2011 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team

2011 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football
WAC champion
Poinsettia Bowl, L 24–31 vs. TCU
Conference	Western Athletic Conference
2011 record	8–5 (6–1 WAC)
Head coach	Sonny Dykes (2nd year)
Offensive coordinator	Tony Franklin (2nd year)
Offensive scheme	Air raid
Defensive coordinator	Tommy Spangler (5th year)
Captain	Adrien Cole
Captain	Nick Isham
Home stadium	Joe Aillet Stadium (Capacity: 30,600)

2011 WAC football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Louisiana Tech $		6	–	1					8	–	5
Nevada		5	–	2					7	–	6
Utah State		5	–	2					7	–	6
Hawaii		3	–	4					6	–	7
San Jose State		3	–	4					5	–	7
Fresno State		3	–	4					4	–	9
New Mexico State		2	–	5					4	–	9
Idaho		1	–	6					2	–	10
$ – Conference champion As of December 24, 2011; Rankings from AP Poll

The 2011 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team represented Louisiana Tech University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Sonny Dykes, who was in his second season with Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs played their home games at Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston, Louisiana and competed in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). They finished the regular season with an 8–4 overall record and a 6–1 record in WAC play to win the 2011 Western Athletic Conference title. The Bulldogs lost the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego against the TCU Horned Frogs, the champions of the Mountain West Conference.

Before the season

Recruiting

2011 recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40^‡	Commit date
Larry Banks OL	Fayette, Mississippi	Copiah-Lincoln CC	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	325 lb (147 kg)	–	Dec 15, 2010
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: –
Scott Cathcart WR	Santa Maria, California	Allan Hancock College	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	4.50	Dec 22, 2010
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: –
Jeremy Graffree OL	Perkinston, Mississippi	Mississippi Gulf Coast CC	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	300 lb (140 kg)	–	Dec 22, 2010
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: –
Zach Griffith QB	Fullerton, California	Fullerton College	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	–	Jan 13, 2011
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: –
Chip Hester LB	North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina	Hutchinson CC	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	230 lb (100 kg)	4.53	Dec 15, 2010
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: –
Oscar Johnson OL	Crystal Springs, Mississippi	Copiah-Lincoln CC	6 ft 6.5 in (1.99 m)	350 lb (160 kg)	–	Dec 15, 2010
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: –
Antonio Mitchum LB	Hemingway, South Carolina	Georgia Military College	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	4.60	Dec 16, 2010
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: –
Quinton Patton WR	La Vergne, Tennessee	Coffeyville CC	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	4.40	Dec 15, 2010
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: –
Jon'al White DL	Ruston, Louisiana	Jones County CC	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	300 lb (140 kg)	4.90	Dec 15, 2010
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: –
Myles White WR	Livonia, Michigan	Northwest Mississippi CC	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	4.40	Dec 15, 2010
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: –
Dirk Tanner DL	North Little Rock, Arkansas	Pulaski Academy	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	270 lb (120 kg)	4.80	Feb 2, 2011
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Zeke Alsander OL	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	Southern Lab High School	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	300 lb (140 kg)	–	Feb 2, 2011
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Daniel Hayden DL	Poplarville, Mississippi	Pearl River CC	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	–	Feb 2, 2011
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: –
Warren Bates LB	Plaquemine, Louisiana	St. John High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	4.50	Feb 2, 2011
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Levander Liggins ATH	Leesville, Louisiana	Leesville High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	4.60	Feb 2, 2011
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Brice Abraham ATH	Jennings, Louisiana	Jennings High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	4.47	Feb 2, 2011
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: –
Ty Hook LB	Denton, Texas	Ryan High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	4.50	Feb 2, 2011
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Brock Waters ATH	Sarasota, Florida	Independence CC	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	–	Feb 2, 2011
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: –
Beau Fitte LB	Port Sulphur, Louisiana	South Plaquemines High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	4.65	Feb 2, 2011
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Josh Robinson OL	Lancaster, Texas	Lancaster High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	275 lb (125 kg)	–	Feb 2, 2011
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Tevin King RB	Moultrie, Georgia	Colquitt County High School	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)	160 lb (73 kg)	–	Feb 2, 2011
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: –
Malcolm Pichon DL	Slidell, Louisiana	Salmen High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	330 lb (150 kg)	5.00	Feb 2, 2011
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: –
Tyler Porter DL	Lafayette, Louisiana	Northside High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	310 lb (140 kg)	5.13	Feb 2, 2011
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Vontarrius Dora DL	West Point, Mississippi	West Point High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	–	Feb 2, 2011
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: –
Nick Isham QB	Hidden Hills, California	Westlake High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	4.5	Feb 2, 2011
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: –
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 88   ESPN: NR
‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Scout.com Football Recruiting: Louisiana Tech". Scout.com. Retrieved 2011-04-01. "2011 Player Signees- Louisiana Tech". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2011-04-01. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved 2011-04-01. "2011 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2011-04-01.

After the Spring Game at Joe Aillet Stadium, it was announced that Hunter Lee, Blake Martin, and Vincent Moore would walk on at Louisiana Tech. After playing as a wide receiver and a safety at River Oaks High School in Monroe, Louisiana, Vincent Moore plans to play safety at Louisiana Tech. Hunter Lee will likely tryout for a position at running back after earning District 8-5A MVP honors at Flower Mound High School in 2010. ^[1]

T-Day Spring Game

	1	2	3	4	Total
White	0	6	0	0	6
Blue	14	14	7	0	35

On May 24, Sonny Dykes dismissed wide receivers Ahmed Paige and Tim Molton from the team due to a violation of team rules.^[2]

Awards & award watch lists

Ryan Allen^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]}

• 2011 Walter Camp Football Foundation All-American (Second Team)
• Winner of the 2011 Ray Guy Award
• First-Team All-WAC (punter)
• WAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 6)
• WAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 8)

Chad Boyd^[7]

• Second-Team All-WAC (defensive back)

Matt Broha^[7][8]

• 2011 Preseason First-Team All-WAC
• 2011 First-Team All-WAC (defensive line)

Colby Cameron^[9]

• WAC Offensive Player of the Week (Week 10)

Terry Carter^[7]

• First-Team All-WAC (defensive back)

Kris Cavitt^[7]

• First-Team All-WAC (offensive lineman)

Adrien Cole^[4][7][10]

• 2011 WAC Defensive Player of the Year
• First-Team All-WAC (linebacker)
• WAC Defensive Player of the Week (Week 8)
• WAC Defensive Player of the Week (Week 12)

Lennon Creer^[8][11]

• 2011 Preseason First Team All-WAC
• Doak Walker Award watch list

Jay Dudley^[7]

• Second-Team All-WAC (linebacker)

Justin Ellis^[7]

• Second-Team All-WAC (defensive lineman)

IK Enemkpali^[12]

• WAC Defensive Player of the Week (Week 11)

Craig Johnson^[13]

• WAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 13)

Hunter Lee^[13]

• WAC Offensive Player of the Week (Week 13)

Matt Nelson^[7]

• Second-Team All-WAC (placekicker)

Quinton Patton^[7][14]

• First-Team All-WAC (wide receiver)
• Fred Biletnikoff Award watch list

Tommy Spangler^[15]

• Broyles Award nominee

Stephen Warner^[7]

• First-Team All-WAC (offensive lineman)

Schedule

The schedule was as follows:^[16]

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 3	9:00 PM	at Southern Miss*	M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, Mississippi (Rivalry in Dixie)	FSN	L 17–19	22,356[17]
September 10	6:00 PM	No. 18 (FCS) Central Arkansas*	Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, Louisiana	ESPN3	W 48–42 ^OT	20,652
September 17	6:00 PM	Houston*	Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, Louisiana	ESPN3	L 34–35	24,628
September 24	6:00 PM	at Mississippi State*	Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, Mississippi	ESPNU	L 20–26 ^OT	55,116
October 1	6:00 PM	Hawaiʻi	Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, Louisiana	ESPN+/CST/ALT 2	L 26–44	25,212
October 8	4:00 PM	at Idaho	Kibbie Dome • Moscow, Idaho		W 24–11	15,309[18]
October 22	2:00 PM	at Utah State	Romney Stadium • Logan, Utah	ESPN+/CST/ALT 2	W 24–17	16,037
October 29	3:00 PM	San Jose State	Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, Louisiana		W 38–28	19,642
November 5	9:30 PM	at Fresno State	Bulldog Stadium • Fresno, California (Battle for the Bone)	ESPNU	W 41–21	27,965
November 12	6:30 PM	at Ole Miss*	Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi	CSS/CST	W 27–7	44,123
November 19	3:00 PM	at Nevada	Mackay Stadium • Reno, Nevada		W 24–20	11,639
November 26	3:00 PM	New Mexico State	Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, Louisiana	ESPN+/CST/ALT 2	W 44–0	17,458
December 21	7:00 PM	vs. No. 15 TCU*	Snapdragon Stadium • San Diego (Poinsettia Bowl)	ESPN	L 24–31	24,607
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. ^#Rankings from Coaches Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time Zone.

