Sept. 20, 2012
RUSTON, La. - Louisiana Tech's explosive offense has put on a show the last two weeks, averaging 56 points and over 600 yards of offense per game, but the Bulldogs (2-0) will be challenged Saturday as they face Illinois (2-1) and the Illini's powerful defense at 7 p.m. CT in Champaign, Ill.
That high powered offensive attack as Tech ranked near the top in the country in several categories including ranked third in scoring offense (56 points per game), fifth in total offense (600 yards per game), ninth in rushing offense (289 yards per game) and 17th in passing offense (314.5 yards per game).
Now a test comes against a stifling Illini defense that is ranked 20th against the run (allowing an average of 94 yards per game) while also being ranked 33rd in the nation in scoring defense (17.33 points per game) and 25th in the nation in total defense (298 yards per game). On Saturday night at 7 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network, something will have to give.
"Illinois will be a big test for us," said Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny Dykes. "They have a tremendous amount of talent. I think when you put the film on, they can run everywhere. They can run in the secondary, run in the defensive line. The quarterback can run, receivers can run. "They are big up front. They are kind of a mix with a Big 10 team where they are big and physical, but at the same time their skill guys can run well."
Tech's veteran offensive line - a unit which has 101 combined starts among the first five players, has paved a path for the Bulldogs' ground game to carve up a combined 578 yards in two games. The leading rushers for Louisiana Tech are a pair of freshmen - Tevin King and Kenneth Dixon - that are averaging 9.0 and 6.3 yards per carry, respectively.
Quarterback Colby Cameron will lead the Bulldogs into the program's first ever meeting against Illinois a week after being named the Western Athletic Conference and Louisiana Sports Writers' Association Offensive Player of the Week. Cameron was 19-for-24 for 276 yards and matched a career-high four touchdown passes last week in Tech's 56-37 win over Rice.
In a game where the team from a BCS conference has a tendency to overlook a team from a non-AQ conference, Tech won't get any such advantage in facing Illinois.
"It's not going to be a cakewalk," Illinois wide receiver Ryan Lankford said.
"We're taking them like a serious challenge," Illinois linebacker/safety Ashante Williams said.
The closest thing that Illinois has seen of Louisiana Tech's scheme and speed was on Sept. 8 in a 45-14 loss at Arizona State but that game carries an asterisk in comparison due to it being played in Tempe, Ariz. and the Illini were without starting quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase. Scheelhaase is expected to play Saturday against the Bulldogs.
''I feel a whole lot better,'' Scheelhaase said after practice Tuesday, his last media availability of the week. ''This is as good a team as we've seen, so I definitely want to be back out there on the field, helping this team out. I've been focusing on La. Tech.''
''There's some things where it doesn't hurt at all,'' Scheelhaase added. ''And there are other things - certain cuts, certain rolls - where I'm down to 85 percent.''
Scheelhaase wasn't the only Illini player to miss game time over the last two games and Illinois head coach Tim Beckman did not provide any updates on the list of injured players that also included starting center Graham Pocic and starting running back Jason Ferguson along with key defensive players Steve Hull (safety), Suppo Sanni (safety) and Houston Bates (linebacker).
For the 14th straight year, KXKZ 107.5 FM will serve as the flagship station for the LA Tech Sports Network as the 100,000 watt station will carry all of the Bulldog football games. It's sister station - KNBB 97.7 FM - will host the Inside Tech Football with Sonny Dykes radio show each and every Monday throughout the season.
In addition to the affiliates in Ruston, Shreveport and Baton Rouge, the LA Tech Sports Network will also include KJVC 92.7 FM (Mansfield), KTKC 92.9 (Springhill), KBEF 104.5 FM (Minden), KASO 1240 AM (Minden), KPCH 99.3 (Ruston) and KVCL 92.1 FM (Winnfield).
Legendary Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave Nitz returns for his 38th year of calling Bulldog football games as the veteran behind the mic will once again team up with color analyst Teddy Allen and sideline reporter Max Causey, who both enter their second year on the broadcast team. Bennie Thornell and Ryan Kavanaugh will serve as the fourth and fifth members of the team, serving as the statistician and engineer, respectively.
Each week's Bulldog broadcast will include a one-hour pregame show and a 30-minute postgame show, complete with interviews with Dykes as well as the opposing coach.
Fans can also access the broadcasts through a subscription to LA Tech All-Access. For only $9.95 per month or $79.95 for the year (which includes all football, men's and women's basketball, majority of baseball and all home soccer, volleyball and softball), fans can access any audio/video via www.latechsports.com.
For complete coverage of Bulldog Football, please follow @LATechFB on Twitter or visit the official home of Louisiana Tech Athletics at LATechSports.com.
