Thank you Southern Miss fans. LA Tech fans welcome you and your fans to Ruston next Saturday. This is indeed what we've all been waiting for: a championship game setting against a proud program with USM's great tradition and strong history. This should be a great atmosphere.

Some of us LA Tech fans lost some confidence with today's close win over UTEP. This was not the way we wanted to perform the week before meeting the Eagles. As for me, I'm just counting on my Bulldogs not playing this badly two weeks in a row. Good luck! And enjoy your trip to "The Joe".

Our dawgs always play rough on the road and were definately looking ahead...they may not play great this week but I'd be very surprised by a similar performance.

FYI, a big difference making d-end Jaylon Ferguson will be out the first half for targeting at UTEP.

Me and 5 of my buddies are driving over on Friday. From all indications, there should be a few thousand USM fans there.

This looks like a very even match-up statistically.

USM's avg score is 40-22.
Tech's avg score is 38-24.

USM is #1 in rushing offense.
Tech is #1 in rushing defense.

USM has an advantage in pass defense.
USM has an advantage in special teams (because ours suck).

The only advantage I see Tech having are penalties, turnovers, and home field.

I think this is going to be an epic game.

Well, I love my Eagles, and we are on a roll, but Tech's maturity in the player and coaches situation will lead to a close Tech win. I will give my prediction in lines-in-the-sand...

Mullens versus La Tech's pass defense strikes me as a mismatch. I expect Holtz to try and play ball control. Marshall did it with success, but also got 5 turnovers.

(11-22-2015 10:27 AM)USM@FTL Wrote:  Mullens versus La Tech's pass defense strikes me as a mismatch. I expect Holtz to try and play ball control. Marshall did it with success, but also got 5 turnovers.

We play a bend but don't break pass defense. Our goal is take away the run first, take away deep passes second, give you the underneath stuff and limit YAC... force you to drive the field and earn points without making mistakes along the way.

I expect USM to focus on Dixon first and try to force us to pass to move the chains, so ball-control might not be an option for us. I think this could be a 38-35 game either way.

USM did a nice job stopping Dixon in the first half last year, and we started throwing to him in the 2nd half. I expect they will be prepared for both this year. Other players are going to need to step up.

(11-21-2015 11:35 PM)eager eagle Wrote:  

(11-21-2015 10:25 PM)NanoDawg Wrote:  will be awesome game! this is what Tech was looking for when we joined CUSA - competing against the like of USM and Rice for the west title year in year out.

This is the perfect setting to determine just exactly how the Tech fans feel about and how they support a resumption of competition between their school and USM. Remember the Tech- Rice game last year, last of the season, was played for western division championship. Weather was great, sunshine, and the attendance was about 13,000 - 14,000. USM is coming to town, western division championship on the line, last game of season. Only unknown factor at this time is weather but if it is good then the circumstances are exactly the same. Lets take a look at the crowd, pay no attention to any reported numbers.

You can watch the crowd while the rest of us watch the game

This is going to be a good game.

My prediction:
USM 38
La Tech 35

I'm hoping we see a much better looking Tech team this weekend. I'm hoping that our poor showing against UTEP (not trying to take anything away from how well they played us) was because they were all busy with finals. With senior day and the CUSA West title on the line, they should be fired up and ready for Saturday.

Couldn't ask for a better weekend of CUSA football, the Rivalry in Dixie with the west title on the line. Go Dawgs!

La Tech was the game last season where our season just went to ****, once Mullens got hurt.

Me thinks USM has a pretty big chip on their shoulder.

I also think USM is the more athletic team, overall.

I also think La Tech is the more disciplined team.

I'll give my prediction on like, Wednesday, or so.

Hopefully La Tech can become what USM fans wanted Tulane to be....A legitimate rival on the football field.

(11-22-2015 12:33 PM)southernmiss4ever Wrote:  La Tech was the game last season where our season just went to ****, once Mullens got hurt.

Me thinks USM has a pretty big chip on their shoulder.

I also think USM is the more athletic team, overall.

I also think La Tech is the more disciplined team.

I'll give my prediction on like, Wednesday, or so.

Hopefully La Tech can become what USM fans wanted Tulane to be....A legitimate rival on the football field.

Disagree with you there, This is one of the most athletic Tech teams ever. Tech has 3 or 4 players that are going to be drafted this year. In the G5 mock draft Tech had 3 players in the top 20 selected no other G5 had more than 1.

(11-22-2015 12:41 PM)Dawgxas Wrote:  

(11-22-2015 12:33 PM)southernmiss4ever Wrote:  La Tech was the game last season where our season just went to ****, once Mullens got hurt.

Me thinks USM has a pretty big chip on their shoulder.

I also think USM is the more athletic team, overall.

I also think La Tech is the more disciplined team.

I'll give my prediction on like, Wednesday, or so.

Hopefully La Tech can become what USM fans wanted Tulane to be....A legitimate rival on the football field.