Source:^[19]

Roster

2011 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR 1 Casey, RichieRichie Casey Jr RB/WR 2 Fitte, LyleLyle Fitte Jr QB 3 Hakmi, TarikTarik Hakmi Jr WR 4 Patton, QuintonQuinton Patton Jr RB 5 Creer, LennonLennon Creer Sr QB 6 Waters, BrockBrock Waters Jr WR 7 White, MylesMyles White Jr WR 8 Jackson, JacarriJacarri Jackson So QB 9 Griffith, ZachZach Griffith So QB 10 Cameron, ColbyColby Cameron Jr QB 11 Isham, NickNick Isham Fr WR 15 Slack, HaydenHayden Slack So QB 16 Burch, TaylorTaylor Burch Fr WR 17 Ikharo, TaulibTaulib Ikharo Sr WR 18 St. Julien, D.J.D.J. St. Julien Fr WR 19 Guillot, AndrewAndrew Guillot Jr WR 20 Harrington, MarkMark Harrington So WR 21 Saintvil, BlasherBlasher Saintvil Jr RB 22 Duplessis, TyroneTyrone Duplessis So RB 23 Martin, BlakeBlake Martin Fr RB 26 King, TevinTevin King Fr RB 32 Holley, RayRay Holley Sr RB 36 Lee, HunterHunter Lee Fr RB 38 Lee, MalonMalon Lee Jr RB 46 Courtney, RickeyRickey Courtney So WR 49 Cheshier, NoahNoah Cheshier Fr OL 57 Saia, KevinKevin Saia Jr OL 61 Conger, MatthewMatthew Conger Jr OL 63 Warner, StephenStephen Warner Jr OL 64 Ginart, JohnnyJohnny Ginart Fr OL 65 Lantrip, HoustonHouston Lantrip Jr OL 66 Shepherd, MatthewMatthew Shepherd So OL 67 Johnson, OscarOscar Johnson Jr OL 68 Robinson, JoshJosh Robinson Fr OL 69 Cano, VincentVincent Cano So OL 72 Graffree, JeremyJeremy Graffree Jr OL 73 Parrish, JoshJosh Parrish Jr OL 74 Banks, LarryLarry Banks Jr OL 76 Alsander, ZekeZeke Alsander Fr OL 78 Mills, JordanJordan Mills Jr OL 79 Cavitt, KrisKris Cavitt Sr WR 81 Cathcart, ScottScott Cathcart Jr WR 83 Manning, MatthewMatthew Manning Fr WR 85 Gru, DavidDavid Gru Jr WR 87 Banks, D.J.D.J. Banks So WR 89 Spence, ChandlerChandler Spence Jr	Defense Pos. # Name Class LB 6 Fitte, BeauBeau Fitte Fr CB 11 Evans, DeMarcionDeMarcion Evans Sr CB 15 Abraham, BriceBrice Abraham Fr DB 17 Johnson, CraigCraig Johnson Jr DB 20 Johnson, JamelJamel Johnson Jr DB 23 Williams, RyanRyan Williams Sr CB 24 Clark, DaveDave Clark Jr DB 25 Goodman, JustinJustin Goodman Sr CB 27 Giles, QuinnQuinn Giles Jr CB 28 Carter, TerryTerry Carter Sr DB 29 Hayes, KendallKendall Hayes Fr LB 30 Lewis, HarrisonHarrison Lewis Fr DB/S 31 Boyd, ChadChad Boyd Jr S 34 Schrang, MikeMike Schrang Fr DB 35 Scott, KelvinKelvin Scott So DB 37 Moore, VincentVincent Moore Fr S 38 Nichols, ConnorConnor Nichols Fr LB 39 Bates, WarrenWarren Bates Fr LB 40 Kisseberth, KevinKevin Kisseberth Fr DL 41 Enemkpali, I.K.I.K. Enemkpali So DL 42 James, KendrickKendrick James So LB 43 Hester, ChipChip Hester Jr LB 44 Cole, AdrienAdrien Cole Sr LB 45 Dudley, JayJay Dudley Sr LB 46 Porter, RufusRufus Porter So S 47 Crowe, JavontayJavontay Crowe Jr LB 48 Rust, DustyDusty Rust Sr LB 50 Morrison, ChesChes Morrison Fr LB 52 Hook, TyTy Hook Fr DL 53 Hymel, AdamAdam Hymel Sr DE 54 Lucas, ShakeilShakeil Lucas So LB 55 Mitchum, AntonioAntonio Mitchum Jr LB 56 Randle, SolomonSolomon Randle Jr LB 58 Voss, ZacharyZachary Voss So DL 70 Ellis, JustinJustin Ellis So DT 75 Longino, PhilipPhilip Longino Jr DE 80 Harper, EricEric Harper Sr DL 84 Taylor, AndreAndre Taylor Fr DL 88 Porter, TylerTyler Porter Fr DL 90 Tanner, DirkDirk Tanner Fr DE 91 Broha, MattMatt Broha Sr DL 92 Street, CarterCarter Street Fr DE 93 Lacey, ChristianChristian Lacey Sr DL 95 White, Jon'alJon'al White Jr DT 96 Patterson, BrandonBrandon Patterson Sr DL 98 Dora, VontarriusVontarrius Dora Fr DL 99 Pichon, MalcolmMalcolm Pichon Fr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class PK 10 Hinton, JohnJohn Hinton Jr ATH 13 Liggins, LevanderLevander Liggins Fr PK 33 Nelson, MattMatt Nelson Jr LS 51 Cuthbert, JoshJosh Cuthbert So LS 82 Stidham, CodyCody Stidham Fr P 86 Allen, RyanRyan Allen Jr	Head coach Sonny Dykes Coordinators/assistant coaches Tony Franklin (Offensive coordinator / quarterbacks) Tommy Spangler (Defensive coordinator / safeties) Rob Likens (Assistant head coach / wide receivers) Stan Eggen (Defensive line / recruiting coordinator) Pierre Ingram (Running backs) Jeff Koonz (Linebackers) Kevin Curtis (Cornerbacks) Petey Perot (Offensive line) Mark Tommerdahl (Special teams / inside receivers) Damon Harrington (Head strength and conditioning) Ed Jackson (Character education coordinator / assistant strength and conditioning) Jacob Peeler (Strength and conditioning intern) Zach Yenser (Offensive graduate assistant) Thomas Graham (Defensive graduate assistant) Hunter McWilliams (Director of football operations) David Snyder (Director of video operations) [20] Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: September 3, 2011

Game summaries

Southern Miss

Rivalry in Dixie

1 2 3 4 Total LA Tech 0 0 10 7 17 • USM 7 0 3 9 19 Date: September 3 Location: M. M. Roberts Stadium, Hattiesburg, Mississippi Game start: 9:10 PM Elapsed time: 3:35 Game attendance: 22,356 Game weather: 74°F, cloudy with heavy rain, winds E 17 mph Referee: Robert Cameron TV announcers (Fox Sports Net): Ron Thulin (play-by-play), J.C. Pearson (analyst), Jeremy Bloom (sideline) Sources:[21][22][23]

