RUSTON, La. – UTSA held its sixth opponent to less than 300 yard of offense, but it was not enough in a 20-6 setback to Louisiana Tech in Conference USA action on Saturday night at Joe Aillet Stadium.
The Bulldogs (6-6, 4-4) held the Roadrunners (6-5, 3-5) to 201 yards of offense in winning for the fifth time in six meetings between the two schools.
LA Tech used a 100-yard rushing effort from running back Boston Scott to tally 294 yards, 193 coming on the ground. UTSA allowed just 101 passing yards from J'Mar Smith, who completed only 7-of-21 passes and was sacked twice.
Nate Gaines led the Roadrunners defense with eight tackles and his eighth career interception that help set up the visitors' first score of the night. Marcus Davenport added six stops, including a pair behind the line of scrimmage. The senior defensive end had one of the two sacks of Smith, which tied him with Jason Neill for the program's single-season record of 8.5.
The Bulldogs got on the board first on a 1-yard plunge by Smith with 6:41 left in the opening quarter.
LA Tech pushed its lead to 10-0 at halftime after a 26-yard field goal by Jonathan Barnes in the final minute of the first half.
Gaines picked off his fourth pass of the year, which ties the school record, on the Bulldogs' opening possession of the second half and returned it 35 yards to the LA Tech 13-yard line. That helped set up the Roadrunners' first points of the night on a 19-yard field goal by Jared Sackett.
LA Tech got the three points back on its next drive when Barnes connected on a 53-yard field goal with 6:45 left in the third quarter.
UTSA made it a one-possession game early in the fourth quarter after Sackett's 20-yard field goal capped an 18-play, 73-yard march that took 9:25 off the clock, the longest drive by number of plays and time this season.
The Roadrunners recovered a muffed punt at the 11-yard line, but an interception in the end zone by Amik Robertson on the next play gave the ball back to the home team with just over seven minutes remaining.
LA Tech then marched 80 yards on eight plays, the last a 35-yard touchdown dash by Scott, who finished with 138 yards on 17 carries.
The Roadrunners will await word of a potential second straight bowl game invitation on Sunday, Dec. 3.
