Louisiana Tech Football: Seniors Now Must Pass the Torch

Louisiana Tech Senior Linebacker Jay Dudley was despondent following the Bulldogs' 31-24 loss to TCU. Clearly distraught in the postgame interview, the team's second-leading tackler offered up some simple words:

"It's disappointing because we felt like we should have beat them."

In a lot of ways Dudley is right.

Louisiana Tech had two crucial turnovers in the first half. One came in TCU territory to kill a long drive. The other came right before the half and instantly led to TCU's first touchdown.

Throw in a missed field goal and a 14-0 margin in the fourth quarter, and you can understand where Dudley is coming from.

It's a disappointing end to a great season. The Bulldogs won eight games and were outright champions of the WAC but their close loss will leave a bitter taste in their mouths over the offseason.

"We started 1-4 and guys just kept believing in themselves and kept hanging in there and re-committed themselves and became a good football team," said Coach Sonny Dykes, who signed a contract extension earlier in the day. "It was a little disappointing, the way we played tonight, we wished we would have played better and had a better opportunity to win."

Louisiana Tech may not have won the game but they made a name for themselves.

They won their first WAC title in 10 years and made only their third bowl game in 20 years. Wednesday night they went toe-to-toe with one of the best programs in the land.

"If you asked the national media, they wouldn't know what state Louisiana Tech was in," joked Dykes. "For our guys to come out here and play with the confidence that we played with and expect to win, I think, is a real credit to them and the work ethic how far we've come as a program."

Now, the onus is on the underclassmen to take the torch and make another bowl game next season.

They return almost all of their skill positions on offense but lose a majority of their defense. If Louisiana Tech wants to have the same name recognition as TCU or Boise State, then they will need to string together consecutive winning seasons.

This fact isn't lost on the senior class.

"We started something for Louisiana Tech," said Dudley. While Dudley may not suit up for the red and blue next season, he and the other seniors have established what Louisiana Tech wants to be as a program: "Hopefully the juniors and sophomores will be able to finish it up next year."

Ryne Hodkowski is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.