The Bulldogs opened the 2011 football season on the road against the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles of Conference USA.^[21] The game was the second in a scheduled 4-game football series between the two universities from 2010 to 2014.^[24] Southern Miss defeated Louisiana Tech 19–17 in a game that was played during periods of heavy rain and high winds due to Tropical Storm Lee.^[25]

Southern Miss scored the game's first touchdown at 11:38 in the first quarter to take a 7–0 lead.^[22] After neither team scored the rest of the first half, both teams hit field goals to make the score Southern Miss 10, Louisiana Tech 3 with 14 seconds left in the third quarter.^[22] Louisiana Tech tied the game at 10–10 when Lyle Fitte ran back a kickoff return 86 yards for a touchdown as the third quarter ended.^[22] After USM scored a field goal with 11:42 left in the contest to take a 13–10 lead, Louisiana Tech recovered a fumbled punt by Southern Miss at the USM 3-yard line.^[22] Lennon Creer scored Tech's sole offensive touchdown of the night on a 1-yard carry to give Tech a 17–13 lead with 9:43 left in the game.^[22] Southern Miss took a 19–17 lead after hitting field goals of 42 yards and 49 yards.^[22] Southern Miss went on to win the game after time expired with Louisiana Tech's offense in Southern Miss territory.^[22]

Louisiana Tech's offense had 244 total yards in the game with Lennon Creer running 17 times for 53 yards and 1 touchdown.^[22] True freshman Nick Isham went completed 20 passes on 36 attempts for 176 yards and kicked two punts for 77 yards in his first collegiate football start.^[22] Tech's defense held Southern Miss to 379 total yards and allowed one touchdown and four field goals in the contest.^[22] Tech's special teams personnel blocked a field goal in the first quarter, scored a kickoff return TD in the third quarter, and recovered a fumbled punt by USM in the fourth quarter.^[22]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP LA Tech USM 1 11:38 7 72 3:22 USM Kelvin Bolden 12-yard touchdown run, Danny Hrapmann kick good 0 7 3 4:39 8 58 3:10 LA Tech 28-yard field goal by Matt Nelson 3 7 3 0:14 9 43 4:18 USM 38-yard field goal by Danny Hrapmann 3 10 3 0:00 LA Tech Kickoff returned 86 yards for touchdown by Lyle Fitte, Matt Nelson kick good 10 10 4 11:42 9 73 3:18 USM 25-yard field goal by Corey Acosta 10 13 4 9:43 2 3 0:41 LA Tech Lennon Creer 1-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 17 13 4 7:44 6 43 1:54 USM 42-yard field goal by Corey Acosta 17 16 4 2:32 11 56 3:27 USM 49-yard field goal by Danny Hrapmann 17 19 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 17 19

Central Arkansas

1 2 3 4 OT Total UCA 10 7 10 15 0 42 • LA Tech 14 7 14 7 6 48 Date: September 10 Location: Joe Aillet Stadium, Ruston, Louisiana Game start: 6:04 PM Elapsed time: 3:36 Game attendance: 20,652 Game weather: 85°F, clear skies, winds N 5–10 mph Referee: Stacy Hardin TV announcers (ESPN3): John Sadak (play-by-play), John Gregory (analyst) Sources:[26][27][28]

Louisiana Tech opened their home schedule at Joe Aillet Stadium by hosting the University of Central Arkansas Bears for the third meeting between the two schools and the first since 2007. The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs defeated the UCA Bears 48–42 in overtime.^[29] Louisiana Tech took an early 7–0 lead after a 42-yard touchdown pass from Nick Isham to Quinton Patton.^[28] After UCA kicked a 39-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7–3, Isham completed a 72-yard touchdown pass to Patton to extend the Louisiana Tech to 14–3 over Central Arkansas.^[28] Near the end of the first quarter, UCA quarterback Nathan Dick completed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Jessie Grandy to cut the Tech lead to 14–10.^[28] In the second quarter, Tech running back Lennon Creer ran for a 5-yard touchdown and UCA's Dominiqu Croom caught a 3-yard touchdown from Nathan Dick to make the halftime score Louisiana Tech 21, Central Arkansas 17.^[28]

The third quarter started with a 35-yard field goal by UCA to cut the lead to 21–20 Louisiana Tech.^[28] Tech answered with a 4-yard touchdown run by Ray Holley and a 12-yard touchdown run by Lennon Creer to extend Tech's lead to 35–20 with 4:55 left in the third quarter.^[28] Nathan Dick threw two touchdown passes of 43 and 56 yards respectively and connected on a two-point conversion attempt to tie the ball game at 35–35 with 14:10 left in the fourth quarter.^[28] With 2:08 left in the game, Jerrel McKnight recovered a fumble by Lennon Creer and ran 73 yards for a touchdown to give Central Arkansas its first lead of the night, 42–35. Ray Holley scored his second rushing touchdown in the game on a seven-yard carry to cap a seven-play, 72-yard drive in 1 minute, 10 seconds to tie the contest at 42–42.^[28]

The game went into overtime after the fourth quarter ended with the game tied at 42–42. UCA received the ball first in the overtime period and had a 39-yard field goal blocked by Adrian Cole.^[28] Louisiana Tech went on to score on a 1-yard touchdown run by Lennon Creer to give Louisiana Tech a 48–42 victory over Central Arkansas in the first overtime game for Louisiana Tech since their September 8, 2007 home game against the Hawaii Warriors.^[28][30]

Nick Isham completed 22 of 37 passes for 318 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception.^[28] Lennon Creer had 32 carries for 183 yards and 3 tocuhdowns while Ray Holley ran the ball 9 times for 49 yards and 2 touchdowns.^[28] Wide receiver Quinton Patton caught 8 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns. Patton's 211 yard performance is tied for 10th place for the most receiving yards in a single game by a Louisiana Tech player.^[31]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP UCA LA Tech 1 10:10 5 57 1:21 LA Tech Quinton Patton 42-yard touchdown reception from Nick Isham, Matt Nelson kick good 0 7 1 4:46 11 58 5:24 UCA 39-yard field goal by Eddie Camara 3 7 1 4:31 1 72 0:15 LA Tech Quinton Patton 72-yard touchdown reception from Nick Isham, Matt Nelson kick good 3 14 1 0:18 9 79 4:13 UCA Jesse Grandy 17-yard touchdown reception from Nathan Dick, Eddie Camara kick good 10 14 2 5:17 5 35 1:40 LA Tech Lennon Creer 5-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 10 21 2 0:39 3 20 1:11 UCA Dominique Croom 3-yard touchdown reception from Nathan Dick, Eddie Camara kick good 17 21 3 11:11 10 54 3:49 UCA 35-yard field goal by Eddie Camara 20 21 3 9:16 7 46 1:55 LA Tech Ray Holley 4-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 20 28 3 4:55 7 74 2:08 LA Tech Lennon Creer 12-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 20 35 3 2:59 6 77 1:56 UCA Dominique Croom 43-yard touchdown reception from Nathan Dick, Eddie Camara kick good 27 35 4 14:10 3 80 0:39 UCA Jesse Grandy 56-yard touchdown reception from Nathan Dick, 2-point pass good 35 35 4 2:08 UCA Fumble recovery returned 73 yards for touchdown by Jerrel McKnight, Eddie Camara kick good 42 35 4 0:58 7 72 1:10 LA Tech Ray Holley 7-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 42 42 OT 3 25 LA Tech Lennon Creer 1-yard touchdown run 42 48 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 42 48

