Bulldogs sit on the plus side of average
By Jimmy Watson
While Louisiana Tech fans would like to be 6-0, the Bulldogs are probably one game better than they should be at the midway point of the 2004 season.
Coach Jack Bicknell's Bulldogs have beaten two teams they should have beaten (Nevada and UL-Lafayette), while losing to three teams that should beat them (Miami, Tennessee and Auburn).
Tech's victory over Fresno State is the surprise of their season so far and that's what has earned the Bulldogs a C+ on their midseason report card. Tech is 3-3 overall, but is 2-0 in the WAC and could be 4-0 in the league before it travels to Hawaii on Nov. 6.
Tech's quarterback has been adequate, it's running back spectacular, but its receivers have been far below Tech levels of past years. Dropped passes on the Bulldogs' first two drives against Auburn last week allowed the Tigers to jump out to a 14-0 lead and put Tech away early.
Tech has been good at avoiding penalties (6-49.8 yds. per game), but is minus nine in turnover ratio. Tech already has 22 sacks (six more than all of last year), but has given up 23 sacks. The 'Dawgs are second in the WAC in red zone defense but ninth in the league in red zone offense.
So, the mid-term report card shows a mixed bag of some good and bad. The shining star for Tech has been Ryan Moats and the junior will have to stay healthy for the Bulldogs to have any chance to contend for the WAC title in the second half of the season.
Offense
Quarterbacks: After Donald Allen went down against Tennessee, the quarterback situation has become more settled with junior Matt Kubik calling the shots. While Kubik isn't setting the world on fire, he has been efficient in running the Bulldogs offense. He's third in the WAC in passing efficiency with a 117.0 mark, despite having a lot of passes dropped. Grade: C.
Running backs: Ryan Moats is the best running back in the WAC by a long way and is in the top 10 in a number of WAC statistical categories. He leads the league and is third in the nation in rushing yards per game at 154.7. Only one other WAC player, Rice's Ed Bailey (115.
, is over the 100-yard mark. Grade: A.
Receivers: Expected to be an improved, bright spot for the Bulldogs this season, the group has been largely ineffective and has dropped far too many routine passes. No Bulldog receiver is in the WAC's top 10 in receptions and only Johnathan Holland ranks in the top 10 in receiving yards per game at 47.2 (No. 9). Grade: D.
Offensive line: An experienced group that has consistently opened big holes for Moats against teams that are at Tech's level of play. They've struggled in pass protection through six games, giving up 23 sacks (ninth most in WAC) for 147 yards, but 20 sacks have come at the hands of Miami, Tennessee and Auburn. Grade: B.
Defense
Defensive line: Jemelle Cage, Travon Brown and Chris Van Hoy have held their own and then some against four consecutive ranked teams. Tech had 16 sacks all of last season and has a WAC-best 22 sacks for 147 yards at the midway point. Cage is second in the league with six sacks and Brown is seventh with four. Grade: B.
Secondary: Better than last year, but still not the strength of the Tech defense. As a group, they rank eighth in the league in pass defense efficiency at 139.9 and eighth in pass defense, giving up 227.9 yards per game. Grade: C.
Linebackers: Byron Santiago has been injured but is still the best backer Tech has on the field. He's 12th in the WAC in tackles with a 7.4 per game average, while Jeremy Hamilton is 22nd at 6.3. The speed at linebacker is allowing the defensive linemen to take more chances on sacks. Grade: B-.
Special Teams
With two inexperienced kickers and returners who haven't stepped up their play, special teams are the weakest spot in Tech's chances of winning the WAC title. Corey Brazil is 10th in the league in punt return average (2.8 yards) and Erick Franklin is eighth in kickoff returns (21.7 yards). Brad Oestriecher is ninth in field goals (2 of 5), while Matt Butler is averaging just 31.9 yards in net punting. Grade: D-.
Intangibles
Despite losing three of their last four games, the Bulldogs are 2-0 in the WAC, are favored this week at SMU and should be favorites at home the following week against UTEP. They could be 4-0 in the league heading into a bye week on Oct. 30. That'll set up nicely for a stretch run against Hawaii, Boise State and Rice on the road, along with Tulsa in Shreveport. Grade: B.
Coaching
After almost letting the UL-Lafayette game get away from him, Bicknell had probably his best game in two years against Fresno State. Bringing in Tim Rose on defense was a smart move. With his job on the line after last season, Bicknell had to bring it this season. While the jury is still out on whether or not his Bulldogs will sustain their momentum, they're better right now than a lot of people expected. Grade: B-.
Upcoming test
While the schedule points toward a Nov. 20 date with Boise State as the biggest game remaining on the schedule, Hawaii on Nov. 6 looms large. The Warriors have improved over the last two weeks, have a dangerous passing attack and the trip to Hawaii can leave a team road weary.
