ESPN College Football

HOUSTON -- Colby Cameron threw for three touchdowns, Tevin King ran for three and Louisiana Tech overcame 580 yards passing by David Piland to defeat Houston 56-49 Saturday night.

The two explosive teams combined for 1,291 yards of offense and 78 first downs in a game that lasted 4 hours and 8 minutes and wasn't secured until Houston (0-2) failed on an onside kick attempt with 35 seconds remaining.

Cameron had touchdown passes of 6, 8 and 14 yards while completing 34 of 52 passes for 353 yards; King rushed for 112 yards, including TDs of 13, 9 and 59 yards; and Kenneth Dixon added 90 yards rushing and a touchdown for the Bulldogs, who were playing their first game after their opener against Texas A&M was postponed last week due to Hurricane Isaac.

Louisiana Tech needed all of that to offset Piland, who completed 53 passes in a school-record 77 attempts for 580 yards. He had touchdown passes of 32, 74, 7 and 12 yards to four different receivers.

Daniel Spencer caught seven passes for 157 yards and a score, while Dewayne Peace had 11 catches for 141 yards and a TD for the Cougars.

Louisiana Tech maintained at least a two-touchdown lead for much of the game. The Bulldogs led 14-0 after a pair of touchdown runs by King, a freshman.

After Houston pulled within 21-20 at halftime, King raced around the left end, bounced off multiple defenders and raced 59 yards for a touchdown. Dixon, also a freshman, added his first career score on a 2-yard plunge to make 35-20 with 6:09 left in the third quarter.

Louisiana Tech stretched the lead to 56-35 with 6:36 left in the game on a pair of Cameron touchdown passes and a 2-yard TD run by Ray Holley.

But Piland took less than 2 minutes to go 75 yards, hitting Peace on a fade route for a 7-yard TD with 4:45 remaining. After Houston forced a Bulldogs punt, Piland hit 8 of 10 attempts on an 80-yard drive, pulling the Cougars within 56-49 when he found Deontay Greenberry for a 12-yard score with 35 seconds left.

Houston recovered the ensuing onside kick, but it travelled only 9 yards, resulting in an illegal touching penalty, and Louisiana Tech ran out the clock.