Louisiana Tech announced last week that its football team would travel to Lawrence to play Kansas University at Memorial Stadium, likely on Sept. 17, 2005.
Tech’s confirmation makes all but one spot on KU’s 2005 schedule filled. Another nonconference opponent — on Sept. 10, 2005 — still is unknown.
KU won’t confirm any of its nonconference opponents until all contracts are signed and delivered, but Florida Atlantic already has announced it would come to Lawrence next year, probably Sept. 3. Louisiana Tech’s announcement leaves just one vacancy to be filled on next year’s schedule.
Jim Oakes, Tech’s athletic director who schedules the Bulldogs’ football games, was traveling with the team Monday and was unavailable for comment. However, the Shreveport Times reported last week that the KU-Tech game was a one-year deal, meaning KU won’t have to travel to Ruston, La., to complete the contract in the future.
The Bulldogs will come to Lawrence next year fresh off a game with perennial power Florida the week before in Gainesville, Fla.
KU and Louisiana Tech have played once before, Sept. 26, 1987, in Lawrence. The Bulldogs won that game, 16-11, and KU went on to a 1-9-1 season. Glen Mason took over the program the following year.
This year, Louisiana Tech is 6-6 overall, including a 5-3 mark in the Western Athletic Conference. The Bulldogs have played a grueling schedule this year, including games against top-25 foes Miami (Fla.), Tennessee, Auburn and Boise State.
“From a power-rating standpoint, this (2005) schedule is certainly more favorable toward having a winning season,” Oakes told the Times last week.
Monday, Louisiana Tech hammered Rice, 51-14.
With seven picks, Gordon is tied with Louisiana-Monroe’s Chris Harris for the national lead. Neither player has any games left this season.
Five players have six interceptions this year.
Some outsiders are taking notice of Gordon’s big season. The Carson, Calif., native was recognized by Sports Illustrated as the most underrated player in the Big 12 Conference and one of the six most underrated players in the nation in last week’s issue.
All 26 seniors on the Owls ditched Wednesday’s practice and had a cookout at a players’ house, a “skip day” of sorts.
It didn’t fly with FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger, who benched the seniors for the first quarter Saturday. Fourteen of the punished players were starters for FAU this year.
“We didn’t want to upset anybody,” quarterback Jared Allen told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “We probably didn’t think it all the way through.”
