Boxscore

AUBURN, Ala. - Louisiana Tech's fourth consecutive game against a Top 25 opponent proved tough Saturday as No. 6 ranked Auburn took a 52-7 win over the Bulldogs before a crowd of 77,016 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn moved to 6-0 with the win while Louisiana Tech fell to 3-3.

The Bulldogs played most of the game without junior running back Ryan Moats, who entered the contest as the nation's second-leading rusher with 928 yards and an average of 185.6 yards per game. Moats rushed only three times for 0 yards before leaving the game in the first quarter with an ankle injury. He did not return.

"Obviously, he is a huge part of our offense," said Tech head coach Jack Bicknell. "However, injuries are part of football. If someone goes down, the next person has to step up. We simply made too many mistakes today. I'm disappointed because I really wanted to compete better, but the mistakes simply took us out of the game."

In the postgame interview, Moats said he plans on being ready for Tech's next contest against SMU Oct. 16.

"In my heart, I plan to be ready," Moats said. "We will just have to see how it feels. I'm going to do everything I can to be ready."

Prior to Moats' injury which occurred on a carry with just under seven minutes remaining in the first quarter, Auburn built a 14-0 first quarter lead on a pair of rushing touchdowns, a six-yard run by Carnell Williams and three-yard burst by Ronnie Brown. However, field position set up both scoring drives as the Tigers had to go only 45 yards on the first drive and 24 yards on the second.

The Bulldogs defense stiffened in the second quarter and it looked like Tech would trail by only a 17-0 score at the half. However, junior quarterback Matt Kubik's pass with just over three minutes left in the second quarter was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Carlos Rogers and the Tigers had a 24-0 halftime lead and all the momentum.

On the interception return, Kubik's intended receiver fell down on his cut leaving Rogers all alone for the pick and the return for the score. Kubik finished the game 12 of 22 for 179 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

"We made too many mistakes, especially in the first half, and you can't do that against a team like Auburn," said Tech defensive lineman Chris Van Hoy.

After Auburn increased their lead to 31-0 on a touchdown pass midway through the third quarter, the Bulldogs finally got on the scoreboard when Kubik hit sophomore Johnathan Holland on a 78-yard scoring toss. Holland finished the day with a career-high tying three receptions for a career-high 122 receiving yards.

The bad luck which started in the first half with Moats injury stayed with the Bulldogs in the final two quarters. On two of the Tigers second half touchdown passes, Tech defensive backs had apparent interceptions but had the ball go through their hands and right into the arms of the intended Auburn receiver in the endzone.

Auburn's final touchdown was set up when the Tigers recovered a Bulldog fumble on the two-yard line. Two plays later Auburn had eclipsed the 50-point plateau and the ended the scoring on the day.

Freshman running back Freddie Franklin carried most of Tech's rushing workload after Moats' departure, picking up 75 yards on 13 carries.

The Bulldogs were led defensively by Byron Santiago, Jemelle Cage and Lee Johnson with seven tackles each while Van Hoy ended with five tackles, including two sacks for minus 20 yards.

Tech returns to action Saturday when it travels to SMU. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.