/1,252
4. Brian Robinson (54 rec./568 yards)/KeyKowa Bell (46/606), Houston 100/1,174
5. Lee Mays (50/784)/Brian Natkin (47/585), UTEP 97/1,369
5. Kenny Christian (62/639)/Kevin Walter (35/434), Eastern Michigan 97/1,073
7. Adrian Burnette (43/6220)/Terrell Harris (38/435), Tulane 81/1,057
8. Ty Buxton (40/498)/Eddie Tillitz (39/387), Miami (Ohio) 79/885
9. Kendall Newson (45/526)/Tyrone Calico (33/501), Middle Tennessee 78/1,027
10. Donald Shoals (51/835)/Corey Brown (25/310), Tulsa 76/1,145
By Catches/Game
1. James Jordan (78/705)/John Simon (50/490), Louisiana Tech 14.2 per game
2. Deion Branch (56/797)/Arnold Jackson (47/455), Louisville 12.9 pg
3. Vinny Sutherland (55/783)/John Standeford (51/567), Purdue 12.5 pg
3. Brian Robinson (54 rec./568 yards)/KeyKowa Bell (46/606), Houston 12.5 pg
5. Lee Mays (50/784)/Brian Natkin (47/585), UTEP 12.1 pg
5. Kenny Christian (62/639)/Kevin Walter (35/434), Eastern Michigan 12.1 pg
7. Adrian Burnette (43/6220)/Terrell Harris (38/435), Tulane 11.6 pg
8. Kendall Newson (45/526)/Tyrone Calico (33/501), Middle Tennessee 11.1 pg
9. Antonio Bryant (35/703)/Latef Grim (22/308), Pittsburgh 10.6 pg
10. Freddie Mitchell (43/830)/Brian Poli-Dixon (29/370), UCLA 10.3 pg
10. Rodney Wright (30/297)/Charles Smith (17/290), Fresno State 10.3 pg
SNARE JORDAN:
Senior wide receiver James Jordan is first in the nation with 78 receptions so far this year. That total moves Jordan into a tie for seventh place for catches in a season in the Tech record books. Jordan has recorded double-figure reception numbers in the past two games with 15 against Auburn and 10 against Miami. The New Orleans native finished last season with 81 receptions which placed him fifth in the single season record book.
NUMBER 1 VS. NUMBER 2:
Louisiana Tech receiver James Jordan is No. 1 in the nation with 78 receptions but right behind him at No. 2 is UCF's top receiver Tyson Hinshaw with 72 receptions. The two will go head-to-head this week when UCF travels to Ruston to play the Bulldogs. Last season at UCF, Jordan had 10 receptions while Hinshaw pulled down seven catches.
RANKED BULLDOGS:
James Jordan, John Simon, and Delwyn Daigre are ranked nationally in NCAA statistical catagories. Jordan is first in the nation with 8.7 receptions per game. The New Orleans, La. native, also ranks 32th in the country with 78.3 receiving yards per game and 24th nationally for total receiving yards with 705 yards. Simon, a native of Baton Rouge, La., is ranked 34th in the country with an average of 131.8 all-purpose yards per game and 33rd with 5.6 receptions per game. Daigre, who prepped with Simon at Southern Lab in Baton Rouge, is ranked 50th with 5.0 receptions per game.
tech vs. I-A Independents:
Louisiana Tech is 75-50-6 against teams that are currently listed as I-A Independents. The records are listed below.
Connecticut 0-0-0Middle Tennessee 3-1-0Navy 0-0-0Notre Dame 0-0-0UCF 1-2-0UL-Lafayette 43-33-6UL-Monroe 28-14-0Total 75-50-6
TECH VS. THE STATE OF FLORIDA: This is the second week in a row that the Bulldogs will be playing a team from the Sunshine State. Tech travelled to Miami last week and challenges UCF at home this week. The Bulldogs hold a 8-9-0 record against the teams from the state of Florida.
UCF 1-2-0Florida 0-1-0Florida State 2-2-0Miami 0-2-0Stetson 0-1-0Tampa 5-1-0Total 8-9-0
TURNOVER WOES: The Bulldogs have been plagued by turnovers in their first nine contests. Tech turned the ball over three times against Mississippi Valley State, five times against Kansas State, seven times against Penn State twice against Stephen F. Austin four times against Tulsa, three times against Middle Tennessee twice against UL-Lafayette, three times aginst Auburn and three times against Miami. The 32 total turnovers committed by Louisiana Tech is more than any other team in the country at this point in the season.
