Louisiana 66, New Mexico State 38
LAFAYETTE, La. – Andre Nunez threw for 315 yards and five touchdowns, Elijah Mitchell scored three touchdowns and Louisiana beat New Mexico State 66-38 on Saturday.
Nunez threw three touchdowns on the Ragin' Cajuns' first three drives en route to a 28-14 lead at the end of the first quarter. He threw scores of 50, 30 and 11 yards to Ja'Marcus Bradley, Jarrod Jackson and Trey Ragas, respectively. The 28 first-quarter points equaled the most by the Cajuns since a 70-7 win against Nicholls State on Sept. 14, 2013.
Louisiana scored on all seven of its first-half drives (six TDs and a field goal) and gained 534 yards of total offense by halftime.
Mitchell had 12 carries for 107 yards and Earnest Patterson had three receptions for 114 yards and a score. Louisiana's 759 yards of total offense was a school record, breaking the previous mark of 728 in 2008. The Ragin' Cajuns (3-3) also set a school record with 37 first downs.
Josh Adkins threw for 284 yards and a touchdown, Christian Gibson rushed for three touchdowns and Jason Huntley finished with five receptions for 112 yards and a score for the Aggies (2-5).
ULM 45, Coastal Carolina 20
CONWAY, S.C. – Caleb Evans and Derrick Gore combined to score three late touchdowns as ULM broke away for a 45-20 defeat of Coastal Carolina Saturday night.
Evans scored from the 1 late in the third quarter as ULM added to a 24-20 lead. The Warhawks (3-4, 1-2 Sun Belt) then scored twice more in the game's final minutes. Evans ran in from the 20 with 4:07 remaining, and Gore broke free on a 46-yard TD run with 31 seconds left.
Gore rushed for 147 yards on 16 carries, Marcus Green caught five passes for 111 yards and a TD, and Evans broke 200 yards passing for the fifth time this season, finishing with 224 yards.
Marcus Outlaw rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown for the Chanticleers (3-3, 1-2). Bryce Carpenter passed for 133 yards but was intercepted in the end zone to end a key drive when trailing by four. Coastal Carolina also fumbled four times, losing two.
South Alabama 45, Alabama State 7
MOBILE, Ala. – Evan Orth and Tra Minter accounted for two touchdowns apiece to lead South Alabama in a 45-7 rout of Alabama State on Saturday night.
South Alabama (2-5) played its first home game in nearly a month and snapped a three-game losing streak.
Orth was 12 of 15 for 155 yards passing and threw a nine-yard score to Jordan McCray. Orth added 31 yards rushing and a 19-yard TD run. Tra Minter had an eight-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and later ran untouched 75 yards into the end zone on a punt return to make it 35-7 early in the fourth.
Kawaan Baker also had a touchdown run, and Jahmmir Taylor caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from Cephus Johnson for the Jaguars.
KHA'Darris Davis connected with Tyrek Allen on a 75-yard touchdown pass to pull Alabama State (2-4) to 14-7 midway through the second quarter.
Liberty 22, Troy 16
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Stephen Calvert threw a touchdown pass to B. J. Farrow late in the game to put Liberty up 22-16 over Troy on Saturday.
The Flames trailed 16-14 late in the fourth quarter when Calvert capped a 14-play, 89-yard drive with a 9-yard scoring toss to Farrow, who had to rip the ball out of his defender's hands in midair to make the play. Farrow then pulled in the two-point conversion pass, giving Liberty a 22-16 edge.
Calvert had 238 yards and two touchdowns passing for the Flames (3-3). Farrow had 101 yards receiving.
Calvert threw a 29-yard touchdown to Khaleb Coleman midway through the second quarter and Peytton Pickett ran for another score late in the half to give Liberty a 14-10 edge at halftime. Troy scored in the second half on a pair of Tyler Sumpter field goals to take a 16-14 lead late in the fourth.
Sawyer Smith threw for 135 yards and a touchdown for the Trojans (5-2).