LA Tech projected to repeat

IRVING, Texas – Louisiana Tech has been picked to repeat as the Conference USA West Division champion while WKU was voted as the favorite to win the East Division in a preseason vote conducted by a panel of media members that cover C-USA schools.

The league’s media members selected both Louisiana Tech and WKU to repeat as division champions after the two teams faced off in a record-breaking C-USA Championship Game last December in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Louisiana Tech has won two of the last three West Division titles and returns a number of key performers to help Skip Holtz’s club make another run at a C-USA Championship Game appearance. Senior RB Jarred Craft (1,074 yards, nine rushing TDs) will run behind an offensive line that returns three starters, including preseason All-C-USA guard O’Shea Dugas. Defensive end Jaylon Ferguson led Conference USA in sacks with 14.5 for a loss of 89 yards on the season, while also registering 49 total tackles, including 16 tackles for loss. Ferguson also forced four fumbles in 2016 and recovered two.

The 13th annual Conference USA Football Championship Game, pitting the champions of the East and West Divisions, will be held Saturday, Dec. 2. The 2017 C-USA Football season kicks off Thursday, Aug. 31.

Louisiana Tech will kick off the 2017 season Saturday, Sept. 2 as the Bulldogs play hosts to Northwestern State at Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston. The following week, LA Tech will welcome SEC opponent Mississippi State to Ruston (Sept. 9) in a game that will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT and be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network.

Louisiana Tech fans can now purchase season tickets for the upcoming 2017 football season as the Bulldogs coming off three consecutive nine-win seasons, three straight bowl victories and one of the most impressive home slates on the horizon next fall with a program-record seven home games at Joe Aillet Stadium.