The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs scored 20 unanswered points in the second half, including 17 in the fourth quarter, to rally past the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 23-14 Saturday afternoon in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl at Independence Stadium.
Tech finished 8-5 in Head Coach Sonny Cumbie’s fourth season. It marks the first season the Bulldogs have won at least eight games since going 10-3 in 2019.
It’s also Tech’s first bowl victory since a 14-0 victory over Miami in the 2019 Independence Bowl.
Coastal Carolina closed its season 6-7.
In his postgame press conference, Cumbie said his team showed some rust in the first half after a month-long layoff.
“We got into a rhythm in the third quarter, and I think we talked about at halftime, is we had a great month of preparation for this game,” Cumbie said. “Our kids were very excited about playing this bowl game. And it showed, in terms of how they prepared every day, there was great energy, and there was great execution, and that wasn’t evident in the first half.
“And so it was just a reminder of, Hey, you guys have already made these reps, you’re prepared, you’re ready to go. And let’s just go out and everyone do their job, you know, execute the assignment that’s called, and we need some guys to make plays.”
Said Louisiana Tech quarterback Trey Kukuk: “We just couldn’t find a rhythm in the first half. I wasn’t playing my best football and luckily our defense was able to keep us in the game in the second half.
“We never really wavered. That is the character of this team that we continued to show down the stretch throughout the end of the season. Similar to against Liberty, where we came back in the second half. We never gave up.”
The 49th edition of the bowl wasn’t the prettiest. The teams combined for 25 penalties, seven turnovers and 17 punts.
“It’s two teams that haven’t played in 30 days, so there’s that,” said Coastal Carolina interim Head Coach Jeremiah Johnson, who was Louisiana Tech’s defensive coordinator last year. “It was two teams that competed, and there was a lot of emotion on that football field, because of the situation with us being there last year.
“There was a lot of guys on both sides who wanted to prove that they were really good and excited to be there.”
The game had plenty of drama.
Down 14-6 early in the fourth quarter and its offense in the doldrums, Louisiana Tech was looking for any kind of a spark.
The Bulldogs got what they needed on back-to-back plays.
First, Jordan McRae intercepted a pass that bounced off a Coastal Carolina receiver after a big hit by Amari Butler.
On the next play, Kukuk found Marlion Jackson open downfield and the result was a 52-yard touchdown. A try for two failed and the Bulldogs trailed 14-12 with 11:45 left in the game.
“I think once we continue to get stops on defense and takeaways and we scored the long touchdown to Marlion, even though we didn’t hit the two-point conversion, I think right there for our team on our sideline, we really felt the way the momentum flip in our direction,” Cumbie said “And I think our team, our players, were determined not to let it go the other way.”
Tech forced a punt on the Chanticleers’ ensuing possession and Dedrick Latulas returned it 25 yards. Coastal Carolina was penalized 15 yards for unnecessary roughness at the end of the return, putting the ball at the Chanticleers 34.
Kukuk ran 29 yards to the 5. Andrew Burnette gained 4 yards to the 1 and scored on the next play.
A two-point conversion pass ton Burnette gave the Bulldogs a 20-14 lead with 8:09 left.
The Tech defense forced a three-and-out but Burnette fumbled and the Chanticleers recovered the ball at their 48.
The defense came through again, forcing a punt after three incomplete passes.
The Bulldogs couldn’t get a first down and punted on fourth-and-1.
Coastal Carolina took over at the 20. Four incomplete passes later, the Bulldogs got the ball back. Kaegen Kent kicked his second field goal of the game, a 35-yarder, with 56 seconds left.
With 22 seconds left, Tech All-American Jakari Foster intercepted a pass and the celebration began.
The first half belonged to Coastal Carolina. Tad Hudson threw touchdown passes of 20 yards to Dominic Knicely and 16 to Robby Washington.
The Chanticleers could have had more points but they missed a 29-yard field goal. Tech’s Kenyatta McNeese blocked a 22-yard attempt in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs’ lone points of the first half came on a 42-yard Kent field goal. Tech had just 102 yards total offense in the half.
Chance kicked a 51-yard field goal in the third quarter to get the Bulldogs within 14-6. That came after a long punt return by Latulas.
Kukuk rushed for 104 yards on 19 carries. He also completed 9-of-19 passes for 114 yards.
Burnette rushed for 50 yards on 18 carries. Jackson had three catches for 97 yards.
Hudson completed 25-of-49 passes for 311 yards. Bryson Graves had seven catches for 110 yards.
The Chanticleers had only 53 yards rushing.
Coastal Carolina had 15 penalties for 129 yards. Tech had 10 for 99.