RUSTON – Louisiana Tech begins its 123rd season of football on Saturday night when it hosts Southeastern Louisiana, marking Tech's third straight home opener. This is the second consecutive year LA Tech has opened the season against an in-state Southland Conference opponent after hosting Nicholls in last year's opener. The Bulldogs will look to win their third straight season opener and their 12th straight season opener at home. Kickoff from Origin Bank Field at Joe Aillet Stadium is slated for 6:32 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Aug. 30
Time: 6:32 p.m. CT
Location: Ruston, La. (Origin Bank Field at Joe Aillet Stadium)
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
Radio: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics App

SERIES HISTORY
Series: LA Tech 29-7-2
In Ruston: 18-3-2
In Hammond: 11-4
Neutral: 0-0

This will be the 39th all-time meeting between the Bulldogs and the Lions. LA Tech has won the last nine meetings, a streak that dates to the 1971 season. The Aug. 30 opener will be just the third meeting between the two schools this century, with the previous contents coming in 2008 and 2021.
 
LA Tech and SLU first met in Ruston in 1938 and tied 0-0. The Lions returned two years later in 1940 and fell 26-6, the first of three straight wins for the Bulldogs in the series. Tech suffered its first loss to SLU in 1946, but would go on to win the next four, giving the Bulldogs a 7-1-1 record through the first nine meetings.
 
The Bulldogs are 18-3-2 all-time versus the Lions in Ruston with the last loss coming in 1970. Since then, LA Tech has reeled off five straight wins over Southeastern. Tech defeated SLU 45-42 in the 2021 home opener. Cedric Woods is the only current Bulldog to play against the Lions in the 2021 meeting.
 
LA Tech is 137-47-8 all-time against current Southland Conference opponents. This will mark the sixth straight season that the Bulldogs take on an SLC foe -- 202 against Houston Christian (won 66-38), 2021 against Southeastern Louisiana (won 45-42), 2022 against Stephen F. Austin (won 66-38), 2023 against Northwestern State (won 51-21) and 2024 against Nicholls State (won 25-17).

ABOUT LA TECH
 
Head coach Sonny Cumbie enters his fourth season at the helm after leading the Bulldogs to a 5-8 record and an Independence Bowl appearance in 2024. Cumbie guided the Bulldogs to a 4-4 mark in Conference USA play in 2024 after recording just four combined CUSA wins in his first two seasons. Tech's trip to the Independence Bowl marked its first bowl game appearance since the 2020 New Orleans Bowl.
 
The Bulldogs return 53 players from the 2024 roster, including three All-CUSA performers in linebacker Kolbe Fields, tight end Eli Finley, and quarterback Evan Bullock. Fields, who was voted as the 2025 CUSA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, is set for his third season in Ruston and his second in a starting role. The New Orleans native started in 11 games last season, recording 71 tackles (38 solo, 33 assists), nine tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups. 
 
Along with several new players on the roster, the Bulldogs have added six new coaches, including a new offensive and defensive coordinator. Offensive coordinator Tony Franklin returns to Ruston for his second stint with Tech after previously serving in the same role from 2010-13. Luke Olson comes to Tech to guide the defense after helping lead Jacksonville State to a 2024 CUSA title as its defensive coordinator.
 
LEAGUE ON NOTICE
                 
LA Tech linebacker Kolbe Fields enters his third season with the program, and the redshirt senior has already put the league on notice after being voted the 2025 Conference USA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. He earned All-CUSA second-team honors in 2024, his first season as a starter.
 
The New Orleans native started in 11 games last season, recording 71 tackles (38 solo, 33 assists), nine tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups. He recorded three games with double-digit tackles and led Bulldogs in tackles four times.
 
IN FOR THE DOG HAUL
                 
The Bulldogs have eight players on this year's roster that have been at LA Tech for at least four seasons. Cedric Woods enters his sixth year with the team, while Kenneth Bannister, Ean Burch, and Josh Cobbs enter their fifth. Brett Canis, Landon Nelson, and Jhamal Shelby Jr. round out the list as four-year members of the program. Woods leads the group with 48 games played, followed by Canis (23), Bannister (22), Nelson (21), and Cobbs (20).
 
