by Malcolm Butler
Evan Bullock did his best Tim Rattay impression.
The red-shirt freshman passed for 290 yards and five touchdowns in three quarters of action to lift Louisiana Tech to a 48-21 win over Middle Tennessee Thursday night at Joe Aillet Stadium.
Bullock led the Bulldogs to touchdowns on the first five drives of the game, including tossing four scores and running for a fifth as Tech built a 34-14 halftime lead. He then opened the third quarter with a 75-yard scoring strike to Tru Edwards and the route was on.
It was the first game following the announcement that Sonny Cumbie was handing over play calling duties to Co-Offensive Coordinator Nathan Young. Tech converted 12-of-16 third downs in the game while recording season highs in total yards, passing yards, rushing yards, first downs and points scored.
“It’s a credit to Nathan and our offensive staff,” said Cumbie. “I think we were very dialed in on third downs. The other thing is you were in third and medium and third and short most of the night. We did convert some third and longs too, but for most of the night we were in third and manageable.
“It’s funny. I’m pretty superstitious and every time I would tell him, ‘If you get it to fourth and two or fourth and three we are going to go for it.’ And then bam, bam, bam … we would convert the third down. We will take that all the time.
“It’s a great job by our staff and I think its a really nice job by our players of executing the game plan on third down.”
Tech (2-3, 1-1) found itself trailing early. Middle Tennessee (1-5, 0-2) took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards to take a 7-0 lead on an 18-yard TD pass from Nicholas Vattiato to tight end Hudson Willis less than three minutes into the game.
“We came to the sideline, and everybody was just told just to settle in and lock in,” said safety Isaiah McIlvane about the two opening scoring drives by MT. “We know we’re a good defense, so we know what we’re supposed to do. So, it wasn’t really a big change. Everybody just had that mindset, we got to step up.”
The Bulldogs responded with a 5-yard TD pass from Bullock to tailback Omiri Wiggins to tie the score at 7-7. After Middle Tennessee scored again — on a 24-yard TD pass from Vattiato to Middlebrook — to retake a 14-7 lead, Bullock once again led Tech on a drive as he connected with Jimmy Holiday for a 15-yard TD pass.
“Offensively, we’ve always had it, like, had the ability to explode and go off it really anytime,” said Bullock, who was making just his second collegiate start. “And I think it was really just finding the right match and the perfect fit, if you will. And that’s exactly what allowed us to explode and showcase what we did tonight.”
Following a fumble recovery by the Tech defense, Bullock and the Bulldog offense took only four plays to cover 44 yards, capped by a 16-yard scoring toss to Wiggins on a perfectly executed screen pass.
“I liked really just how we could mix things up a little bit and give new looks some things that we hadn’t done before,” said Bullock. “It’s really just a new little curve on the offense that we had, too. It was really, really fun to go out there and play.”
Bullock added a 20-yard touchdown pass to Jay Wilkerson and a 1-yard TD run to give the Bulldogs the 20-point halftime lead.
“I think it’s huge for our kids and our confidence and our team,” said Cumbie. “We have been playing at that level on defense. And we have been just a little off on offense. I had a lot of confidence in Nathan. I felt completely at peace with the decision. I think the kids play confidently and they played loose. We were attacking. That’s what we talked about wanting to do tonight and we were able to do it.”
Any chance of a Blue Raiders rally was doused early in the second half thanks to the 75-yard TD pass to Edwards and a 19-yard scoring pass from running back Marquis Crosby to Solo Lewis on a trick play.
Edwards led Tech with six receptions for 127 yards and one score while Lewis totaled three catches for 48 yards and one TD.
Tech improved to 5-0 all-time against Middle Tennessee in Ruston.
The Bulldogs will travel to face New Mexico State Tuesday in Las Cruces.
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