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Well. That wasn't quite what we expected. UL came into this game a 12.5 point favorite, and don't let the final score fool you, This was an absolute slaughter.
Things started off slowly enough, with both Tech and the Cajuns trading blows in the rushing game. After stalling on a drive ten minutes in, UL's Daniel Cordona ripped off an incredible punt, pinning the Bulldogs on their own one-yard line. Then this happened.
The longest run in Tech and Cajun Field history was just the start of the Bulldog onslaught. The Cajuns would answer on the next drive, going 80 tough yards to even the score on a six-yard Alonzo Harris carry. That would be the only score for UL until under ten minutes left in the game.
The Bulldogs would put up another ten points before the half, but the turning point in the game came on the second play of the third quarter, when Tech QB Cody Sokol realized that the Cajuns don't have much of a secondary. Sterling Griffin picked up 78 of his 88 total receiving yards, and his only touchdown of the night on the play.
From there, Sokol and his receivers picked apart the Cajun defensive backs, and subsequently opened thing up even more for their already potent rushing attack.
It was clear that the Bulldogs came into this one with something to prove. Despite a 34-point lead at one point, Tech didn't pull any punches, or players. Sokol and company finished the night running the same offense and speed they began with. They clearly felt disrespected, and wanted to prove what the pecking order is in the state of Louisiana.
The Cajuns finished with a pair of vanity touchdowns, but they also closed the game without star performers Jamal Robinson and Elijah McGuire. Both sustained apparent leg injuries. UL will have to have them back, and fix more than a few issues before they get into Sun Belt play if they want to remain the favorites to win the conference.
Louisiana Tech is pretty good, UL has a lot of issues, and we're once again reminded that we know nothing about these teams until they line up. College football is both amazing and terrifying that way.