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Utah State downs No. 19 Louisiana Tech to grab WAC lead

Nov 18, 2012 - 3:37 AM Ruston, LA (Sports Network) - Kerwynn Williams' 4-yard touchdown run in overtime lifted Utah State to a 48-41 win over No. 19 Louisiana Tech in a battle for first-place supremacy in the WAC.

Williams accounted for all 25 yards on three plays in the extra session. He ran for 13 yards on the first snap and hauled in an 8-yard reception before running in for the game-winning score for Utah State (9-2, 5-0 WAC), which let a 24-point lead slip away before prevailing.

"Having it end like that is unbelievable," Aggies head coach Gary Anderson said. "We have a tough-minded group of kids. We knew it was going to be a game where at any point they could come back. They have done that all year long."

The victory clinched the Aggies at least a share of the conference title.

Williams finished with 162 yards rushing and two scores on 20 carries and added 125 yards receiving and a touchdown on four receptions.

Chuckie Keeton threw for 340 yards and a pair of scores on 20-of-34 efficiency and also carried the ball 17 times for 121 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

Utah State racked up 646 yards of total offense.

Louisiana Tech (9-2, 4-1) tallied the final 24 points of regulation, including Matt Nelson's game-tying kick as time expired in the fourth, but Ray Holley was stopped of the first down on a 4th-and-3 in overtime to end the game.

"It's a disappointing loss," Bulldogs head coach Sonny Dykes said. "We had a lot of momentum heading into overtime and we felt good going on ... But then we gave them an easy touchdown and then didn't get a first down. It seemed like we were emotionally done at that point, like we ran out of gas."

Colby Cameron was 35-of-60 for 396 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in defeat.

Trailing, 41-17, after Williams plunged in from a yard out, D.J Banks returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for the score, and the Bulldogs got the ball early in the fourth following a Utah State three-and-out.

Kenneth Dixon capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive with a 1-yard TD plunge and Utah State was forced to punt again on its next touch.

Cameron, though, was intercepted by Jake Doughty in the end zone on a 3rd-and- goal play from the 11.

The Bulldogs didn't get the ball back until 4:44 showed on the clock and Hunter Lee ran in for a 7-yard touchdown with 1:54 left to pull the home team within 41-38.

Louisiana Tech elected to kick the ball away with three timeouts and its defense regained possession for the Bulldogs following a three-and-out. Nelson nailed the game-tying 32-yard boot to force an extra session.

Earlier, Utah State jumped out to a 17-3 halftime lead and a 27-3 third- quarter advantage.

The Aggies scored on their first offensive play of the game on Williams' 86- yard touchdown on a screen, and Kellen Bartlett hauled in a 3-yard score to cap a 16-play, 70-yard trek later in the frame to give Utah State a 14-0 edge heading into the second.

The visitors outgained the Bulldogs, 245-40 in total yards in the opening stanza.

Nelson and Nick Diaz traded field goals of 36 and 38 yards, respectively, in the second quarter.

Keeton ran in for a 13-yard touchdown to cap Utah State's initial possession of the second half, and Diaz split the uprights from 30 yards away on the Aggies' next touch.

A Dixon 2-yard TD run and a Myles White 25-yard reception for a score, sandwiched around a Keeton 25-yard TD scamper, made it 34-17 late in the third.

Game Notes

The Aggies have won 14 of their last 17 games overall dating back to last season ... The Bulldogs averaged 53.4 points and 576.5 total yards per game comin in.