Preview: Q&A with LA Tech Beat Reporter Ben Carlisle

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — At the podium on Monday morning, head coach Rick Stockstill was his usual self when breaking down his Middle Tennessee football program's opponent for the week, the LA Tech Bulldogs.

He was complimentary of the offense ("They throw the ball all over the place, they've got good receivers, quarterback, skill guys."), he recognized the speed of the defense ("These guys are athletic, they can run. They're doing a really good job of making you go the long way, the long road, they're not giving up a lot of big plays."), and he highlighted the special teams unit's strength ("They're very sound in the kicking game as well. They've got some really dynamic returners that we've got to be cognizant of.").

He also knew how he had an uphill climb to make those statements stick. Why? LA Tech enters Saturday's 2 p.m. CT kickoff in Ruston just 2-6 on the year, needing to win their final four games to even be bowl eligible in head coach Sonny Cumbie's first year at the helm.

"It's a very deceiving 2-6 record," Stockstill said. "You stand up here and say that you are playing a really good team, and you guys are going to look at their record and say that I'm just full of it."

It's a point well taken, as the Bulldogs faced a brutal non-conference schedule, with games against Clemson (No. 4 in the country), Missouri (S-E-C! S-E-C!) and South Alabama (fighting for a Sun Belt West title) taking up the three non-FCS slots, all losses for the Bulldogs. In conference play, LA Tech fell easily to North Texas, currently second in the C-USA standings, but are coming off back-to-back overtime losses to Rice and FIU.

Both traditional and advanced metrics for LA Tech are higher on their offense, an air raid scheme with similar concepts to many MTSU has faced already this season (and runs themselves, to be fair), than their defense, which has battled injuries most of the year. Both defensive end Jordan Ferguson and defensive coordinator Scott Shafer praised the skill guys on the offense, as well as the various quarterbacks that have taken snaps this season.

"The thing that's impressive, watching them on tape, is they still stay true to who they are," Shafer said. "And their quarterbacks, whichever kid is in, you can tell he knows what he's doing, so they're a well-coached team."

Both teams enter Saturday's game tied in the C-USA standings, each thanks to a win over UTEP.

To get a closer look at the Bulldogs, GoBlueRaiders.com staff writer Sam Doughton corresponded with Ben Carlisle, the publisher of LA Tech's Rivals site, BleedTechBlue, to get the inside scoop on Cumbie's first year, the quarterback carousel the Bulldogs have battled with the past couple of weeks, and his keys for the game.

You can follow Carlisle, who's also a former LA Tech Baseball player, on Twitter @BCarlisle37. You can also check out my own thoughts on the Blue Raiders for BleedTechBlue here.

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1) I remember being very impressed by Sonny Cumbie at C-USA Kickoff this summer. While the win-loss record has not been stellar to start his tenure in Ruston, it looks like he's got some pieces to work with long-term. How are Bulldog fans assessing the first-year head coach eight games into his tenure?

I think it's like most coaches in year 1 at the G5 level in that the fan base had a pretty good understanding that this year could be a rebuild. The offense has shown flashes of being really good, and the defense has had its moments of being really good too. This is a program that has lost on the last play of the game six times in the last two seasons. Learning how to win down the stretch in 2022 could position the program for some success in 2023.

2) Landry Lyddy has had two straight games of good production for LA Tech and earned a lot of praise from Rick Stockstill this week in his press conference. What has impressed you about the true freshman early in his career, and why has he stood out compared to the other, more veteran QBs in the QB room?

Lyddy was the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Louisiana when he came out of high school in 2022. So there's no doubt that he has tons of talent, and he's proved that the last two weeks. He's shown so much poise for an 18-year old freshman that has the fan base really excited for his future.

As for the older guys, Parker McNeil and Matthew Downing have also seen action. McNeil missed the FIU game after being injured against Rice, but had 7 TDs and 0 INTs in his last three games before the injury. He could possibly start this week if he's healthy enough, and the staff decides it would prefer Lyddy to keep his redshirt. Downing has been wildly inconsistent all year and suffered a season-ending injury against Rice two weeks ago.

3) Jordan Ferguson spoke very highly of the skill players on the Bulldog offense this week. Who are some of the weapons Lyddy and his teammates work with to get the ball down field that Blue Raider fans should know? What are some of their specific strengths?

Offensively, Tech has some really nice pieces at the skill spots. Marquis Crosby has 571 yards rushing and 5 TDs as a redshirt freshman. He's coming off a 115-yard effort against FIU in which he ran more physical between the tackles than he has all year. Tre Harris and Smoke Harris are the names to watch at receiver. Tre is a sophomore that will be Tech's next skill guy to play in the NFL. He's 6'2, 215 pounds and has a real ability to go get the football in the air. Smoke is a smaller type slot guy that's been around forever. Tech's main goal in the offense is to get him the football in space and allow him to make plays. He's also very dangerous in the punt return game.

4) I was a little bit surprised to see how poor LA Tech has been on the defensive front this season, ranking last in C-USA in both sacks and tackles for a loss this season. Has there been an overarching issue on the defense that has led to that lack of production? And has there been improvement in your eyes in recent weeks, now that LA Tech is well out of its brutal non-conference slate?

To be honest, outside of lacking depth at defensive tackle, the group just hasn't really produced. Jaiden Cole leads the team in sacks with 3.5, and he plays safety. That should tell you all you need to know about the defensive front. Losing Tyler Grubbs at linebacker against UTEP was also a big loss, he covered up a lot of holes in the run game. The unit was able to limit FIU to only 57 yards on the ground last week, so it'll be interesting to see if they figured out things in that respect. In the secondary, Myles Brooks and Willie Roberts vs Jaylin Lane will be fun to watch. Brooks and Roberts are really good at cornerback, and Lane might be the most explosive player in C-USA.

5) LA Tech will need to win out this season to become bowl eligible. What do you think are going to be the keys for the Bulldogs to defend their home field this week and get back in the win column against the Blue Raiders?

Offensively, they are going to need to run the football well and avoid turnovers. We know Tech can throw it, but if the game is played in the rain like the forecast is predicting it will be very important to win in the trenches. Defensively, Tech has to stop the run. The run defense ranks last in the country allowing 239 yards per game on the ground. I know Middle Tennessee doesn't run it all that well, but outside of FIU it hasn't mattered what the rush offense has looked like for Tech opponents throughout the year.

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