Saturday, October 3
Ruston, La.
6:30 PM
Louisiana Tech University
vs
Army
Preview: LA Tech vs. Army
10/2/2026 2:49:00 PM | Football
The Bulldogs welcome the Black Knights to Ruston for the first time in their fourth all-time meeting on Saturday.
RUSTON – Fresh and coming off a bye week, Louisiana Tech is set to close out the non-conference slate of the 2026 season hosting Army at Origin Bank Field at Joe Aillet Stadium on Saturday, October 3 at 6:30 p.m. CT. It will be the first time in the series the two programs meet in Ruston and just the fourth all-time meeting.
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GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date:Â Saturday, Oct. 3
Time:Â 6:30 p.m. CT
Location:Â Ruston, La. (Origin Bank Field at Joe Aillet Stadium)
TV:Â ESPN+
Live Stats:Â LATechSports.com/Stats
Radio:Â Z107.5 | LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics App
SERIES HISTORY
Series:Â Army leads 3-0
In Ruston:Â First Meeting
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The Bulldogs (1-2) look to extend a three-game home winning streak dating back to last season, as well as seeking their first-ever win over the Black Knights (2-1, 1-1 American) in program history. Army came out on top over the Bulldogs in the 2024 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, 27-6, in their previous matchup.
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It was the first time sharing the field since 2013—a neutral-site contest in Dallas that saw Army as the victors, 35-16. That was the highest-scoring matchup in the series' history. The 2008 inaugural matchup took place on Army's home turf in West Point, with the Black Knights taking a 14-7 win.
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HONORING THE STARS & STRIPES
Saturday's game vs. Army will be Military Appreciation Day and Legends Day at Joe Aillet Stadium, honoring and celebrating all those that have served in the armed forces, past and present. In celebration of this special game day, the Bulldogs will wear their red Stars & Stripes helmet, blue jersey and white pants against the Black Knights.
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WHAT'S AT STAKE
LA Tech is looking for their second win in program history over an Armed Forces Academy, with their lone win being a 48-45 thriller over No. 25 Army in the 2016 Armed Forces Bowl. The Bulldogs are also seeking their third win against a team from the American Athletic Conference (AAC) since the league's inception in 2013. Their lone wins were over the Midshipmen and SMU in the 2017 Frisco Bowl, which was also Tech's last win against a team from the AAC. The Bulldogs have never beaten a U.S. service academy or an AAC team in the regular season.
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MICKENS STOCK RISING
Jalen Mickens has surged as a top target through the first three games, posting a Sun Belt-leading average of 99 receiving yards per game and becoming the first Bulldog with back-to-back 100-yard receiving games since Tru Edwards achieved the feat in 2024 during his tenure in Ruston. The second-year receiver has nine catches to lead the Bulldogs and sit in the top 10 among Sun Belt wideouts and is one of six SBC players with multiple receiving touchdowns through two games. Mickens' 297 receiving yards and 432 all-purpose yards are both the fourth-most in the SBC, and is one of three players to average 100+ all-purpose yards per game.
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BULLDOG DEFENSE SWARMING
Despite just having three games played while the rest of the conference has four games under their belt, linebacker Alonzo Jackson Jr. has the fourth-highest average with 8.67 tackles per game. He is also tied for the fifth-most sacks in the SBC with 3.0 after not having recorded a sack in his entire Bulldog career prior to this season. He has 10+ tackles in his last two games, including a career-high 12 tackles at LSU on Sept. 12 to become the first Bulldog with 10+ tackles in back-to-back games since Zach Zimos did so in the final two games of the 2024 season.
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Louisiana Tech ranks among the top 5 in the Sun Belt with 10 sacks (T-3rd), 4 interceptions (5th), 4 fumbles forced (T-3rd), and 3 fumbles recovered (T-4th). Jackson Jr's 8.7 tackles per game is the fourth-best rate in the SBC and his 6.0 tackles for a loss thus far are tied for the most among league defensemen. Kolbe Fields and Jadon Mayfield, each with 4.0 TFLs, are tied for the fourth-most in the conference.