Houston

1 2 3 4 Total • Houston 0 7 7 21 35 LA Tech 7 13 14 0 34 Date: September 17 Location: Joe Aillet Stadium, Ruston, Louisiana Game start: 6:04 PM Elapsed time: 3:21 Game attendance: 24,628 Game weather: 78°F, clear skies, calm winds Referee: Ken Antee TV announcers (ESPN3): John Sadak (play-by-play), Rene Nadeau (analyst) Sources:[32]

Louisiana Tech hosted the Houston Cougars in their second home game of the 2011 football season. The matchup between Louisiana Tech and the University of Houston is the first game in a scheduled four-game football series that will run from 2011 to 2014. The Houston Cougars defeated the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 35–34 after Houston scored 28 unanswered points to complete the biggest comeback in their program's history.^[32]

Louisiana Tech took a 7–0 lead after Lennon Creer scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown with 11:12 left in the first quarter.^[32] Tech extended their lead over Houston to 10–0 after Matt Nelson kicked a 30-yard field goal with 10:10 left in the second quarter.^[32] Houston scored its first points of the night with 7:21 left in the second quarter when Case Keenum connected with Michael Hayes for a 54-yard touchdown to cut Louisiana Tech's lead to 10–7.^[32] Louisiana Tech answered with a 2-yard touchdown run by Ray Holley and a 47-yard field goal by Nelson to take the 20–7 lead at halftime.^[32]

Both teams traded punts to open the third quarter. With 6:47 left in the third quarter, Louisiana Tech QB Nick Isham completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Quinton Patton to increase Tech's lead to 27–7.^[32] After Quinn Giles intercepted a pass by Case Keenum, Ray Holley scored his second rushing touchdown in the game on a 7-yard TD run to bring the Louisiana Tech lead to 34–7 with 5:11 left in the third quarter. Houston began their comeback when Keenum completed a 50-yard touchdown pass with 4:27 left in the third quarter to make the score Louisiana Tech 34, Houston 14.^[32] Bryce Beall ran for a 2-yard touchdown to cut the Tech lead to 34–21 with 12:53 left in the fourth quarter.^[32] After Houston recovered a fumble by Tech's Ray Holley, Houston completed an 80-yard drive down the field with a 4-yard touchdown run by Beall to make the score 34–28 Louisiana Tech with 7:25 remaining in the game.^[32] Houston took its first lead of the night after Keenum threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to make the score Houston 35–34 with 1:36 remaining in the game.^[32] Houston went on to win the game after Tech turned the ball over on downs in the last minute of the game.^[32]

Louisiana Tech generated 444 yards on offense on 98 plays.^[32] Lennon Creer and Ray Holley combined for 47 carries, 161 yards, and three touchdowns on the ground, as Louisiana Tech ran 66 rushing plays in the game which is tied for the 2nd-most carries by a Bulldog team in the history of the program.^[32][33] Quinton Patton caught five passes for 82 yards and one touchdown for the evening and was later named to the Fred Biletnikoff Award Watch List after the game as a result of his play through the first three games of the 2011 college football season.^[14][32] The crowd of 24,628 at Joe Aillet Stadium for the Louisiana Tech vs. Houston marked the sixth-largest crowd for a Louisiana Tech football game at Joe Aillet Stadium.^[33]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Houston LA Tech 1 11:12 4 8 1:17 LA Tech Lennon Creer 1-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 0 7 2 10:10 15 57 4:43 LA Tech 30-yard field goal by Matt Nelson 0 10 2 7:21 8 74 2:49 Houston Michael Hayes 54-yard touchdown reception from Case Keenum, Matt Hogan kick good 7 10 2 4:02 11 77 3:19 LA Tech Ray Holley 2-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 7 17 2 0:02 9 49 2:14 LA Tech 47-yard field goal by Matt Nelson 7 20 3 6:47 12 64 4:28 LA Tech Quinton Patton 16-yard touchdown reception from Nick Isham, Matt Nelson kick good 7 27 3 5:11 5 43 1:23 LA Tech Ray Holley 7-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 7 34 3 4:27 3 80 0:44 Houston Patrick Edwards 50-yard touchdown reception from Case Keenum, Matt Hogan kick good 14 34 4 12:53 9 64 3:17 Houston Bryce Beall 2-yard touchdown run, Matt Hogan kick good 21 34 4 7:25 9 80 2:48 Houston Bryce Beall 4-yard touchdown run, Matt Hogan kick good 28 34 4 1:36 6 84 1:10 Houston Patrick Edwards 32-yard touchdown reception from Case Keenum, Matt Hogan kick good 35 34 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 35 34

Mississippi State

1 2 3 4 OT Total LA Tech 3 7 7 3 0 20 • Miss St 7 10 3 0 6 26 Date: September 24 Location: Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, Mississippi Game start: 6:06 PM Elapsed time: 3:15 Game attendance: 55,116 Game weather: 79°F, fair skies, winds SSW at 5 MPH Referee: Tom Ritter Television network: ESPNU Sources:[34]

Louisiana Tech traveled to Starkville, Mississippi to play the Mississippi State Bulldogs in their second road game of the 2011 football season. This meeting marked the first meeting between the two schools since the 2008 season opener at Ruston and only the second meeting since 1996. The Mississippi State Bulldogs defeated Louisiana Tech 26–20 in overtime.

Mississippi State took a 7–0 lead after Chad Bumphis returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown with 9:20 left in the first quarter.^[34] Louisiana Tech cut the lead to 7–3 after Matt Nelson made a 43-yard field goal with 5:49 left in the first quarter.^[34] At the 14:17 mark in the second quarter, Louisiana Tech took a 10–7 lead when Lennon Creer scored a 4-yard rushing touchdown to cap off an 11-play, 80-yard drive.^[34] Mississippi State retook the lead after Vick Ballard scored an 11-yard rushing touchdown with 8:45 remaining in the second quarter to make the score 14–10 Mississippi State.^[34] Mississippi State added a field goal to take a 17–10 lead going into halftime.^[34]

After both teams traded punts to open the second half, Louisiana Tech tied the game at 17–17 after QB Nick Isham completed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Quinton Patton with 8:25 left in the third quarter.^[34] Mississippi State regained the lead after Depasquale hit a 24-yard field goal to take a 20–17 lead with 5:21 left in the third quarter.^[34] With 8:42 left in the game, Louisiana Tech tied the game 20–20 when Matt Nelson hit his second field goal of the game.^[34] The score of the game remained tied at 20–20 when the fourth quarter ended. Overtime began with Louisiana Tech on offense. Tech's drive ended with no points scored after Nick Isham threw an interception to Mississippi State's Nickoe Whitley.^[34] Mississippi State won the game 26–20 on its offensive possession in overtime after Chris Relf threw a 17-yard touchdown pass.^[34]

The Mississippi State game marked the second overtime game for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs for the 2011 football season.^[35] This is also the second time in program history that Louisiana Tech has played two overtime games in one season.^[35] The six-point loss to Mississippi State was the third close loss of the year for Louisiana Tech, as their first three losses of the 2011 season were by a combined nine points.^[35]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP LA Tech MSU 1 9:20 MSU Punt returned 82 yards for touchdown by Chad Bumphis, Derek DePasquale kick good 0 7 1 5:49 9 48 3:25 LA Tech 43-yard field goal by Matt Nelson 3 7 2 14:17 11 80 3:32 LA Tech Lennon Creer 4-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 10 7 2 8:45 7 61 2:34 MSU Vick Ballard 11-yard touchdown run, Derek DePasquale kick good 10 14 2 1:38 9 71 3:02 MSU 36-yard field goal by Derek DePasquale 10 17 3 8:25 6 34 1:54 LA Tech Quinton Patton 14-yard touchdown reception from Nick Isham, Matt Nelson kick good 17 17 3 5:21 5 14 1:30 MSU 24-yard field goal by Derek DePasquale 17 20 4 8:42 11 46 5:37 LA Tech 28-yard field goal by Matt Nelson 20 20 OT 2 25 MSU LaDarius Perkins 14-yard touchdown reception from Chris Relf 20 26 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 20 26

