Big first half helps La. Tech shock No. 23 Fresno St.

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) -- The team that nearly knocked off No. 1

Southern California now can't even win in the WAC.

Matt Kubik threw three touchdown passes, and Louisiana Tech

capitalized on five turnovers to deny No. 23 Fresno State a share

of the Western Athletic Conference title with a 40-28 victory

Friday night.

"We had everything going for us. We controlled our destiny and

we screwed it up," Fresno State defensive lineman Garrett McIntyre

said. "I don't think this team knows how to handle success very

well. We proved that the last three games."

Fresno State (8-4, 6-2) was in control of the WAC after ending a

four-game losing streak to Boise State with a 27-7 win Nov. 10.

Then came the trip to Los Angeles when Fresno State put a scare

into USC and caught the attention of the nation before falling

50-42.

That led to a Liberty Bowl bid even though Fresno State had two

games left and hadn't wrapped up the conference title. The emotions

of the two big games appeared to have taken a toll on Fresno State,

which lost 38-35 at Nevada last week before the collapse against

Louisiana Tech (7-4, 6-2).

"I watched the USC game and said, 'Oh my god," Louisiana Tech

coach Jack Bicknell said. "To come out here to this place and do

this is unbelievable."

Boise State and Nevada are co-champions of the WAC. Louisiana

Tech tied Fresno State for third, but its chances at a bowl bid are

slim. Louisiana Tech could go to the Las Vegas Bowl if Oregon makes

the BCS and or the Motor City Bowl if Ohio State goes to the BCS.

"These kids certainly deserve to go," Bicknell said. "I don't

know how the whole thing works."

Kubik threw two TD passes in the final 2:03 of the first half to

put Louisiana Tech in control and added a 30-yarder to Eric Newman

in the third quarter after Fresno State scored on its first drive

of the second half. He finished 13-for-22 for 251 yards.

Freddie Franklin, who missed the last three games with a

sprained ankle, ran for 120 yards and a touchdown. Newman caught

three passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns.

Paul Pinegar went 33-for-54 for 358 yards and three

interceptions in his final home start, with most of the yardage

coming after Louisiana Tech took the big lead. Pinegar threw eight

interceptions in his final three games after throwing only five in

the first nine.

"We knew what we had in front of us. We had two chances to win

at least a co-championship and we didn't get it done," Pinegar

said. "It's frustrating, especially being a senior, that we didn't

get it done."

Pinegar threw three touchdown passes, and Quaadir Brown returned

a fumble 77 yards for a score in the second half but it wasn't

enough to overcome a mistake-filled first half.

Fresno State fumbled twice, threw two interceptions, botched a

field-goal attempt, committed a personal foul to extend a touchdown

drive and another penalty to negate a touchdown of its own, helping

Louisiana Tech break out to a 26-3 lead.

"I really don't have any answers right now," coach Pat Hill

said. "I don't understand five turnovers. I don't understand the

personal fouls we had in that game. I really don't have the answers

to those things."

Both teams drove inside the 10 on their opening drives only to

settle for field goals. Fresno State had a kickoff return for a

touchdown by Adam Jennings called back because of a holding call on

Richard Marshall before Kyle Zimmerman's 24-yard field goal.

Fresno State then botched a field goal attempt when holder Jason

Christensen got the ball down a little late and Zimmerman decided

not to attempt a kick.

A fumble by Bryson Sumlin set up Danny Horwedel's second field

goal for Louisiana Tech, and Wendell Mathis then fumbled on the

next drive to give Louisiana Tech the ball at midfield.

Kubik hit a wide-open Mark Dillard on a 49-yard pass on the next

play, but Fresno State appeared to hold when Kubik was forced to

throw the ball away on third down from the 4. Louis Leonard,

however, hit Kubik late to give Louisiana Tech a first down, and

Dillard ran it in from the 2.

Pinegar threw interceptions on the next two drives, setting up

two touchdown passes by Kubik: a 17-yarder to Newman and a

52-yarder to Johnathan Holland with 28 seconds left in the half.