Texas A&M Match-Up Has Historic Potential for Louisiana Tech
By Kyle Kensing
Sep 29, 2012; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Louisiana Tech Bulldogs running back Kenneth Dixon (28) is tackled by Virginia Cavaliers linebacker Steve Greer (53) during the second half at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-US PRESSWIRE
When Louisiana Tech was scheduled to face Texas A&M on Aug. 30, the Bulldogs had the element of surprise on its size. In Saturday’s rescheduled showdown of the Bulldogs and Aggies, La. Tech will enjoy no such luxury in the team’s pursuit of history.
The college football-watching nation has wised up to what Sonny Dykes is doing in Ruston, manifested in a No. 23 ranking in the most recent Associated Press poll — one spot below Texas A&M. La. Tech has road wins over two BCS conference opponents, Illinois and Virginia. Neither contest was ever really in doubt, either.
A third BCS bone buried in the Bulldogs’ yard would serve notice to those not yet aware. And that notice is pretty clear: La. Tech might be the new BCS buster.
Achieving such status would be a remarkable feat considering La. Tech is one of the programs shutting the lights off on a nearly-emptied WAC. The Bulldogs must reach No. 12 in the BCS standings, a tall order considering the all-powerful computer’s algorithm will not take kindly to Idaho, New Mexico State, Texas State or even unbeaten (yes, unbeaten) UT-San Antonio.
La. Tech gets a fortuitous assist from the caveat that it can break the top 16 and earn at-large status though, assuming one of the automatic berths is ranked lower. The Big Ten’s best team is ineligible for the conference championship, and the others appear content on beating each other up. A four-loss — heck, five-loss Big Ten champion is not out of the realm of possibility. Should the Big East members start doing what they’ve been known to in recent seasons and begin knocking each other off, the already unfavorable perception of the conference factor into its rankings.
The Bulldogs might also jockey with Ohio. The MAC front runner has a road win over a Penn State team that might be second best in the Big Ten at this juncture, and the Bobcats get a 13th game, which La. Tech does not. All the Bulldogs can do is win, baby.
And all this talk is moot if Tech cannot beat A&M.
The Aggies come into Ruston employing an offense that should look very familiar to the Bulldog defense, since it sees a scheme similar in practice every day. A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin has modified his version of the air raid spread since arriving in College Station, actually rushing more frequently (195 attempts) than passing (179 attempts).
Similarly, La. Tech has employed the spread in a surprisingly balanced well given Dykes’ Texas Tech roots. However at Arizona, he employed a balanced philosophy that produced the Wildcats’ far-and-away best seasons of the Mike Stoops’ era (2008 & 2009). At La. Tech, he’s doing the same. Yes, Colby Cameron has passed for 13 touchdowns and 1456 yards and Quinton Patton has been among the most productive receivers in the nation. But the Bulldogs rank No. 14 in the nation carrying the football behind Kenneth Dixon’s 424 yards.
Where the offenses deviate is that A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel has been the focal point of the Aggie run game; Cameron has rushed some, but has only 21 official carries to Manziel’s 72. Yet, just a season ago the Bulldog offense was quarterbacked by dual threat Nick Isham.
Dykes replaced Isham midway through 2011 after La. Tech had limped to a 1-4 start. With Cameron behind center, the Bulldogs didn’t lose another game until the Poinsettia Bowl clash with top 15 ranked TCU. That’s still the only loss to Cameron’s credit. Isham since transferred, ironically, to Arizona.
This year, Cameron’s job isn’t righting the ship. Rather, the task at hand is navigating into uncharted waters. Cameron can pattern his trek after pioneers before him, though.
Every BCS-busting team has had one defining game. In 2009, Boise State stifled Oregon to springboard into its Fiesta Bowl campaign. The 2006 Broncos routed Oregon State. Between those two BCS runs, BSU passed the torch when it took a top 25 ranking into Hawai’i, and left with a lump on its head. And the first BCS buster, Utah, opened the campaign beating Texas A&M.