How Sonny Cumbie and LA Tech Look To Replace Important Pieces

After two tough seasons for head coach Sonny Cumbie and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, there is optimisim going into year three under Cumbie

Sep 23, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Louisiana Tech Bulldogs head coach Sonny Cumbie talks with quarterback Jack Turner (10) during the first quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

FRISCO, TX -The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have finished 3-9 for the past three seasons, but for two straight seasons under head coach Sonny Cumbie. Despite key losses at the quarterback and wide receiver position, Cumbie expressed during Conference USA Media Day that there is excitement in Ruston.

"I think when you're going into our third season, as we are as a staff, I think that that the alignment within our program has never been greater," Cumbie said. From top-to-bottom of coaches to players, I think that as we speak right now we're having a workout going on and I have very little heartburn about how that workout will go. I know that our players, the intent that they're going to show up with every single day, the intent that they show up in terms of the improvement that they want to see."

By far the biggest loss for the Bulldogs was wide receiver and specialist Smoke Harris. In 2023, Harris hauled in 83 receptions for 796 yards and four touchdowns. Along with a strong offensive season, Harris was named to all-conference first team on offense and then as a punt returner.

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"When you look at our roster, the wide receiver position and the inside receiver position, you're not going to have another Smoke Harris from the standpoint of the plays that he made," said Cumbie.

Cumbie noted that Dedrick Latulas is a name to keep an eye out for when it comes to the punt return side of things and then noted defensive back Demarcus Griffin-Taylor as someone who has stood out on the kick returns.

There isn't another Smoke Harris and there very likely won't be for a while, as Cumbie noted. So, he will have to go with what he's got and try to replicate from a production stand point what Harris did for the program the past couple of seasons.

"I think you manufacture in different ways. It's not going to be as easy as hey, let's just throw the ball to Smoke, let him break about eight tackles and get a first down. I think that you just play off the strengths of the other guys," said Cumbie.

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As for the quarterback room, it took a hit losing Hank Bachemeir, tranferring to Wake Forrest after one season with the Bulldogs, but Jack Turner took over during Bachmeier's absence and ended up throwing for 1,017 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions. He started four of the eight games he appeared in. During his time backing up Bachmeier, he learned to play loose.

"He exemplified just having a lightheartedness towards the game," Turner said of Bachmeier. "Not making it more than it was. Kind of similar to what coach Cumbie does, it's just keeping it simple. He taught me how to do that. Just go out and play the game. Trust what you have been coached to do. Trust what you've been practicing to do, what you've been training in the offseason to do. I would say that's one of the biggest things that he showed me is just trust yourself and go out and play the game."

Turner's leadership will need to help the Bulldogs generate more points after averaging 25.9 last season.

The Bulldogs will kick their season off at home on Saturday, August 31st at 7:00 pm against Nicholls on ESPN+.