Louisiana Tech: Bulldogs vs Midshipmen

While Louisiana Tech by itself would never merit a four hour roadtrip for even the most diehard of College Football fans, since it was a mere five miles from the Grambling campus it presented the unique opportunity to hit a doubleheader on Saturday. After making a quick getaway from Grambling, we hustled over to Joe Aillett Stadium in Ruston just in time to sneak in midway through the second quarter. Terry Bradshaw would be proud.

Joe Aillet itself was a surprisingly pleasant venue. While certainly not cavernous in size (30,600 stated capacity), it was a remarkably intimate and clean atmosphere, and had the simple charm of a beefed up high school stadium. We found free and easy parking about twenty five yards from the entrance, and sauntered into our seats effortlessly. Small stadiums do have some advantages over their larger, crowd choked bigger brethren. It also had a markedly different family oriented atmosphere, and makes for a enjoyable Saturday evening for Ruston residents. Given the small stature of the school, I was also quite impressed with the student section, which was fully occupied, standing and boisterous for all four quarters.

On the docket for the Bulldogs this evening were the the Midshipmen from the Naval Academy. Being an ND Alum, I’m all too familiar with the triple option attack from Navy, and they prove a formidable opponent no matter who they are playing. Of course Lousiana Tech as a member of the WAC conference is no stranger to shootout type games, and one can only imagine what happens when Boise State comes rolling into town later this year. To my surprise, the contest was actually quite close until midway through the third quarter, when the Navy grinding attack finally took its toll, and they punched in a few touchdowns. The Middies then ground out the clock and cruised to a 37-23 victory.

In all, we were quite charmed with the Louisiana Tech game, and certainly glad that we made the five mile detour from Grambling. While more relaxed than some of the larger venues we visit, Louisiana Tech has its own unique charm and there are far worse ways to spend a beautiful Saturday night than under the lights of Joe Aillet Stadium.