Louisiana Tech will have a new head coach on the sidelines for the first time in a decade when it travels to Missouri on Thursday night. The Bulldogs replaced long-time head coach Skip Holtz with former Texas Tech offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie. He is facing a Missouri team that is replacing its starting quarterback as it heads into its third year under coach Eli Drinkwitz.
Louisiana Tech decided it needed a fresh face at head coach, parting ways with Holtz after going 3-9 last year. The Bulldogs turned to Cumbie, who was the offensive coordinator and eventually the interim head coach at Texas Tech last year. He did enough to lead the Red Raiders to a bowl win, but now he is tasked with turning around a program that is coming off a rough season. Cumbie named Matthew Downing the starting quarterback last week after a competition between four quarterbacks during fall camp. Downing played under Cumbie at TCU in 2020 when Cumbie was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
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The redshirt junior played in three games with the Horned Frogs last year, completing 3 of 4 passes for 26 yards. He went 17 of 30 for 168 yards, one touchdown and one interception in 2020, so he does not have a ton of game experience. Downing has some receivers to work with, including Smoke Harris, who led the team with 71 receptions and six touchdowns last year. Leading rusher Marcus Williams is gone, but Greg Garner returns, and Vanderbilt transfer Keyon Henry-Brooks is an option as well. The defense is experienced, but it finished outside the top 100 in total defense and scoring defense last year.