Jeff Monken was stunned by Louisiana Tech’s offensive output in their season opener, an 80-6 blowout of Northwestern State. Speaking Tuesday ahead of Army’s trip to Ruston, Louisiana, Monken said, “Eighty points in a football game is unbelievable.”
The Bulldogs, sitting at 1-2 after the opening weekend rout, have struggled against Power 4 opponents but showed their scoring potential against Northwestern State. Their losses to LSU (45-14) and Baylor (36-19) came against teams from major conferences, but Monken acknowledged the challenge Louisiana Tech presents. “They are really explosive on offense; they are really good on defense. So we’re going to have our hands full,” he said.
Army enters Saturday’s game fresh off a 21-17 win at Temple, a match defined by a late touchdown drive and a defensive stand near the red zone. Monken praised his team’s resilience but stressed there is room for improvement. “There’s a lot to improve on,” he said. “We’ve done some good things, certainly to finish the game like we did on Friday night—that was a positive for us to see our guys have that mental toughness to be able to find a way to make that last drive on offense and then to get the stop on defense. That was big.”
Despite the victory, defensive issues remain. Monken pointed to missed tackles, which totaled 16 against Temple after 22 in the loss to South Florida. “That has got to improve,” he said. The coach also emphasized the importance of fundamentals, particularly in blocking, and called for increased defensive aggression. “I’d like to see us maybe get more aggressive and see if we can get one away—that would make a difference for us.”
Weather could factor into the game as Ruston is forecast to have a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms during the evening, with temperatures near 80 degrees at kickoff and dropping to 71 by the final whistle. Humidity is expected to hover above 90 percent with winds from the north-northeast blowing at 6-13 mph. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time at Joe Aillet Stadium.
The Army-LSU Tech matchup continues a series Army leads 3-0, having won games in 2008 at West Point, 2013 in Dallas, and as recently as December 28, 2024, with a 27-6 victory in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech has yet to record a win in the series.
Betting odds favor Army as 3.5-point favorites, with a moneyline of -125 compared to Louisiana Tech’s +105. The over/under rests at 44.5 points, well below Louisiana Tech’s season opener explosion.
Army’s schedule includes a mix of home and away games, with upcoming contests against Tulane, Florida Atlantic, and Tulsa. The Black Knights currently hold a 2-1 record overall and 1-1 in American Conference play.
Louisiana Tech’s record stands at 1-2, and after a bye week on September 26, they face Army on October 3. The Bulldogs’ next games include matchups against Louisiana, Louisiana Monroe, and Old Dominion.
Saturday’s game will be available on ESPN+ and through the ESPN app, with radio coverage on SiriusXM 167 and various local stations. The kickoff will come just minutes after sunset at 6:24 p.m. CT, under potentially stormy skies.
Monken’s comments and the weather forecast set the tone for what promises to be a testing game for both teams as they look to build momentum in their seasons.
According to Yahoo Sports.