Louisiana Tech blanks Southeastern 24-0 in opener

Josh McDaniel

RUSTON – Louisiana Tech’s defense stole the show in the season opener, pitching a shutout and powering the Bulldogs to a 24-0 victory over Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday night inside Joe Aillet Stadium.

LA Tech (1-0) kept SLU (0-1) off the scoreboard for all four quarters, forcing three turnovers and coming up with big stops to preserve the Bulldogs first shutout since … the last time they played in the Joe which was the home finale last season against Kennesaw State.

The starting linebacker trio for the ‘Dogs were a menace all night. Kolbe Fields led the way with 13 tackles and a sack, Sifa Leota tallied 12 tackles, and Mekhi Mason added nine stops (4.5 tackles for loss) and two sacks as part of a relentless effort that held SLU to just 3.6 yards per play.

The turning point came midway through the third quarter when defensive back Kam Franklin scooped up a fumble and raced 80 yards for a touchdown, stretching LA Tech’s lead to 24-0. That defensive score capped a dominant third quarter in which the Bulldogs scored three touchdowns in a span of just over seven minutes.

LA Tech’s offense found rhythm after a sluggish first half. Starting quarterback Trey Kukuk threw for 130 yards and a touchdown, connecting with Omiri Wiggins on a 17-yard strike to open the third-quarter surge. Running back Clay Thevenin added a 2-yard touchdown run after ripping off a 33-yard gain earlier in the drive.

Special teams also delivered, as Drew Henderson drilled an 18-yard chip shot just before halftime to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 edge at the break.

LA Tech finished with 262 yards of total offense but leaned heavily on its defense, which not only posted the shutout but also recorded four sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and held SLU to 0-for-2 on fourth down.

NOTABLES

With the win, LA Tech now leads the all-time series versus SLU, 30-7-2. The Bulldogs have won 10 straight over the Lions, the longest active winning streak against any opponent.
LA Tech won its 12th straight season opener at home.
The Bulldogs recorded their first shutout in a season opener since 1996, which came against Middle Tennessee. This was the first shutout against the Lions since 1972.
LA Tech has now registered back-to-back shutouts at home for the first time since 1959-60 (shutout Kennesaw State, 33-0, in last season’s home finale).
LA Tech scored its first touchdown on a fumble recovery since 2022 (came against Stephen F. Austin).
Trey Kukuk posted a team-high 17 rushing attempts for 48 yards. It was the most rushing attempts by a LA Tech quarterback since J’Mar Smith (had 17 rushes in 2017 against Florida Atlantic).
Eli Finley led the Bulldogs in receiving with 59 yards on four catches (second most receiving yards in a single game by the tight end).
Sifa Leota set career highs in both tackles (12) and tackles for loss (3.0).
Mekhi Mason recorded a career-high 4.5 tackles for loss, which included two sacks. It is the third most tackles for loss in a single game in program history (most since 2018).
Kolbe Fields registered a game-high and career-high 13 tackles. It marked his fourth game as a Bulldog with double-digit tackles.