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A bowl victory last season may have put the expectations a little farther ahead of schedule than the rebuilding project at Louisiana Tech really demands, but the fact is fans expect a lot from the Bulldogs this year.

As coach Derek Dooley's squad broke fall camp and began its preparations for its Sept. 5 season-opener at Auburn, one of the biggest question marks from last season remained: will the team be able to pass the ball?

Dooley is cautiously optimistic about the offensive side of the equation as junior quarterback Ross Jenkins was steady, not spectacular, but steady throughout camp.

"Ross' best quality is that he's 6-2 as a starter," Dooley told ESPN.com. "He's never going to just wow you, but what he does is he does so many things well as far as his understanding of the game, game management, getting us in the right looks, his command of the offense, and the respect he has for the team. Those things are more important than any arm talent you can have."

Jenkins said preparing for Auburn has been difficult because of the new coaching staff the Tigers have in place, which includes a different head coach and different coordinators. Jenkins said he is more concerned with those new coaches and what they'll bring to the table than he is with the players themselves on Auburn's defense.

"It's really more their scheme and what their coordinator likes to do, more than personnel-wise," Jenkins told the Monroe News Star. "Personnel is a very important part, but right now I just like to get their overall defensive scheme down."

Louisiana Tech was the Western Athletic Conference's worst passing team in 2008, averaging just 156 yards in the air per game.

In the team's final scrimmage before breaking fall camp, Dooley saw some signs the offense may be on the rise.

"We had a scrimmage the other night and we had more big plays than we ever had," Dooley told ESPN.com. "It was great. A lot of big plays throwing the football well."

--It isn't exactly the Jerry Jones Jumbotron in the new Texas Stadium, but the video board installed this offseason at Louisiana Tech's Joe Aillet Stadium is still pretty impressive.

So much so, coach Derek Dooley is concerned about how it will affect his team.

"I think it is going to take some getting used to by our team because as good entertainment it is for the fans, it can also be a very distracting element for the players if they let it," Dooley said. "We are going to practice with the video board some and get used to it."

--Backup QB Steven Ensminger was on the Auburn roster in 2006, where he redshirted for former coach Tommy Tuberville before transferring to Louisiana Tech. The former West Monroe, La., prep standout sat out in 2007 and mostly ran the Bulldogs scout team in 2008. His father, Steve Ensminger, was a former Auburn assistant who is now coaching high school football in Smiths Station, Ala.

--SERIES HISTORY: Auburn 10, Louisiana Tech 0, one tie (last meeting, 2004, 52-7 Auburn)

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: Louisiana Tech will need to have a heavy dose of running back Daniel Porter if it wants to stay in the game with the Auburn Tigers. The senior has the benefit of running behind five returning starters on the offensive line and will need to take some of the pressure off the passing game, which was awful in 2008. Wide receiver Philip Livas will also be asked to step up his production as a wide receiver after proving to be one of the WAC's best kick and punt returners a year ago.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: He'll be double and maybe even triple teamed at times by the Auburn offense, but that is the way things will likely be all season for star defensive tackle D'Anthony "Boo" Smith. The 6-foot-2, 300-pound Smith is one of the WAC's best defenders and could prove to be one of the nation's top run stuffers in 2009. He'll need to be this week as the Bulldogs can't afford to have any hiccups when it comes to stopping the run because most of their defensive schemes will have to focus on helping the unproven secondary. Louisiana Tech was among the nation's worst teams in stopping the pass in 2008.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "What our team did last year was just a foundation of hopefully better things for the program. Winning the Indy Bowl and having the kind of year we had was great. I see a lot of bright things in Tech's future." -- Louisiana Tech defensive tackle D'Anthony Smith in the Ruston Daily Leader.

THIS WEEK'S GAME: Louisiana Tech at Auburn, Sept. 5 -- For Auburn, first-year coach Gene Chizik will start his reign over the Tigers program. A Southeastern Conference team opening against a Western Athletic Conference team may look on paper like a cakewalk, but Louisiana Tech was pretty good in 2008 and head coach Derek Dooley is certainly no stranger to the SEC. His father was longtime Georgia coach Vince Dooley and Derek Dooley was also a five-year assistant coach at LSU, where he boasted the nation's top recruiting class in 2003 as LSU's recruiting coordinator.

KEYS TO THE GAME: Louisiana Tech can't fall behind early because it hasn't proven it is capable of big plays on offense, especially through the air. On defense, the Bulldogs are tough against the run and will have to have a good game from its defensive line -- stopping the run and creating pressure on the quarterback -- as the unproven secondary will likely be tested plenty.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

DT D'Anthony Smith is on several preseason watch lists and is an NFL-caliber player. In the WAC, he may not go up against too many NFL-caliber offensive lineman, so he needs to make to most of his opportunities against BCS-type opponents.

QB Ross Jenkins may be growing a bit tired of hearing about just how bad the team's passing game was under him in 2008. The fact is he was 6-2 as a starter and may be tempted to start airing it out some this fall to quiet his critics.

WR Philip Livas must develop into a better wide receiver for the Bulldogs anemic passing game to take flight this year. Already one of the nation's most electrifying return men, much of the team's success this season could come down to his ability to translate that special teams prowess as a wide receiver.

ROSTER REPORT:

--Senior linebacker Brian White is expected to play in the team's Sept. 5 opener at Auburn after having his practice time in training camp limited after suffering a concussion. Still, his action against the Tigers will be limited.

"Is he going to ready to go all four quarters? No way," Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley told the Monroe News Star. "But he'll be able to play. It's just a matter of how much."

--True freshmen RBs Tyrone Duplessis and D.J. Morrow have both pushed their way into the conversation for playing time in the Bulldogs backfield. Neither will take away the majority of carries from starter Daniel Porter, but one or both could become a regular back up right off the bat this season.

--OL Kris Cavitt will be the team's top back up at guard and tackle after he started the team's final six games in 2008 at right guard. The starting role there goes to Jared Miles, who started ahead of Cavitt in the Bulldogs first seven games of 2008.

Previous Report: 03/26/2009