After picking up a top-five road win at Clemson in Week 1, the third-ranked LSU Tigers are looking to move to 2-0 this Saturday when they host the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Brian Kelly's squad is heavily favored to do so, as professional oddsmakers are favoring Garrett Nussmeier and company by a whopping 37.5 points.
But upsets happen every week, and LSU's 1-0 mentality for each week of the season now moves to Week 2. Ahead of kick-off at Tiger Stadium on Saturday night, here is everything you need to know about the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.
What is Louisiana Tech's record this season?
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs are 1-0 so far in 2025. They defeated Southeastern Louisiana by a score of 24-0 in Week 1 in Ruston.
Who is Louisiana Tech's head coach?
Sonny Cumbie is the head coach at Louisiana Tech. He has been at the helm of the Bulldog program since 2022, and now in his fourth season, owns an overall record of 12-26. He is 8-16 in Conference USA matchups. He came to Louisiana Tech after serving as Texas Tech's interim head coach for five games in 2021, which included a 34-7 victory over Mississippi State in the Liberty Bowl.
Who is Louisiana Tech's quarterback?
Junior Trey Kukuk leads the Bulldog offense at quarterback. He played the first two seasons of his collegiate career in the JUCO ranks at Saddleback College. Once he arrived in Ruston, he beat out last year's starter Evan Bullock for the starting job in 2025. Last week against Southeastern Louisiana, Kukuk completed 14 of his 19 pass attempts for 130 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions.
Assessing Louisiana Tech's running game
In Week 1, Louisiana Tech ran a total of 53 plays on offense. Cumbie's squad leaned on the run a bit more than the pass, throwing 20 times and rushing 33 times. Sophomore RB Clay Thevenin led the way with 61 yards and a touchdown on just six carries, which included a long of 33. Most of the opportunities on the ground came via the QB. Kukak led the team with 16 carries, totaling 48 yards and 3.0 yards per carry with a long of 10.
The offense started slow in Week 1
The Bulldogs went into halftime of their Week 1 matchup against Southeastern Louisiana with a 3-0 lead. The offense didn't do much in the first half, and was forced to punt on all three of their first quarter drives. Tech added a field goal before the half, and ended up scoring 21 points in the third quarter. However, one of those scores came via a 80-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Kam Franklin. In total, Louisiana Tech was out-gained by Southeastern Louisiana 273-262. The Lions also had more first downs (18) than the Bulldogs (14).
Third down defense wasn't strong
In addition to a slow start on offense, the Louisiana Tech defense had its struggles in Week 1. Most notably, the Bulldogs couldn't get off the field with timely stops. SLU converted 9-of-18 third down attempts while Louisiana Tech went 3-for-10. That's not exactly what you want to see when going up against an FCS opponent.
TE Eli Finley is a player to watch
Louisiana Tech lost its top two pass-catchers from last season to the NFL. Returning junior TE Eli Finley was third on the team with 314 receiving yards on 25 catches last season. He was Kukak's favorite target in Week 1, as he led the Bulldogs with four catches for 59 yards.