Disagree with you there, This is one of the most athletic Tech teams ever. Tech has 3 or 4 players that are going to be drafted this year. In the G5 mock draft Tech had 3 players in the top 20 selected no other G5 had more than 1.

Oh no.....we are gonna get killed!

(11-22-2015 12:44 PM)SoMs Eagle Wrote:  

(11-22-2015 12:41 PM)Dawgxas Wrote:  

(11-22-2015 12:33 PM)southernmiss4ever Wrote:  La Tech was the game last season where our season just went to ****, once Mullens got hurt.

Me thinks USM has a pretty big chip on their shoulder.

I also think USM is the more athletic team, overall.

I also think La Tech is the more disciplined team.

I'll give my prediction on like, Wednesday, or so.

Hopefully La Tech can become what USM fans wanted Tulane to be....A legitimate rival on the football field.

Disagree with you there, This is one of the most athletic Tech teams ever. Tech has 3 or 4 players that are going to be drafted this year. In the G5 mock draft Tech had 3 players in the top 20 selected no other G5 had more than 1.

Oh no.....we are gonna get killed!

Be afraid, very afraid

I actually think it will come down to coaching decisions and I hope Holtz doesn't lock down and try to run up the middle 10 times in a row!

(11-22-2015 12:41 PM)Dawgxas Wrote:  Disagree with you there, This is one of the most athletic Tech teams ever. Tech has 3 or 4 players that are going to be drafted this year. In the G5 mock draft Tech had 3 players in the top 20 selected no other G5 had more than 1.

I said "team"....You rebutted with three players.

Our defense was shutting down your RB last season. The majority of those players that were starting on that defense last year are simply special teams players this year.

(11-22-2015 12:48 PM)Dawgxas Wrote:  

(11-22-2015 12:44 PM)SoMs Eagle Wrote:  

(11-22-2015 12:41 PM)Dawgxas Wrote:  

(11-22-2015 12:33 PM)southernmiss4ever Wrote:  La Tech was the game last season where our season just went to ****, once Mullens got hurt.

Me thinks USM has a pretty big chip on their shoulder.

I also think USM is the more athletic team, overall.

I also think La Tech is the more disciplined team.

I'll give my prediction on like, Wednesday, or so.

Hopefully La Tech can become what USM fans wanted Tulane to be....A legitimate rival on the football field.

Disagree with you there, This is one of the most athletic Tech teams ever. Tech has 3 or 4 players that are going to be drafted this year. In the G5 mock draft Tech had 3 players in the top 20 selected no other G5 had more than 1.

Oh no.....we are gonna get killed!

Be afraid, very afraid

I actually think it will come down to coaching decisions and I hope Holtz doesn't lock down and try to run up the middle 10 times in a row!

70% chance of rain. No word on the wind yet. It very well could come down to the trenches.

(11-22-2015 12:52 PM)southernmiss4ever Wrote:  

(11-22-2015 12:41 PM)Dawgxas Wrote:  Disagree with you there, This is one of the most athletic Tech teams ever. Tech has 3 or 4 players that are going to be drafted this year. In the G5 mock draft Tech had 3 players in the top 20 selected no other G5 had more than 1.

I said "team"....You rebutted with three players.

Our defense was shutting down your RB last season. The majority of those players that were starting on that defense last year are simply special teams players this year.

Both teams are talented no doubt, raw talent the edge is to Tech. But it doesn't really matter honestly because athletic talent will only get a player so far- want, desire, discipline and performance on the field is what matters.

I'm planning to make the trip to Ruston. Tech fans - what are the best restaurants in town?

(11-22-2015 12:54 PM)T_Won1 Wrote:  

(11-22-2015 12:48 PM)Dawgxas Wrote:  

(11-22-2015 12:44 PM)SoMs Eagle Wrote:  

(11-22-2015 12:41 PM)Dawgxas Wrote:  

(11-22-2015 12:33 PM)southernmiss4ever Wrote:  La Tech was the game last season where our season just went to ****, once Mullens got hurt.

Me thinks USM has a pretty big chip on their shoulder.

I also think USM is the more athletic team, overall.

I also think La Tech is the more disciplined team.

I'll give my prediction on like, Wednesday, or so.

Hopefully La Tech can become what USM fans wanted Tulane to be....A legitimate rival on the football field.

Disagree with you there, This is one of the most athletic Tech teams ever. Tech has 3 or 4 players that are going to be drafted this year. In the G5 mock draft Tech had 3 players in the top 20 selected no other G5 had more than 1.

Oh no.....we are gonna get killed!

Be afraid, very afraid

I actually think it will come down to coaching decisions and I hope Holtz doesn't lock down and try to run up the middle 10 times in a row!

70% chance of rain. No word on the wind yet. It very well could come down to the trenches.

I drove thru Ruston Tuesday. I hope to hell it isnt 70%ing like it was then.