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The Bulldogs pace the Sun Belt and rank among the Top 10 teams nationally in both tackles for loss (2nd, 11.00) and sacks (10th, 3.33) per game. Four Bulldogs—Jackson Jr. (5th, 2.00), Fields (33rd, 1.33), Mayfield (33rd, 1.33) and Zheric Hill (50th, 1.17)—rank among the Top 10 in the Sun Belt and Top 50 in the nation in tackles for loss per game.
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TECH #TAKERS / PICK SIX U
The Bulldogs have six consecutive games forcing a turnover dating back to the 2025 season, with 11 interceptions and four fumble recoveries in that span. LA Tech also has a turnover forced in 14 of their last 16 games since the start of last year. Among those contests, the Bulldogs have forced multiple turnovers in eight of them. Since the start of 2025, the Bulldogs have picked off opponents on 26 separate occasions along with six fumble recoveries.
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Since 2017, Louisiana Tech has been the country's top team when returning interceptions for a touchdown. Since October 1, 2017, the Bulldogs have seen 24 interceptions returned for six points, leading all of FBS in that span which includes some notable programs such as Utah (22), Pitt (22), Alabama (19) and Notre Dame (18).
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FLIPPING THE FIELD
Punter Lexington Matthews ranks second in the Sun Belt with an average of 43.91 yards per punt, with a season-long of 58 yards. He has four punts of 50+ yards and three that have been placed inside the 20-yard line.
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SUPPORT LA TECH ATHLETICS
Championships require championship resources. Fans can make a direct impact on the success of LA Tech Athletics through LTAC, Aillet Society, T-Club, and Young Alumni program as well as the CHAMP fund, a revenue-sharing initiative designed to directly support LA Tech Athletics through NIL and marketing opportunities for Bulldog and Lady Techster student-athletes. Visit BuildTheLegacy.com today. Â
BARK LOUDER
Our mission is to engage, develop, and advance the Louisiana Tech Athletics brand. You can do that by spending time consuming our content and by investing your talents. By barking louder with your time and talent, you can affect progress and brand advancement in a meaningful way. Visit LATechSports.com/BarkLouder today. You bark. We bark. Louder together.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in Bulldog Football, follow us on X (@LATechFB), Instagram (@LATechFB), and Facebook (LATechFootball).
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GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date:Â Saturday, Oct. 3
Time:Â 6:30 p.m. CT
Location:Â Ruston, La. (Origin Bank Field at Joe Aillet Stadium)
TV:Â ESPN+
Live Stats:Â LATechSports.com/Stats
Radio:Â Z107.5 | LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics App
SERIES HISTORY
Series:Â Army leads 3-0
In Ruston:Â First Meeting
Â
The Bulldogs (1-2) look to extend a three-game home winning streak dating back to last season, as well as seeking their first-ever win over the Black Knights (2-1, 1-1 American) in program history. Army came out on top over the Bulldogs in the 2024 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, 27-6, in their previous matchup.
Â
It was the first time sharing the field since 2013—a neutral-site contest in Dallas that saw Army as the victors, 35-16. That was the highest-scoring matchup in the series' history. The 2008 inaugural matchup took place on Army's home turf in West Point, with the Black Knights taking a 14-7 win.
Â
HONORING THE STARS & STRIPES
Saturday's game vs. Army will be Military Appreciation Day and Legends Day at Joe Aillet Stadium, honoring and celebrating all those that have served in the armed forces, past and present. In celebration of this special game day, the Bulldogs will wear their red Stars & Stripes helmet, blue jersey and white pants against the Black Knights.
Â
WHAT'S AT STAKE
LA Tech is looking for their second win in program history over an Armed Forces Academy, with their lone win being a 48-45 thriller over No. 25 Army in the 2016 Armed Forces Bowl. The Bulldogs are also seeking their third win against a team from the American Athletic Conference (AAC) since the league's inception in 2013. Their lone wins were over the Midshipmen and SMU in the 2017 Frisco Bowl, which was also Tech's last win against a team from the AAC. The Bulldogs have never beaten a U.S. service academy or an AAC team in the regular season.
