TJ McMahon threw two late touchdown passes — including a 3-yarder to Cedric Patterson III with 61 seconds remaining — and Rice rallied for a 35-31 victory over Louisiana Tech. Rice led 14-10 at halftime, but JD Head connected with Smoke Harris for a 5-yard score to give Louisiana Tech a 17-14 lead midway through the third quarter.

Georgia Southern quarterback Shai Werts (1) is lifted up after scoring a touchdown against Louisiana Tech during the first half of the New Orleans Bowl NCAA college football game in New Orleans, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)NEW ORLEANS – Georgia Southern quarterback Shai Werts kept his team in suspense until pregame warmups. “The guys fed off that for sure.”Werts had three touchdown runs and threw a 65-yard scoring pass to help Georgia Southern beat Louisiana Tech 38-3 in the New Orleans Bowl on Wednesday. Safety Justin Birdsong intercepted two passes — the first against Louisiana Tech starter Aaron Allen and the second against reserve JD Head in the third quarter. “He did not play very well,” Louisiana Tech coach Skip Holtz said.