Hawaii

1 2 3 4 Total • Hawaii 13 7 24 0 44 LA Tech 6 0 14 6 26 Date: October 1 Location: Joe Aillet Stadium, Ruston, Louisiana Game start: 6:07 PM Elapsed time: 3:33 Game attendance: 25,212 Game weather: 75°F, clear skies Referee: Robert Cameron TV announcers (ESPN3): Trey Bender (play-by-play), Jay Taylor (analyst) Sources:[36]

Louisiana Tech hosted the Hawaii Warriors in their third home game and the first WAC conference game of the 2011 football season. This meeting marked the final game between the two schools as members of the Western Athletic Conference, since Hawaii will leave the WAC and join the Mountain West Conference after the end of the 2011–2012 season. The Hawaii Warriors defeated Louisiana Tech 44–26 before a crowd of 25,212, the fourth largest crowd in the history of a Tech football game at Joe Aillet Stadium.^[36]

Louisiana Tech took a 6–0 lead over Hawaii after Nick Isham completed a two-yard touchdown pass to Quinton Patton with 8:40 left in the first quarter.^[36] Hawaii responded with three touchdown passes by Bryant Moniz to Royce Pollard in the remainder of the first half to take a 21–6 lead over Louisiana Tech at halftime.^[36]

Louisiana Tech cut Hawaii's lead to 20–13 when Nick Isham connected with Taulib Ikharo on a 7-yard touchdown pass with 13:37 left in the third quarter.^[36] With 9:29 left in the third quarter, Bryant Moniz threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Craig Stutzmann to extend Hawaii's lead to 27–13.^[36] Hawaii's defense scored 14 points off a 49-yard interception return and a 16-yard fumble recovery to increase Hawaii's lead to 41–13 with 7:46 left in the third quarter.^[36] Lennon Creer ran for a 10-yard touchdown to cut the Hawaii lead to 41–20 with 6:40 left in the third quarter.^[36] Hawaii added a field goal at the 3:01 mark in the third quarter in take a 44–20 lead.^[36] Nick Isham ran for a 4-yard touchdown to make the game score Hawaii 44–26 at the 7:55 mark in the fourth quarter. Louisiana Tech went on to lose the game to Hawaii by a score of 44–26.^[36]

Louisiana Tech's 2011 record fell to 1–4 overall and 0–1 in the WAC while Hawaii improved its record to 3–2 overall and 1–0 in the WAC.^[36]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Hawaii LA Tech 1 8:40 13 80 4:36 LA Tech Quinton Patton 2-yard touchdown reception from Nick Isham, Matt Nelson kick no good (blocked) 0 6 1 6:43 4 83 1:57 Hawaii Royce Pollard 27-yard touchdown reception from Bryant Moniz, Tyler Hadden kick no good 6 6 1 1:18 2 66 0:24 Hawaii Royce Pollard 13-yard touchdown reception from Bryant Moniz, Tyler Hadden kick good 13 6 2 6:25 12 88 5:16 Hawaii Royce Pollard 9-yard touchdown reception from Bryant Moniz, Tyler Hadden kick good 20 6 3 13:37 3 47 1:04 LA Tech Taulib Ikharo 7-yard touchdown reception from Nick Isham, Matt Nelson kick good 20 13 3 9:29 10 65 4:08 Hawaii Bill Ray Stutzmann 6-yard touchdown reception from Bryant Moniz, Tyler Hadden kick good 27 13 3 7:50 Hawaii Interception returned 49 yards for touchdown by Richard Torres, Tyler Hadden kick good 34 13 3 7:46 Hawaii Fumble recovery returned 16 yards for touchdown by Tank Hopkins, Tyler Hadden kick good 41 13 3 6:40 3 52 1:06 LA Tech Lennon Creer 10-yard touchdown reception from Nick Isham, Matt Nelson kick good 41 20 3 3:01 7 35 3:39 Hawaii 30-yard field goal by Tyler Hadden 44 20 4 7:55 12 76 2:48 LA Tech Nick Isham 4-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass failed 44 26 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 44 26

Idaho

1 2 3 4 Total • LA Tech 0 10 14 0 24 Idaho 0 5 0 6 11 Date: October 8 Location: Kibbie Dome, Moscow, Idaho Game start: 2:07 pm Elapsed time: 3:30 Game attendance: 15,309 Game weather: indoors Referee: Clair Gausman Sources:[37]

Louisiana Tech traveled to Moscow, Idaho to face the Idaho Vandals in their second conference game of the year. The Bulldogs defeated the Idaho Vandals 24–11 to end their three-game losing streak.^[37]

After a scoreless first quarter, Louisiana Tech took a 3–0 lead in the game after Matt Nelson kicked a 23-yard field goal with 14:56 left in the second quarter.^[37] Tech's lead was cut to 3–2 after Idaho scored a safety when Andre Ferguson tackled Louisiana Tech's Lennon Creer in Tech's endzone at the 12:27 mark in the second quarter.^[37] Louisiana Tech increased the lead to 10–2 after Jay Dudley intercepted a pass by Idaho's Brain Reader and completed a 53-yard return for a touchdown with 4:47 left in the second quarter.^[37] Idaho scored on a 43-yard field goal with 2:57 left in the second quarter to make the score Louisiana Tech 10–5.^[37] Louisiana Tech scored fourteen points in the third quarter as a result of a 6-yard touchdown pass to David Gru and a 1-yard touchdown run by Nick Isham to increase their lead to 24–5.^[37] Idaho's Justin Veltung returned a punt by Tech's Ryan Allen for an 81-yard touchdown with 3:35 left in the fourth quarter to make the final score 24–11 Louisiana Tech.^[37]

Hunter Lee received a majority of the carries for Louisiana Tech in place of Lennon Creer and rushed 28 times for 134 yards.^[37] Nick Isham was 25/39 for 163 yards and 2 touchdowns (1 rushing, 1 passing).^[37] Ryan Allen was named the WAC Special Teams Player of the Week for his punting performance against Idaho.^[3] He punted the ball ten times for an average for 48 yards, including 6 downed balls inside the opponent's 20-yard line.^[37]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP LA Tech Idaho 2 14:56 16 75 5:33 LA Tech 23-yard field goal by Matt Nelson 3 0 2 12:27 Idaho Lennon Creer tackled in endzone for a safety by Andre Ferguson 3 2 2 4:47 LA Tech Interception returned 53 yards for touchdown by Jay Dudley, Matt Nelson kick good 10 2 2 2:57 7 54 1:50 Idaho 43-yard field goal by Trey Farquhar 10 5 3 6:19 7 53 1:39 LA Tech David Gru 6-yard touchdown reception from Nick Isham, Matt Nelson kick good 17 5 3 0:05 6 40 2:02 LA Tech Nick Isham 1-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 24 5 4 3:35 Idaho Punt returned 81 yards for touchdown by Justin Veltung, 2-point pass failed 24 11 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 24 11

Utah State

1 2 3 4 Total • LA Tech 7 0 7 10 24 Utah St 7 3 7 0 17 Date: October 22 Location: Romney Stadium, Logan, Utah Game start: 1:05 pm Elapsed time: 3:04 Game attendance: 16,037 Game weather: 64°F, clear skies Referee: Jim Farmer TV announcers (ESPN3): Trey Bender (play-by-play), Jay Taylor (analyst) Sources:[38]

After a bye week after the Idaho game, Louisiana Tech played Utah State at Logan, Utah. Louisiana Tech's 24–17 victory over Utah State marked their ssecond straight victory this season and the first time that Louisiana Tech has won four consecutive WAC road games since joining the conference in 2001.^[38] The game also featured a quarterback change for Louisiana Tech when Colby Cameron substituted for Nick Isham late in the third quarter.^[38]

