Louisiana Tech walked off Liberty in overtime Saturday in wild fashion and into bowl eligibility.
Senior defensive back Jakari Foster intercepted the Flames’ second play of the extra period, and senior running back Andrew Burnette immediately bust 25 yards up the middle to put the final, fitting touches on a huge rally on the team’s senior day in Joe Aillet Stadium.
The Bulldogs (6-5, 4-3) roared back from a three-score deficit midway through the third quarter with four interceptions and 27 unanswered points to stun Liberty (4-7, 3-4) and secure their postseason opportunity with a 34-28 victory.
Coach Sonny Cumbie and company will head to a bowl game for a second straight year after being selected as a late replacement for Marshall in the 2024 Independence Bowl.
Louisiana Tech will finish the regular season with at least a .500 record for the first time since 2020 and will visit Missouri State (7-4, 5-2) for the opportunity to secure its first winning record since 2019.
Burnette finished with 93 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries in his final college home game, and Foster had his first career two-interception performance and eight tackles.
Junior quarterback Trey Kukuk rushed 19 times for 143 yards and two scores and completed 13 of his 20 passes (65.0%) for 118 yards — led by junior tight end Eli Finley‘s five catches for 58 yards.
Junior defensive back Jacob Fields had a game-high 14 tackles, including 0.5 for loss, and intercepted a pass, and junior defensive back Michael Richard (Edna Karr) added five tackles, an interception and another pass breakup.
Burnette had put the Bulldogs on the board first hours earlier with the 8-yard touchdown run to cap a 75-yard opening drive that ate more than six and a half minutes off the clock.
But Liberty dominated the following two quarters — allowing 93 combined yards on the next six possessions, forcing three three-and-outs and intercepting a pass.
A pair of Jay Billingsley field goals trimmed the early margin to 7-6 early in the second quarter, and the Flames gradually appeared to take control with long drives in the second and third quarters capped by short touchdown runs by Evan Dickens and a scoring connection from Ethan Vasko to Jacob Jenkins.
The Bulldogs dramatically flipped the script from there.
A 31-yard Kukuk scamper capped a seven-play, 75-yard drive that provided some spark, and Louisiana Tech snatched interceptions on Liberty’s next three possessions and four of its final five.
The Flames totaled 76 total yards on their last five possessions with only one lasting more than three places.
And the Bulldogs began quickly gaining steam.
Foster intercepted a deep shot, and Kukuc, Burnette, sophomore Clay Thevenin and junior Omiri Wiggins (Acadiana) and company powered their way 19 plays and 96 yards the other direction for an eventual 8-yard Burnette score early in the fourth.
An interception by Richard set up an eventual 29-yard Kukuc scoring run to tie the game with the extra point, and Fields picked off Vasko for the third straight possession as Louisiana Tech continued stifling its guests.
The Bulldogs forced a punt on Liberty’s final regulation possession, and two of their familiar senior playmakers closed out the memorable night in overtime.