Louisiana Tech gets win close to home

Phillip Livas returned a kickoff 97 yards, Daniel Porter rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown and Louisiana Tech won the Independence Bowl by beating Northern Illinois, 17-10, on Sunday in Shreveport, La.

It was Louisiana Tech’s first postseason win since the 1977 Independence Bowl and the Bulldogs’ seventh come-from-behind win of the season in what was essentially a home game.

The Bulldogs (8-5), from nearby Ruston, hadn’t won eight games since 1999.

The victory over Northern Illinois (6-7) marks a quick turnaround under Coach Derek Dooley, former protege of Alabama Coach Nick Saban and son of longtime Georgia coach and athletic director Vince Dooley. As his father did, Dooley won his first bowl.

Two seasons ago the Bulldogs won three games, but they earned their first bowl trip since the 2001 Humanitarian Bowl in a topsy-turvy season that started with an upset of Mississippi State and ended with a surprise trip to Shreveport when neither the Southeastern Conference nor the Big 12 could provide bowl-eligible teams.

Auburn makes hire

Gus Malzahn, who directed one of the nation’s top-ranked offenses at Tulsa, was hired by new Auburn Coach Gene Chizik as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Malzahn brings a no-huddle, fast-paced attack to the Tigers, who abandoned a struggling spread offense in midseason and returned to a more smash-mouth style.

Tulsa led the nation in total offense in 2007 and ranks second going into the Jan. 6 GMAC Bowl against Ball State in Mobile, Ala.

Tulsa Coach Todd Graham announced that after Malzahn’s departure, Herb Hand would become the Golden Hurricane’s lone offensive coordinator. He had shared the position with Malzahn.

Miami transfers

Running back Shawnbrey McNeal and tight end Daniel Adderley will be granted releases by Miami to transfer to other schools. Miami Coach Randy Shannon said he wasn’t sure which schools the players would choose.

McNeal, who has an ailing mother and a small child to take care of in his native Texas, is thought to be considering enrolling at Texas Christian.

Adderley probably will return to South Carolina, his home state, Shannon said.

Shannon also said defensive back Anthony Reddick would leave school early to make himself available for the NFL draft.