Recapping the 1999 season:
The 1999 Bulldogs had a tall order in front of them when they opened the season with No. 1 Florida State and No. 6 Texas A&M. Louisiana Tech played tough but came away 0-2 to start the season. The Bulldogs rebounded from the losses to rattle off eight straight victories, including perhaps the biggest win in school history with a 29-28 win over the eventual SEC champion Alabama. The eight consecutive victories was the longest such streak since the 1973 and 1974 seasons. Tech ended the season with a road loss to Southern California, but came away from the season with national respect. The Bulldogs broke into the AP Top 25 poll for the first time in school history Nov. 21st. For the second consecutive year, the Bulldogs led the nation in passing yardage and finished No. 4 in total offense, while quarterback Tim Rattay led the nation in total offense for the third straight year.
The brothers Mccown:
McCown is a pretty good name, especially for quarterbacks. True freshman Luke McCown comes from a family of quarterbacks. He has two older brothers that have played quarterback at the Division I-A level. Brother Randy was a quarterback for the Aggies at Texas A&M while brother Josh is the current starting quarterback for SMU.
well Received:
Three of Louisiana Tech's players have recorded at least one reception in 20 or more consecutive games. Wide receivers James Jordan and Delwyn Daigre and running back John Simon all rank nationally for consecutive reception games. Louisiana Tech is the only school in the country to have more than one player on the list.
1. Mel Long, Sr., Toledo 43
1. Arnold Jackson, Sr., WR, Louisville 43
3. Khori Ivy, Sr., West Virginia 35
4. Margin Hooks, Sr., BYU 33
5. Ron Johnson, Jr., WR, Minnesota 32
5. James Jordan, Jr., Louisiana Tech 32
5. John Simon, Jr., Louisiana Tech 32
5. Orlando Iglesias, Sr., WR, Houston 32 (injured)
9. Reggie Wayne, Sr., WR, Miami (Fla.) 31
10. Latef Grim, Sr., Pittsburgh 29
10. Delwyn Daigre, Jr., Louisiana Tech 29
10. Kendall Newson, Jr., Middle Tennessee 29
Running Back or Receiver?:
Louisiana Tech's John Simon is not only No. 1 on the depth chart at running back, but the junior is also No. 1 in the country in receptions out of the backfield.
Division I-A RB Reception Leaders(min. 2.0 per game) Rec./Yds.1. John Simon, Louisiana Tech 50/4902. Ricky Williams, Texas Tech 32/1253. Emmett White, Utah State 30/3963. Derek Homer, Kentucky 30/2643. Kris Briggs, SMU 30/2416. Joffrey Reynolds, Houston 24/1936. Chad Scott, Kentucky 24/1688. Tellis Redmon, Minnesota 23/2978. Hodges Mitchell, Texas 23/241
Road warriors: Tech finished the 1999 season 5-2 on the road defeating Alabama 29-28, UL-Lafayette 41-31, UCF 46-35, Toledo 34-17 and Alabama-Birmingham 41-20, while losing at Florida State 41-7 and Southern California 45-19. The Bulldogs continue their road philosophy by playing 8 of their 12 games on the road this season. This year the Dawgs travel to Kansas State, Penn State, Tulsa, Middle Tennessee, Auburn, Miami, Louisiana-Monroe and Hawaii.
Heading for Greener Pastures:
The 2000 Bulldogs will enjoy their last season as an Independent as Louisiana Tech heads into the Western Athletic Conference in the fall of 2001. Considered by many to be the most important move in Tech's athletic history, the WAC gives the Bulldogs three bowl tie-ins to battle for on the gridiron. The 2001 WAC will consist of the following schools: Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, Rice, San Jose State, Southern Methodist, Texas-El Paso and Tulsa.
Top 25 Opponents:
Each year it seems like the Bulldogs love to play some of the nation's best and the 2000 season will be no different. Three of the the Bulldogs' oppenents are ranked in the AP Top 25 poll. The Bulldogs second game of the season came against Kansas State on September 2. The Wildcats were listed as the No. 8 team in the nation at that time and have since dropped to No. 19. On October 21st, the Bulldogs played Auburn, who was unranked at the time but has since moved to No. 23. Louisiana Tech played another ranked opponent, the University of Miami, on October 28th. The Hurricanes are currently ranked No. 3 in the country. Penn State, the Bulldogs' opponent on September 9th, started the season at the No. 22 spot in the AP poll before dropping out.
