Boxscore

RUSTON ? Louisiana Tech head coach Derek Dooley had a message for longtime Ruston Daily Leader sports editor and Blue Team honorary head coach Buddy Davis following Saturday?s T-Day Spring Game at Joe Aillet Stadium.

Don?t quit your day job.

With the Blue Team leading 24-14 early in the fourth quarter, Davis and his coaching staff elected to go for a fourth-down and one inside its own 40 yard line.

The play was snuffed out and the momentum turned as the White Team staged a furious fourth quarter rally to down the Blue Team 28-27 before an estimated 3,500 fans, the largest turnout for a Louisiana Tech spring game in recent memory.

?The only thing I was disappointed in was Buddy Davis? fourth down call,? Dooley said in jest during in his post-game press conference. ?That?s the only thing today that will not be a preview of next year?s season, I hope.

?They had a nice comfortable lead, total command of the game, and Buddy gets a little greedy and goes for it. The White Team made a great stop, and I thought that was the big turning point of the game.?

The reward for the White Team?s never-say-die mentality -- a steak dinner Sunday night in the Jarrell Room while the Blue Team will eat hot dogs and chips.

Freshman quarterback Ross Jenkins was the late-game hero for the White. His 23-yard touchdown pass to Josh Wheeler with 0:28 left to play finished off the furious fourth-quarter rally. Jenkins, who completed 12-of-24 passes for 136 yards, led the White Team on two of its three touchdown drives, both of his coming in the final five minutes.

?We had four verticals called with Wheels on the right by himself,? Jenkins said of the winning score. ?I noticed they moved the safety over because they were blitzing on the play, and I had a one-on-one with Wheels and he is one of our best receivers. It was an easy throw for me and he made a great play.?

Jenkins also connected with Thomas Augusta on a 12-yard score with 4:24 to play to make the score 24-21. After a 24-yard Brad Oestriecher field goal for the Blue Team with 2:11 to play, Jenkins and the White Team marched down the field on a 10-play, 60-yard drive for the game-winning score.

Tech head coach Derek Dooley, who watched from the sideline the majority of the game while allowing his assistant coaches to handle all the play-calling, said he was pleased with the overall play of both teams.

?My main thing is it was great play from both sides,? Dooley said. ?The lesson should be that whether you?re ahead or behind, you should never look at the scoreboard and get ready for the next play.

?I think the Blue Team got ahead and got a little too confident and feeling good. I think the White Team kept sawing wood, and the next thing you know, they made a nice comeback.?

After the White Team jumped out to an early 7-0 lead on a 35-yard scamper off the right side by Daniel Porter on the opening possession, the Blue Team took control scoring 24 straight points.

Patrick Jackson accounted for two of the Blue Team?s scores on a 1-yard plunge in the first quarter and a 17-yard scamper midway through the third period. Jackson led all Tech running backs with 51 yards on 13 carries.

Quarterback Joe Danna ? who hit 4-of-6 passes for 139 yards and one score ?
gave the Blue Team its biggest lead with a 69-yard touchdown strike to tight end Dennis Morris with 3:24 to play in the third quarter. Morris caught two passes on the afternoon for 126 yards, with a 57-yarder reception in the first quarter where he was caught at the one-yard line setting up the first score of the day for the Blue.

Zac Champion completed 10 of 22 passes for 135 yards for the Blue Team.
Marquis McBeath led the Blue Team with 10 tackles, while Deon Young (6 tackles, 1 PBU), Stevon Howze (5 tackles), Anthony Crosby (5 tackles, 1 PBU), D?Anthony Smith (5 tackles) and Terrance Freeman (5 tackles) also contributed heavily.

The White Team was led by Tony Moss (8 tackles, 1 PBU), Mark Dillard (7 tackles, 2 PBUs) and Brian White (6 tackles, 1 sack).