RUSTON, La. — Eric Soza passed for school records of 314 yards and four touchdowns, but Colby Cameron threw for 348 and Kenneth Dixon scored three times, as No. 22 Louisiana Tech pulled away from UTSA, 51-27, on Saturday at Joe Aillet Stadium.
The Bulldogs (8-1, 3-0 WAC) converted a fake field goal into a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to put away the Roadrunners (5-4, 1-3 WAC), who dropped their fourth consecutive game after starting the season with five straight wins.
Playing with just six seniors, it was UTSA's first contest against a nationally-ranked Football Bowl Subdivision foe.
Soza completed 23-of-41 passes and tossed touchdowns to Cole Hubble (two), Earon Holmes and Cole Hicks. Hubble became the first Roadrunner to catch two TD passes in the same game in program history.
Meanwhile, Cameron connected on 30-of-39 throws and had touchdown passes to Quinton Patton, Myles White and R.P. Stuart.
Louisiana Tech wasn't able to put the game away until wide receiver David Gru hit Malon Lee for a 9-yard score on a fake field goal, which put the Bulldogs in front, 44-27, with 7:33 remaining. Tech added a 6-yard touchdown run from Dixon with 14 seconds left for the final margin.
UTSA pulled to within 27-21 on their opening possession of the second half when they went 80 yards in nine plays capped by a 17-yard pass from Soza to Holmes.
The Bulldogs pushed their advantage back to 13 on their first second-half possession when Dixon scored on a 7-yard run. That lead was extended to 37-21 two plays into the fourth quarter when Matt Nelson, who had missed five consecutive field goals, hit one from 22 yards out.
The Roadrunners scrapped their way to within 37-27 three minutes into the fourth quarter when Sosa found Hicks from 14 yards out.
The two offenses both started the game with touchdowns their opening two possessions.
Louisiana Tech got things started with a 62-yard drive that was capped by a Cameron to Stuart 1-yard pass.
UTSA answered with an 80-yard march that saw Soza connect with Hubble for a 33-yard score.
After the Bulldogs re-took the lead a 3-yard Dixon run, Hubble was left all alone in the Louisiana Tech secondary for a 57-yard catch and run to paydirt.
Both teams cooled a bit after that offensive onslaught until five minutes into the second quarter.
One play after Patton sat out with a personal foul penalty, Cameron found him over the middle and the senior pulled away from the secondary for a 79-yard TD.
The Bulldogs got one more score with just eight seconds remaining in the first half.
After a personal foul call on LA Tech running back Ray Holley at the UTSA 13, Cameron found Jon Greenwalt for a 23-yard score, but Nelson, who was wide left on a 37-yard field goal attempt earlier in the frame, missed the PAT.
UTSA returns home to host McNeese State (6-3) next Saturday, Nov. 10. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Alamodome.