By Stephen Featherston, Louisiana Tech Director Strategic Marketing; featured photo by Josh McDaniel
RUSTON – Louisiana Tech will head to Fayetteville, Ark., for its final road game of the season, taking on the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. LA Tech improved to 4-6 (3-4 CUSA) after defeating CUSA leader WKU 12-7 on the road. Arkansas enters Saturday’s matchup with a 5-5 (3-4 SEC) record following back-to-back losses to Ole Miss and Texas. The Bulldogs will need to win their next two matchups to reach bow eligibility while the Razorbacks sit one win away.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Nov. 23
Time: 3:00 p.m. (CT)
Location: Fayetteville, Ark. (Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium)
TV: SEC Network+
Live Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
Radio: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics App
SERIES HISTORY
Series: Arkansas Leads 4-0
In Ruston: 0-1
In Fayetteville: 0-3
Neutral: 0-0
This will be the fifth all-time meeting between LA Tech and Arkansas and the first matchup between the two since 2016. Arkansas leads the series 4-0, with three wins coming in Fayetteville.
LA Tech hosted Arkansas in Ruston in 1901 for the program’s second career game. Arkansas won the inaugural matchup 16-0 against the Bulldogs. The two schools met 95 years later in 1996 and 1997, both of which were played in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks won 38-21 in 1996, followed by a 17-13 win in 1997. The Bulldogs opened the 2016 season on the road in Fayetteville and lost 21-20.
ABOUT LA TECH
LA Tech’s 12-7 win over WKU marked the Bulldogs’ first road win since Sept. 29, 2023, when they defeated UTEP in El Paso. LA Tech will look to secure consecutive road win for the first time since the 2019 season as they travel to Arkansas.
The Louisiana Tech defense climbed back into the top 15 nationally in total defense, raking 12th in the FBS. The Bulldogs are allowing just 302.3 yards per game and are ranked in the top 30 in rush defense (29th, 115.0 ypg) and pass defense (26th, 187.73 ypg). LA Tech held its fourth opponent of the season under 100 rushing yards, limiting the WKU to just 63 yards on the ground.
Kolbe Fields leads the defense with 67 stops, 8.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles and a pick. Linebacker Zach Zimos, who will be facing his old team in Arkansas, is second on the team with 53 tackles. Safety Blake Thompson (50) is the only other Bulldog with 50+ tackles. Demarcus Griffin-Taylorleads the secondary with five pass breakups to go along with 43 tackles from his cornerback position.
Defensive tackle David Blay has come on of late, recording a sack in his second straight game against WKU. Blay has registered a sack in the three of the last four games, while logging 16 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss during that span. Blay’s 4.0 sacks leads the Bulldog defense, while his 35 tackles on the season leads the defensive front. He ranks second on the team with 7.5 tackles for loss.
Buck Buchanan accounted for all 12 of LA Tech’s points in the 12-7 win over WKU. The junior kicker earned his second CUSA Special Teams Player of the Week award after connecting on 4-of-5 field goals. Buchanan was aided offensively by a strong run game that saw the Bulldog offense surpass 100 yards on the ground for just the second time this season, while the team had its first 100+ yard rusher of the season in Amani Givens.
Omiri Wiggins also set a career-high in rushing yards with 70 yards on nine carries, just one week after setting a career-high of 67 yards against Jax State. Jimmy Holiday accounted for 14 yards on the ground to assist the Bulldogs to their second 200+ rushing yard performance of the year.
Wiggins leads the team with 351 yards on the ground this season, followed by Givens (239), Holiday (174) and Marquis Crosby (166). Holiday leads the group with four rushing touchdowns.
Tru Edwards surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for his career after hauling in seven grabs for 52 yards against WKU. Edwards, who has 59 receptions for 760 yards this season has now registered 82 grabs for 1,044 yards and eight scores in his three-year Bulldog career. His 59 receptions this season leads the CUSA, while he ranks third in yards and touchdowns with six. Edwards has hauled in 5+ passes in eight games this season.
Holiday ranks second on the team with 26 receptions for 310 yards and one touchdown. Eli Finley has caught 20 passes for 264 yards and a score. Solo Lewis ranks second on the team with three touchdown grabs on 13 receptions.
ABOUT ARKANSAS
Arkansas is aiming for bowl eligibility for the first time since 2022 with a win over Louisiana Tech. The Razorbacks moved to 5-5 (3-4) after consecutive losses to Ole Miss and Texas. Arkansas picked up a key victory over No. 4 Tennessee early in October but has fallen in three of their last four matchups. The Razorbacks were picked to finish 14th of 16 in the SEC preseason poll.
Arkansas has the 11th best total offense in the country, posting 458.3 yards per game, with 180.3 yards per game on the ground and 278.0 through the air. The Hogs are 44th in the FBS with 30.7 points per contest, while they rank 75th in the nation giving up 25.7 points per game. The Arkansas defense is giving up 380.2 yards per outing, ranking 81st in the country.
Taylen Green commands the Razorback offense and has shown his capabilities as a dual-threat quarterback this season. The 6-6, 230-pound quarterback has completed 178-of-288 of his passes for 2,363 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has carried the ball 121 times for 407 yards to go along with five scores.
Green is one of three 300+ yard rusher for the Hogs, as Ja’Quinden Jackson leads the team with 648 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Braylen Russell has logged 304 yards and two scores on the ground.
Green’s top target has been Andrew Armstrong, who has registered 61 receptions for 931 yards and one touchdown. Isaiah Sategna has reeled in 31 balls for 431 yards and one score, while Luke Hasz leads the team with four touchdown grabs on 21 receptions.
Xavian Sorey leads the Razorback defense in tackles (80) and tackles for loss (8.0), to go along with a sack and interception. Doneiko Slaughter is second on the squad with 61 stops, 3.0 TFLs, one sack, one interception and five pass breakups.