Louisiana Tech Sports Information
RUSTON — Griffin Hebert caught two touchdown passes and Isaiah Graham added a third to lead Louisiana Tech to a 41-27 win over UTSA in the regular season finale for the Bulldogs Saturday evening at Joe Aillet Stadium.
In a game that was delayed by 2 ½ hours due to lightning delays, the Bulldogs (9-3, 6-2 C-USA) completed a perfect 6-0 record at home in 2019 – marking the first time a Tech football team posted a 6-0 mark at the Joe since 1973.
Despite the win, Tech failed to qualify to play in the C-USA title game as UAB defeated North Texas 26-21 in Denton to earn the spot from the West Division. The Blazers held the tiebreaker over the Bulldogs by virtue of their 20-14 win last week in Birmingham.
Tech will have a chance to record the program’s first 10-win season since 1984 when the Bulldogs play in the program’s sixth straight bowl game sometime in December. Bowl match-ups will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 8.
Justin Henderson recorded another 100-yard effort on the ground in the win over the Roadrunners, totaling 105 yards on 20 carries. He needs just 33 yards to become the 13th Bulldog player to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark and will have the opportunity in the Bulldogs bowl game. Israel Tucker added 59 yards rushing on three carries as Tech recorded 499 total yards of offense in the win.
Hebert, who caught three balls for 92 yards and the two scores, gave Tech an early 7-3 lead on a 22-yard reception on the Bulldogs opening possession. He added a 24-yard TD catch early in the fourth quarter that gave Tech a 41-20 advantage at the time.
After UTSA took a 17-14 lead when the Roadrunners recovered a fumble on a muffed punt in the endzone with 11:35 to play in the second quarter, Graham put the Bulldogs back on top with a 39-yard TD reception less than three minutes later.
Bailey Hale’s 34-yard field goal as time expired in the first half gave Tech a 24-17 halftime lead. Hale added 25-yard field goal in the third quarter.
The Tech defense got into the scoring to open the third quarter when James Jackson intercepted a Jordan Weeks pass and returned it 17 yards for a score. It was the fifth pick six for the Bulldogs defense this season and the 11th in the past three years – the most in the nation.
Connor Taylor led the Tech defense with nine tackles, while Bulldog defensive lineman Milton Williams recorded a career-high eight stops, including 1.5 tackles for loss.
