Ann Arbor, MI – Colby Cameron threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns and ran for the decisive score in the fourth quarter as No. 19 Louisiana Tech outslugged Texas State, 62-55, on Saturday at Bobcat Stadium.
Kenneth Dixon had a huge day, running for 144 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries and catching another touchdown pass for the Bulldogs (9-1, 4-0 WAC), who have won four consecutive games.
Ray Holley ran for 145 yards on 27 carries, while D.J. Banks and R.P. Stuart each caught touchdown passes in the victory.
"We knew coming in that we were going to get a good shot from Texas State," Louisiana Tech coach Sonny Dykes said. "I was really impressed with their offense. They did a really good job of keeping us off-balance all night."
Shaun Rutherford threw for 234 yards and two scores on 21-of-37 passing, while Tim Hawkins completed a 47-yard touchdown strike for Texas State (3-6, 1-3), which has dropped three in a row.
Marcus Curry ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries and caught another touchdown pass, while Rutherford added 90 yards on the ground and a score. Bradley Miller caught five balls for 65 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.
"What a game. It seems like it lasted a year in a half," Texas State coach Dennis Franchione said. "It was a long one, but I'm really proud of our players. I thought they played and fought their tails off. We took the 19th ranked team down to the end."
With the contest tied at 48, the Bulldogs began their first drive of the fourth quarter at their own 25. After two rushes for a combined 15 yards by Holley, Cameron hit Quinton Patton over the middle for 36 yards.
Holley capped the 6-play drive with a 6-yard touchdown run, putting Louisiana Tech ahead, 55-48.
Later in the frame, Cameron put the finishing touches on an 11-play, 85-yard march with a 2-yard plunge into the end zone which put the Bulldogs in front, 62-48 with 3:23 left.
Texas State responded with a 12-play, 75-yard scoring march that culminated in a Rutherford 1-yard TD run, making it a 62-55 game, but Louisiana Tech got the ball back with 1:07 to play and ran out the remaining time.
Texas State got off to a quick start as Rutherford led his team 75 yards on 10 plays on the opening drive of the game before capping the drive with an 11- yard lateral pitch to Terrence Franks for the score and an early 7-0 advantage.
Louisiana Tech answered on its ensuing possession as Cameron completed five passes during a 12-play, 76-yard trek before finishing the drive with a 4-yard TD strike to Stuart, tying the game, 7-7.
Texas State responded on its next touch with a quick 5-play, 75-yard march, which Curry put an exclamation point on with a huge 55-yard gallop to the end zone, giving his team a 14-7 advantage.
The Bulldogs were forced to punt on their ensuing possession, but responded on the following touch to tie the game at 14 late in the first quarter.
Starting from their own 44 with 3:59 on the clock, Cameron connected on four passes during a 9-play, 56-yard drive before capping it with a 14-yard TD pass to Dixon.
Texas State bridged the first and second quarters with a 4-play, 35-yard drive, which was capped by a 19-yard strike to Miller, putting the Bobcats up, 21-14.
But, the Bulldogs again had an answer in the form of a 10-play, 75-yard march to the Texas State 4-yard line before Dixon finished the trek with a 4-yard push into the end zone, tying things at 21 early in the second quarter.
After forcing a three-and-out Louisiana Tech took a 28-21 lead when Dixon capped a 7-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, his third score of the game.
On the next Bobcats drive, Hawkins hit Curry for a 47-yard touchdown pass. Will Johnson's extra-point try was blocked, leaving the Bulldogs with a 28-27 lead.
Louisiana Tech again took a one-score lead on its ensuing possession after Dixon finished a 10-play march with a 13-yard sprint to the end zone.
Curry's 5-yard touchdown sprint with less 48 seconds to go in the half made it 34-34, but the Bulldogs got the last laugh in a wild first half as Cameron connected with Banks for a 49-yard TD pass, putting Louisiana Tech up, 41-34 at halftime.
The teams continued to trade punches in the third quarter as Dixon's fourth score of the night -- a 16-yard run to the end zone -- gave the Bulldogs a 48-34 lead, but Franks capped a 70-yard drive with a 22-yard TD run, pulling Texas State within 48-41 after three quarters.
Texas State began the fourth quarter with the ball at the Louisiana Tech 12 and Rutherford hit Miller for a 12-yard TD strike, tying the game at 48.
Game Notes
Dixon has 24 touchdowns this season, which pushed him past Marshall Faulk and Ryan Williams' FBS freshman record of 21 ... Cameron passed Russell Wilson's FBS record of 379 consecutive pass attempts without an interception. He last threw a pick in last season's Poinsettia Bowl against TCU ... Louisiana Tech outgained Texas State, 627-577.
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