On the Road as A Division I-A:
Since becoming a Division I-A school in 1989, the Bulldogs have compiled a 27-47-3 mark on the road. However, Tech has defeated Baylor, 10-9 in 1992, Mississippi State 38-23 in 1996, Alabama, 26-20 in 1997, Tulsa, 35-21 in 1990, Houston, 19-7 in 1995, Alabama, 29-28 in 1999 and Central Florida, 46-35 in 1999 all on the road during that time. The Bulldogs have also registered close losses at Arkansas, 17-13 in 1997, at South Carolina, 14-13 in 1992, at Auburn, 16-14 in 1990, and at Ole Miss, 13-6 in 1992. Tech also tied South Carolina 12-12 in 1991.
Bulldogs in Division I-A:
This is the 12th season Tech has competed as a Division I-A member and the fourth straight as an independent. Tech has compiled a 66-59-4 record as a D-1 school, including six winning seasons (1989, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1999). As an independent in Division I-A, the Bulldogs are 56-34-4. Tech played as a member of the Big West from 1993-1995 and compiled a 10-23 record over that time. Note: The 1989 Bulldogs forfeited two games, and the 1998 team won a game by forfeit. However, these totals are not included in the above overall marks.
99 Seasons and Counting:
This year marks the 99th season in the history of Louisiana Tech football. Although the program was started in 1901, Tech discontinued football in 1943. That inaugural season, Coach Edwin Barber's Bulldogs went 0-2 with losses to LSU 57-0 and Arkansas 16-0. The Bulldogs' first win came in 1904 in a 6-0 victory over LSU.
quick strike:
When the Bulldogs get the ball, they don't necessarily keep it for an extended period of time. Tech had its longest drive of the season in the game against Miami, covering 89 yards in 17 plays. All the Bulldog touchdown drives are listed below.
Time Opponent Plays Yards0:05 MVSU 2 550:12 MVSU 1 600:14 ULL 2 100:15 ULL 2 260:24 MVSU 2 460:44 Penn State 3 140:49 MVSU 3 131:01 ULL 4 651:03 MVSU 5 331:03 MVSU 6 361:33 ULL 5 701:40 Tulsa 4 161:51 Miami 5 301:53 ULL 9 592:16 ULL 7 552:36 MVSU 5 722:37 MTSU 6 543:04 SFA 8 803:07 ULL 8 583:08 MVSU 8 783:10 Auburn 10 683:19 MTSU 8 613:24 MTSU 11 733:25 Auburn 8 663:26 Miami 9 693:41 Auburn 12 803:47 MVSU 9 723:48 Miami 17 894:15 Miami 9 764:43 ULL 10 494:56 Auburn 10 814:59 SFA 11 805:02 SFA 13 855:13 Kansas State 10 80
Of the 36 touchdown drives against Louisiana Tech, 13 of them have been less than 50 yards and 10 of them were the result of a Bulldog turnover. All the Bulldog opponent touchdown drives are listed below.
Time Team Plays Yards0:06 Stephen F. Austin 1 80:10 Kansas State 1 580:13 Stephen F. Austin 1 210:13 Penn State 2 290:15 Miami 2 430:23 MTSU 1 790:31 Penn State 4 330:44 Penn State 4 480:56 Auburn 2 801:07 Auburn 3 181:32 MTSU 4 791:38 Penn State 4 351:43 Penn State 5 271:44 Penn State 5 291:48 Miami 6 711:49 MTSU 7 761:52 Penn State 5 711:59 Auburn 4 302:00 Kansas State 6 802:07 MTSU 6 672:10 Kansas State 5 802:26 Miami 7 692:29 MVSU 6 712:57 Kansas State 9 543:31 Auburn 8 803:45 Miami 10 804:15 Miami 9 764:26 Stephen F. Austin 17 904:35 ULL 9 444:41 MTSU 9 564:41 MTSU 7 414:58 Kansas State 12 805:09 Auburn 13 805:22 Miami 11 655:23 Tulsa 11 677:08 Penn State 13 657:12 Tulsa 15 89
Tech in the 90s: Overall, Tech had a record of 60-49-3 in the decade of the '90s. The decade of the 90s started off with a bang for Louisiana Tech fans as the Bulldogs finished the regular season 8-3 before playing to a 34-34 tie in the Independence Bowl against Maryland. The following season the Bulldogs compiled their best record since joining Division I at 8-1-2, but were not invited to a post-season bowl. From 1992 through 1995, Tech suffered through four straight losing seasons with their best finish being 5-6 in both 1992 and 1995. However, under head coach Gary Crowton, the Dogs went 6-5 and 9-2 in '96 and '97 before falling to 6-6 in '98. In 1999, the Dawgs rebounded to a 8-3 record, including a 29-28 win over the eventual SEC champions Alabama. The 60 wins during the 90's marked the third highest win total for a decade in the school's history.
