Louisiana Tech Football: CUSA title next step for Bulldogs?

Offense

The running game is going to go through some growing pains. Top rusher Boston Scott is gone after his redshirt freshman season. Scott was an obvious talent, going in the sixth round to the New Orleans Saints in the 2018 NFL Draft. His departure eliminates 45 percent of the team’s rushing yards from last season. Scott’s absence cuts 36 percent of the rushing touchdowns Louisiana Tech scored last year.

The Bulldogs also lost their second-leading rusher as well. Jarred Craft graduated after a letdown finish to his Louisiana Tech career. Craft rushed for 532 yards and three touchdowns in 2017 after rushing for over 1000 yards as a junior. With both seniors gone, there is no really established running back in the Bulldogs backfield.

Redshirt junior Jaqwis Dancy looks ready to take up the mantle as the feature back. Dancy rebounded from chemotherapy after being diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin lymphoma in the middle of the 2016 season. He posted 262 rushing yards last year in a relief role, and Dancy is ready to come back full-time and take over starting duties.

Even so, expect Louisiana Tech to rely more heavily on their passing attack. The Bulldogs bring back both of their top two receivers from 2017. Teddy Veal and Rhashid Bonnette combined for more than half of the receiving yards last season. They will remain the top threats through the air, with Javonte Woodard and Kam McKnight the likeliest candidates to step up and spread the field.

Focusing on J’Mar Smith

Familiarity with his top receivers should serve second-year starting quarterback J’Mar Smith well. The Louisiana Tech passer took over for Ryan Higgins in 2017 and had mixed results. Smith had big games against South Carolina and South Alabama in late September. He also finished under a 50 percent completion rate in three of his 13 games.

Still, Smith threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 16 touchdowns. Even more importantly, the first-year starter threw just five interceptions all season. Louisiana Tech was fourth nationally in terms of interceptions coughed up in the entire FBS. Smith also added 371 rushing yards and another six touchdowns on the ground. And he saved his best game of the year for the postseason, throwing for three scores and rushing for another in an efficient performance.

Louisiana Tech needs Smith to make another leap in 2018. The quarterback should improve on his first year’s 56 percent completion rate just by reducing the number of dud games. The Bulldogs will benefit from having a true second-year starter for the first time since Ross Jenkins took over under center in 2008 and stayed there through the 2010 season.