Louisiana Tech’s Jaylon Ferguson Aims for Sack Record at Hawaii Bowl

If defensive end Jaylon Ferguson wasn’t going to skip his senior season for the NFL, he definitely wasn’t going to miss the Hawaii Bowl. The Louisiana Tech star has a chance to put his name in the record books when the Bulldogs face Hawaii on Saturday. The game has been bet down from a 1.5-point Louisiana Tech advantage to a pick ’em.

Ferguson  could be the deciding factor. The edge rusher has wreaked havoc on opposing offenses. He has 42 sacks in his career, 15 this season, and only needs two more to break the NCAA record of  44, held by Arizona State’s Terrell Suggs and Arkansas State’s Javon Rolland-Jones.

It is definitely an attainable mark. Ferguson has had two or more sacks in four games this season. Against North Texas the man nicknamed “Sack Daddy” got a career-best four.

Hawaii quarterback Cole McDonald knows Ferguson will be gunning for him, and stopping him will be a major goal.

“(He) is a good player, it’s going to be a good test for the o-line and myself as well,” McDonald said. “Their whole defense is pretty good and we don’t go into any game thinking lightly of anybody.”

Bucking a Trend

While most college players who have a future in the NFL elect to skip bowl games to focus on the draft, and protect themselves from possible injury, Ferguson never entertained the thought of missing the postseason. He told the Monroe News Star that it wasn’t even an issue.

“Nobody had to ask me, I’m playing,” Ferguson said. “This is the one of the last opportunities I get to play college football, I wasn’t going to pass up on that opportunity.”

In Ferguson’s case coming back for his final year, might have actually helped his draft stock. He is now projected as a high second-round pick, where last year he was slated to go in the third or fourth round.

Bulldogs coach Skip Holtz admires Ferguson’s decision, and said he hasn’t let up at all in his preparation for the bowl game.

“From what I’ve seen in bowl practice, it’s not going to be any different in the bowl game,” Holtz said. “I love him to death, I love his attitude and I couldn’t be more excited for the accomplishments he’s gained because he certainly deserves them with the team concept, the unselfish attitude and with how hard he’s worked.”

Offensive Concerns

While Holtz hasn’t had to worry about the defense, the offense, especially quarterback J’Mar Smith has led to some sleepless nights. There has been inconsistency there, and Holtz told the News Star that it is an issue they are working on improving before facing Hawaii.

“When you watch him do it out here on the practice field, I have confidence in J’Mar,” Holtz said. “It’s not so much doing it in practice, it’s the consistency on game day.”

The junior quarterback has had two games where he has thrown two or more interceptions, and can’t commit those types of mistakes against Hawaii. It will be his responsibility to try and break the team’s two-game losing streak on Saturday.