Bicknell at the helm:
Jack Bicknell III is in his fourth year with the Bulldogs, and his second as the head man at Tech. After Gary Crowton's departure to become the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears, Bicknell was named the 30th head coach in Bulldog history. The son of NFL Europe coach Jack Bicknell Jr., the younger Bicknell coached the offensive line at Tech for two seasons before being promoted to head coach. The Boston College graduate, who was the starting center for Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie in the early '80s, began his coaching career at his alma mater in 1985 as a graduate assistant. From there he headed to the University of New Hampshire as the defensive line coach. In 1993, he switched over to coach the offensive line.
Young Guns:
Tech head coach Jack Bicknell is the second youngest head coach in Division I-A football ranks.
1. Chris Scelfo, Tulane 9-30-632. Jack Bicknell, Tech 2-7-633. Dana Dimel, Houston 10-9-624. Rick Neuheisel, Wash. 2-7-615. Cam Cameron, Indiana 2-6-616. Carl Franks, Duke 12-1-607. Bob Stoops, Okla. 9-6-608. Tom Holmoe, Calif. 3-7-609. Darrell Dickey, N. Texas 12-6-5910. Rick Rasnick, E. Mich 9-15-59
Winning in their First year: Coach Jack Bicknell posted the best mark of any first-year head coach in the Division I-A ranks last season.
1. Jack Bicknell (Tech) 8-32. June Jones (Hawaii) 9-43. David Cutcliff (Ole Miss) 8-44. Dennis Erickson (Oregon St) 7-44. Rick Neuheisel (Washington) 7-44. Terry Hoeppner (Miami, OH) 7-47. Gary Barnett (Colorado) 6-47. Bob Stoops (Oklahoma) 6-49. Tommy Bowden (Clemson ) 6-510. Tommy Tuberville (Auburn) 5-610. Bobby Keasler (ULM) 5-612. John Robinson (UNLV) 3-812. Randy Walker (Northwestern) 3-812. Chris Scelfo (Tulane) 3-812. Carl Franks (Duke) 3-812. Andy McCollum (MTSU) 3-817. Jerry Baldwin (ULL) 2-918. Kevin Steele (Baylor) 1-1018. Kirk Ferentz (Iowa) 1-1020. Lou Holtz (S. Carolina) 0-11
Hail Mary: Tech Coach Jack Bicknell was the starting center for Boston College and Doug Flutie when the Eagles upset Miami on the last-second hail mary in the Orange Bowl in 1984.
AILLET STADIUM:
Since Joe Aillet Stadim was constructed in 1968, Tech has dominated, posting a 100-36-2 mark during those 31 years. Eight times during that period, Tech has gone undefeated at home, including two winning streaks of 18 games. Only three times has Tech not had a winning record at home (1970, 1-3; 1983, 1-3; and 1987, 1-2).
Preseason All-Independent:
Five different Bulldog players were named to various preseason All-Independent teams. Quarterback Brian Stallworth was named to the team by Preview Sports 2000 College Football magazine and was also named Street & Smith's Independent Newcomer of the Year. Wide receiver James Jordan was selected by Lindy's, Preview Sports 2000 College Football magazine and The Sporting News. Jordan was also chosen as Lindy's Independent Offensive Player of the Year. Running back John Simon was named to the All-Independent team as a return specialist by Lindy's and The Sporting News. Wide reciever Sean Cangelosi made the Lindy's and Football News 2000 All-Independent teams. Linebacker Quincy Stewart was selected by Preview Sports 2000 College Football magazine and by The Sporting News.
