Old Dominion shut out 26-0 by Louisiana Tech

Old Dominion Monarchs fell to 2-6 on Saturday, losing 26-0 at Louisiana Tech in a game the Monarchs never threatened. The Bulldogs, now 5-2, improved to 4-0 at home in front of 20,444 at Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston.

Bulldogs control the game

Louisiana Tech scored on its first two possessions, a 4-yard run by Blake Baker and a 5-yard run by Trey Kukuk, to lead 14-0 after one quarter. Hunter Rioux added a 49-yard field goal in the second quarter for a 17-0 lead.

Eli Finley caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Baker with 7:56 left in the third quarter, and a two-point try failed, making it 23-0. Kaegan Kent kicked a 25-yard field goal with 9:03 left in the fourth for the final margin.

Baker finished 28 of 34 for 303 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions. Finley had 10 catches for 128 yards, and Jalen Mickens added 8 for 110. Louisiana Tech converted 11 of 19 third downs, held the ball for 39:19 and outgained Old Dominion 438 yards to 141.

Offense stalls

The Monarchs managed 13 first downs and were 5 of 13 on third down. They finished with minus-13 rushing yards on 22 carries. Jaxon Potter was 18 of 34 for 154 yards with one interception and had minus-28 yards on seven carries, including sacks. Leon Haughton Jr. led the receivers with four catches for 45 yards, and Josh Rodriguez had four for 43. Kendall Harris also caught four passes, for 38 yards.

Old Dominion's best scoring chance came in the third quarter, when a 10-play, 63-yard drive ended in a missed field goal. Nathanial Eichner was 0 of 1 on field goals. The Monarchs were also 0 of 2 on fourth down, turning the ball over on downs twice in the fourth quarter. Potter was intercepted by Amari Butler at the Louisiana Tech 41 on second-and-13 from the Old Dominion 22. Potter was sacked on fourth-and-13 with just over two minutes left to end the Monarchs' last real push.

Defense bright spots

The defense had individual standouts despite the score. Ja'Mez Drummer led all players with 15 tackles, including 3.5 for loss. Koa Naotala had two sacks and three tackles for loss, and DeAndre Lynch added a sack. Jackson Forrest had 11 tackles. Louisiana Tech was held to 3.0 yards per rush, and the defense stopped the Bulldogs on downs once in the second quarter after a 15-play, 65-yard drive. Ian Brandt punted five times for a 40.6-yard average, with two inside the 20.

Old Dominion was penalized five times for 32 yards. Louisiana Tech had nine penalties for 75 yards.

Next up

The Monarchs return home to face Marshall on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. ET.