LIKE FATHER LIKE SON
                 
For the second straight season, Louisiana Tech will have multiple players with Bulldog bloodlines on its roster. Jackson Bradley, son of Josh Bradley (TE, 1995-97); Brayden Curry, son of DJ Curry (WR, 2000-03); Kaegan Kent, son of Marty Kent (K, 1994-97); and Jay Simon, son of John Simon (RB, 1998-01), have all followed in their fathers' footsteps as Bulldogs. Jay and Brayden enter their second season with the program, while Jackson and Kaegan are first year players.   
 
John Simon recorded over 3,700 yards and 15 touchdowns during his four seasons in Ruston. He caught 262 passes for 2,596 yards and 10 scores. Simon rushed for 1,121 yards and five touchdowns on 213 attempts. Josh Bradley caught 131 passes for 1,591 yards and 20 scores during his three seasons with the Bulldogs. He recorded 500+ yards in each of his three seasons. DJ Curry starred for the Bulldogs for four seasons, catching 171 passes for 2,241 yards and 17 touchdowns. Marty Kent made 50 career field goals for LA Tech and connected on 129 of 133 extra points.
 
Degree in hand            
 
Louisiana Tech will have 10 players on this year's roster who have already earned their bachelor's degrees. Brett Canis, Landon Nelson, Jay Wilkerson and Cedric Woods graduated from Tech, while Tre Averhart, Andrew Burnette, Jonathan Denis, Devin Gandy, Benji Johnson and Caleb Sims transferred into the program after earning degrees at their previous schools.
 
ALL ACROSS AMERICA
                 
The Bulldogs will travel to two new states this season when they visit Delaware State and Washington State. Tech's contest against the Blue Hens in Newark, Delaware, will mark the 34th state the Bulldogs have played in, while their matchup one week later in Pullman, Wash., will be the 35th. The Bulldogs will also visit Georgia and Missouri for just the second time in program history.
 
In their travels, the Bulldogs will play games in all four time zones this season: vs. Southeastern (Central), at Kennesaw State (Eastern), at UTEP (Mountain) and at Washington State (Pacific). It will be the first time since 2012 that Tech has played in all four time zones.
 
LEVEL UP                           
 
Running back Andrew Burnette and wide receiver Tre Averhart joined the program, this summer after transferring from Keiser University, an NAIA program in Florida. The duo helped lead Keiser to the 2023 national championship and a return trip to the title game in 2024.
 
Burnette rushed for 2,338 yards and 31 touchdowns on 360 carries across two seasons with the Seahawks, earning third-team All-America honors in 2024. Averhart recorded 40 receptions for 539 yards and seven touchdowns last season.
 
CALIFORNIA CONNECTION
                 
When looking to fill holes at the skill positions, one thing stands out on Louisiana Tech's roster this season — the 10 players from California, the third-most populous state represented on 2025 roster.
 
The Bulldogs added 10 transfers from California, including eight from the junior college level, one from the FCS and one from the FBS.
 
The breakdown includes nine players on offense and one on defense. Tech added two quarterbacks, five wide receivers, two tight ends and one defensive back. The trio of Trey Kukuk, Dane Benedix and Brayden Bockler all played together at Saddleback College, while Teddy Booras and David Pierro were teammates at Diablo Valley College.
 
FREAK ON THE FIELD              
Every college football season, Bruce Feldman, a national college football insider for The Athletic, puts out his "College Football Freaks List", and LA Tech running back Omiri Wiggins checks in at No. 86 on the 2025 Freaks List. Feldman relies on intel from coaches, schools, teammates, parents, NFL scouts, NFL Scouting Combine trainers and agents.
 
Wiggins, a 5-10, 206-pound junior, saw action in all 13 games with 11 starts last season. He finished the season with 527 rushing yards and four scores on 111 attempts. Wiggins also caught 20 passes for 126 yards and two scores. The Lafayette native can squat 585 pounds, bench 340 pounds, while recording 21.9 max velocity and a 34.5 inch vertical.
 
THE PIERRO BROTHERS
 
Wide receiver David Pierro, a transfer from Diablo Valley College, and cornerback Jordan Pierro, a transfer from Fresno State, both joined LA Tech's roster this summer, becoming the first pair of brothers on the team since 2013. The Bulldogs last had brothers on the roster in 2013 with twins Jon and Richard Greenwalt, along with Beau and Lyle Fitte.
 
