Road to success unkind to Tech
Louisiana Tech lost its second straight game in a 31-23 loss to Middle Tennessee on Tuesday in Conference USA action. Photo by Josh McDaniel
Third-down conversions were a crucial part on Tuesday night at Floyd Stadium as Louisiana Tech fell, 3123, to Middle Tennessee.
Tech was not able to move the chains, going 3-of-13 on third down, while Middle Tennessee managed to move the football on numerous drives after converting 10 of its 16 third-down plays.
Despite the big discrepancy in that area, for a second straight week Tech (3-5, 2-2 CUSA) had a chance late to tie the game up.
However, the Bulldogs were faced with a 4th- and- 4 that was broken up by the Blue Raiders with less than one minute left in the game.
Hank Bachmeier was a big reason for Tech having a chance to win its second straight road game. After missing the last three games, he came on midway through the third quarter with the ‘Dogs trailing 24-9.
On his first offensive possession, he drove the team into the red zone, a place where they had not had much success this game – two false starts inside the 2-yard line resulted in a 23yard field goal by Jacob Barnes and an interception in the end zone thrown by starter Jack Turner.
On 4th-and-1, MTSU ( 2- 5, 1- 2 C- USA) collapsed the middle expecting a run up the gut.
Instead, Bachmeier pitched the toss to Dakota Williams who took it outside for the touchdown, making it 16-24 with 1:39 to go in the third quarter. That momentum was doused by the Blue Raiders though. With the Bulldogs poised to get the ball back, the home faced a 3rd-and-6 and converted, connecting on a big 60-yard passing touchdown to go back up by 15 points early in the fourth.
Bachmeier would put together another long drive, a 13- play, 76- yarder that ended with him scrambling out of pressure and finding Charvis Thornton on a 10-yard score on fourth down. The Tech defense then got the 3-and-out it needed, giving the ball back to their offense with still 1:59 to go in the game. After picking up one first down on passes to Smoke Harris and Cyrus Allen, the duo combined for 18 catches and 232 receiving yards, Bachmeier was sacked which forced the team back to a 2nd-and-19.
They got 15 of those yards back, but could not convert the fourth down, turning the ball over at the MTSU 46- yard line. Tech only managed nine points in the first half, getting a 19- yard touchdown from Turner to Kyle Maxwell ( extra- point attempt was no good) and a chip- shot field goal by Barnes. Meanwhile, MTSU recorded a field goal and two touchdowns, one of those coming with 38 seconds remaining before halftime.
Tech head coach Sonny Cumbie spoke on the Bulldogs’ inability to execute when it mattered in his postgame press conference.
“Until we decide to focus and concentrate when we don’t false start, it is going to make it hard to score. They were heavy up front. We knew it was going to be hard to run the football. We were not focused in those situations. Those were not the end-all-beall plays, but it was not winning football. We did not play well enough. When you are knocking on the door for a touchdown and you throw an interception or settle for a field goal. We were not good enough in the goal line area.”
It will be two weeks before Tech returns to action, hosting New Mexico State on Tuesday, Oct. 24 inside Joe Aillet Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. and will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network.
