Preview: LA Tech at ULM

Saturday, October 17

Monroe, La.

7 PM

Louisiana Tech University

ULM

Buy Tickets

Photo by: Josh McDaniel

10/15/2026 2:53:00 PM | Football

Week 7 SBC Notes

Rivalries continue to be renewed, as the Bulldogs travel to Monroe for the inaugural Radiance Technologies I-20 Showdown and 44th all-time meeting with the Warhawks.

By: Drew Parsley

RUSTON – Coming off a big win over one rival, Louisiana Tech hits the road for Monroe on Saturday for the first edition of the Radiance Technologies I-20 Showdown, taking on the ULM Warhawks for the first time since the 2000 season on Saturday, October 17. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT on ESPN+ at FMOL Health | St. Francis Stadium.

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Oct. 17
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Monroe, La. (FMOL Health | St. Francis Stadium)
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
Radio: Z107.5 | LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics App

SERIES HISTORY
Series: LA Tech leads 30-13
In Monroe: LA Tech leads 13-8
Win Streak: W8

Saturday will be the first road test in conference play for the Bulldogs (3-2, 1-0 SBC), who are coming off their first-ever Sun Belt win with a 32-31 fourth-quarter comeback victory over UL-Lafayette on October 10. The matchup will also play a part in the inaugural Governor's Cup between Tech, ULM and UL-Lafayette, which is awarded to the team with the best record among the three programs.

MATCHUP NOTES

This will be the 44th all-time matchup between Louisiana Tech and ULM since their

inaugural meeting in 1953--a massive 61-6 win in Ruston in favor of the Bulldogs, which still stands as the most points scored by either program and the largest win by either program in series history

It is the first time the two programs meet as conference opponents since 1986, when

both were members of the Southland Conference

The Bulldogs have won eight consecutive games over ULM, which is the longest winning

streak by either program in series history

Tech has seen three separate streaks of 5+ wins, including a seven-game winning streak

from 1971-1977

All 30 wins for LA Tech have come when holding the Warhawks to under 20 points,

boasting a 30-8 record while ULM is 5-0 in games which they score more than 20

ULM has not beaten LA Tech since 1987 and have not won a home game over the

Bulldogs since 1986, with Tech on a four-game winning streak in games played in Monroe

LA Tech has six all-time shutout victories over the Warhawks and have scored at least 40

points in 10 of their meetings, including their previous three matchups

WHAT'S AT STAKE

Would be the program's 31st win over ULM and the first since 2000
Would extend LA Tech's winning streak over ULM to nine games
Would be Sonny Cumbie's 23rd coaching win at Tech and 25th of his career
Would extend the Bulldogs' winning streak to three games
Would give Tech a 2-0 start in conference play for the second-straight season and the

fifth time since 2019

Would be LA Tech's 128th all-time win over teams currently in the Sun Belt

NO FLY ZONE
Janard Lockhardt has proven to be one of the top defensive backs statistically in the country, currently tied for the fourth-most pass breakups in FBS with seven, as well as his 1.4 PBUs/game are also the fourth-best rate in the country. Jordan McRae is one of four SBC defensive backs with three INTs thus far, and is the only player with 100+ return yards and an interception returned for a touchdown this season.

STRONG RECEIVING CORE
LA Tech saw three receivers with 90+ receiving yards in the same game for the first time since the 2015 New Orleans Bowl on Saturday. Eli Finley had a game-high 114 receiving yards with two touchdowns for his second career game with 100+ yards receiving, following with Talyn Shettron (8 rec., 102 rec. yards) and Jalen Mickens (9 rec., 92 rec. yards, 1 TD). Mickens set a new single-game career high with his nine catches, and Shettron posted his first 100-yard receiving game as a Bulldog and the second of his collegiate career. Finley and Shettron are also the first receiving duo to post 100 receiving yards each in the same game since Smoke Harris (129) and Cyrus Allen (103) at Middle Tennessee on October 10, 2023.

KEEPING TRADITION IN NEW ERA
Louisiana Tech opened up the Sun Belt era with a fourth-quarter comeback to down in-state rival UL-Lafayette, 32-31, in the program's first-ever SBC game at Joe Aillet Stadium. It was the 49th all-time win over the Ragin' Cajuns as well as the ninth-straight win since 1997. The Bulldogs also extend their winning streak at home to five games.

SWARMING DEFENSE
Louisiana Tech ranks among the top 5 in the Sun Belt with seven INTs (1st), 42 TFLs (2nd), a +5-turnover margin (T-3rd), passing defense (4th), 13 sacks (5th) and total defnese (5th). Alonzo Jackson Jr. (8.0 TFLs), Kolbe Fields (5.5 TFLs) and Jadon Mayfield (5.5 TFLs) all rank among the top 10 in the SBC, with Jackson Jr. also tied for the 14th-most TFLs in the country and his 1.60 TFLs/game is the 10th-best rate in FBS.

The Bulldogs pace the Sun Belt with 39 tackles for a loss, which is also tied for the 10th-most in FBS. The Bulldogs' 9.8 TFLs per game is currently tied for the second-highest average in the country, trailing just Virginia Tech (10.2) and tied alongside East Carolina. Alonzo Jackson Jr. has four sacks to tie for the fourth-most in the Sun Belt and also rank among the top 20 nationally. His 1.0 sack per game is tied for the eighth-most among FBS defenders.

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