Next Up: LSU faces Louisiana Tech after Bulldogs score historic 80 points

LSU opened the Lane Kiffin era with a 51–10 demolition of Clemson. The Tigers will remain at home for their second game, but their next opponent will arrive in Baton Rouge with plenty of confidence.

Louisiana Tech opened its season with an 80–6 victory over Northwestern State. The 80 points were the most the Bulldogs have scored since becoming a Division I program and the most ever scored by Louisiana Tech at Joe Aillet Stadium.

The Bulldogs scored touchdowns on their first 11 offensive possessions and led 63–3 at halftime. It was the most points Louisiana Tech has scored in one half in the program’s recorded history.

LSU and Louisiana Tech will play Saturday, September 12, at 6:30 p.m. Central in Tiger Stadium. The game will be streamed on SEC Network Plus. LSU has designated the matchup as a “Wear Purple” game.

Louisiana Tech enters with momentum

Louisiana Tech is beginning its fifth season under head coach Sonny Cumbie. The Bulldogs finished 8–5 in 2025, their best record since 2019, and won the Independence Bowl with a 23–14 victory over Coastal Carolina.

The Bulldogs trailed Coastal Carolina 14–3 at halftime. They shut out the Chanticleers during the second half and scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Louisiana Tech called it the largest postseason comeback in program history.

The bowl victory was Louisiana Tech’s first since 2019. It also gave the program eight victories for the first time since that season.

Tech returned 60 players from the 2025 team, but only 10 of those players made at least four starts last season. Seven were offensive players and three were defensive players.

The Bulldogs are also playing their first season as members of the Sun Belt Conference.

Louisiana Tech has now won four consecutive games. The streak began with victories over Liberty and Missouri State to close the 2025 regular season. Tech then defeated Coastal Carolina in the Independence Bowl and Northwestern State in the 2026 opener.

Cumbie praised his team after the 80 point performance but understood the challenge ahead.

“We understand that the road will get a lot tougher,” Cumbie said.

The road becomes much tougher when the Bulldogs enter Tiger Stadium.

Blake Baker gives Louisiana Tech an experienced quarterback

Louisiana Tech’s starting quarterback is Blake Baker, who should not be confused with LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker.

The Bulldogs’ Baker completed 10 of 14 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns against Northwestern State. He did not throw an interception.

Baker averaged 16.6 yards per passing attempt and 23.2 yards per completion. Louisiana Tech attacked downfield instead of relying on short throws.

The Bulldogs scored on their first offensive play when Baker connected with Jalen Mickens for a 75 yard touchdown.

Baker played in eight games and made seven starts during the 2025 season. He completed 102 of 155 passes for 1,251 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 260 yards and three touchdowns.

He produced three games with at least 200 passing yards, including a career high 340 yards against Western Kentucky.

Baker’s running ability will test LSU’s defensive discipline. Princewill Umanmielen, Jordan Ross and the rest of LSU’s pass rush must keep him inside the pocket instead of creating escape lanes.

Jalen Mickens is the explosive receiver

Wide receiver Jalen Mickens was Louisiana Tech’s most dangerous offensive player in the season opener.

Mickens caught three passes for 133 yards, an average of 44.3 yards per reception. His 75 yard touchdown gave Louisiana Tech an immediate answer after Northwestern State opened the game with a field goal.

Mickens caught 20 passes during the 2025 season. Fourteen of those receptions came during the final six games of the regular season, showing that his role was expanding before his outstanding 2026 debut.

He is listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 187 pounds. Mickens is not a large receiver, but he has enough speed to turn one missed assignment into a touchdown.

LSU’s secondary cannot allow him to run uncovered through the middle of the field or get behind the safeties.

Eli Finley is the dependable target

Tight end Eli Finley gives Baker a larger and more experienced option.

Finley led Louisiana Tech in 2025 with 38 receptions and 444 receiving yards. He did not catch a touchdown pass that season, but he ended that drought in the 2026 opener.

Finley caught four passes for 52 yards and a nine yard touchdown against Northwestern State. His score helped Louisiana Tech produce 42 points during the second quarter.

LSU linebackers Whit Weeks and TJ Dottery could receive important coverage assignments against Finley, especially on third down and near the goal line.

Louisiana Tech uses several offensive weapons

The Bulldogs did not depend on one running back during their opener. Dylone Brooks led the team with 48 yards and scored on a 28 yard run. Jaden Miller and Sergio Snider also rushed for touchdowns.

Talyn Shettron scored twice. He caught a 16 yard touchdown pass from tight end Joshua Brantley on a trick play and later scored on a 37 yard run.

Three Louisiana Tech players threw touchdown passes. Baker threw three, backup quarterback Trey Kukuk threw two, and Brantley completed his only attempt for a score.

Louisiana Tech finished with 528 yards, including 296 passing yards and 232 rushing yards. The Bulldogs scored 11 touchdowns and added one field goal.

