JOURNAL SPORTS
Louisiana Tech’s Bulldogs made it an unbeaten October and became bowl eligible Saturday, but it was a frustrating day for Grambling, Northwestern State and Centenary’s football teams.
LOUISIANA TECH 35, SOUTH ALABAMA 20: The Bulldogs gave up points for the first time in three games, but pitched a second-half shutout and extended their winning streak to five games to stay unbeaten in their first season back in the Sun Belt Conference.
The Bulldogs (6-2, 4-0 SBC) secured their first 4-0 start in conference play since 2019 while completing an undefeated month of October for the first time since the same season.
Louisiana Tech scored 21 points in the second quarter to get on top of USA (4-4, 2-2) to stay.
After surrendering 20 points in the first half, Tech’s defense held the Jaguars scoreless over the final two quarters. The Bulldogs recorded three sacks, seven tackles for loss and two takeaways while forcing three turnovers on downs.
A pivotal defensive sequence came late in the third quarter on a fumble Alonzo Jackson recovered at the South Alabama 10-yard line. Two plays later, Blake Baker connected with Luke Watkins for a 4-yard touchdown to extend the Bulldogs’ lead to 35-20 with 39 seconds remaining in the period.
Louisiana Tech’s defense continued to deliver in the fourth quarter, including a fourth-down pass breakup by Sam Fongang that ended a South Alabama scoring threat. Janard Lockhardt sealed the victory with his first interception as a Bulldog with 1:40 remaining.
Jackson led the Bulldogs with nine tackles, a half-sack and a fumble recovery.
The victory also marked Tech’s first five-game winning streak in seven years, with the Bulldogs outscoring their opponents 148-80 during their unbeaten October.
TEXAS SOUTHERN 23, GRAMBLING 20 (OT): Grambling State rallied from a 17-10 fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime, but Texas Southern scored the decisive touchdown in the first extra period in a Southwestern Athletic Conference battle in Houston.
Grambling (4-4, 2-3 SWAC) and Texas Southern (3-5, 2-3 SWAC) slugged it out. After receiving the second-half kickoff, Grambling put together a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive ended by Ashton Frye’s 6-yard touchdown run for a 10-3 lead.
Grambling controlled much of the third quarter. Texas Southern, however, changed the momentum early in the fourth quarter with two explosive rushing touchdowns of 75 and 86 yards separated by three minutes.
Ashton Frye’s 6-yard pass to Lantavious Murphy with 4:46 to go in regulation tied it at 17. Grambling went first in overtime and settled for a 31-yard field goal, but TSU needed only three snaps to win on a 6-yard Cam’Ron McCoy TD run.
INCARNATE WORD 66, NORTHWESTERN STATE 14: UIW scored three touchdowns before the midpoint of the first quarter, using a pair of scoring drives that lasted less than 90 seconds and an interception return for a touchdown and led 49-7 at halftime in a Southland Conference football victory.
The Cardinals (5-4, 4-2) scored on five of their first six possessions, with each of those series lasting less than two minutes, as visiting Northwestern (0-9, 0-6) was unable to recover from the onslaught by a UIW team pushing for its fourth FCS playoff appearance in six seasons.
LYON 43, CENTENARY 36: The Centenary football team saw a comeback attempt fall short by two yards on the final play in a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference game at Atkins Field.
The Gents (2-4, 1-1 SCAC) staged a furious rally against the Scots (3-5, 2-1 SCAC) after falling behind 19-0 after one quarter of play and 29-7 at halftime. Centenary eventually tied the game at 36 with 6:29 remaining to cap a 29-7 scoring run of its own. Lyon got a go-ahead touchdown with 4:23 left.
Facing fourth down at the Gents’ 40 with just nine seconds remaining, Centenary freshman Stephen George heaved a long ball to sophomore Theo Dunn who caught the ball after it was tipped and tried to outrun a Lyon defender but was tackled at the 2-yard line as time expired.