Louisiana Tech, WKU renew acquaintances in first rematch since C-USA title game

RUSTON, La. – Louisiana Tech will get its first taste of the road this weekend when the Bulldogs fly to Bowling Green, Kentucky, to open Conference USA play against WKU in what will be a rematch of the 2016 C-USA Championship Game.

The game is set to kick off at 6 p.m. CT Saturday, Sept. 16 and will be broadcast on STADIUM with Chris Hassel (play-by-play) and Darius Walker (analysis) calling all the action from Houchens-Smith Stadium in Bowling Green.

Louisiana Tech and WKU faced each other twice last season with the Bulldogs winning the first meeting 55-52 in Ruston before the two teams collided once again in December in the 2016 Conference USA Championship Game, which was played in Bowling Green. In what turned out to be the highest-scoring conference championship game in college football history, Louisiana Tech and WKU combined to score 102 points and racked up 1,163 yards of total offense in a shootout that was ultimately won by the Hilltoppers by a score of 58-44.

“This is a game that has had a lot of conference implications the last couple of times we have played,” head coach Skip Holtz said. “We have played them four times in three years and the home team has held serve. They have been great battles and close games. I don’t see how this game will be any different. These are two of the better teams that have represented the east and west two of the last three years. I think this has all the makings for rivalry week. I think our team is excited to get into conference. The challenge we have is that our first game on the road happens to be a conference game, which is going to make it a little harder.”

On Saturday, Louisiana Tech and WKU will meet for the eighth time in the series history, with LA Tech leading the all-time series, 4-3, over the Hilltoppers. Each team is undefeated when playing at home.

PREGAME NOTES

• When LA Tech travels to take on WKU Saturday, it will mark the fourth straight year LA Tech opens Conference USA play on the road (1-2 in previous three games).

• The game on Saturday will be the fifth time the Bulldogs and Hilltoppers face off as conference opponents. Each team has won twice and the home team has won each time. LA Tech is averaging 49 points per game in the series.

• Two games into the season, the Bulldogs are proving to be a tough team to keep up with in the final quarter of play, as LA Tech is outscoring opponents 28-0 in the fourth quarter.

• With his seven points (2 FGs and 1 extra point) last Saturday against Mississippi State, Jonathan Barnes passed Matt Nelson (2009-12) to become the all-time career points leader at LA Tech for kickers. He now has 361 points in his Bulldog career. Moving forward, Barnes is only seven made field goals away from setting the career mark, which is held by Josh Scobee.

• In 1973, LA Tech and WKU faced off in the NCAA Division II National Championship when the Bulldogs defeated the Hilltoppers, 34-0, on Dec. 16 in Sacramento, California. LA Tech amassed 336 yards of total offense that day, compared to just 76 for WKU. The Hilltoppers were held to minus-12 yards on the ground, while Tech picked off four passes. The win wrapped up a 12-1 season for the Bulldogs.

HOW TO WATCH

The game between LA Tech and WKU will be streamed for FREE online at www.WatchStadium.com and on Twitter at www.WatchStadium.Twitter.com. The contest will also be carried on select local and national channels (see TV listings attached).

TUNE IN

Louisiana Tech fans can tune into the LA Tech Sports Network this fall for all live game broadcasts for the Bulldogs’ 12-game schedule as well as 12 editions of Inside Bulldog Football with Skip Holtz.

The LA Tech Sports Network will team up with KXKZ-FM (107.5) Ruston as the flagship station for Tech Athletics.

In addition to KXKZ, all 12 broadcasts of Bulldog football this year can be heard on WUBR-AM 910 (Baton Rouge), KRMD 1340 AM (Shreveport), KRMD 100.7 FM (Shreveport), KVCL-FM 92.1 (Winnfield), KJVC-FM 92.7 (Mansfield), KDBS-AM 1410 (Alexandria), KQID 93.1 HD3 (Alexandria) and KTKC-FM 92.9 (Springhill).

The LA Tech Sports Network team will host a 90-minute pregame show prior to each kickoff and a 30-minute postgame show. Tech Gameday, a 90-minute pre-pregame show, will also air prior to each home contest at Joe Aillet Stadium.

A one-hour postgame call-in show will also air on KXKZ 107.5 FM following every game this year that will air immediately following the conclusion of the broadcast’s postgame show.

Fans may access audio-only for football for free this year through the LA Tech Mobile X app or the Red Peach Media app.

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