You can excuse the good people of Ruston, Louisiana if they feel that any game played by their Louisiana Tech Bulldogs is not over until the Bulldogs come from behind to win. That would be because the Bulldogs logged their 7th come-from-behind victory of the season in the Independence Bowl Saturday (12-28-08), beating Northern Illinois 17-10.
The win was sweet for Derek Dooley as it represented his first bowl victory as a head coach. Dooley is none other than a former protégé of Alabama head coach Nick Saban and son of the legendary Georgia coach and athletic director Vince Dooley. Young Dooley used his special teams, defense and a running game to turn back Northern Illinois.
Senior defensive back Weldon Brown proved to be the Bulldogs big stopper. Brown stopped one Husky scoring threat with a shoestring tackle to set up a 4th down, then batted down the ensuing pass. He also recovered a fumbled punt to set up a field goal attempt, and ended one of two late Husky drives with an interception when the game was on the line. Brown finished with 14 tackles and the Most Valuable Defensive Player award.
On special teams, sophomore wide receiver Phil Livas took a kickoff return to the house for a 97-yard score, and junior running back Dan Porter rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown.
The postseason win was Louisiana Tech's first in 31 years; their last win also came in the Independence Bowl in 1977. The victory left the Bulldogs with their first 8-win season in 9 years. They finished the year at 8-5 while Northern Illinois slid to 6-7.
Louisiana Tech was not even expected to be in a bowl game but was selected when neither the Southeastern Conference (SEC) nor Big 12 could produce a participant.
Derek Dooley inherited a team that went 3-10. He improved the Bulldogs to 5-7 last year and now has them at 8-5 and a bowl victory in his second full season. Dooley's Bulldogs upset Mississippi State to kick off this season and then won 4 of their last 5 games to get to the Independence Bowl and generate more glory for the Bulldog faithful.
Louisiana Tech and Derek Dooley are on the way up. We know this because the Bulldogs scored 8 non-offensive touchdowns this season to tie for the most in major college football. When you score on defense or special teams, everyone gets excited.
In addition to Livas' 97-yard TD return in the Independence Bowl, he returned 2 punts for touchdowns during the regular season. The last player to return a kickoff for a touchdown in the Independence Bowl was a guy named Deuce McAllister who did it for Mississippi 10 years ago.
Copyright © 2009 Ed Bagley
If you enjoyed this article, go ahead and leave a comment on this EzineArticles.com site. Simply scroll back up to the top of the page and look to the right. You will find a link titled "Post a Comment". Click on the link and let me know how you feel about this article. I'm interested in your comments and opinions.
Read my other detailed, knowledgeable, interesting articles on college football, including:
"So Who Are the Current Worst Players in Division 1-A Football in the Nation?"
"Tulsa the 19th Best Team in Nation? You Must Be Kidding and Here Is Why"
"4 AP Top 25 Teams Have Some Proving to Do-Missouri, Texas Tech, South Florida and Kansas"
"Meet the Illinois Fighting Illini - The Most Overrated Team in the AP's Top 25 Poll"
"Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi, Knute Rockne and Lou Holtz During Football's Annual Bowl Season"
"How to Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss"
"The Sagarin Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them"
Find my Blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/Sports.html
No comments:
Post a Comment