Â
MICKENS STOCK RISING
Jalen Mickens has surged as a top target through the first three games, posting a Sun Belt-leading average of 99 receiving yards per game and becoming the first Bulldog with back-to-back 100-yard receiving games since Tru Edwards achieved the feat in 2024 during his tenure in Ruston. The second-year receiver has nine catches to lead the Bulldogs and sit in the top 10 among Sun Belt wideouts and is one of six SBC players with multiple receiving touchdowns through two games. Mickens' 297 receiving yards and 432 all-purpose yards are both the fourth-most in the SBC, and is one of three players to average 100+ all-purpose yards per game.
Â
BULLDOG DEFENSE SWARMING
Despite just having three games played while the rest of the conference has four games under their belt, linebacker Alonzo Jackson Jr. has the fourth-highest average with 8.67 tackles per game. He is also tied for the fifth-most sacks in the SBC with 3.0 after not having recorded a sack in his entire Bulldog career prior to this season. He has 10+ tackles in his last two games, including a career-high 12 tackles at LSU on Sept. 12 to become the first Bulldog with 10+ tackles in back-to-back games since Zach Zimos did so in the final two games of the 2024 season.
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Louisiana Tech ranks among the top 5 in the Sun Belt with 10 sacks (T-3rd), 4 interceptions (5th), 4 fumbles forced (T-3rd), and 3 fumbles recovered (T-4th). Jackson Jr's 8.7 tackles per game is the fourth-best rate in the SBC and his 6.0 tackles for a loss thus far are tied for the most among league defensemen. Kolbe Fields and Jadon Mayfield, each with 4.0 TFLs, are tied for the fourth-most in the conference.
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The Bulldogs pace the Sun Belt and rank among the Top 10 teams nationally in both tackles for loss (2nd, 11.00) and sacks (10th, 3.33) per game. Four Bulldogs—Jackson Jr. (5th, 2.00), Fields (33rd, 1.33), Mayfield (33rd, 1.33) and Zheric Hill (50th, 1.17)—rank among the Top 10 in the Sun Belt and Top 50 in the nation in tackles for loss per game.
Â
TECH #TAKERS / PICK SIX U
The Bulldogs have six consecutive games forcing a turnover dating back to the 2025 season, with 11 interceptions and four fumble recoveries in that span. LA Tech also has a turnover forced in 14 of their last 16 games since the start of last year. Among those contests, the Bulldogs have forced multiple turnovers in eight of them. Since the start of 2025, the Bulldogs have picked off opponents on 26 separate occasions along with six fumble recoveries.
Â
Since 2017, Louisiana Tech has been the country's top team when returning interceptions for a touchdown. Since October 1, 2017, the Bulldogs have seen 24 interceptions returned for six points, leading all of FBS in that span which includes some notable programs such as Utah (22), Pitt (22), Alabama (19) and Notre Dame (18).
Â
FLIPPING THE FIELD
Punter Lexington Matthews ranks second in the Sun Belt with an average of 43.91 yards per punt, with a season-long of 58 yards. He has four punts of 50+ yards and three that have been placed inside the 20-yard line.
Â
SUPPORT LA TECH ATHLETICS
Championships require championship resources. Fans can make a direct impact on the success of LA Tech Athletics through LTAC, Aillet Society, T-Club, and Young Alumni program as well as the CHAMP fund, a revenue-sharing initiative designed to directly support LA Tech Athletics through NIL and marketing opportunities for Bulldog and Lady Techster student-athletes. Visit BuildTheLegacy.com today. Â
BARK LOUDER
Our mission is to engage, develop, and advance the Louisiana Tech Athletics brand. You can do that by spending time consuming our content and by investing your talents. By barking louder with your time and talent, you can affect progress and brand advancement in a meaningful way. Visit LATechSports.com/BarkLouder today. You bark. We bark. Louder together.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in Bulldog Football, follow us on X (@LATechFB), Instagram (@LATechFB), and Facebook (LATechFootball).
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Players Mentioned
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