Box Score Sept. 20, 2014 Final Stats | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery 
RUSTON, La. - Louisiana Tech committed five turnovers, including three in the fourth quarter, and Northwestern State capitalized each time, including Chris Moore's 47-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Demons to a 30-27 upset win over the Bulldogs before 26,004 fans at Joe Aillet Stadium Saturday night.
Moore's game-winner split the uprights as Northwestern State won the 78th meeting ever between the two schools and the first in 20 years.
The game-winning kick came after the Bulldogs (2-2) committed their fifth turnover of the night - and second in their final two offensive plays of the game - as Cody Sokol's pass was tipped by Imoan Claiborne and intercepted by Adam Jones at the Tech 49 with 52 seconds to play in the game.
Following the interception, NSU moved the ball down to the Tech 30 on two completions by Zach Adkins to Cody Jones, setting up the final play of the night.
"We did things tonight that we haven't done this year; the turnovers, the penalties," said Tech head coach Skip Holtz. "I said coming into this game it was all about us. I thought we competed; I didn't have any issues with our effort. We simply made way too many mistakes. I give Northwestern State a lot of credit. They played extremely hard and took advantage of our mistakes."
Tech appeared poised to fight off the valiant effort by Northwestern State numerous times in the fourth quarter. Dixon's five-yard touchdown run with 8:35 to play in the fourth quarter gave the Bulldogs a 27-17 lead, as the run capped a six play, 38-yard drive following a Kentrell Brice interception of Adkins.
Northwestern State (2-2) immediately countered, driving 58 yards on 10 plays and scoring on De'Mard Llorens 14-yard run off the right side with 4:20 to play in the game. Moore's extra point cut the Tech lead to 27-24.
After NSU kicked off to the Bulldogs, LA Tech turned to the ground game and Dixon. Back-to-back runs by the junior tailback tallied nine yards and set up a third down and one play with less than three minutes to play. However, on the third down run, Dixon earned the first down but then fumbled the ball as NSU's Marion Chapman recovered for the Demons on the Tech 35.
Once again, NSU capitalized. Adkins drove the Demons down to the Tech 10 where the Bulldogs defense forced a Moore 29-yard field goal that tied the game at 27-27 with 1:05 to play, setting up the final sequence of events for the night.
The game started out as many folks had predicted. Kenneth Dixon put the Bulldogs on the board early as he caught a 38-yard pass from Sokol and ran up the sideline into the end zone giving Tech the 7-0 lead.
Dixon had another touchdown reception but the score was waived off as Tech was called for offensive pass interference. After being pushed back by consecutive penalties and failing to move the chains, Jonathan Barnes came on to hit a 38-yard field goal as Tech extended its lead to 10-0.
With 6:15 left in the second quarter the Demons finally got on the board, intercepting Cody Sokol on the NSU 29-yard line then driving 47 yards to set up the 41-yard field goal by Chris Moore, cutting Tech's advantage to 10-3.
Penalties stalled another LA Tech drive late in the second quarter but Jonathan Barnes added to Tech's lead as he kicked a 44-yard field goal with seven seconds left in the half, pushing Tech's lead to 13-3.
Garrett Atzenweiler would pull Northwestern State within a field goal with 4:20 left in the third quarter as he ran for a four-yard touchdown, capping off a 12-play, 54-yard drive to cut Tech's lead to a 13-10 Bulldog advantage.
The Bulldogs would respond with a 10-play, 60-yard drive capped off by a 3-yard run by Dixon to push the Bulldogs' lead to 20-10.
A muffed punt return by Trent Taylor would give the Demons the ball on the Tech 27-yard line and it would take NSU only two plays to score, punching it in from 10-yards out on an Atzenweiler run to cut Tech's lead to 20-17.
Kenneth Dixon tied Arry Moody in Tech history with his 36th career rushing touchdown with 8:35 remaining in the game to push Tech's lead back out to 10, this time scoring from 5-yards out.
But that would be the last thing that would go Tech's way. Northwestern State would respond with a touchdown off a 14-yard run by De'Mar Llorens and then a Dixon fumble would give the Demons the ball at the Tech 35-yard line. While the Bulldog defense would hold Northwestern State to a field goal to tie the game, 27-27, bad luck would still befall the Bulldogs.
On the next drive, a Sokol pass would tip off the hands of Claiborne to eventually set up the winning field goal.
Louisiana Tech travels to No. 5/5 Auburn next week with a 3 p.m. CT start scheduled for the SEC Network.
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