DALLAS – Louisiana Tech has produced a total of four first and second team members on Conference USA's 2018 All-Conference football teams, while the Bulldogs also had one student-athlete named to the All-Freshman Team, it was announced by the league office on Tuesday.
 
In addition to the five Bulldogs selected to the first and second teams and the All-Freshman squad, Louisiana Tech earned an additional 14 spots on Conference USA's Honorable Mention team, which is the most of any other team in the league. With the combination of first and second team honors and honorable mention, LA Tech led the conference this year with the most awards of any other school (18). The teams are voted on by the league's 14 head football coaches.
 
Leading the way for Louisiana Tech was senior defensive end Jaylon Ferguson, who was recently named one of four finalists for the Ted Hendricks Award, which goes to the nation's top defensive end. Ferguson was voted First Team All-Conference for the third straight season after enjoying a record-breaking season for the Bulldogs.
 
Ferguson is currently ranked first in the nation with 15.0 sacks in 2018 and has already broken his own single-season sacks record at LA Tech, which he originally set back in 2016 with 14.5 sacks as a sophomore. Ferguson's performance as a senior has helped the St. Francisville native break both the Louisiana Tech and C-USA career sack records (42.5). With one game left in his career, Ferguson is 1.5 sacks shy of tying the all-time NCAA career record, which is held by Terrell Suggs (44).
 
Louisiana Tech also had sophomore Amik Robertson selected to the league's first team after the cornerback followed up his Freshman All-American season by totaling 57 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and 12 pass break-ups. Robertson also had three QB hurries, a forced fumble and recovery and two blocked kicks on the season.
 
On the offensive side of the ball, Louisiana Tech was represented by senior left tackle O'Shea Dugas, who earned first team honors after playing in all 12 games for the Bulldogs this season, while making 11 starts on the offensive line. Dugas has made the most career starts of any Bulldog in his four years in Ruston (43). As a senior, Dugas has helped lead an offensive unit that ranks fourth in C-USA in red zone offense and tackles for loss allowed.
 
The league's second team all-conference honors included sophomore wide receiver Adrian Hardy, who led the Bulldogs in receiving after starting every game this season. In the final regular-season game of the season versus WKU, Hardy became the first Bulldog receiver since 2016 to surpass 1,000 receiving yards for the season. Overall, Hardy leads the team with 69 catches for 1,052 yards and six touchdowns, while he ranks in the top 25 nationally in receiving yards and receiving yards per game (87.7).
 
Redshirt freshman deep snapper Reeves Blankenship was named to the 2018 Conference USA All-Freshman Team after playing in every game this season for the Bulldogs. With Blankenship handling the snapping duties on special teams, Louisiana Tech did not give up a blocked punt or a blocked field goal this season. The Bulldogs have had at least one representative on the All-Freshman Team for six straight years since joining the league in 2013.
 
Louisiana Tech also had 14 Conference USA Honorable Mention honorees, including J'Mar Smith (QB), Jaqwis Dancy (RB), Ethan Reed (OL), Michael Rodriguez (OL), Kody Russey (OL), Teddy Veal (WR and PR), Jordan Bradford (DT), Immanuel Turner (DE), Collin Scott (LB), James Jackson (S), L'Jarius Sneed (CB), Bailey Hale (K) and Reeves Blankenship (DS).
 
The league's individual awards will be released Wednesday, Dec. 5.
 
The Bulldogs will head to Honolulu, Hawaii, to compete against the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors in the SoFi Hawai'i Bowl on Dec. 22 at Aloha Stadium. The game is set for a 9:30 p.m. CT kickoff and will be broadcast live on ESPN.
 
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