Tech plans to open up its offense

MeanGreen61 · June 18, 2005

Article from the Tech board.

June 18, 2005

By Jimmy Watson

jimwatson@gannett.com

Louisiana Tech fans expecting some surprises out of the 2005 version of their football team might be surprised to hear that there will be few surprises, according to Bulldogs football coach Jack Bicknell.

Bicknell, in town on Friday night for the Tech fan celebration at Savoie's, said his offense will have a different look without Ryan Moats in the backfield but he won't be abandoning the running game.

"We will have a much younger team than last year and that is very evident at running back," Bicknell said. "Both the guys we have back there (Mark Dillard and Freddie Franklin) are exceptional runners and we have two good ones coming in this fall (Weldon Brown and Patrick Jackson). So I still feel good about our running game. There may not be people out there that people have heard very much about, but they will."

Bicknell didn't want to divulge changes to his offensive scheme, but did say he expects either Donald Allen or Matt Kubik to be more involved in the offense.

"We'll have to open things up more offensively and we're putting in more run options for our quarterbacks," Bicknell said.

Tech fan and former Bulldogs football great Leo Sanford of Shreveport said he is looking forward to the upcoming season after the way 2004 played out.

"I thought that finishing 6-6 was very good with the schedule we played last year," Sanford said. "This year we have a chance to win even more without those four studs on the schedule."

The Bulldogs will kick off the 2005 season with a road game at Florida on Sept. 10. Another road game follows at Kansas, while Sun Belt power North Texas comes to Ruston.

"It's still a challenging schedule with one of the best teams in the nation in Florida and Kansas looking very good against Texas last season," Bicknell said. "The WAC is no cake walk either with Fresno State and Boise in the mix. At least it's not Miami, Auburn and Tennessee."

Tech's defense is expected to be improved behind an experienced line and one of the school's best linebacking lineups in recent years. Byron Santiago will lead the linebackers, which also include Jeremy Hamilton and Barry Robertson.

"We have to find a safety but I believe we have one of the best cover corners in the WAC in Tramon Williams," Bicknell said. "Ladarius Love and Quarvay Winbush had good a good spring in the line, but our secondary is a little scary."

PlummMeanGreen · June 18, 2005

Uh, is opening up the offense such a novelty for La Tech for crissakes'?!?! Thats tantamount to Lawrence Welk announcing to the whole world that his orchestra is going to start playing polka music.

TechFan · June 19, 2005

Uh, is opening up the offense such a novelty for La Tech for crissakes'?!?! Thats tantamount to Lawrence Welk announcing to the whole world that his orchestra is going to start playing polka music.

Its a slow news day in Shreveport.

Green Grenade II · June 19, 2005

Its a slow news day in Shreveport.

I am really looking forward to making the drive to Rust-On for the game with the Bulldogs. For those of you who will not remember, Louisiana Tech used to be the host team for the Independence Bowl. When Hayden was head football coach, Tech was ranked the 2nd best defensive team in the nation...we go to Shreveport and blast them something like 41-14. The bowl coming up, and La Tech wanted no part of us, so we lost our change to play in the Independence Bowl. We owe them! We're ready for you, Bulldogs. Get ready for Cobbs and Thomas, and our passing game!

TechFan · June 19, 2005

I am really looking forward to making the drive to Rust-On for the game with the Bulldogs. For those of you who will not remember, Louisiana Tech used to be the host team for the Independence Bowl. When Hayden was head football coach, Tech was ranked the 2nd best defensive team in the nation...we go to Shreveport and blast them something like 41-14. The bowl coming up, and La Tech wanted no part of us, so we lost our change to play in the Independence Bowl. We owe them! We're ready for you, Bulldogs. Get ready for Cobbs and Thomas, and our passing game!

That game was in 1977!

There have been 7 other meetings since then (78, 79, 83, 84, 85, 86 and 87).

Time to move on!

PlummMeanGreen · June 19, 2005

Its a slow news day in Shreveport.

Funny, TechFan...

Perhaps some of you older NT nestors can recall the story (as I have forgotten it) but what would have been the scenario for NT to have been invited to the Indy Bowl that year we slaughtered La Tech?

Oddly enough as I vaguely remember that scenario, it seems like we needed to actually "loose" against someone to have gotten that invite. I thought the Indy bowl follks were real "loosers" for not inviting us anyway. (TechFan, we have a hard time on this board with the words lose and loose and I guess I've continued that legacy with this post).

All time NT/La Tech Football Series:

UNT: 5 wins

LTU: 4 wins