RUSTON - Louisiana Tech will look to bounce back from two straight losses as 0-7 (0-4 CUSA) Sam Houston visits Ruston for a Friday night Homecoming Halloween matchup at Origin Bank Field at Joe Aillet Stadium. The Bulldogs enter the game at 4-3 (2-2 CUSA). The game will air nationally on CBS Sports Network.

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date: Friday, Oct. 31
Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Location: Ruston, La. (Origin Bank Field at Joe Aillet Stadium)
TV: CBS Sports Network | Jack Gordon (pxp), Ben DiNucci (analyst)
Live Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
Radio: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics App

SERIES HISTORY
Series: Tied, 2-2-1
In Ruston: 2-1-1
In Huntsville: 0-1
Neutral: 0-0

This will be the sixth all-time meeting between the Bulldogs and Bearkats and the third FBS matchup between the two programs. The series is tied 2-2-1 after Sam Houston's 9-3 win over LA Tech on the road last season. The Bulldogs are 0-2 against the Bearkats since Sam Houston joined the FBS ranks prior to the 2023 season.
 
Last season's trip to Texas marked the first meeting between the two teams in Huntsville, as four of the five games in the series have been played in Ruston. The Bulldogs hold a 2-1-1 record against Sam Houston at home, with their last win coming in a 55-17 victory in 1999.
 
Sam Houston is 13-19 since joining the FBS. The Bearkats finished the 2024 season 10-3 (6-2 CUSA) overall, earning a win in the New Orleans Bowl. Sam Houston is off to an 0-7 start in 2025.
 
Head coach Sonny Cumbie will look to pick up his sixth win as LA Tech's coach against a team from Texas. He carries a 5-7 record, with wins over UTEP (four) and SFA.
 
The Bulldogs will look to improve to 71-26-2 on homecoming with a win over Sam Houston, as Friday marks Tech's 100th homecoming game. LA Tech has dropped its last four homecoming games, falling to UTSA, Rice, Sam Houston and Jacksonville State. LA Tech's last homecoming win came in 2020 with a 21-17 victory over UTEP.
 
ABOUT LA TECH
  
LA Tech fell to WKU 28-27 in overtime on Oct. 21. The Bulldogs trailed 20-7 at halftime before the defense registered a second-half shutout. A kickoff return touchdown by Devin Gandy to start the second half and two field goals from John Hoyet Chance tied the game at 20 to force overtime. Tech took a 27-20 lead on an Andrew Burnette touchdown run, but WKU converted a touchdown score and a two-point conversion to win.
 
Blake Baker threw for a career-high 340 yards in the loss, while Marlion Jackson posted career highs with six receptions for 103 yards. Tech's defense recorded its second game this season with double-digit tackles for loss (10), and Kameron Carter recorded the team's 12th interception of the year.
 
Baker has completed 81 of 127 passes for 989 yards and four scores while adding 219 yards and two touchdowns on 64 carries. Tight end Eli Finley leads the team with 22 receptions for 288 yards. Devin Gandy has caught 17 passes for 244 yards with one touchdown, while Marlion Jackson has also crossed the 200-yard mark with 238 yards on 13 grabs.
 
Running backs Clay Thevenin and Omiri Wiggins have each tallied three rushing touchdowns, with Thevenin leads the team with 296 yards. Wiggins has totaled 226 yards on 60 carries, while Andrew Burnette surpassed the 100-yard mark last week and now has 116 yards and two touchdowns on 35 attempts.
 
Jacob Fields became the first Bulldog to reach the 50-tackle mark after recording 11 against WKU. Sifa Leota has tallied 41 stops with 7.5 tackles for loss, while Mekhi Mason has registered 40 tackles with a team-leading 9.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
  
STOPPED FOR A LOSS

Tech's defense recorded double-digit tackles for loss for the second time this season, finishing with 10 against WKU, two shy of its 12 in the opener versus Southeastern. Sifa Leota led the team with 3.0, marking his second game this year with three or more. Michael Richard, Mekhi Mason and Emmanuel Oguns added 1.5 TFLs each, while Cedric Woods recorded one.
 
MARLION MAGIC
 
Fourth-year wide receiver Marlion Jackson has seen his number called more over the past three games, coming off a career performance against WKU with six receptions for 103 yards, his first 100-yard game. The Georgia native has recorded at least 40 receiving yards in every game with a catch this season and has tallied 13 receptions for a career-high 238 yards and one touchdown. Jackson needs one more catch to match his career-high 14 receptions he set in 2024.
 
EVERY WAY POSSIBLE

After nine weeks, LA Tech became one of six teams nationally to score touchdowns by fumble return, interception return, and on special teams. The Bulldogs joined Virginia, South Florida, Kansas State, San Diego State and South Carolina after Devin Gandy returned a kickoff for a touchdown against WKU.
 
MICKENS MAKES A START
 
True freshman wide receiver Jalen Mickens made his first start of the season against WKU last Tuesday. Mickens became the second true freshman to start this year, joining linebacker Zheric Hill, who started at middle linebacker against Kennesaw State. The Texas native caught three passes for 28 yards and has appeared in all seven games, recording nine receptions for 100 yards and one touchdown.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
 
104 – Defensive back Jacob Fields recorded his 100th career tackle Tuesday against WKU. After playing running back in 2023, he's tallied 104 tackles as a safety, with 54 last season and 50 this year.
 
3 – Linebacker Sifa Leota recorded his second game of the season with 3.0 tackles for loss or more. The redshirt senior tallied 3.0 TFLs against WKU, bringing his season total to 7.5, which ranks second on the team.
 
2 – Wide receiver Jalen Mickens became LA Tech's second true freshman starter this season, joining linebacker Zheric Hill. The Texas native caught three passes for 29 yards against WKU and is up to nine receptions for 100 yards this season.
 
1 – Wide receiver Tre Averhart played one snap Tuesday and recorded his first FBS catch and touchdown against WKU, making the most of his lone play against the Hilltoppers.
 
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