Fresno St. Has No Answer for Moats

Because Ryan Moats refused to rest, No. 17-ranked Fresno State won’t crack the bowl championship series.

Moats scored his fourth touchdown with less than four minutes left and ran for 236 yards to lead Louisiana Tech to a 28-21 victory Saturday night.

“I knew I had to carry the load,” said Moats, who had 34 carries. “I know I just can’t get tired, and I just want the team to keep giving me the ball.”

The nation’s fifth-leading rusher, Moats scored from eight yards with 3 minutes 20 seconds to play to help Louisiana Tech, 3-2, 2-0 in the Western Athletic Conference, beat a ranked team for the second time in school history.

“The biggest victory we have had here, by a long way,” Coach Jack Bicknell said.

A two-touchdown favorite, Fresno State led, 21-20, with four minutes left and was trying to run out the clock. But Byron Santiago intercepted a pass by Paul Pinegar and returned it to the 16. Moats scored two plays later, and Matt Kubik connected with Eric Newman on a two-point conversion.

Fresno State (3-1, 0-1) drove to the Louisiana Tech 20, but Tramon Williams picked off Pinegar’s pass with 1:03 remaining to seal it.

“We needed to get one of these games, and we did,” Bicknell said.

So much for Fresno State playing a bowl game in January.

After impressive victories at Washington and Kansas State, Fresno State allowed itself to dream of the BCS -- just as it did three years ago, the last time it was ranked.

But again, Fresno State’s chances at a high-profile bowl evaporated because it couldn’t beat a WAC opponent on its home field. Boise State spoiled Fresno State’s season then and has won all three of the meetings since joining the conference in 2001.

Kubik was 15 for 26 for 158 yards. Moats, who was averaging 173 yards, also scored on runs of 83 yards, six yards and one yard.