Bulldogs make it six straight bowl wins

SHREVEPORT — Defensive domination helped the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs ride the storm out Thursday evening against the University of Miami in the 2019 Walk-On’s Independence Bow.

Louisiana Tech shut out the Hurricanes 14-0 before 33,129 fans at Independence Stadium, giving the Bulldogs their first 10-win season since moving to the FBS ranks in 1989, and their first since 1984, when the Bulldogs advanced to the FCS national (then known as Division I-AA) title game.

It was the first shutout for Tech (10-3) since defeating New Mexico State 44-0 in 2011, and the first ever shutout in Independence Bowl history.

And it was also the first shutout by a non-Power 5 program over a Power 5 program in a bowl game in the BCS/ CFP era (since 1998).

“Let me start by saying, ‘What a crowd. What an experience,’” said Tech head coach Skip Holtz. “To have that many fans here, to run out of the tunnel and see all of that red and blue in the stands was just awesome. I can’t say enough about these players, especially this senior class and what they’ve been able to do while they’ve been hereat LouisianaTech. To be able to have the 10-win season, which is the first time, I believe, since we’ve been (in the FBS). To put a Power Five win on the resume, a Power Five win in a bowl game. To do what this team has accomplished, to go out, the seniors, to go out tied for first as the winningest class in history since we’ve gone Division I.

“I can’t put into words my feelings and emotions for these players and how proud I am of what they were able to accomplish. I didn’t make a block or a tackle, score a touchdown or throw a pass. I had a front-row seat to watch a bunch of guys that rolled up their sleeves and competed their tails off this whole week. I challenged the heck out of them in our meeting last night. They certainly responded. They were focused. They had incredible energy throughout the course of this football game.”

While the Tech offense sputtered at times against the Hurricanes talented defense, the Bulldogs’ defense saved its best performance of the year for Miami.

Tech held the Hurricanes scoreless for 60 minutes, forcing nine punts and three turnovers in the game. Miami (6-7) never moved the ball inside the Tech 35-yard line in the game and totaled only 227 yards in the game.

“I’ve always said I’m OK winning a football game 2-0, but the offense screwed it up tonight because they scored 14,” Holtz joked.

“It was that type of effort. It was an unbelievable performance. I commend (Tech defensive coordinator) Bob Diaco, (Brian) Gamble, (Jeff) Burris, (Dennis) Smith and (Rick) Petri (Tech defensive assistant coaches) for the job they’ve done.”

“You watch this defense and the way it has grown over the season, I told the team, the one thing missing from this senior class’ resume was a Power Five win,” Holtz said. “Somebody asked me who would closely resemble the Miami Hurricanes on our schedule, and I said Texas, which was a game in which we got beat 45-14 in the opening game of the season. We still scored 14 points, but the difference tonight was they didn’t score. It goes to show the buy-in by the players and the great job this staff has done staying the course. The battle cry has been constant improvement. It just keeps getting better.”

It was Tech that struck first on the scoreboard, although that didn’t happen until the 9:34 mark of the second quarter. That’s when on first down and 10 from the Hurricanes’ 26-yard line, Bulldogs quarterback J’Mar Smith avoided a sack before lofting a pass to the left flat, hitting a wide-open Israel Tucker who then raced untouched down the Miami sideline for the score.

The play capped a 13-play, 91-yard drive that saw the Bulldogs convert three third-down conversions.

It would end up being the most impressive drive of the night for either team.

The score remained 7-0 when the Bulldogs took over inside Miami territory after Darryl Lewis recovered a fumble on the Tech 40-yard line and returned it to the Miami 30 on the final play of the third quarter.

After making a first down, Tech had a third down and nine from the Miami 18-yard line with a chance to put points on the board and make it a two-score game.

But Miami’s Gilbert Frierson picked off a Smith pass and returned to midfield to give the ball back to the Hurricanes.

And again, the Tech defense came through, giving up only one first down before forcing the Hurricanes to punt.

Two possessions later the Hurricanes got one final chance.

The Hurricanes drove to midfield before Tech defensive back Aaron Roberson stepped in front of an N’Kosi Perry pass and returned the interception to the Bulldogs 44. With 3:22 to play and Tech leading 7-0, Tech’s offense then drove 56 yards on five plays and with Smith scoring on an eight-yard with 1:15 remaining in the game.

Holtz expressed his appreciation to Roberson in the postgame press conference.

“Aaron had his degree in hand, and could have transferred and been eligible immediately anywhere,” Holtz said. “Instead, he chose to come back here with an All-American cornerback in Amik (Robertson) and a senior cornerback in Michael Sam ahead of him. He still chose to come back here and earned his way on the field. He certainly got his opportunity tonight. He’s a very talented player, but a guy you talk about overcoming adversity and perseverance, and a guy who just rolled up his sleeves and went to work. I couldn’t be more proud of him that he made that finishing interception in his hometown. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Roberson credited his teammates for helping him make his big play.

“(My) hat’s off to the defensive line,” Roberson said. “They got pressure on the quarterback. From the film, I knew what he was running. I just made a play on the ball. The defensive line got pressure and got the quarterback out of the pocket. I just had to capitalize and make a play to get the offense back on the field.”

Tech junior running back Justin Henderson was named the Most Outstanding Offensive Player after rushing for 95 yards on 22 carries. He became the 13th player in Tech history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, finishing with 1,062 and 15 touchdowns.

“He was third on the depth chart, frustrated and came in to see me a year ago,” Holtz said of Henderson. “I told him he needed to be more concerned with being a great player than about playing. When you start becoming more concerned about becoming a great player than you do about playing, then you have the talents and the abilities. I didn’t know what he would do with that information when he walked out of my office. I didn’t know if he was going to leave or stay. He came into the season, third team on the depth chart. He came in and never said a negative word. He rolled up his sleeves. He worked his tail off. Our starter, Jaqwis Dancy, got injured. Israel Tucker got mono.

“And Justin Henderson became the 13th player in Louisiana Tech history to rush for 1,000 yards.”

Tech’s Connor Taylor earned the game’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player award after recording nine tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Ezekiel Barnett also registered nine tackles and one sack for the Bulldogs while Trey Baldwin joined Roberson in the interception category, picking off a pass in the third quarter.

“I don’t care if we punt 14 times. I don’t care if we punt once,” Holtz said. “We just have to find a way to win. That’s the motto we have. We don’t have a team goal of we have to score ‘X’ amount of points. We just have to score one more point than (the other team does). That means if we score three, we have to shut them out. If they score 42, we have to find a way to score 43. The offense has to complement the defense. You call plays accordingly. I told the offense one of the keys was to eliminate the turnovers and not let them pull out that dad gum chain. Let’s not put our defense in bad field position.

“The only turnover of the day was because the dumb head coach made a stupid call on the 20-yard line going in. I got our offense to try and throw a screen. I should have run the ball, kicked the field goal and gone up two scores. What I was trying to do was throw it behind the line — a high completion percentage. The (defender) made a great play. The key was the punt was not a bad play. Don’t turn it over. Punt it away. When your defense is playing like that, honestly, don’t do something stupid offensively that would have put our defense in bad field position.”

Tech is now 8-3-1 alltime in bowl games and 3-1-1 in Independence Bowl contests.