Boxscore

RUSTON, La. ? Two touchdown passes by senior Zac Champion in the fourth quarter erased a 12-point deficit, leading to a thrilling 22-21 victory over New Mexico State on Saturday at Joe Aillet Stadium.

With Tech trailing 21-9, a third-down pass was batted around the end zone before finally being hauled in by Brian Jackson to pull the Bulldogs within 21-16 with 6:55 to play. It was the first touchdown for Louisiana Tech since the 10:24 mark of the California game on Sept. 15, a span of more than 13 quarters.

After forcing an Aggie three-and-out, Champion led a 6-play, 60-yard drive capped off by a 30-yard touchdown pass to Phillip Livas to take a 22-21 lead as the two-point conversion attempt failed with 1:53 left.

?When I first got the ball, I was thinking I had to make a big play because that?s what they brought me here to do,? Livas said. ?Throughout the whole game, Coach Dooley was talking about believing, and it came together. We just had to stay calm and make the plays.?

New Mexico State?s last-ditch effort stalled near midfield, and with the Aggies out of timeouts, the Bulldogs were able to take two knees to run out the clock.

?This was a great win,? Tech head coach Derek Dooley said. ?Things were looking bad at one point, but it?s a great tribute to the theme of our team: leave no options. This is the first time since I?ve been here that I honestly felt that these guys felt they were going to win. I?m proud of the effort.?

The Bulldogs pulled out the victory despite shooting themselves in the foot on numerous occasions. A missed field goal, numerous dropped passes and nine penalties were just a few of the mistakes that plagued Tech on the night.

The Aggies dominated the time of possession, holding the ball for more than 35 minutes, and the Bulldogs were 2-of-14 on third down.

NMSU got on the board first when Chris Williams scored on a 16-yard pass from J.J. McDermott. Paul Young?s kick was good, and the Aggies led 7-0. A field goal by Danny Horwedel cut the lead to 7-3 at the half, and another kick by Horwedel made it 7-6 with 5:56 to play in the third.

The Aggies answered quickly with Williams scoring his second touchdown on an 11-yard pass from McDermott to make it 14-6. Horwedel?s field goal in the closing seconds on the third quarter made it 14-9.

Following a pass interference call that gave New Mexico State a first-and-goal at the 2, Justine Buries? 2-yard run put the Aggies ahead 21-9.

Sophomore Michael Moseley made his first career start at quarterback for Tech and was 5-of-12 for 54 yards; however, receivers dropped the majority of those incompletions. Champion, who was also plagued by drops, completed 22 of 35 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns. The senior quarterback also led the Bulldogs on the ground with five carries for 54 yards.

?I?m proud of Zac, it?s been a tough week for him,? Dooley said. ?It?s a tribute to his character.?

Senior kicker Danny Horwedel provided the balance of the scoring as he was 3-of-4 on field goals.

NMSU backup quarterback J.J. McDermott was 29-for-40 for 319 and two touchdowns. Aggie junior Chris Williams had a big night with 170 yards on 11 catches. Justin Buries led the Aggies on the ground with 62 yards on 23 carries.

Defensively, the Bulldogs were led by Weldon Brown with 13 tackles, and Quin Harris added 12. Antonio Baker had 11 tackles and also blocked a New Mexico State field goal attempt in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs return to action next Saturday, Oct. 20, as they play host to Boise State. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Joe Aillet Stadium.