Featured photo of Sonny Cumbie and Jeff Monken courtesy of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Louisiana Tech and Army West Point are set to face off in the 48th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Saturday at Independence Stadium.
Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
Both Louisiana Tech Coach Sonny Cumbie and Army Head Coach Jeff Monken praised the hospitality their teams, coaches and support staff have received this week during a press conference Friday morning.
“We’ve been treated like kings here this week,” Monken said. “It’s been fantastic. We just appreciate the opportunity to represent West Point, the Corps of Cadets, the Long Gray Line of graduates and the over one million men and women that serve in the United States Army. It’s just a privilege to be here and play a great team like Louisiana Tech.
“They’re playing at home and I’m sure they’ll have a great crowd and be motivated to play just as our team is.”
Both teams visited Holy Angels Thursday. Army’s offense visited the local VA hospital and the defense visited the Northwest Louisiana Veterans Home. Louisiana Tech also visited Barksdale Air Force Base.
Monken talked about what an honor it was to visit the veterans which included 14 from World War II.
“Those are people we need to celebrate as Americans and certainly in our communities so it was awesome,” he said. “Our guys did a great job. It’s just an opportunity again for our guys to serve. It’s what each of our players and each of our students are committed to is a life of service. Any time our guys have the opportunity to do that they are genuinely and sincerely excited about it. It was as much as a reward for us as it was for anybody we had a chance to visit with.”
Both teams also participated in the Martin Special Coatings, LLC, Big Game Show Charity Round which benefited The Hub: urban ministry and The Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana.
Friday morning’s FCA Breakfast at Riverview Hall had a huge turnout.
“It’s been a phenomenal experience for our players,” Cumbie said. “I think it’s very unconventional a little bit in terms of how it worked out for us and our football team. But I will say this. In terms of the bowl system, in terms of the bowl games, and the meaningful impact they have on student-athletes, I wish you could’ve heard the excitement and the joy in particular of the 16 seniors that we have who chose to come back and play in this game when given the opportunity to play in one more football game together. They were ecstatic.”
Army went 11-2 in the regular season. In the long history of Army football, no team has won 12 games in a season. The Black Knights defeated Tulane 35-14 in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game on Dec. 6 then fell to Navy 31-13 in their traditional regular-season finale on Dec. 14.
Monken, the AAC Coach of the Year and a finalist for several national awards, is in his 11th season as head coach at Army.
Louisiana Tech got an invitation to play in the game on Dec. 14 after Sun Belt Champion Marshall opted out. Marshall Coach Charles Huff accepted the same position at Southern Miss on Dec. 8. The transfer portal opened Dec. 12. According to On3.com’s portal tracker, more than 40 Marshall entered the portal.
Marshall’s exit opened the door for Louisiana Tech.
“Our football team and our football program and I think the whole university is very excited and very appreciative of the opportunity to play in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl,” Cumbie said in a Dec. 18 press conference in Ruston. “I know the importance of this game, the history that it’s had in this bowl game, the history it provides for us as a program, the opportunity to represent North Louisiana and represent Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl. Just excited for this opportunity.”
Louisiana Tech finished the regular season 5-7. Six of the Bulldogs’ losses were by 10 points or less, including three in overtime. Five were by seven or less.
The Bulldogs won two of their last three, defeating Western Kentucky 12-7 on Nov. 16 on the road and Kennesaw State 33-0 on Nov. 30 at home. In between they fell to Arkansas 35-14 in Fayetteville.
In two of Tech’s losses, the Bulldogs had a chance to win in the final play of regulation.
On Oct. 15 against New Mexico State, Tech had a short field goal blocked with game tied at 27. The Bulldogs lost 33-30 in two overtimes.
On Nov. 9 against eventual Conference-USA champion Jacksonville State at Joe Aillet Stadium, the Bulldogs rallied from a 23-point deficit to take a 37-31 lead. But the Gamecocks completed a 49-yard Hail Mary on the last play. They missed the extra point but went on to win 44-37 in overtime.
“After we finished our game against Kennesaw, if there was any team that was in a situation like this and a bowl if there was a way to get in I thought it would be this group just in terms of how hard our kids played and the circumstances we had throughout the course of the year,@ Cumbie said.
According to On3.com, 23 Tech players had entered the transfer portal as of press time, including placekicker Buck Buchanan, first-team All-CUSA tackle David Blay and first-team All-CUSA receiver Tru Edwards.
Buchanan and Blay will not play Saturday night. But Edwards will. He is a Shreveport native and the son of former Huntington and Tech star Troy Edwards.
Defense was the Bulldogs’ strong suit in the regular season. Tech ranked 11th in the nation in total defense, allowing 301.9 yards per game. They were 24th in scoring defense (20.5 points), 22nd in passing yards allowed (181.8) and 29th in rushing defense (120.1)
Redshirt senior linebacker Zach Zimos led the team with 74 total tackles. Redshirt junior linebacker Kolbe Fields, the team’s second-leading tackle, missed the season finale with an injury and won’t play in the bowl, Cumbie said.
“We’re down a couple of guys on the defensive line,” Cumbie said. “I think we’ll make due with the guys that we have. It’ll be another opportunity for guys who maybe haven’t played a bigger role to prove what they can do.”
Cumbie said the offense is almost intact except for senior offensive lineman Bert Hale, who is out with a shoulder injury.
“So I think from a roster standpoint we’re as strong as you can ask for,” Cumbie said. “Offensively, really everyone’s coming back … From an offensive standpoint and a defensive standpoint we’re as strong as we can be. Guys got back together. They’re fired up. They’re extremely excited to be playing in this game.”
The Bulldogs struggled at times offensively. They averaged 22.5 points and 343.1 yards per game.
Redshirt freshman Evan Bullock completed 184-of-273 passes for 1,932 yards and 14 TDs with two interceptions in 11 games. He started the season as the No. 3 quarterback but was pressed into service when starter Jack Turner and his backup, Blake Baker, suffered injuries.
Edwards, who has received offers from Texas A&M and Florida State, led the team in receiving with 77 catches for 897 yards and six touchdowns. Second-leading receiver Jimmy Holiday, a redshirt senior, caught 37 passes for 461 yards and two TDs.
Sophomore Omiri Wiggins led the team in rushing with 487 yards on 103 carries in 12 games. Junior Amani Givens has rushed for 317 on 72 in eight games.
With Buchanan in the portal, Cumbie said former Captain Shreve stand John Hoyt Chance will handle kickoff duties and Drew Henderson will kick field goals and extra points.
Tech’s defense will be going against an Army offense that averaged 31.38 points in the regular season.
The Black Knights run the triple option offense. They averaged 297.9 yards rushing and 81.77 passing.
Senior quarterback Bryson Daily, the AAC Offensive Player of the Year, has rushed for 1,572 yards on 283 carries. He averaged 127.67 yards per game and scored 29 TDs. Dyson completed 52-of-94 passes for 942 yards and nine TDs.
Sophomore offensive tackle Paolo Gennarelli was named third-team AP All-America. Senior center Brady Small was named first-team All-AAC. Sophomore offensive tackle Lucas Scott was named to second-team FWAA All-America. They were named second-team All-Conference.
Army allowed 16.3 points and 304.1 yards per game (187.23 passing, 116.8 rushing). Left guard Bill Katsigiannis and senior safety Max DiDomencio were named first-team All-Conference.