COL FB: La. Tech 17, Northern Ill.10

Phillip Livas returned a kickoff for a TD and Daniel Porter rushed for a score Sunday in Louisiana Tech's 17-10 Independence Bowl win over Northern Illinois.

Ross Jenkins was 12-of-27 passing for 144 yards for the Bulldogs (8-5), who finished the season with five wins in their last six games.

Chandler Harnish was 20-of-40 passing for 181 yards and a TD, and also picked up 61 yards rushing, for the Huskies (6-7) -- who lost four of their last five games after a promising start to the season. Harnish was intercepted twice.

The Huskies scored late in the first quarter to go up 7-0, but the Bulldogs evened it up on the ensuing kickoff when Livas returned the ball 97 yards for a touchdown. Tech went up 14-7 at 1:19 of the second quarter when Porter rush 11 yards for a score.

Porter finished with 78 yards rushing.