Louisiana
MTSU football vs Louisiana Tech: Score prediction, scouting report in Week 7 game
MTSU football coach Derek Mason on improving after loss to Duke
Middle Tennessee State football coach Derek Mason speaks following a 45-17 loss to Duke on homecoming.
Middle Tennessee State football, after a week off, will delve back into Conference USA play for the rest of the season beginning with a midweek contest.
The Blue Raiders (1-4, 0-1 CUSA) will try to snap a four-game losing streak and earn their first conference win when they play at Louisiana Tech Thursday (7 p.m., CBS Sports Networks).
MTSU is coming off a 24-7 loss at Memphis. Louisiana Tech (1-3, 0-1) has lost three in a row after a Week 1 victory over Nicholls. The Bulldogs dropped a 17-10 decision to Florida International during Week 5.
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Below is a scouting report on the matchup, including a score prediction by The Daily News Journal’s Cecil Joyce:
Louisiana Tech football has relied on its defense in 2024
Despite a 1-3 to start, Louisiana Tech has played good defense this season. The Bulldogs are allowing an average of less than 300 yards total offense per game.
The Bulldogs have been particularly tough against the pass, where they’ve allowed only 198 yards per game. That will test an MTSU offense whose strength has been its passing game — 265 yards per game — behind redshirt junior Nick Vattiato.
MTSU may also turn to its running game, though it’s averaging only 80 yards per game, a little more against the Bulldogs. With starter Frank Peasant out because of an injury, junior Jaiden Credle has carried a bulk of the load. He rushed 10 times for 39 yards in the loss to Memphis after gaining 125 yards and a touchdown in a homecoming loss to Duke.
Credle has 49 rushes for 233 yards and two TDs on the season.
Watch MTSU football vs. Louisiana Tech on Paramount+
MTSU passing duo clicking on all cylinders
One of the bright spots during the current losing streak has been the play of Vattiato and his top receiver, junior Auburn transfer Omari Kelly. The duo has heated up over recent games.
Kelly has a team-leading 24 receptions for 471 yards with three touchdowns, and most of that production has come over the past three games.
Wrapped around a four-catch, 12-yard performance against Duke, Kelly totaled 15 receptions, 413 yards and three TDs against Western Kentucky and Memphis.
Vattiato is 107 of 163 for 1,285 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions.
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Louisiana Tech offense also likes to air it out
Like MTSU, Louisiana Tech has succeeded more with its passing game than running game, averaging just 100 yards rushing per contest. That comes despite a starting offensive line of all fourth-year players.
The team’s leading rusher is 6-foot-1, 210-pound senior Donerio Davenport. The McComb, Mississippi, product has 31 carries for 107 yards with one touchdown. The second-leading rusher has just 65 yards.
Unlike the Blue Raiders, the Bulldogs have rotated starting quarterbacks.
Redshirt junior Jack Turner, the team’s Week 1 starter, injured a knee injury in that game and missed Week 2 before coming back to throw for 314 yards and a TD (but also three interceptions) in a loss to North Carolina State. He was then pulled in the fourth quarter of Tech’s Week 4 loss to Tulsa after completing 7 of 14 passes for just 41 yards.
Redshirt freshman Evan Bullock got the start the next week against FIU, completing 26 of 37 passes for 218 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Redshirt freshman Blake Baker replaced Turner in both Week 1 and Week 4. He is 18 of 34 passing for 314 yards with a TD and three interceptions.
MTSU score prediction vs. Louisiana Tech
MTSU 24, Louisiana Tech 17. The Blue Raiders get their first CUSA win in the Derek Mason era, snapping a losing streak along the way. An improving MTSU defense exploits the Bulldogs’ issues behind center.
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Cecil Joyce covers high school sports and MTSU athletics for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at cjoyce@dnj.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @Cecil_Joyce.
Just where is that damn board?
Nobody knows. It’s a Louisiana mystery. An ancient cypress plank, 20 feet long and six wide, has gone missing. It couldn’t have been an easy heist. The thing is huge, and certainly weighs hundreds of pounds at least.
This wasn’t as simple as slipping into the Louvre and making off with a few jewels.
No, this was a complex operation. It probably took a group. Maybe Danny Ocean was the mastermind.
This whole story just deliciously reeks of Louisiana. An object that started in a swamp, moved to the State Capitol, then out to the suburbs, is now missing and is the focus of the state’s top law enforcement officer. This is truly one for the “Louisiana is different” genre of political tales.
There’s Attorney General Liz Murrill who, like literary gumshoes Sherlock Holmes or Encyclopedia Brown, doesn’t know where the plank is but has fingered a suspect: former Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder.
Earlier this week, prosecutors from Murrill’s office persuaded a Baton Rouge grand jury to indict Schexnayder on counts of theft of a rare Louisiana artifact and malfeasance in office.
Murrill’s biggest clue is this: The board was last seen in Schexnayder’s district office in Gonzales.
The mystery is just the latest twist in the board’s long and interesting history. It began its life as part of a cypress tree in Lake Maurepas more than 1,000 years ago. That tree was cut down in the 1930s. The board was extracted and, in the 1950s, it was donated the state and was hung for display in the state capitol.
On it were engraved words describing its origin. It is a one-of-a-kind piece.
