Ranking the Top 100 College Football Teams for 2017: No. 90 Louisiana Tech

In the 100 days leading up to the kickoff of the college football season on Saturday, Aug. 26, HERO Sports is ranking the top 100 teams in the FBS. You can find all the rankings and previews here.

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No. 90 Louisiana Tech

Louisiana Tech has 27 wins, 19 conference wins and three bowl victories in the last three seasons but they have no Conference USA titles, regular-season wins over Power Five teams or 10-win seasons. 

The Bulldogs lost a ton of offensive talent but do return key pieces on both sides of the ball in attempt to check off all three items in 2017.

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2016 Record: 9-5 (6-2, Conference USA)

Louisiana Tech lit up scoreboards during a nine-win campaign, ranking second nationally in scoring average (44.3) and five times topping 50 points, including two Conference USA games with 60 or more.

Junior quarterback Ryan Higgins helped the Bulldogs ranked among the nation's best in nearly every passing category, including second in passing yards per game (363.4). They lost to their two Power Five foes (Arkansas and Texas Tech) by a combined 15 points and played in the Conference USA Championship for the second time in three seasons.

In five losses, the defense yielded an average of 43 points, including 58 in the conference title game against Western Kentucky.

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Head Coach: Skip Holtz (5th year, 31-22)

Louisiana Tech continued rolling under fourth-year head coach Skip Holtz in 2016. He delivered nine more wins and captured a second Conference USA West title since 2014. 

His next step is winning a conference title and reaching 10 wins for the first time in program history.

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Key Returning Offensive Players

QB J'Mar Smith, RB Jarred Craft, RB Boston Scott, WR Alfred Smith, WR Kameron McKnight, OT Joshua Outlaw, G Ethan Reed, G O'Shea Dugas

Sophomore J'Mar Smith replaces Ryan Higgins and will become the Bulldogs' fourth different starting quarterback in the last four years. Despite the turnover, they've ranked among the nation's best offense each of the last three nine-win seasons.

The dual-threat Smith, also a Louisiana Tech baseball player, played well in limited duty last year, completing 30 of 43 passes for 412 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Though most skill players left with Higgins, their top two running backs return in Jarred Craft and Boston Scott, who combined for more than 2,000 yards of offense in 2016.

Receivers Alfred Smith and Kameron McKnight combined for just 35 catches a year ago but will be relied upon heavily, especially McKnight in the red zone, where they like to use him as a runner.

Senior Joshua Outlaw anchors a solid offensive line that features rising sophomore Ethan Reed at right guard.

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Key Returning Defensive Players

DT Jordan Bradford, DE Jaylon Ferguson, DE Deldrick Canty, LB Russell Farris, LB DeMarion King, LB Brandon Durman, CB L'Jarius Sneed, S Secdrick Cooper

Louisiana Tech's defense must get over the hump of mediocrity if they expect to hit 10 wins. The onus is on defenisve end Jaylon Ferguson, linebacker Russell Farris and safety Secdrick Cooper, all upperclassmen, to turn around a unit that ranked 97th in scoring defense. 

Ferguson credits a relentless off-the-field work ethic for setting the school record of 14.5 sacks last year.

“It was all about the work,” Ferguson said in December. “Study more film. Critique myself harder than anybody else. Work harder than everybody. Push everybody around me because the strength of the wolf is the pack. We are only as strong as our weakest link.”

Farris joins fellow senior DeMarion King and junior Brandon Durham, in replacing leading tackler Joradn Harris, and Cooper returns as the most seasoned defensive back. The 6-foot, 210-pounder had a breakout junior season, recording 73 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and five sacks, all more than doubling his combined totals from 2014-15.

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Notable Player Losses

QB Ryan Higgins, WR Carlos Henderson, WR Trent Taylor, LB Jordan Harris, CB Prince Sam, S Lloyd Grogan, S Xavier Woods

One of the nation's best offenses was gutted. Ryan Higgins dazzled in his first season as full-time starter, completing better than 66 percent of his passes for 4,617 yards and 41 scores. He teamed with the country's most productive receiving duo in Carlos Henderson (1,535 yards, 19 touchdowns) and Trent Taylor (1,803 yards, 12 touchdowns) to average 44.3 points per game.

Leading tackler Jordan Harris is gone, as are key defensive backs Prince Sam, Lloyd Grogan and Xavier Woods, their three leaders in passes defended. Sam and Woods had seven interceptions and 14 pass breakups.

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Notable Player Additions

WR Teddy Veal, WR Adrian Hardy, LB Randy Hogan, CB Amik Robertson

Former Tulane transfer Teddy Veal and Oklahoma transfer Adrian Hardy join a receiving corps that lost Henderson and Taylor. Hardy signed with the Sooners in 2016 as a three-star prospect from Houston, but transferred almost immediately and sat out last year.

Randy Hogan arrives from Pearl River Community College, where he had 98 tackles and three sacks in 2016. Keep an eye on Amik Robertson, a true freshman from Thibodaux, La.

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Schedule

For the second-straight season, the Bulldogs face two Power Five opponents. After losing to Arkansas and Texas Tech last September, they host Mississippi State in Week 2 and visit South Carolina in Week 4.

In between, they visit Western Kentucky in the budding rivalry with the defending conference champs. Their last three matchups have included 288 points and an average margin of victory of 6.7 points. 

Also of note, they close the season with three home games in the final four weeks.