10/02 Tech @ BYU (8 PM) - Game

[The Historian]

I agree that Holtz doesn't try to take the win away. If you take bowl games out, he hasn't beaten a P5 team, you know like sneaking up a big upset, in the 7 full years he has been head coach. He's been close, Arkansas in 2016 and K State in 2015. I don't know what is, but it seems like he just can't get the team up to "go at them from the start and never let up" (See also C-USA Championship Games). Obviously it's good enough to win conference games and make it to bowl games, but once in a while I'd like to see us go into some one's house and come away with a big win. I'll stay optimistic but I don't see it happening against BYU.

You are correct. We've blown 4th quarter leads against Marshall, Kansas State, Arkansas, and South Carolina.

At Kansas State we had a 7 point lead and the ball with 9 minutes left in the game before blowing the lead. We actually looked like a different team on the final drive in regulation when we were behind and needed a field goal to send it into overtime.

I could get into the other games, because there are stories behind all of them.

Every one of those games has something in common. We've gone into a shell when having the lead late in the game. You could see it in the body language of the players, which was a reflection of the attitude of the coaches. Everyone was afraid of making a mistake rather than going out and making plays to put away those games. We did the same thing in the 2015 bowl game.

We also almost blew the Illinois bowl game, but Kenneth Dixon made one of the greatest plays in school history after a turnover to strip the defender who had recovered a fumble and turn the ball right back to Tech's offense. It saved the game!!

I think Skip has done an incredible job of building our program. But beat 2 of those 3 P5s and he would garner a heck of a lot more respect.

[Dawg Fan]

...a Ryan Higgins kind of year! Or, go for #1, a Tim Rattay kind of year. Higgins had the 2nd best season in Tech history. Driskel's numbers weren't bad though, 4th best in Tech history. Oh heck! anything in that neighborhood would be awesome.

I'll take a QB year like any of those mentioned. I was thinking about the "grad transfer" aspect of Luke Anthony and Jeff Driskell. Come to Tech and really show out after playing at a different school. Also Driskel is the most recent Tech QB to get drafted by the NFL.

[Cory]

Pending a miracle, Tech doesn’t stand a chance in this game. Get ready for a long night. I could easily see this game being decided by halftime (3rd quarter at the latest).

[Blue Dawg]

You are correct. We've blown 4th quarter leads against Marshall, Kansas State, Arkansas, and South Carolina.

At Kansas State we had a 7 point lead and the ball with 9 minutes left in the game before blowing the lead. We actually looked like a different team on the final drive in regulation when we were behind and needed a field goal to send it into overtime.

I could get into the other games, because there are stories behind all of them.

Every one of those games has something in common. We've gone into a shell when having the lead late in the game. You could see it in the body language of the players, which was a reflection of the attitude of the coaches. Everyone was afraid of making a mistake rather than going out and making plays to put away those games. We did the same thing in the 2015 bowl game.

We also almost blew the Illinois bowl game, but Kenneth Dixon made one of the greatest plays in school history after a turnover to strip the defender who had recovered a fumble and turn the ball right back to Tech's offense. It saved the game!!

I think Skip has done an incredible job of building our program. But beat 2 of those 3 P5s and he would garner a heck of a lot more respect.

Hell, remember @MSU a few years ago? 14-0 early in the game. Then a total collapse. Now, you could argue that MSU was indeed the better team, that they got punched in the mouth and recovered. We probably would not have held that lead in any case. But the body language told the same story.

[BullPupN'46]

Pending a miracle, Tech doesn’t stand a chance in this game. Get ready for a long night. I could easily see this game being decided by halftime (3rd quarter at the latest).

"OOh ye of little faith"

[Dawg Fan]

Pending a miracle, Tech doesn’t stand a chance in this game. Get ready for a long night. I could easily see this game being decided by halftime (3rd quarter at the latest).

I'm not making a prediction on this one. But a turnover here, a turnover there, a missed field goal, untimely penalties, a missed block, defensive player slips down - one just can't predict how this game is going to play out if the breaks go our way.

[brtransplant]

You are correct. We've blown 4th quarter leads against Marshall, Kansas State, Arkansas, and South Carolina.

At Kansas State we had a 7 point lead and the ball with 9 minutes left in the game before blowing the lead. We actually looked like a different team on the final drive in regulation when we were behind and needed a field goal to send it into overtime.

I could get into the other games, because there are stories behind all of them.

Every one of those games has something in common. We've gone into a shell when having the lead late in the game. You could see it in the body language of the players, which was a reflection of the attitude of the coaches. Everyone was afraid of making a mistake rather than going out and making plays to put away those games. We did the same thing in the 2015 bowl game.

We also almost blew the Illinois bowl game, but Kenneth Dixon made one of the greatest plays in school history after a turnover to strip the defender who had recovered a fumble and turn the ball right back to Tech's offense. It saved the game!!

I think Skip has done an incredible job of building our program. But beat 2 of those 3 P5s and he would garner a heck of a lot more respect.

It wasn't Dixon, it was Sokol that made that play.

[Bulldog Tom]

This is a crazy season. Most years under Skip I have the expectation that we should be CUSA champs and have a shot at an undefeated season. This year I had no such expectation. A depleted defense and no QB. Now e have a defense lead by a true freshman and a FCS QB. So how knows, maybe this asterick season will be ours. Nobody even knows who is going to suit-up for the game Friday night. We may not win, but this game has the potential to be a lot closer than most think. Go Bulldogs, shock the nation!

[kfj]

You could see it in the body language of the players, which was a reflection of the attitude of the coaches.

Yep, absolutely right.

[qng001]

Our FB equipment is loaded up and on the road to Provo. Google Maps shows 22 hr 13 min drive (without stops). That driver gets to go from the piney hills of Ruston through Dallas and onto some flat land of west Texas. He'll get to see mountains of Denver/Utah. It'll be a long road travel.

Louisiana Tech Equipment @LATechEquipment
Next stop - Provo, Utah

https://twitter.com/LATechEquipment/...41243691380738

[HogDawg]

I agree that Holtz doesn't try to take the win away. If you take bowl games out, he hasn't beaten a P5 team, you know like sneaking up a big upset, in the 7 full years he has been head coach. He's been close, Arkansas in 2016 and K State in 2015. I don't know what is, but it seems like he just can't get the team up to "go at them from the start and never let up" (See also C-USA Championship Games). Obviously it's good enough to win conference games and make it to bowl games, but once in a while I'd like to see us go into some one's house and come away with a big win. I'll stay optimistic but I don't see it happening against BYU.

You left out the best one. Our 1-point loss to South Carolina, 17-16, where we let the Gamecocks score all 17 of their points in the 4th Qtr.

[Tech52]

You left out the best one. Our 1-point loss to South Carolina, 17-16, where we let the Gamecocks score all 17 of their points in the 4th Qtr.

Game turned at the same mistake we made in the Indy bowl. We are in control. We have the lead. We are in their red-zone.

And instead of just rushing the ball, we are putting up a pass play. The only difference is against USC, I think J’Mar was attempting to throw it away.

[PawDawg]

As bad as most of the P5 losses were, the ones that hurt the most, IMO, were Marshall, ODU, UAB, and USM. Pick a year...

[Tech52]

ODU and NSU, in the same year, probably hurt a lot for the team image.
With those wins we are 11-3.
With the ODU win we host CUSA championship, maybe thats enough to change the result and we end 12-2.
We’d be ranked.

[kfj]

As bad as most of the P5 losses were, the ones that hurt the most, IMO, were Marshall, ODU, UAB, and USM. Pick a year...

+1, though I was at that 10-13 loss at Kansas, and that really hurt watching it.