Louisiana Tech took the first lead of the game after Lennon Creer ran for a 3-yard touchdown to make the score Louisiana Tech 7–0 at the 8:22 mark in the first quarter.^[38] Utah State responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Robert Turpin to tie the game at 7–7 with 3:20 left in the first quarter.^[38] Utah State took a 10–7 lead after Josh Thompson hit a 43-yard field goal with 7:57 left in the second quarter.^[38] Louisiana Tech retook the lead from Utah State with 11:36 left in the third quarter after Terry Carter intercepted a pass by Chuckie Keeton and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown to make the score 14–10 for Louisiana Tech.^[38] Utah State captured the lead again after Chuckie Keeton scored on a 29-yard touchdown run with 7:41 left in the third quarter to make the score 17–14 Utah State.^[38] The Bulldogs took a 21–17 lead after Hunter Lee scored an 8-yard touchdown run with 10:14 left in the fourth quarter.^[38] Matt Nelson connected on a 24-yard field goal with 2:46 left in the game to make the final score 24–17 Louisiana Tech.^[38]

Colby Cameron came into the game for Louisiana Tech late in the third quarter after Nick Isham struggled for most of the game at quarterback.^[38] This was the first game in which Cameron completed a pass since September 18, 2010 against Navy.^[38] Adrian Cole was named the WAC Defensive Player of the Week, and Ryan Allen was named the WAC Special Teams Player of the Week for their performances against Utah State.^[4]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP LA Tech Utah St 1 8:22 10 87 4:25 LA Tech Lennon Creer 3-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 7 0 1 3:20 12 80 5:02 Utah St Robert Turbin 1-yard touchdown run, Josh Thompson kick good 7 7 2 7:57 10 29 3:59 Utah St 43-yard field goal by Josh Thompson 7 10 3 11:36 LA Tech Interception returned 22 yards for touchdown by Terry Carter, Matt Nelson kick good 14 10 3 7:41 9 87 3:50 Utah St Chuckie Keeton 29-yard touchdown run, Josh Thompson kick good 14 17 4 10:14 8 58 2:52 LA Tech Hunter Lee 8-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 21 17 4 2:46 4 4 1:44 LA Tech 24-yard field goal by Matt Nelson 24 17 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 24 17

San Jose State

1 2 3 4 Total SJSU 7 7 8 6 28 • LA Tech 3 21 14 0 38 Date: October 29 Location: Joe Aillet Stadium, Ruston, Louisiana Game start: 3:07 pm Elapsed time: 3:20 Game attendance: 19,642 Game weather: 78°F, clear skies Referee: Stacy Hardin Sources:[39]

Louisiana Tech hosted the San Jose State Spartans at Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston, Louisiana for their annual Homecoming game. Louisiana Tech defeated the Spartans 38–38 to win their third consecutive game this season and improved their record to 4–4 (3–1 in conference play) for the 2011 season.^[39] Colby Cameron started at quarterback for Louisiana Tech in place of the injured Nick Isham.^[39]

Louisiana Tech took the first lead with 8:59 left in the third quarter when Matt Nelson hit a 25-yard field goal to make the score 3–0.^[39] San Jose State took a 7–3 lead at the 6:50 mark in the first quarter when Brandon Rutley ran for a 1-yard touchdown.^[39] Louisiana Tech retook the lead at the 10:31 mark in the second quarter when Richie Casey ran for a 21-yard touchdown to make the score 10–7 in favor of the Bulldogs.^[39] With 8:29 remaining in the second quarter, San Jose State took a 14–10 lead after Matt Faulkner threw a 60-yard touchdown to Noel Grigsby.^[39] Louisiana Tech took a 17–14 lead at the 7:20 mark in the second quarter after Colby Cameron threw a 90-yard touchdown pass to Quinton Patton.^[39] Tech scored another touchdown on a 2-yard pass from Cameron to Quinton Patton to extend the lead to 24–14 going into the half.^[39]

The Bulldogs started the second half with a 1-yard touchdown run by Lennon Creer to take a 31–14 lead with 11:15 left in the third quarter.^[39] Jay Dudley intercepted a pass by Matt Faulkner and returned it for a 36-yard touchdown to make the score 38–14 for Louisiana Tech.^[39] Dudley's interception return for a touchdown marked the second INT return for a touchdown in the last three games.^[39] San Jose State scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion with 43 seconds left in the third quarter to trim Louisiana Tech's lead to 38–22.^[39] San Jose State would score another touchdown with a 20-yard touchdown reception to Ryan Otten to make the final score Louisiana Tech 38–28.^[39]

In his first start in 2011, Colby Cameron was 17/27 for 237 yards, and 2 touchdowns.^[39] Lennon Creer ran the ball 31 times for 112 yards, and 1 touchdown.^[39] Quinton Patton had 5 receptions for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns.^[39] The 90-yard touchdown pass from Cameron to Patton was the fifth-longest reception in Louisiana Tech history and the longest touchdown of the 2011 season for Louisiana Tech.^[39] Tech's defense held San Jose State to a season-low 12 yards rushing and forced five turnovers, including four interceptions.^[39]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP SJSU LA Tech 1 8:59 5 14 1:04 LA Tech 25-yard field goal by Matt Nelson 0 3 1 6:50 1 1 0:04 SJSU Brandon Rutley 1-yard touchdown run, Jens Alvernik kick good 7 3 2 10:31 10 94 3:35 LA Tech Richie Casey 21-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 7 10 2 8:29 4 76 2:02 SJSU Noel Grigsby 60-yard touchdown reception from Matt Faulkner, Jens Alvernik kick good 14 10 2 7:20 4 93 1:09 LA Tech Quinton Patton 90-yard touchdown reception from Colby Cameron, Matt Nelson kick good 14 17 2 0:18 3 13 0:33 LA Tech Quinton Patton 2-yard touchdown reception from Colby Cameron, Matt Nelson kick good 14 24 3 11:15 12 60 3:45 LA Tech Lennon Creer 1-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 14 31 3 10:55 LA Tech Interception returned 36 yards for touchdown by Jay Dudley, Matt Nelson kick good 14 38 3 0:43 5 49 1:40 SJSU Chandler Jones 5-yard touchdown reception from Matt Faulkner, 2-point pass good 22 38 4 3:18 11 99 2:37 SJSU Ryan Otten 20-yard touchdown reception from Matt Faulkner, 2-point pass failed 28 38 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 28 38

Fresno State

Battle for the Bone

1 2 3 4 Total • LA Tech 14 20 7 0 41 Fresno St 0 7 7 7 21 Date: November 5 Location: Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, California Game start: 7:32 PM Elapsed time: 3:23 Game attendance: 27,965 Game weather: 53°F, calm winds, mostly cloudy skies Referee: Jim Farmer Television network: ESPNU Sources:[40]

Louisiana Tech traveled to Fresno, California to face the Fresno State Bulldogs in the Battle for the Bone rivalry game. With Fresno State moving to the Mountain West Conference after the 2011–12 season, this game was probably the final meeting between the two teams for the foreseeable future. Louisiana Tech defeated Fresno State 41–21 to win their fourth consecutive game and improve the season record to 5–4 (4–1 in WAC play).^[40]

Louisiana Tech took a 7–0 lead at the 10:01 mark in the first quarter when Colby Cameron threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Quinton Patton.^[40] Tech extended the lead to 14–0 when Cameron threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Quinton Patton with 4:40 left in the first quarter.^[40] Matt Nelson hit a 26-yard field goal to increase LA Tech's lead to 17–0 with 14:19 remaining in the second quarter.^[40] Fresno State scored a touchdown on a 6-yard pass from Derek Carr to Victor Dean to cut Louisiana Tech's lead to 17–7 with 9:40 left in the second quarter.^[40] Louisiana Tech responded with a 53-yard rushing touchdown by Lennon Creer and a 75-yard touchdown pass from Colby Cameron to Myles White to make the score Louisiana Tech 31–7 with 5:23 left in the second quarter.^[40] Matt Nelson hit a 40-yard field goal at the end of the second quarter to make the score Louisiana Tech 34–7.^[40]

