Louisiana Tech jumps out early and holds on to beat Southern Miss 30-20

RUSTON, La. (AP) — Blake Baker threw for 239 yards and ran for a touchdown as Louisiana Tech built a big first-half lead and held off Southern Miss for a 30-20 victory on Saturday night.

Baker's 73-yard pass to Eli Finley helped set up his 1-yard touchdown run about a minute into the game. Omiri Wiggins and Clay Thevenin scored on short-yardage runs, sandwiched between Kolbe Fields' 48-yard pick-6, to help stake Louisiana Tech (3-1) to a 30-10 halftime lead.

Reed Harradine added a 30-yard field goal late in the third quarter for Southern Miss (2-2). Braylon Braxton threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Carl Chester with 22 seconds to play.

Braxton was 28-of-47 passing for 392 yards with two touchdowns. Chester finished with five receptions for 152 yards. Kyirin Heath also had a touchdown catch for the Eagles.

In the fourth quarter, Southern Miss punted twice and turned the ball over on downs from Louisiana Tech's 40 before Chester's late TD catch. The Eagles had 514 yards of offense compared to the Bulldogs' 340, but they were 7 of 17 on third-down conversions and 0 for 2 on fourth down.

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