In Good Hands With:
Tech boasts perhaps its deepest receiving corps in years. Wide receivers Sean Cangelosi, Delwyn Daigre, James Jordan and John Simon set a Divsion I-A record last year as the first foursome to catch 60 or more passes each in the same season. All four players are returning this season with Simon being moved from receiver to running back. All four players are quickly closing in on the Tech receiving record books.
Career Receptions1. Troy Edwards 2802. Chad Mackey 2623. James Jordan 2154. Bobby Slaughter 1985. Tommy Spinks 1826. John Simon 1697. Delwyn Daigre 1628. Sean Cangelosi 1579. Dean Jackson 13910. Josh Bradley 131Career Receiving Yards1. Troy Edwards 4,3522. Chad Mackey 3,7633. Tommy Spinks 2,9634. Roger Carr 2,7175. Bobby Slaughter 2,5446. James Jordan 2,1917. Sean Cangelosi 2,1118. Delwyn Daigre 2,0999. Rod Fope 1,97810. Billy Ryckman 1,928John Simon 1,632Career Receiving TDs1. Troy Edwards 502. Chad Mackey 223. Sean Cangelosi 213. Josh Bradley 205. Roger Carr 196. James Jordan 176. Delwyn Daigre 178. Tommy Spinks 159. Bobby Slaughter 149. Rod Fope 14John Simon 6
Single season records: Tech wide receivers James Jordan, John Simon and Delwyn Daigre all broke into the Tech record book last year for most receptions in a season.
1. Troy Edwards (1998) 1402. Troy Edwards (97) 1023. Chad Mackey (95) 904. Chad Mackey (96) 855. James Jordan (99) 816. John Simon (99) 797. James Jordan 788. Bobby Slaughter (90) 789. Billy Ryckman (76) 7710. Delwyn Daigre (99) 77Sean Cangelosi (99) 62
Jordan, Cangelosi and Daigre all broke into the Top 10 single season records for receiving touchdowns.
1. Troy Edwards (98) 272. Troy Edwards (97) 133. James Jordan (99) 114. Sean Cangelosi (99) 104. Chad Mackey (96) 104. Troy Edwards (96) 104. Billy Ryckman (76) 108. Delwyn Daigre (99) 98. Chad Mackey (95) 98. Ken Liberto (68) 9
With only the eighth 1,000-plus receiving yard season in Louisiana Tech history, Delwyn Daigre jumped into 7th place in the single-season receiving yards category during the 1999 campaign.
1. Troy Edwards (98) 1,9962. Troy Edwards (97) 1,7073. Chad Mackey (96) 1,4664. Billy Ryckman (76) 1,3825. Rod Fope (77) 1,2746. Chad Mackey (95) 1,2537. Delwyn Daigre (99) 1,0848. Ken Liberto (68) 1,0809. Tommy Spinks (69) 99510. Bobby Slaughter (90) 994Sean Cangelosi (99) 943James Jordan (99) 824
Cangelosi also is currently ranked fifth in the Louisiana Tech record book for career punt returns and career punt return yardage.
Career Punt Returns1. Wenford Wilborn 912. Lawrence Anderson 873. Lifford Jackson 674. Dean Jackson 655. Sean Cangelosi 37Career Punt Return Yardage1. Lawrence Anderson 7872. Wenford Wilborn 7423. Dean Jackson 5834. Eddie Brown 3985. Sean Cangelosi 325
UPSET Saturday: Tech's 29-28 win over then ranked No. 18 Alabama last season was the first time in school history the Bulldogs had defeated a Top 25 Division I-A team. Alabama eventually finished No. 6 in the nation and won the SEC championship.
Storybook Ending:
Tech's win against the Crimson Tide was almost too improbable to believe. During the week following the game, the Tech sports information office was informed the game would be included as a chapter in a book which was published in 2000. Notre Dame professor Ted Mandell completed a book titled, The Pass; The Catch; The Kick; The Play: 100 of the Greatest College Football Finishes.
PLAYING AT HOME AS DIVISION 1-A:
Since Tech moved up to Division I-A in 1989, the Bulldogs own a home record of 40-11, including a 2-2 mark in Shreveport. The Bulldogs ran off a streak of 18 straight home wins after joining I-A before droppin a 28-23 loss to UNLV at homecoming in 1993.