David is a 2022 graduate of Clovis West High School, while Jordan graduated in 2024. Jordan comes to Ruston after redshirting at Fresno State last season. David joins Tech after recording 92 receptions for 1,225 yards and 10 touchdowns across two seasons at Diablo Valley.
 
BOTH SIDES OF THE FIELDS
 
In high school, Jacob Fields recorded 156 tackles, eight interceptions and three forced fumbles on defense, while adding 22 touchdowns and 1,108 all-purpose yards on the offensive side of the ball in his career.
 
The Texas native signed with LA Tech as a defensive back but was quickly moved to running back prior to the start of his freshman season in 2023 due to injuries in the room. He appeared in 11 games with one start against Nebraska, while registering 26 carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns on the season. Fields also hauled in 12 passes for 97 yards.
 
In 2024, Fields moved back to the defensive side of the ball and played in all 13 games with eight starts at safety. He tallied 54 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, four pass breakups and one fumble recovery.
 
In 2025, fans can expect to see Fields on both sides of the Field as he has been lining up at both safety and receiver during spring practice and fall camp.
 
The junior is believed to be one of Tech's first two-way players in more than 50 years. On record, Joe Hinton (1957-60), Leo Sanford (1947-50) and J.W. Slack (1957-59) are three of the Bulldogs' top former two-way stars, each earning induction into the LA Tech Hall of Fame.   
 
FRESH TURF
                 
The Bulldogs will play on a new surface this season at Origin Bank Field at Joe Aillet Stadium as a turf upgrade took place for the first time in 10 years. The new-look design now features the Origin Bank logo.
 
The playing surface is Pivot 1.5 by Hellas and was developed at the Center for Turf Innovation (CTI) with college and professional athletes.  Pivot combines traditional sports fibers with newer thinner fibers that look and feel more like natural grass.
 
MCCOWN ON THE CALL
 
Former Bulldog quarterback and Louisiana Tech Athletics Hall of Famer Luke McCown will serve as color analyst alongside Malcolm Butler for ESPN+ broadcasts of Tech's first two home games (Aug. 30 vs. Southeastern, Sept. 13 vs. New Mexico State). McCown, the program's all-time leader in passing yards (12,994), completions (1,088) and attempts (1,827), played 14 years in the NFL and previously worked as a sideline reporter for the LA  Tech Sports Network (2021-22).
 
HOME GROWN DOGS
                 
LA Tech's roster features seven players from Ruston High School, which is the second most players from a single high school on an FBS roster this season. Fresno State leads the nation with eight.
 
The Bulldogs' hometown group includes three 2025 graduates in Dylone Brooks, Zheric Hill and Zander Hayes, followed by 2024 grads Jadon Mayfield, Jacoryian Crowe and Will Fendley. Christian Davis is the most experienced of the group, graduating from Ruston in 2023.
 
REPLACING RECEPTIONS

Tech must replace 173 receptions lost to graduation and transfers from 2024. Eli Finley leads the returning pass catchers with 27 receptions at the FBS level, followed by Marlion Jackson (26), Omiri Wiggins (20) and Jay Wilkerson (13). The Bulldogs added experienced junior college standouts Marques Singleton Jr. (128 catches), David Pierro (92), Chase Grosfeld (77) and Dane Benedix (49), along with Sacramento State transfer Devin Gandy (68).

ABOUT SOUTHEASTERN

Southeastern is coming off a 7-5 season that saw them go 6-1 in a tough Southland Conference league. The Lions, led by eighth year head coach Frank Scelfo, averaged 22.83 points per game last season while allowing just over 25. SLU had a balanced attack with 1,912 rushing yards and 2,003 passing yards. The Lions were picked to finish third in the 2025 SLC preseason poll.
 
SLU will have a new quarterback this season after losing Eli Sawyer to graduation. The Lions are expected to utilize Sacramento State transfer Carson Camp and Georgia State transfer Kyle Lowe under center on Saturday. The Lions bring back one of their top pass catchers in Jaylon Domingeaux who reeled in 38 catches for 459 yards and one score last season.
 
The SLU defense has four returning All-SLC players in defensive lineman Kaleb Proctor, linebacker KK Reno, defensive backs Khamron Ford and Ian Conerly-Goodly. Reno recorded 94 tackles from his linebacker position last season.