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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Cody Sokol threw for 200 yards and two touchdowns and Kenneth Dixon ran for three scores as Louisiana Tech overpowered UAB, 40-24, Saturday morning at Legion Field.

The win keeps Louisiana Tech (7-3, 6-0 Conference USA) in the race for the C-USA West Division crown while UAB (5-5, 3-3) fell to 0-5 against the Bulldogs all-time.

Dixon's three touchdowns and 79 rushing yards all came within the first half before he left with an undisclosed injury, pushing the junior into fourth all-time at Louisiana Tech with 2,948 career rushing yards.

Sokol was 19-for-33 for 200 yards and two scores, finding eight different receivers for a catch throughout the game. His leading target, Trent Taylor, caught eight passes for 58 yards and a touchdown.

Tech's defense, which registered at least eight tackles for a loss for the seventh consecutive game, limited UAB to 326 total offensive yards as the Blazers averaging almost 450 yards per game in league entering the game. Tony Johnson led the defense with 10 total tackles and a fumble recovery while Xavier Woods blocked a kick, had a 34-yard interception return and registered five total tackles including one for a loss.

Louisiana Tech scored on all but one possession in the first half while blocking a UAB field goal and holding the Blazers to 10 points at halftime.

In the second half, UAB took advantage of a couple miscues by the Bulldogs on special teams with a fumble recovery on a punt return by Trent Taylor for a touchdown and had a chance to score again after recovering a Carlos Henderson fumble on the ensuing kickoff but Tech's Vernon Butler would recover a Jordan Howard fumble to prevent a score in the red zone.

After LA Tech was forced to punt on its next possession, UAB would fumble its punt return with Johnson recovering the ball. That would set up a seven-play drive that ended with Sokol's 10-yard touchdown pass to Taylor. A bad snap led to a failed conversion attempt as the Bulldogs led, 30-17.

After a Kyle Fischer 49-yard field goal and the teams trading punts, Woods' interception return to the UAB nine-yard line set up a Sokol touchdown pass to Henderson for the 40-24 advantage. UAB would return the next kickoff for 100 yards for the Blazers' final score of the game.

Louisiana Tech has an open date next week allowing the players to focus on final exams as the fall quarter comes to a close. The Bulldogs return to action on Saturday, Nov. 22 at Old Dominion.

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