Army has never lost to Louisiana Tech, and it's bringing the nation's best-known rushing attack to Ruston for the first time to try to keep that streak alive.
Bush’s Picks
ARMYLT
ARMYLT
OverUnder
Best BetArmy
Army brings the more proven roster into this one — a veteran offensive line, a 1,000-yard rusher at quarterback, and a program that's beaten this exact opponent three times running, including a blowout in last year's bowl game. Louisiana Tech has the higher offensive ceiling but more unknowns, from a first-year Sun Belt jump to Baker's health, which makes Army the side to trust to just win the game.
+3-0 all-time vs Louisiana Tech, including 2024 rout
−New defensive coordinator installing a new scheme
−First-ever road trip to Ruston, no history there
Louisiana Tech
+Coming off best offensive season since 2019 (335 pts)
+Strong returning defense under DC Luke Olson
+Home crowd for first Sun Belt-era test vs Army
−QB Blake Baker coming off a knee injury
−Stepping up into a tougher Sun Belt slate
−Penalty issues plagued the team last season
Cale Hellums is back under center for Army after piling up 1,223 rushing yards a year ago, and he's got most of the machine that made it work returning around him. Louisiana Tech, meanwhile, is hoping quarterback Blake Baker is fully past the knee injury that clouded his 2025 campaign — if he's right, the 6-5 junior gives the Bulldogs a legitimate dual-threat option, with Trey Kukuk ready to spell him if needed.
This is Louisiana Tech's first season in the Sun Belt, and games like this one are exactly the kind of step up in competition that comes with it. Army's defense is breaking in new coordinator Darryl Dixon, so there's real uncertainty on that side of the ball for the Black Knights too — La Tech's offense scored 335 points last season, its best output since 2019, and a defense still finding its footing is a tempting target.
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ARMY Army
LT Louisiana Tech
Both sides have things to prove. Army wants to show last year's 12-2 run and Independence Bowl blowout weren't a mirage; Louisiana Tech wants to show its breakthrough season translates against a program with more pedigree and a deeper roster of question marks answered.
Army Black Knights
Sep 25?@ Temple—
Sep 12?vs South Florida—
Sep 5?vs Bryant—
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Sep 19?@ Baylor—
Sep 12?@ LSU—
Sep 5?vs Northwestern State—
Recent form.
History is squarely on Army's side here. The Black Knights are 3-0 all-time against the Bulldogs, and the two programs' most recent meeting wasn't close — a 27-6 Army win in the 2024 Independence Bowl that capped a 12-2 season. This is still new ground, though: it's Army's first-ever trip to Ruston, part of a fresh home-and-home series, so there's no track record for how the Black Knights travel to Joe Aillet Stadium specifically.
Army Black Knights
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
The obvious swing factor is up front. Army's offensive line returns four starters, including All-Conference center Brady Small, off a group that won the Joe Moore Award in 2024 — that's the kind of unit that can just impose its will on a Sun Belt front. If Louisiana Tech's revamped defense under coordinator Luke Olson can slow that ground game down even a little, this game gets a lot more interesting than the history suggests.