Louisiana Tech extended their lead to 41–7 at the 10:26 mark in the third quarter after Colby Cameron threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Richie Casey.^[40] Fresno State cut the lead to 41–14 when Derek Carr threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Saunders with 7:03 remaining in the third quarter.^[40] Fresno State scored one more touchdown at the 6:14 mark in the fourth quarter when Derek Carr threw a 24-yard pass to Devon White to make the final score of the game Louisiana Tech 41, Fresno State 21.^[40]

Colby Cameron was named the WAC Offensive Player of the Week after his performance in the Fresno State game. Cameron was 19/33 for 376 yards, 4 TDs, and no INTs.^[40] Lennon Creer had 17 carries for 116 yards and one TD.^[40] Quinton Patton had 6 receptions for 97 yards and 2 TDs, and Myles White had 2 catches for 130 yards, and 1 TD.^[40]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP LA Tech Fresno St 1 10:01 4 63 1:19 LA Tech Quinton Patton 45-yard touchdown reception from Colby Cameron, Matt Nelson kick good 7 0 1 4:40 5 58 1:28 LA Tech Quinton Patton 22-yard touchdown reception from Colby Cameron, Matt Nelson kick good 14 0 2 14:19 8 60 1:43 LA Tech 26-yard field goal by Matt Nelson 17 0 2 9:40 8 82 4:33 Fresno St Victor Dean 6-yard touchdown reception from Derek Carr, Kevin Goessling kick good 17 7 2 7:38 6 90 1:50 LA Tech Lennon Creer 53-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 24 7 2 5:23 1 75 0:21 LA Tech Myles White 75-yard touchdown reception from Colby Cameron, Matt Nelson kick good 31 7 2 0:09 6 26 0:32 LA Tech 40-yard field goal by Matt Nelson 34 7 3 10:26 7 80 2:11 LA Tech Richie Casey 6-yard touchdown reception from Colby Cameron, Matt Nelson kick good 41 7 3 7:03 9 64 3:17 Fresno St Jalen Saunders 16-yard touchdown reception from Derek Carr, Kevin Goessling kick good 41 14 4 6:14 16 98 6:40 Fresno St Devon Wylie 24-yard touchdown reception from Derek Carr, Kevin Goessling kick good 41 21 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 41 21

Ole Miss

1 2 3 4 Total • LA Tech 0 10 10 7 27 Ole Miss 7 0 0 0 7 Date: November 12 Location: Vaught–Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, Mississippi Game start: 6:35p.m. Elapsed time: 3:11 Game attendance: 44,123 Game weather: 59°F, fair, winds S at 3 mph Referee: David Smith Television network: CSS/CST/ESPN3 Sources:

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP LA Tech Ole Miss 1 8:53 8 78 3:45 Ole Miss Brandon Bolden 34-yard touchdown reception from Randall Mackey, Bryson Rose kick good 0 7 2 3:32 4 37 0:54 LA Tech Taulib Ikharo 21-yard touchdown reception from Colby Cameron, Matt Nelson kick good 7 7 2 0:00 5 70 0:35 LA Tech 43-yard field goal by Matt Nelson 10 7 3 4:38 5 47 1:08 LA Tech 35-yard field goal by Matt Nelson 13 7 3 3:49 LA Tech Fumble recovery returned 33 yards for touchdown by Chad Boyd, Matt Nelson kick good 20 7 4 11:08 LA Tech Interception returned 26 yards for touchdown by Javontay Crowe, Matt Nelson kick good 27 7 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 27 7

Nevada

1 2 3 4 Total • LA Tech 0 0 3 21 24 Nevada 7 0 6 7 20 Date: November 19 Location: Mackay Stadium, Reno, Nevada Game start: 1:05 PM Elapsed time: 2:57 Game attendance: 11,639 Game weather: 41°F, mostly cloudy, winds 2–5 mph Referee: Bill Athan Sources:

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP LA Tech Nevada 1 0:45 10 78 4:35 Nevada Rishard Matthews 20-yard touchdown reception from Cody Fajardo, Jake Hurst kick good 0 7 3 9:27 12 67 5:27 Nevada 19-yard field goal by Jake Hurst 0 10 3 5:54 12 71 3:27 LA Tech 29-yard field goal by Matt Nelson 3 10 3 3:29 6 59 2:19 Nevada 24-yard field goal by Jake Hurst 3 13 4 13:01 9 49 4:06 Nevada Stefphon Jefferson 4-yard touchdown run, Jake Hurst kick good 3 20 4 9:11 11 84 3:44 LA Tech Quinton Patton 9-yard touchdown reception from Colby Cameron, Matt Nelson kick good 10 20 4 5:56 6 89 1:43 LA Tech Myles White 14-yard touchdown reception from Colby Cameron, Matt Nelson kick good 17 20 4 0:51 7 92 1:38 LA Tech Taulib Ikharo 8-yard touchdown reception from Colby Cameron, Matt Nelson kick good 24 20 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 24 20

New Mexico State

1 2 3 4 Total NM State 0 0 0 0 0 • LA Tech 9 14 21 0 44 Date: November 26 Location: Joe Aillet Stadium, Ruston, Louisiana Game start: 3:00 PM Elapsed time: 3:13 Game attendance: 17,458 Game weather: 68°F, rainy, winds S 5–10 mph Referee: Clair Gausman Television network: ESPN+/CST/ALT 2 Sources:

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP NM State LA Tech 1 9:15 12 77 1:33 LA Tech 32-yard field goal by Matt Nelson 0 3 1 5:24 10 89 2:18 LA Tech Taulib Ikharo 7-yard touchdown reception from Colby Cameron, Matt Nelson kick failed 0 9 2 0:28 13 96 3:32 LA Tech Hunter Lee 1-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 0 16 2 0:07 LA Tech Interception returned 45 yards for touchdown by Adrien Cole, Matt Nelson kick good 0 23 3 11:37 9 60 3:23 LA Tech Hunter Lee 6-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 0 30 3 5:19 LA Tech Punt returned 82 yards for touchdown by Craig Johnson, Matt Nelson kick good 0 37 3 0:13 11 78 3:41 LA Tech Hunter Lee 7-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 0 44 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 0 44

TCU

Poinsettia Bowl

1 2 3 4 Total • #15 TCU 0 10 7 14 31 LA Tech 3 7 14 0 24 Date: December 21 Location: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego Game start: 5:06 PM Elapsed time: 3:29 Game attendance: 24,607 Game weather: 57°F, partly cloudy, winds WSW at 5 mph Referee: Todd Geerlings TV announcers (ESPN): Joe Tessitore (Play-by-Play), Lou Holtz and Mark May (Analysts), Samantha Steele (Sidelines) Sources:

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs accepted an invitation to the 2011 Poinsettia Bowl after defeating New Mexico State and winning the WAC Championship in their regular season finale on November 25.