PASSING FANCY:
Since the beginning of the 1996 season, Tech quarterbacks have recorded 35 300-yard plus passing performances, 15 400-yard plus performances and 8 500-yard plus performances. That's the highest total in the nation. The following is a list of some of the nation's top passing schools' 300, 400 and 500-yard passing performances over the last four years.
Louisiana Tech 300-yard games 35 400-yard games 15 500-yard games 8Kentucky 300-yard games 34 400-yard games 10 500-yard games 3Florida 300-yard games 31 400-yard games 7 500-yard games 0UCF 300-yard games 26 400-yard games 3 500-yard games 0Louisville 300-yard games 20 400-yard games 7 500-yard games 2Purdue 300-yard games 20 400-yard games 4 500-yard games 2Nevada 300-yard games 19 400-yard games 10 500-yard games 2Tennessee 300-yard games 17 400-yard games 2 500-yard games 1
OFFENSIVE MACHINE: During the course of the past four seasons, Louisiana Tech has finished in the nation's top 15 in total offense. The Bulldogs have finished in the top 4 for total offense the last three seasons.
Total Offense1996 14th 455.9 yards per game1997 3rd 496.0 yards per game1998 2nd 539.9 yards per game1999 4th 471.0 yards per game
The Bulldogs have also ranked in the top 3 in the country for passing offense and have led the nation for the past two seasons.
Passing Offense1996 3rd 343.5 yards per game1997 3rd 360.5 yards per game1998 1st 432.1 yards per game1999 1st 403.1 yards per game
Since the start of the 1996 season, when Tech went to the wide open passingattack, the Bulldogs have outpassed 43 of their 46 opponents.
HALFTIME HAPPINESS:
The Bulldogs have won 20 straight games when they wereleading at halftime. Their last loss was October 12, 1996 when the Bulldogsled Arkansas 21-17 at the half before losing 38-21 at War Memorial Stadiumin Little Rock. Tech has also won 17 straight when entering the thirdquarter with the lead. The last loss was the same Arkansas contest.
ON THE SCOREBOARD:
Since switching to a more wide open offense in 1996, theBulldogs have recorded the four highest point totals for a season in theschool's history. Tech reached the 400 point plateau for a season for thefirst time in 1996 by averaging 36.5 points per game. Since that year, theBulldogs have notched three other record setting seasons, including the 1998season when the team scored a school record 493 points and averaged anotherschool record 41.1 points per game.
Year Total Points Points per game1996 401 36.51997 364 33.11998 493 41.11999 389 35.4
BATON ROUGE CONNECTION:
Baton Rouge, La. could be a second home to theLouisiana Tech football team. Eleven Bulldog players hail from the capitalcity including starters quarterback Brian Stallworth, running back JohnSimon, wide receivers Delwyn Daigre and Sean Cangelosi, offensive linemenRandy Richard and Damian Lavergne and defensive lineman Michael Boone. TheBaton Rouge connection put their mark on the Mississippi Valley State gameas Brian Stallworth threw four touchdown passes to his fellow Baton Rougenatives. Stallworth connected for two strikes to Cangelosi and one apiece toSimon and Daigre.
TALKING TOUCHBACKS:
Freshman Josh Scobee has seven touchbacks in 44 kickoffattempts.
Opponent Kos TouchbacksMVSU 10 1@ KSU 3 2@ PSU 2 1SFA 5 0Tulsa 3 0MTSU 4 0ULL 7 2Auburn 5 1Miami 5 0Totals 44 7
TURNOVERS TO POINTS:
Louisiana Tech has turned the ball over 32 times thisseason leading to 84 points scored against the Bulldogs. In return, theBulldogs have picked up 35 points off of 17 turnovers by Tech opponents.
Turnovers/Points Allowed OffOpponent TO Pts. Offvs. MVSU 3 0@ KSU 5 13@ PSU 7 37SFA 2 14@ Tulsa 4 10MTSU 3 0ULL 2 0Auburn 3 10Miami 3 0Totals 32 84Tech TO Gained Pts.vs. MVSU 2 7@ KSU 2 0@ PSU 2 7SFA 1 7@ Tulsa 1 0MTSU 2 0ULL 2 7Auburn 1 0Miami 4 7Totals 17 35
