TULSA, Okla., Nov. 24 (UPI) -- Joe Smith rushed for 188 yards and scored two touchdowns Saturday, helping Louisiana Tech clinch the outright Western Athletic Conference title with a 19-7 victory over Tulsa.
Smith reached the end zone on a six-yard run with 1:39 remaining in the third quarter and caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Luke McCown with 1:44 remaining in the game.
The Bulldogs (7-4, 7-1 WAC) took a 6-0 lead on field goals of 42 and 30 yards in the second quarter, but the Golden Hurricane (0-8, 1-10) did not go quietly, grabbing a 7-6 lead on Ken Bohanon's two-yard run with 7:31 remaining in the third period.
Louisiana Tech, which already had clinched at least a share of the WAC title, won four of its final five games and is headed to the Humanitarian Bowl.
McCown, who has passed for more than 3,000 yards this season, had a quiet day, completing 15 of 27 tosses for 135 yards.
Tulsa's Josh Blankenship also was shut down as he connected on just 10 of 25 passes for 110 yards. Bohanon paced the Golden Hurricane on the groud with 132 yards on 27 carries.
Tulsa ended the year with a 10-game losing streak after beating Division I-AA Indiana State, 51-0, in its season opener.
The Bulldogs avenged a loss to Tulsa last year and increased their lead in the all-time series to 5-1.