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP TCU LA Tech 1 8:30 13 67 3:33 LA Tech 23-yard field goal by Matt Nelson 0 3 2 14:11 8 57 3:22 TCU 25-yard field goal by Ross Evans 3 3 2 11:37 7 59 2:34 LA Tech Quinton Patton 2-yard touchdown reception from Colby Cameron, Matt Nelson kick good 3 10 2 0:26 4 25 0:55 TCU Ed Wesley 7-yard touchdown run, Ross Evans kick good 10 10 3 9:54 11 55 5:06 TCU Matthew Tucker 1-yard touchdown run, Ross Evans kick good 17 10 3 7:18 3 12 0:52 LA Tech Hunter Lee 2-yard touchdown run, Matt Nelson kick good 17 17 3 2:10 3 61 0:17 LA Tech Myles White 61-yard touchdown reception from Colby Cameron, Matt Nelson kick good 17 24 4 7:49 18 72 9:21 TCU Luke Shivers 1-yard touchdown run, Ross Evans kick good 24 24 4 4:26 5 69 1:58 TCU Skye Dawson 42-yard touchdown reception from Casey Pachall, Ross Evans kick good 31 24 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 31 24

Statistics

Team

LA Tech Opp Scoring 391 301   Points per Game 30.1 23.2 First Downs 261 262   Rushing 111 106   Passing 133 140   Penalty 17 16 Total Offense 5130 4894   Avg per Play 5.2 4.9   Avg per Game 394.6 376.5 Fumbles-Lost 18-9 18-10 Penalties-Yards 89-796 78-655   Avg per Game 61.2 50.4

LA Tech Opp Punts-Yards 85-3908 87-3780   Avg per Punt 46.0 43.4 Time of Possession/Game 28:22 31:38 3rd Down Conversions 79/216 68/211 4th Down Conversions 10/17 11/22 Touchdowns Scored 50 37 Field Goals-Attempts-Long 15-21 14-21 PAT-Attempts 46-48 31-32 Attendance 107,592 192,545   Games/Avg per Game 5/21,518 7/27,506   Neutral Site Games 1/24,607

Scores by quarter

1 2 3 4 OT Total LA Tech 66 109 149 61 6 391 Opponents 65 63 82 85 6 301

Offense

Rushing

Name	GP-GS	Att	Gain	Loss	Net	Avg	TD	Long	Avg/G
Lennon Creer	10-	198	878	40	838	4.2	9	53	83.8
Hunter Lee	13-	135	671	21	650	4.8	5	48	50.0
Colby Cameron	7-	43	217	37	180	4.2	0	27	25.7
Ray Holley	4-	36	156	12	144	4.0	4	17	36.0
Lyle Fitte	6-	12	81	0	81	6.8	0	15	13.5
Quinton Patton	13-	10	42	0	42	4.2	0	9	3.2
Richie Casey	13-	2	21	3	18	9.0	1	21	1.4
Taulib Ikharo	13-	2	6	1	5	2.5	0	6	0.4
Rickey Courtney	2-	4	7	2	5	1.2	0	4	2.5
Tyrone Duplessis	2-	7	12	15	-3	-0.4	0	7	-1.5
Brock Waters	3-	4	2	10	-8	-2.0	0	2	-2.7
Nick Isham	10-	49	126	145	-19	-0.4	2	13	-1.9
TEAM	7-	7	0	32	-32	-4.6	0	0	-4.6
Total	13-	509	2219	318	1901	3.7	21	53	146.2

Passing

Name	GP-GS	Effic	Att-Cmp-Int	Pct	Yds	TD	Lng	Avg/G
Nick Isham	10-	112.8	155-257-7	60.3	1457	8	72	145.7
Colby Cameron	7-	137.2	118-215-3	54.9	1667	13	90	238.1
Myles White	10-	59.2	1-2-1	50.0	26	0	26	2.6
Richie Casey	13-	478.0	1-1-0	100.0	45	0	45	3.5
Ray Holley	4-	125.2	1-1-0	100.0	3	0	3	0.8
Brock Waters	3-	259.6	1-1-0	100.0	19	0	19	6.3
Taylor Burch	12-	200.8	1-1-0	100.0	12	0	12	1.0
Total	13-	124.8	278-478-11	58.2	3229	21	90	248.4

Receiving

Name	GP-GS	No.	Yds	Avg	TD	Long	Avg/G
Quinton Patton	13-	79	1202	15.2	11	90	92.5
Taulib Ikharo	13-	54	537	9.9	4	35	41.3
Myles White	10-	30	414	13.8	3	75	41.4
David Gru	13-	26	339	13.0	1	45	26.1
Richie Casey	13-	19	213	11.2	1	26	16.4
Lennon Creer	10-	18	93	5.2	1	13	9.3
Hunter Lee	13-	13	126	9.7	0	28	9.7
Andrew Guillot	8-	12	118	9.8	0	33	14.8
Lyle Fitte	6-	12	60	5.0	0	9	10.0
Jacarri Jackson	11-	6	62	10.3	0	25	5.6
Ray Holley	4-	4	29	7.2	0	10	7.2
Nick Isham	10-	2	13	6.5	0	8	1.3
Malon Lee	8-	2	11	5.5	0	7	1.4
Matt Broha	13-	1	12	12.0	0	12	0.9
Total	13-	278	3229	11.6	21	90	248.4

Defense

Name	GP	Tackles				Sacks	Pass Defense		Interceptions				Fumbles		Blkd Kick
		Solo	Ast	Total	TFL-Yds	No-Yds	BrUp	QBH	No.-Yds	Avg	TD	Long	Rcv-Yds	FF
Adrien Cole	13	79	49	128	13.0-49	2.0-15	5	4	1-45			45	1-0	1	3
Jay Dudley	13	55	47	102	8.0-32		3	1	4-94				1-0
Total

Special teams

Name	Punting								Kickoffs
	No.	Yds	Avg	Long	TB	FC	I20	Blkd	No.	Yds	Avg	TB	OB
Ryan Allen	83	3828	46.1	72	5	28	39	0
Nick Isham	2	77	38.5	41	2	0	0	0
TEAM	0	3	0.0	3	0	0	0	1
Matt Nelson									77	4673	60.7	10	0
Total	85	3908	46.0	72	7	28	39	1	77	4673	60.7	10	0

Name	Punt Returns					Kick Returns
	No.	Yds	Avg	TD	Long	No.	Yds	Avg	TD	Long
Andrew Guillot	14	168	12.0	0	52	1	16	16.0	0	16
Quinton Patton	8	27	3.4	0	17	6	98	16.3	0	33
Craig Johnson	4	80	20.0	1	82
Jay Dudley	1	4	4.0	0	4
Terry Carter	1	-10	-10.0	0	0
Lyle Fitte						22	575	26.1	1	86
Levander Liggins						18	409	22.7	0	40
Chandler Spence						3	48	16.0	0	18
Richie Casey						2	30	15.0	0	16
Total	28	269	9.6	1	82	52	1176	22.6	1	86

References

General

• 2011 Louisiana Tech Football Media Guide. Ruston, Louisiana: Louisiana Tech University Athletics Media Relations Office. 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
• 2011 Louisiana Tech Poinsettia Bowl Media Guide. Ruston, Louisiana: Louisiana Tech University Athletics Media Relations Office. 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2012.

Specific

1. http://louisianatech.scout.com/2/1062087.html
2. Paige, Molton Dismissed from Team
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4. "Verizon WAC Football Players of the Week (October 24, 2011)". Western Athletic Conference. Western Athletic Conference. October 24, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
5. "Ryan Allen Named a Finalist for the Ray Guy Award". Augusta Sports Council. November 21, 2011. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
6. "Ryan Allen Named All‐American by Walter Camp Football Foundation" (PDF). Augusta Sports Council. December 8, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
7. "All-WAC Football Teams Announced". Western Athletic Conference. Western Athletic Conference. December 5, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
8. "2011 WAC Football Media Guide". Western Athletic Conference. Western Athletic Conference. August 3, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
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10. "Verizon WAC Football Players of the Week (November 21, 2011)". Western Athletic Conference. Western Athletic Conference. November 21, 2011. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
11. "Biletnikoff Award Amended Watch List Announced". PwC SMU Athletic Forum. Western Athletic Conference. September 23, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
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14. "Turbin, Creer Named Doak Walker Candidates". Biletnikoff Award. The National Football Foundation. July 15, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
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17. "Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs. Southern Miss Golden Eagles Box Score". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
18. "Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs. Idaho Vandals Box Score". ESPN.com. October 8, 2011.
19. Louisiana Tech 2011 Football Schedule
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25. "Late field goal sinks Tech, 19–17". Monroe News-Star. University News Services. September 4, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2011.
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28. "Central Arkansas vs. Louisiana Tech (Sept. 10, 2011)". latechsports.com. September 11, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
29. "Louisiana Tech 48, Cent. Arkansas 42, OT". ESPN. Associated Press. September 11, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
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38. "Louisiana Tech vs Utah State (Oct. 22, 2011)". Louisiana Tech & CSTV. CSTV. October 22, 2011. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
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