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as a qualifying event for Julys championship at Royal Liverpool. The three highest-placed finishers in the top 10 not alre

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Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork. Carlos Rodon Jersey .com) - The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs look to take down a power five conference team when they take on the Big Tens Illinois Fighting Illini in the Heart of Dallas Bowl, which will be held at the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 26. The Bulldogs finished as the top team in Conference-USAs West Division this season, going 8-5 overall and 7-1 in conference play. LaTech had a chance for the C-USA outright title, but lost to Marshall in the championship game, 33-26, back on Dec. 6. Illinois, meanwhile, is coming into the game thanks to a win in its regular- season finale against Northwestern, 47-33. The victory made the Illini bowl eligible at 6-6 and improved the teams conference mark to 3-5, which was fifth best in the Big Ten. LaTech sits in a good spot to pick up just its third bowl win in its seventh try (2-3-1). The Bulldogs recorded four more wins in 2014 than they did in head coach Skip Holtzs first season at the helm in 2013. The Bulldogs ranked fourth in most-improved scoring offense with a 102.1 percent improvement, going from an average of 19.2 points per game in 2013 to a current average of 37.5 points per game this season. Running back Kenneth Dixon leads the Bulldog offense. He rushed for 156 yards and three touchdowns against Marshall to improve his season total to 1,238 yards and 21 touchdowns. For his career, Dixon has amassed 3,347 rushing yards with 52 touchdowns on the ground in 35 games. As a team, the Bulldogs offense averages 403.8 yards per game, going for 151.2 on the ground and 252.6 through the air. Redshirt senior quarterback Cody Sokol threw for 3,189 yards with 29 touchdowns and 13 picks this season. He was named the C-USAs Newcomer of the Year after transferring in from Iowa. It all starts with Cody Sokol, said Holtz. He came in and did a great job of getting players to buy in, setting a real example as a leader with his toughness and the way he plays the game. Sokols favorite target was sophomore wide receiver Trent Taylor, who hauled in a team-high 62 catches for 814 yards with nine scores. On the defensive side of the ball, Louisiana Tech is the national leader in points off of turnovers. With 14 points off of turnovers in the Marshall game, the Bulldogs have scored 164 points off turnovers in 13 games this season (12.6 points per game). Last season, Louisiana Tech scored only 64 points off turnovers the entire year (5.3 points a game). This will be a nice opportunity for starting defensive end Houston Bates, who transferred to the Bulldogs from Illinois. A fifth-year transfer to the Bulldog program, Bates is a previous All-Big Ten Conference selection. He started all 13 games for the Bulldogs with 28 total tackles to his credit including 10.5 tackles for a loss of 55 yards, 5.5 sacks, an interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, two pass break-ups and a team-leading 12 QB hurries. The Bulldogs last bowl win came in 2008 when they defeated Northern Illinois in the Independence Bowl. Illinois had to win three of its last five games to even become bowl eligible and the program had a real gut check to get there. There came a point in time right before we played Minnesota where we gathered up as a team and had to go one direction or the other, said Illinois head coach Tim Beckman. We could either step forward, meet the challenge and attack the Minnesota Golden Gophers or we could just give in. This football team was not going to do that. It was important for Beckmans squad to earn its first bowl bid since 2011, despite the lack of overall success this season. We needed to get to a bowl game, our program needs those types of things to move forward, Beckman added. I cannot tell you the excitement that is in Champaign and in our facility with our athletic department to earn a bowl game down here in Dallas. Offensively, Illinois boasts one of the top passing offenses in the Big Ten, ranking third in the conference in passing yards per game (243.2) and completion percentage (61.2 percent) and fifth in passing efficiency. Beckman has done it with a QB competition approach. Senior Reilly OToole was under center for the last two games, both wins, but Wes Hunt and Aaron Bailey are also getting action in practices leading up to the bowl game. OToole finished the season completing 58.7 percent of his passes for 1,049 yards with nine touchdowns and seven interceptions in 12 games. Lunt completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 1,729 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions in seven games. Despite who plays under center, wideout Mike Dudek appears to be everyones favorite target, hauling in a team-best 69 catches for 965 yards with six TDs. The Illini averages 26.6 points per game with Josh Ferguson leading the way on the ground. He has run for 685 yards and eight scores. Donovonn Young has added five TDs on the ground. This is a rematch of a 2012 meeting between the two schools that saw Louisiana Tech roll to a 52-24 win in Champaign, Ill. Louisiana Tech is 2-2 all-time against the Big Ten and has won its last two meetings against Big Ten opponents. Prior to Techs 52-24 win over Illinois in 2012, the Bulldogs topped Michigan State, 20-19, in East Lansing on Sept. 13, 2003. These school have a common opponent this year in Western Kentucky. Louisiana Tech dismantled the Hilltoppers, 59-10, on Nov. 1, while Illinois beat WKU, 42-34, on Sept. 6 in Champaign. Frank Thomas Jersey . Tepesch, back from the minor leagues, earned his first major league victory in more than 10 months and the Rangers edged the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Wednesday. Carlton Fisk Jersey . -- Washingtons Bradley Beal seemed to make every shot he took in setting a career high with 37 points. JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Home town players Thomas Aiken and Justin Walters moved into a tie for the lead at 17 under at the Joburg Open on Saturday as overnight pace-setters Edoardo Molinari and David Horsey lost ground. Aiken carded a 9-under 63 on the East Course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington, while Walters shot an 8-under 64 to open a two-shot lead on the chasers. The Johannesburg-born pair were clear of South Koreas Jin Jeong (66) on 15 under heading to the final round of the European Tour event. Finlands Roope Kakko is 14 under and another stroke back. Aiken had five birdies on the front nine and five on the back, while Walters opened with five birdies on the front and finished with an eagle to draw level with Aiken after putting his second to within two feet on No. 18 and tapping in. Walters has never won on the European Tour. "Ive got one more round tomorrow and Im so happy that Ive put myself into a strong position," Walters said. "Im super excited for tomorrow because its what we play for." South Africans have won five of the seven previous Joburg Opens. Molinari and Horsey appeared to be the strongest challengers to that strong home record after leading on Friday, but both slipped up as the action moved to the longer, tougher East Course at Royal Joburg for the last two rounds. Chicago White Sox Hoodie. Italian Molinari struggled to a level-par 72 to slip six shots behind the leaders and Horsey, following a blistering 63 on Friday, finished with 10 straight pars to be five shots behind on 12 under. Aiken, a two-time winner on the tour, was impressive after dropping his only shot of the day on No. 2. His good friend Walters also had just one drop, on No. 16, before finishing with a flourish with his three on the par-5 last hole. Jeong also collected an eagle on the way to his 6-under 66 and Kakko eagled No. 18 to claw back the two shots he lost with a double bogey on No. 4. Scotlands Alastair Forsyth and South Africas George Coetzee were 13 under and tied for fifth. Players are also chasing three places at the British Open in July after the Joburg Open was announced as a qualifying event for Julys championship at Royal Liverpool. The three highest-placed finishers in the top 10 not already qualified will win a place at the Open. Former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel continued a mediocre tournament with a 72 on Saturday to go with his 69 and 70 for a tie for 65th on 4 under. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '

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