Dec 19, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Louisiana Tech Bulldogs quarterback Jeff Driskel (6) looks to throw against the Arkansas State Red Wolves in the second quarter of the 2015 New Orleans Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
NEW ORLEANS — Jeff Driskel, a fifth-year senior transfer from Florida, threw for 457 yards and three touchdowns and Kenneth Dixon scored four touchdowns to set an NCAA career scoring record and power Louisiana Tech to a 47-28 victory over Arkansas State in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on Saturday night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Driskel completed 26 of 37 passes, including scoring passes of 9 and 59 yards to Dixon and 13 yards to receiver Trent Taylor as Louisiana Tech broke open a 20-20 game with 24 consecutive points in the second half. Taylor set a New Orleans Bowl record with 10 catches for 149 yards.
Despite playing on a sore right ankle, Dixon collected his third and fourth touchdowns of the game — an 8-yard cutback burst late in the third quarter and a 4-yard scamper early in the fourth — that put the Bulldogs (9-4) up 44-20.
Dixon’s four touchdowns gave him an NCAA-record 87 for his college career, passing, at least for the moment, Navy’s Keenan Reynolds.
Reynolds has 85 career touchdowns, but he has a chance to reclaim the record when Navy plays Pittsburgh on Dec. 28 in the Military Bowl.
In gaining 91 yards on 20 carries, Dixon ran so hard that he literally ran out of his jersey. Early in the fourth quarter, Dixon lost the No. 28 on the front of his jersey, and when the equipment managers could not repair it, he was forced to switch to the No. 1 jersey of injured wide receiver Carlos Henderson.
It didn’t faze Dixon, who scored his fourth touchdown of the game as No. 1.
The Bulldogs rolled up 673 yards in total offense. Kicker Jonathan Barnes added field goals of 50, 20, 28 and 22 yards.
Arkansas State (9-4) scored on a 98-yard kickoff return by Blaise Taylor midway through the fourth quarter, but it was too late. Quarterback Fredi Knighten scrambled for 40 yards, but he completed just 14 of 28 passes for 137 yards and two interceptions.
On the strength of Driskel’s touchdown passes of 9 yards to Dixon and 13 yards to Taylor, Louisiana Tech jumped out to a 17-3 lead and appeared to be in control of the game.
But Arkansas State scored 14 consecutive points to tie it at 17 at halftime. First, the Red Wolves drove 91 yards in eight plays, aided by two personal foul penalties on defensive tackle Vernon Butler and linebacker Beau Fitte for out-of-bounds hits.
Knighten connected for 17 yards to running back Warren Wand to the Louisiana Tech 1, and Wand cut the deficit to 17-10 with a 1-yard burst up the middle.
Then after Arkansas State forced a punt, Blaise Taylor gathered in the ball on a soft bounce and raced 41 yards to the Louisiana Tech 25, setting up the tying touchdown. Knighten got the tying score with a 1-yard bootleg around right end, running over cornerback Adairius Barnes at the goal line 18 seconds before halftime.
The Bulldogs nearly got a gift score on the final play of the half. Driskel threw a check-down pass to receiver Paul Turner, who raced 71 yards down the right sideline and would have scored except for a shoestring tackle by cornerback Chris Humes at the Arkansas State 12.
Louisiana Tech (9-104) and Arkansas State (7-74) combined for 178 yards in penalty yardage in the first half, and several other penalties were declined.
NOTES: Arkansas State suffered a significant blow on its first possession when leading rusher Michael Gordon went down with a right knee injury. Gordon ran for 836 in the Red Wolves’ final eight games, all victories. … Louisiana Tech coach Skip Holtz took a questionable timeout with 23 seconds left in the first half, allowing Arkansas State time to draw up its scoring play. … Louisiana Tech exploited the Arkansas State secondary in the first half with passes of 45, 53 and 71 yards.
