Second-half execution proves costly for Bulldogs

Sonny Cumbie has said it for weeks. Hank Bachmeier knows at some point words are only words.

It all comes down to execution to win games.

Despite continuing cries of the message for another week, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (3-6, 2-3 C-USA) broke down in their in-game execution and came up short in a 27-24 loss to the New Mexico State Aggies (6-3, 4-1 C-USA) Tuesday at Joe Aillet Stadium.

It’s Tech’s third straight loss and all but ends the team’s chances of making the Conference USA title game as they fall to fourth place in the standings, trailing Western Kentucky and NMSU who own tiebreakers against Tech, along with undefeated Liberty.

And the loss stung even more on the faces of Bachmeier and Cumbie postgame given the team’s hot start offensively with 16 firsthalf points and faster tempo and decisiveness with the ball than previous games.

Bachmeier ended his night 20-of-27 for 238 yards and 3 total touchdowns, starting hot in the first half by completing his first 10 passes for 163 yards. By the end of the second quarter, he had led the fast-tempo Tech offense to three scoring drives and 269 yards. In the loss to Middle Tennessee, the Bulldogs managed 340 total yards.

But in the end, failing to get the job done for four quarters brought Tech another loss in a season that continues to feel the same each week.

“Just like I told our football team, we’re disappointed in the outcome of this game,” Cumbie said postgame. “Our job on offense is to score one more and defensively gotta hold them one more and then on special teams try to impact the game. Disappointed, no doubt, in the outcome. There’s nobody that puts more into this than our players and our coaches, and I think what I told our team is there’s a lot of times this season, and particularly the last two years, where things haven’t gone our way. But it’s a great opportunity for us to lead as coaches and to show kids how to react and show kids how to continue to pour everything you have into this.”

Bachmeier, who hadn’t started a game since Sept. 16 against North Texas, returned from a shoulder injury and led the Bulldogs to three scoring drives in the first half, with the redshirt senior going full Philadelphia Eagles with two tush-push touchdowns from 1 yard out, while Jacob Barnes connected on a 42-yard field goal to give Tech a 16-10 halftime lead.

It all went downhill after halftime, starting with the Aggies crunching over 8 minutes off the clock and taking a 17-16 lead on a 75-yard touchdown drive after converting on 4th and 2, 3rd and 6, 3rd and 1 and 3rd and goal from the 8-yard line.

Tech never led again. As New Mexico State began to find its run game with Star Thomas and Diego Pavia taking turns on the read-option attack, the Bulldogs stalled on offense with 102 total yards over the final two quarters and 8 points, all while going 0-5 on third down.

“I think we’re right there, but right there doesn’t win football games,” Bachmeier said. “We fight really hard, but it comes down to execution and I think it comes down to those couple plays every single game and those are the difference makers and we just gotta get over the hump and finish those and not make crucial mistakes at certain times.

“We keep saying we’re right there but we gotta freaking finish.”

Bachmeier’s passing effectiveness was a positive sign throughout the night, but two fumbles cost the Bulldogs chances to tie or take the lead on the Aggies, with the Bulldogs allowing 4 sacks and 6 tackles for loss.

After the Aggies took the lead, Bachmeier was strip-sacked inside the 10 yard line, giving New Mexico State a 24-16 lead two plays later and silencing what crowd was left at The Joe.

Bachmeier ended up leading the offense down the field with a response touchdown with 13 seconds left in the third, tossing a shuffle pass to John Locke from 3 yards out and a two-point conversion to Smoke Harris to tie the game at 24-24.

After a Tech three and out to begin the fourth, NMSU drove down the field and nailed the deciding 31-yard field goal before blowing up Bachmeier with less than three minutes left on a free rush from a linebacker – causing a fumble to take away a scoring chance.

“I think in the end of it we just end up making a mistake here or there that doesn’t allow us to win it. I think that’s the biggest thing,” Cumbie said. “It’s just the belief that we’re going to make these plays and we’re going to finish these games in the end on defense and on offense.”

Cumbie specifically appreciated Bachmeier’s response after not starting for over a month.

“ I was very proud of how Hank played. I was very proud he competed. He’s extremely accurate. He’s a tough player,” he said. “ He made plays with his feet and he did a great job in the pocket and was extremely accurate on a lot of the deep balls that we threw down the field and I think he handled everything we asked him to do really well. He’s a great teammate. He’s a great competitor. Kid’s a winner. And we’re going to start winning. I’m glad he’s on our football team.”

New Mexico State went 10-of-12 between third/ fourth down in the second half and outgained Tech 205-102.

The Bulldogs will head to Liberty (8-0, 6-0 C-USA) on Saturday, Nov. 4, in Lynchburg, Virginia.