Bulldogs hit the road to battle Wolfpack

Louisiana Tech (1-0) faces potentially its biggest test of the season in a non-conference road game at North Carolina State (1-1) bright and early Saturday at 11 a.m.

For the Bulldogs, improving their execution and approach offensively is paramount after the unit rushed for less than 110 yards and had four turnovers in the 25-17 win over Nicholls in week one.

It was so uneasy that Tech head coach Sonny Cumbie handed out a grade of ‘F’ to his offense after the win. And don’t get him wrong, a win is a win, especially for a program with nine total over the previous three seasons. But for Saturday, and all the games from here on out, Cumbie expects the Bulldogs to run like an efficient offense, one capable of threatening defenses in multiple ways. If Tech doesn’t show progress on Saturday against an NC State team hungry to prove itself, it could be a long flight back to Monroe Saturday night.

And in recent seasons, the Bulldogs haven’t exactly been the model of success on how to handle a road game. Since the 2021 season, Tech is just 1-18 on the road — the lone win coming Sept. 29, 2023, at UTEP.

“I think we’ve got a lot of guys that have been on the road before. We’ve been to Missouri. We’ve been to Clemson. It’s going to be a great environment Saturday morning,” Cumbie said of the task of a road game. “Our kids are going to be really excited to play because I think it’s the next opportunity. We’ve had to wait a little bit longer for our next opportunity because of the bye week. That’s what I look for with our football team is to be better than we were the last time we were out.”

If there’s one area Tech can get better, establishing the run game is top of mind for Cumbie after the starting tandem of Marquis Crosby and Donerio Davenport combined for 19 carries for 71 yards, no touchdowns and a fumble against Nicholls. And on paper, that’s where the Wolfpack seem to be howling for help early in the season.

Through two games, NC State’s opponents have averaged 184.5 rushing yards per game at 5.9 yards per carry. And it’s not just the case of last week’s 51-10 beatdown by Tennessee inflating the figure. Western Carolina, an FCS team, rushed for 120 yards on just 19 carries for 6.3 yards per carry in NC State’s opener. In Tech’s opener, the Bulldogs managed 41 carries for 109 yards (2.7 average).

Starting left guard Bert Hale, a fifth-year senior, said getting more from the backfield is a matter of running backs and linemen trusting each other and hitting run lanes with confidence.

“We’ve been working on creating more space, but it hasn’t been that drastic,” Hale said of run adjustments. “We’ve been doing the same things in and out each day. We’re just putting trust in our running backs and trust in ourselves. Just get better every day.”

Tech may need all the improvement it can muster offensively because NC State has one of the best quarterback-receiver pairings in the country in Grayson McCall and Kevin ‘KC’ Concepcion that could give the Bulldogs fits if they’re not prepared.

Concepcion, the 2023 ACC Freshman of the Year, set the NC State freshman record for receiving touchdowns (10) and receptions (71) last year. In two games this fall, he’s already at 14 catches for 174 yards, and 3 touchdowns.

“I think Concepcion is a phenomenal route runner,” Cumbie said. “I think he understands space well. He understands leverage. From top-end speed he’s able to create separation. I think it’s going to be a great challenge for our defensive backs. I’m looking forward to seeing them going against one of the most productive receivers in the country. I think they use him really well in terms of moving him around. They don’t just put him in one spot. I think it’ll be a good challenge for our guys.”

Fifth-year senior cornerback Cedric Woods, who had a pair of tackles and a pass breakup against Nicholls, could be matched up with the Wolfpack’s top receiver. Woods said Tech’s goal is to put NC State in thirdand- long situations, allowing Bulldog defensive backs to play more aggressive in obvious passing plays for McCall.

“I see two great guys that played a lot of football,” Woods said. “We know it’s going to be a great challenge going up there to Raleigh this weekend to play those guys. I’m excited for the challenge for our defense. We’ve been preparing for them for a while now and just excited to go back there and play.”

Forcing McCall into uncomfortable looks is easier said than done, as the veteran quarterback looks to maintain NC State’s ACC contender status this fall after transferring from an accomplished career at Coastal Carolina.

In his five seasons at Coastal, McCall put up 10,005 passing yards, 88 touchdowns, and just 15 interceptions — earning Sun Belt Player of the Year three times.

It’s hard to deny that level of production, even if he’s still getting his feet wet at a new program.

“I think first and foremost he’s played a ton of football at quarterback. The experience factor, especially at that position, is so huge,” Cumbie said of McCall. “He’s always been able to create with his feet at Coastal Carolina. And I think he’s really evolved as a passer. I think that coach (Robert) Anae and the offensive system he’s in now lets him show that. He’s a guy that’s gonna see every defensive front and every defensive coverage. He’s already seen it. We gotta do a great job of trying to create hesitation there. But he’s a guy when you think about a competitor at quarterback and a guy that finds ways to move the ball and wins, I think Grayson McCall really sums that up.”

Tech ( 1- 0) faces NC State (1-1) Saturday at 11 a.m. on the ACC Network.