Louisiana Tech joins rare 80-point club in 2026 opener
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Many teams are capable of scoring 80 points in their season openers. However, very few do.
Teams will pull starters, pull second-stringers, throw in the scout team, and drain clock in effort to prevent the scoreboard from looking too ugly. Oftentimes, the scoring threshold teams to shoot for lies within the 70s. The 80s are rarefied territory and only attained once every few seasons.
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs presented a rare 80-burger in its season opening domination of FCS program Northwestern State. Louisiana Tech decisively won the contest, 80-6, and set a school record for points in the process. The 74-point margin victory also set a school record for the Bulldogs.
It was the first 80-point performance since September 2024, when a fellow Sun Belt team South Alabama accumulated 87 points, also on Northwestern State. Scoring 80 points has become increasingly rare in recent years, and Louisiana Tech’s offensive masterclass marked the third such performance in the past 11 seasons.
Only 14 teams have reached 80 points in the 21st century:
| Date | Winner | Points | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 5, 2026 | Louisiana Tech | 80 | Northwestern State (FCS) | 6 |
| Sept. 12, 2024 | South Alabama | 87 | Northwestern State (FCS) | 10 |
| Sept. 2, 2023 | Oregon | 81 | Portland State (FCS) | 7 |
| Sept. 26, 2015 | UNLV | 80 | Idaho State (FCS) | 8 |
| Oct. 25, 2014 | TCU | 82 | Texas Tech | 27 |
| Sept. 6, 2014 | Georgia Southern | 83 | Savannah State (FCS) | 9 |
| Nov. 23, 2013 | Florida State | 80 | Idaho | 14 |
| Nov. 23, 2013 | North Carolina | 80 | Old Dominion (FCS) | 20 |
| Sept. 1, 2012 | Oklahoma State | 84 | Savannah State (FCS) | 0 |
| Nov. 13, 2010 | Wisconsin | 83 | Indiana | 20 |
| Sept. 6, 2008 | Arkansas State | 83 | Texas Southern (FCS) | 10 |
| Sept. 8, 2007 | Western Kentucky | 87 | West Virginia Tech (NAIA) | 0 |
| Sept. 17, 2005 | Texas Tech | 80 | Sam Houston (FCS) | 21 |
| Nov. 3, 2001 | West Virginia | 80 | Rutgers | 7 |
Interestingly enough, Louisiana Tech trailed in this game. Northwestern State converted a 33-yard field goal on its opening possession to secure a 3-0 lead.
Then, Louisiana Tech went full throttle. The Bulldogs rattled off 10-straight offensive touchdown drives, with the first nine all requiring under three minutes to reach the end zone. Sandwiched within that touchdown barrage was a 58-yard punt return touchdown by Dedrick Latulas, which was Louisiana Tech’s only non-offensive score of the game.
Louisiana Tech led 63-3 at halftime and 77-3 by the 6:28 mark of the third quarter, having a realistic chance to pursue triple-digits if it wanted to. However, the Bulldogs withdrew from the demolition in the middle third quarter. They punted on two-straight three-and-outs upon reaching 77 but attained 80 with 8:56 remaining on a 49-yard field goal.
Conversely, Northwestern State scored field goals on its first and last drives of the game. Those kicks bookended a brutal stretch where it:
- threw an interception on the first play of its second drive
- punted 10 times, and all 10 punts were via three-and-outs
- turned it over on downs in a drive that went for -17 yards
In total, Northwestern State had 15 possessions. It only gained more than six yards on the first and last series of the game. Meanwhile, five drives produced negative yardage.
Louisiana Tech out-gained Northwestern State, 527-129, a discrepancy of 8.9 to 2.1 yards per play. It marked the fewest yards Louisiana Tech allowed in a game since 2009. This 74-point annihilation wasn’t even turnover driven, as Northwestern State only coughed the ball up once on a first quarter interception.
80-point explosions don’t come around too often in college football. It might be several years before another one arrives, and Louisiana Tech entered the history books by recording one Saturday night at Joe Aillet Stadium.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos