DALLAS - Former Louisiana Tech football stars Matt Dunigan and Ryan Moats will be at the Heart of Dallas Bowl because their hearts remain with the Bulldogs.

Several other former Bulldogs will join them on the sidelines or in the stands when Tech, 8-5 and champs of the Conference USA's West Division, and the 6-6 University of Illinois Fighting Illini of the Big Ten meet the day after Christmas at noon in the Cotton Bowl.

"On the 26th we're making plans to get out to that football game, and all I can say is that once you bark like a 'Dog, you always bark like a 'Dog," said Dunigan, a Canadian Football League Hall of Famer, Tech Athletics Hall of Famer (Class of 2011) and Southland Conference Player of the Year and Louisiana Sports Writers Association State Offensive Player of the Year in 1982 when he quarterbacked Tech to the SLC championship and a 10-3 record.

"You gotta support the Bulldogs whenever you can, and this is a golden opportunity to get out there and support the 'Dogs in your own backyard," said Dunigan, who starred at Lake Highlands High in Dallas -- the Bulldogs practiced on his high school field this week -- and now lives in Rockwall in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. "I think there are a lot of Bulldog fans in the state of Texas; certainly the Dunigan family is and has been since our relationship with Tech started back in 1979."

Dunigan and the former Kathy Hudgins, a Regal Blue when Dunigan was a quarterback, have been married 30 years and are both Tech grads. The couple's oldest son attended Tech, their second-oldest is a Tech grad, and their two youngest, daughter Madison and son Dolan, are Tech students now.

"Yeah, I think you could say the Dunigans are definitely Bulldogs," said Dunigan, who is still involved with the CFL as a broadcaster but moved home to Texas in 2012.

Moats also played high school football in Dallas, at Bishop Lynch. The 5-8 running back was the Western Athletic Conference's Offensive Player of the Year in 2004 and is No. 4 on the program's career rushing list with 3,112 yards. He maintains strong Ruston ties.

"I plan on going and on being on the sidelines," said Moats, who addressed the team after its Wednesday practice. "People I met in Ruston are people who are still in my life today. Some of the best moments in my life happened right there in town. Tech and Ruston's people helped me become who I am as a man and helped me develop in a personal and natural way. Sometimes kids feel they have to change how they are at a university to mold to society, to fit in to that particular place. I didn't feel that. For the most part, I felt I could do my stuff, discover who I was. I met great people along the way who helped shape me. School is school but the people make it what it is."

Moats and his wife Tamishia, a former beauty queen who went to high school in Grambling and then to college at Tech, come back to Ruston often and plan a trip there during the holidays. The couple have a girl and boy and another little girl on the way.

"My kids have multiple grandparents because we think of a few couples in Ruston as part of our family," said Moats, who played four years in the NFL, two with Philadelphia and two with Houston. "All these people touched my life, but they've touched my kids' lives too. I think I'm giving my kids something I never received as a child. The people I met in Ruston, these are men who really showed me what being a family man is."

He discovered his love for graphic arts when he was given a chance to explore his talent through Tech TV.

"I got to start to experiment with creative things, and that opportunity allowed me to push toward creativity and my dreams outside of football," said Moats, who today is the athletic director for branding at Bishop Dunne in Dallas; you can see his Moatsworks Studios art at moatsworks.com.

Two coaches on the football staff at Bishop Dunne, which won a Texas high school football state championship earlier this month, are, like Moats, former Bulldogs. Michael Johnson played safety and Myron Hawthorne tight end for the Bulldogs from 2001-04. Johnson is scheduled to talk briefly with the team after Christmas Day's early afternoon practice.

"My college experience was great for me because I became independent," Moats said. "A lot of things are wrapped around football, but even more than sports, kids need to go to a university so they can take advantage of opportunities that help them become and discover who they are supposed to be. Tech is a great place for a lot of people and I'm proud that they're here in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. It's great publicity for the University."

Besides Moats, Dunigan, Johnson and Hawthorne, former Bulldogs Wendell Delaney (defensive end, New Orleans), Lester Mills (tight end, Winnfield) and Garlon Powell (running back, Winnfield), all teammates on 1984's I-AA national champion runner-up, have been around the team this week. Quincy Stewart, (linebacker, Tyler, 1997-00) coaches high school football in Houston and was at the team hotel on Christmas Eve. Rick Shirley (1971-74) is scheduled to eat Christmas dinner with the team. Each plans to be at Friday's game.

"Hopefully we can play better than we did in the conference championship," said Dunigan; Marshall scored in the final 90 seconds and earned a rainy-day 26-23 victory in Huntington, W.V., Dec. 6. "That was pretty ugly; I know we wish we had that one back. I'm looking forward to them performing a little better, but no matter what happens, this has been a good year for the Bulldogs, and I hope everybody has a great holiday season."

Tickets are still available to the game and can be purchased online at LATechSports.com 24 hours a day. The LA Tech Ticket Office (318-257-3631) will be open today from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. A ticket Will Call table will also be open in the lobby of the Omni Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For complete coverage of bowl week, fans can log onto LATechSports.com. Fans can also follow throug=h social media avenues, including Twitter (@LATechSports, @LATechFB), Facebook (/LATechAthletics, /LATechFB) and Instagram (@LATechSports).