RUSTON, La. – Three games canceled. Two games postponed. 33 days without a game.
 
It's been a season like no other, and now the 2020 Louisiana Tech football campaign is nearing its end.

LA Tech (5-3, 4-2 C-USA) will look to finish the 2020 regular season strong as the Bulldogs take on the TCU Horned Frogs (5-4, 5-4 Big 12) on Saturday, Dec. 12, at 6 p.m. (CT) inside Amon G. Carter Stadium.
 
"It's going to be a great opportunity," head coach Skip Holtz said. "We know we're going to be playing a top-20-caliber team when we put on the pads on Saturday night, and we're excited about that challenge and some of the underclassmen. We're excited to see where we line up against this type of talent because this is one of the better teams in the Big 12."
 
Louisiana Tech and TCU have faced off only one previous time when the Horned Frogs defeated the Bulldogs, 31-24, at the 2011 Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, Calif. However, the Bulldogs have played inside Amon G. Carter Stadium once before as LA Tech defeated No. 25 Navy, 48-45, in the 2016 Armed Forces Bowl.
 
Louisiana Tech had started its 2020 season off 4-3 before the Bulldogs were unable to compete during the month of November after having four games either postponed or canceled due to COVID-19-related issues. After a 33-day hiatus, LA Tech bounced right back with a 42-31 win at North Texas on Dec. 3. Against the Mean Green, senior running back Israel Tucker led the Bulldogs with career-highs in rushing yards with 161 and carries with 37, and he tied his career high with two rushing touchdowns.
 
Holtz will be looking for his 150th career victory as a collegiate head coach on Saturday as he has accumulated a 149-110 overall career record. Holtz is in his eighth season at the helm of LA Tech football where he has collected a 61-39 overall record. He has led the Bulldogs to six straight bowl victories, including a 14-0 win over Miami (Fla.) in the Walk On's Independence Bowl last season (Dec. 26). The win was the first shutout in Independence Bowl history and the only shutout of the 2019 bowl season. Just 10 out of 130 FBS teams have won six or more consecutive bowl games, and LA Tech has the only active streak.
 
TCU holds a 5-4 mark heading into Saturday's game and has played all nine of its games within the Big 12. The Horned Frogs have won four of their last five contests, including a 29-22 victory over No. 15 Oklahoma State on Dec. 5. Gary Patterson is in his 20th season at the helm of the TCU program where he has collected a 177-74 overall record.
 
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LA TECH NOTABLES
>> Louisiana Tech and TCU have faced off once before when the Horned Frogs defeated the Bulldogs, 31-24, at the 2011 Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, Calif.
>> LA Tech has played inside Amon G. Carter Stadium once before during the 2016 Armed Forces Bowl when Louisiana Tech defeated No. 25 Navy, 48-45. In the win, Jonathan Barnes, brother of current LA Tech kicker/punter Jacob Barnes, kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired to seal the victory.
>> Since 2014, Louisiana Tech is 15-3 when playing in the state of Texas.
>> Since 2014, LA Tech is 7-2 in games played during the month of December.
>> Saturday's game at TCU will mark the latest LA Tech regular season game since 1935 when the Bulldogs played at Tampa on Dec. 14.
>> Louisiana Tech defeated North Texas, 42-31, in its first game in 33 days on Dec. 3, after having all four of its scheduled games in November either canceled or postponed due to COVID-19 issues.
>> Louisiana Tech head football Skip Holtz is one win away from reaching his 150th career victory as a collegiate head coach.
>> Senior running back Israel Tucker led the Bulldogs with career-highs in rushing yards with 161 and carries with 37, and he tied his career high with two rushing touchdowns in the 42-31 victory at North Texas (Dec. 3) in LA Tech's first game in 33 days. His 37 carries tied for the second most in the FBS this season and were the fourth most in program history. His performance earned him C-USA Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors.
>>  Redshirt freshman kicker/punter Jacob Barnes was named one of 20 semifinalists for the 2020 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award presented by the Orange Bowl.
>> LA Tech swept the Conference USA weekly awards on Nov. 2 after the 37-34 comeback victory over UAB (Oct. 31) in double overtime. Sophomore quarterback Aaron Allen, sophomore defensive back BeeJay Williamson and redshirt freshman kicker/punter Jacob Barnes earned offensive, defensive and special teams player of the week honors, respectively. It was the first time a C-USA school swept with the weekly awards since North Texas on Sept. 17, 2018.
>> LA Tech leads C-USA and ranks fourth in the FBS in fourth down conversions at 86.67 percent (13-of-15).
>> Freshman linebacker Tyler Grubbs and senior linebacker Trey Baldwin rank 32nd and 40th in the nation, respectively, in tackles per game at 9.8 and 9.4.
>> The Bulldogs have forced a turnover in 38 of their last 40 games.
>> Since joining the league in 2013, Louisiana Tech leads Conference USA with 197 forced turnovers.
>> Louisiana Tech has posted an interception in 12 of its last 13 games. Five different Bulldogs have recorded an interception this season and two players have returned an interceptions for a touchdown.
>> Six Louisiana Tech skill players have recorded multiple touchdowns in a single game this season. Sophomore wide receiver Smoke Harris and senior running back Israel Tucker have each had two multiple touchdown games during the 2020 campaign.
 
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GAMEDAY COVERAGE
Date: Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020
Time: 6 p.m. (CT)
Location: Fort Worth, Texas  
Venue:  Amon G. Carter Stadium
                Surface: Natural Grass
Series: TCU leads, 1-0
                In Ruston: N/A
                    Last: N/A
                In Fort Worth: N/A
                    Last: N/A
                In San Diego (Poinsettia Bowl): TCU leads, 1-0
                     Last: (2011, TCU won, 31-24)
Live Stats: https://gofrogs.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
Live Audio: Tunein.com (Louisiana Tech Football)
Twitter Updates: @LATechFB
 
Media
TV: FS1
PxP: Cory Provus
Analyst: Robert Smith
 
Radio: LA Tech Sports Network (KXKZ 107.5 FM)
PxP: Dave Nitz
Analyst: Teddy Allen