Those numbers came against an overmatched Northwestern State defense, but LSU must still prepare for Tech’s formations, misdirection and willingness to use trick plays.

Dedrick Latulas can change the game on special teams

Dedrick Latulas is another player LSU must locate on every special teams snap.

Latulas returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown against Northwestern State. It was Louisiana Tech’s first punt return touchdown since November 18, 2023, against Jacksonville State.

He also caught a touchdown pass from Kukuk and finished with 107 all purpose yards. Latulas became the first Louisiana Tech player since Paul Turner in 2015 to record a receiving touchdown and a punt return touchdown in the same game.

LSU cannot give Louisiana Tech easy points through poor coverage, penalties or turnovers.

The Louisiana Tech defense deserves respect

Louisiana Tech held Northwestern State to 129 total yards. The Demons completed only eight passes for 43 yards and gained 86 rushing yards on 45 attempts.

That equals only 1.9 yards per rushing attempt.

The Bulldogs recorded 13 tackles for loss. The 129 yards allowed were the fewest by a Louisiana Tech defense since it held New Mexico State to 142 yards on October 17, 2009.

Louisiana Tech also produced strong defensive numbers in 2025. The Bulldogs allowed 20.8 points and 134.6 rushing yards per game, both the best marks in Conference USA.

Tech intercepted 22 passes, the second most in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Bulldogs also led the nation with seven defensive touchdowns, including five interception returns and two fumble returns.

Opponents scored on 71.8 percent of their trips inside Louisiana Tech’s 20 yard line. That was the best red zone defensive rate in Conference USA.

The 2026 defense does not return every major contributor from that unit, but linebackers Zheric Hill and Jadon Mayfield provide some experience. Hill recorded 34 tackles, two tackles for loss, half a sack and six quarterback pressures as a freshman in 2025.

Former LSU linebacker Kolbe Fields is also on the Louisiana Tech roster. Fields missed most of the 2025 season after suffering a knee injury.

LSU must protect the football

LSU gained 644 yards against Clemson, including 351 rushing yards and 293 passing yards.

Sam Leavitt completed 16 of 28 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed 12 times for 113 yards and two scores. Running back Dillin Jones added 113 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries.

Leavitt and Jones became LSU’s first pair of 100 yard rushers in the same game since Jayden Daniels and Logan Diggs accomplished it against Missouri in 2023.

The only major offensive mistake came during LSU’s opening possession. Leavitt’s second pass was dropped, deflected and intercepted, giving Clemson the ball at the LSU 33.

The LSU defense held Clemson to a field goal, but Louisiana Tech built much of its 2025 defensive success around interceptions and defensive touchdowns. LSU cannot give the Bulldogs short fields or opportunities to score without its offense.

LSU cannot repeat last season’s slow performance

This will be the sixth football meeting between LSU and Louisiana Tech. LSU has won all five previous games, and every matchup has been played in Baton Rouge.

The programs first met in 2003, when LSU won 49–10. The Tigers won again in 2007, 2009, 2018 and 2025.

LSU defeated Louisiana Tech 23–7 on September 6, 2025. The Tigers controlled the game defensively but never produced the kind of offensive separation expected against a smaller program.

Louisiana Tech has never defeated LSU, but the Bulldogs’ closest result came in 2009 when the Tigers won 24–16.

The current LSU offense appears much more explosive than the one that faced Louisiana Tech last season. Kiffin’s Tigers scored 51 points against Clemson and produced touchdowns with the running game, passing game and defense.

What LSU needs to accomplish

A victory is the first priority, but this game is also LSU’s final preparation before beginning SEC play at Ole Miss on September 19.

Leavitt needs to avoid early mistakes and continue developing chemistry with Winnie Watkins Jr., Trey’Dez Green, Eugene Wilson III and LSU’s other receivers.

The offensive line should establish control against a Louisiana Tech defense that recorded 13 tackles for loss in its opener. LSU must also continue developing its running back rotation behind Jones.

Defensively, LSU needs to contain Baker, prevent explosive plays to Mickens and remain alert for Louisiana Tech’s trick plays. The coverage units must keep Latulas from creating points or favorable field position.

If LSU builds a large lead, Kiffin should have another opportunity to play Landen Clark, Harlem Berry, Caden Durham and the Tigers’ talented young defenders.

Prediction

Louisiana Tech is better than the usual opponent LSU faces before conference play. The Bulldogs are coming off an eight win bowl season, have won four consecutive games and just produced the highest scoring Division I performance in program history.

The Bulldogs still face a major increase in competition.

LSU is larger, faster and deeper at nearly every position. The Tigers should be able to control the line of scrimmage, pressure Baker and create favorable matchups for Leavitt.

Louisiana Tech’s 80 point opener should guarantee LSU’s attention. After last season’s sluggish 23–7 victory, the Tigers should be motivated to remove all doubt much earlier this time.

Prediction: LSU 49, Louisiana Tech 13.