Bulldog spring game showcases glimpse of new rugged football era

Ruston, La. (KVTE/KARD) — The grand finale of spring ball has come and went for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs with a few surprises, and not just from two-time Super Bowl Champion L’Jarius Snead returning home to watch alma mater battle it out in the blue and white game. The defensive unit hounded the line of scrimmage, but the offense also had their moments to show they’re capable of attacking the deep ball and producing in the run game. Overall, the Bulldogs look like they could be primed for a team that will lean on their defense a lot more in the new season.

The defensive unit seemed to be the sure-fire star of the game, they wreaked havoc in the backfield and threw wrinkles in the offensive flow on multiple occasions by collapsing the pocket, stuffing runs at the point of attack and being aggressive in the passing lanes to create turnovers. Louisiana Tech football Head Coach Sonny Cumbie wasn’t surprised by the performance at all and believe this could be the strength of the team going forward.

“They’ve been doing that all spring; they do a great job as far as their linebackers and defensive line. Coach Greer has done a phenomenal job with that group, and it’s a deep group; They’re very active and I think we have some guys in that group come this fall that will make a lot of plays against whomever we’re going against just like they did today,” said Cumbie.

The running game found a way to peak its head out of the shadow of the defensive performance with a few runs thanks to the tailback trio of Donerio Davenport, Jacall Wynder and Omiri Wiggins scoring the game winning touchdown for the blue squad. Junior quarterback Jack Turner is more than excited about the potential the running back room has with the depth of talent that is on the roster at the moment.

“I’m really excited about the running back room; they’re showing a lot of promise. I’m excited for Marquis Crosby to be back out there, and I think it’s going to be a really strong room. I’m excited to see what they do,” said Turner.

The transfer portal continues to loom, and the upcoming week will be vital for the Bulldogs having already pulled in guys that will produce quickly come this fall, but as the dust settles in the next few days Cumbie will continue to look to add more pieces to the offense to find more consistent playmakers.

“Hopefully we can hang on to the core of our guys, but you don’t really ever know. We’ll probably be active in the portal if we have to, position specific. I think at receiver we have to continue to add some depth there and replace some of the production and experience that we lost. I think in the secondary whether it’s a corner or safety but otherwise as long as things stay intact from a position standpoint I like where we’re at with our quarterbacks, offensive line, tight ends, running backs and then the defensive line and linebackers are a really good group,” said Cumbie.

The Bulldogs begin their season on August 31st vs Nicholls State.