A pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns allowed Louisiana Tech to overcome an anemic offense, four turnovers and a slew of penalties Tuesday to win the 49th Independence Bowl, 23-14 in Shreveport.
A Bulldogs fumble near midfield gave Coastal Carolina (6-7) possession at the 48-yard line late in the fourth quarter but did not lead to points.
Louisiana Tech, which improved to 8-5, had already done enough to take control. Then, with 56 seconds to play, left-footed Shreveport Evangel product Kaegen Kent delivered a 35-yard field goal for the final margin.
A 29-yard run by Tech quarterback Trey Kukuk got the Bulldogs to the 5, and Andrew Burnette scored two plays later from the 1 for the only lead change and the 20-14 Tech advantage with 8:09 to play.
Amari Butler delivered the hit of the day and a turnover that changed momentum. He made a pass ricochet into the arms of Tech teammate Jordan McRae, whose interception with 11:56 to play gave the Bulldogs possession at their own 48.
On the next play, receiver Marlion Jackson caught a pass in stride to go 52 yards for a score with 11:45 on the clock. A 2-point try failed to keep Coastal Carolina in front, 14-12.
Robby Washington, trying to dance around for first-down yardage on an early third-quarter catch, dropped the ball at the feet of Tech's Donovan Rieman, who covered it for a turnover on the Coastal Carolina 40-yard line.
Before that cost the visitors points, what appeared to be an incomplete forward pass was ruled a fumble by Trey Kukuk in Chanticleers territory. A drive that resulted in a first-and-goal on the other end failed to produce points when a field goal try was blocked.
CCU's Washington caught a 16-yard pass in a corner of the north end zone with 1:16 to play in the half as Tad Hudson managed to just beat two Bulldogs rushers with the throw. That left the Chanticleers up, 14-3, going to the locker room.
An early interception on a Tech overthrow gave the Chanticleers the ball at midfield for their first drive, but it resulted in a 29-yard field goal miss.
On Coastal Carolina's next drive, a pass interference penalty and passes of 21 and 15 yards moved the team to the Tech 20. From there, Dominic Knicely took a pass and wove through the Bulldogs defense for a touchdown with 1:12 in the first quarter.
Tech avoided a scoreless first half with a 42-yard Kent field goal, 2:49 before intermission. It was the first career attempt for the freshman kicker. On the Bulldogs' first second-half possession, John Hoyet Chance made it a second local product with points when he nailed a 51-yard field goal at 11:45 of the third. Chance attended Captain Shreve.
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