Sometime in the last two decades, the plank was moved to Schexnayder’s district office in Gonzales. Schexnayder said the move came in 2013 and was suggested by then-Speaker of the House Chuck Kleckley, of Lake Charles, because it had been cut from a tree in what was now Schexnayder’s district. Kleckley says he has no memory of making that suggestion and it would have been inappropriate for him to do so.
Murrill may have identified the guilty party, but the board’s whereabouts remain unknown. Schexnayder, who once owned an auto mechanic shop, is no Professor Moriarty. He says he has no idea where it is. Nor does the landlord of his office, who said he didn’t remove it when Schexnayder left.
Now, however, Schexnayder is facing two felony counts.
Murrill sleuthing skills might never been engaged if not for the efforts of Julius Mullins, a retired doctor whose grandfather was the one who donated the piece to the state. Mullins asked Murrill to take the case.
I hope Murrill doesn’t stop now and presses until she has found the board, like some sort of Cajun Miss Marple.
But this is a tough one. She may need outside help. Is Nancy Drew available?
Louisiana
Week 12 – Washington State Cougars vs Louisiana Tech Bulldogs: How To Watch, Preview, Storylines
Washington State fell in its first PAC-12 matchup two weeks ago to Oregon State, and now hosts the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. The Bulldogs are coming off a heartbreaking loss to Delaware, and will look to avoid falling to .500 as the Cougars look to even up their record.
Here’s everything you need to know about Saturday night’s contest:
Washington State Cougars (4-5, 0-1 Pac-12) vs Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (5-4, 3-3 C-USA)
Date: Saturday, November 15th
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET // 7:00 p.m. PT
Location: Martin Stadium – Pullman, WA
TV: The CW Network
Radio: TuneIn Radio
Betting Line: Washington State -7.5 on FanDuel
Did Bye Week Help Cougs Fix Mental Lapses?
Washington State’s loss to Oregon State prior to their bye week was as sloppy as a game can get. Their pass protection looked lost, quarterback Zevi Eckhaus took a major step backward, and their missed field goal at the end of the game capped off a messy game that, by all accounts, should have been a victory. A bye week isn’t a magical “cure-all fix”, but it’s shown time and time again to help teams limit their detail-oriented issues.
Bowl contention is still in play for the Cougs, although it’s far from a guarantee. They need to finish the season strong, and that all starts with putting down a Louisiana Tech team that is inferior on paper. Washington State must come out early and get ahead of the Bulldogs quickly, and managing the small aspects of the game will be essential.
MORE: How Washington State’s 2025 Opponents Fared in Week 11
How Does Washington State’s Passing Scheme Develop?
A conservative passing game that came with the introduction of Eckhaus into the QB1 spot gave the Cougars a much-needed offensive boost. However, the playbook was seemingly opened up in recent weeks, but it has seen the opposite effect. It came to a tipping point against the Beavers, as Eckhaus threw two interceptions and the offense as a whole looked quite out of sync.
With Eckhaus banged up but expected to get the start once again, it will be an interesting storyline as to how Head Coach Jimmy Rogers tailors the offense around his experienced starter. A return to their initial ways could be successful, but continuing to develop around their new scheme might end up being a better option. Only time will tell, but they will have to navigate their ever-inconsistent offense to push for a win.
MORE: Two-QB Rotation Expected as Louisiana Tech Faces Washington State
LA Tech’s Rushing Game an Issue
The Cougs have been far from the best defense in the country against the ground game, and the Bulldogs boast a solid multi-pronged rushing approach. Running backs Clay Thevenin and Omiri Wiggins have combined for a total of 907 yards on the ground through nine games, and quarterback Blake Baker has tacked on another 260 of his own.
Their scoring has also been proficient, hitting the end zone a total of 18 times. Washington State will have to shut down its rushing attack to prevent getting overpowered on the ground. If they are unable to do so, it could be a long game for a Cougars defense that has been heavily relied on to this point of the season.
More Reading Material From Washington State Cougars On SI
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Washington has officially voted to reopen the government after the longest shutdown in history.
TALLY
- Yea: 222, including 6 Democrats
- Nay: 209, including 2 Republicans
Speaker Mike Johnson, Leader Steve Scalise, Whip Tom Emmer, and Chairwoman Lisa McClain released a joint statement after the vote:
“The Democrat Shutdown is finally over, thanks to House and Senate Republicans. There is absolutely no question now that Democrats are responsible for millions of American families going hungry, millions of travelers left stranded in airports, and our troops left wondering if they would receive their next paycheck. It was the Democratic Party that voted 15 times to keep the government closed and force the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
“All of it was pointless and utterly foolish. Democrats admitted they used the American people as ‘leverage’ and hurt their constituents on purpose — but they got nothing for their selfish political stunt. Voters will remember which party played political games in an attempt to ‘look tough’ to their base, while real people suffered.
“Now that Republicans have succeeded in ending the Democrat Shutdown, we look forward to continuing our important legislative work, delivering results for the American people.”
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), released the following statement:
“After weeks of pain for working American families, Democrats finally agreed to end their unnecessary shutdown,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Now that the government is open, it’s time to work together to address the health care affordability crisis.”
The Senate has already passed the measure.
This legislation will reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) retroactive to October 1st, fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), pay our federal workers and troops, and get our airport operations back to normal.
The measure now heads to President Donald Trump for his signature.
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