rish as the new top complement to Jones. Sanu was a part-time starter with Cincinnati.Second-year receiver Justin

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Its rare when pass-happy Texas Tech churns out more plays on the ground than in the air, but thats what happened Saturday night.Patrick Mahomes threw for five touchdowns, three to Johnathan Giles, and ran for another to lead Texas Tech past Louisiana Tech 59-45.That was their defense, Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said of the 43-36 edge to running plays. If theyre going to give us a run, were going to take it. Were going to do whatever the defense allows us to do.Giles, who finished with six catches for 186 yards, said balance with the rush and pass takes pressure off Mahomes.I feel like it makes it easier for Pat just so he dont have to throw the ball a whole lot, he said. And us as a receiver group, just blocking, being physical, if very fun.Mahomes threw touchdown passes of 64, 36, 9, 42 and 4. The junior, who came into the game leading the nation in total offense, completed 26 of 36 passes for 470 yards.Demarcus Felton rushed for 123 yards on 16 carries and had two touchdowns.The Bulldogs fell behind 35-10 and couldnt quell the Red Raiders up-tempo offense enough to pull off a comeback. They got within 11 points twice.I thought our defense was a joke, Louisiana Tech coach Skip Holtz said.Kingsbury said his team needs to get tougher and put opponents away.You cant have guys, particularly their best players, running wide open, he said.The Red Raiders (2-1) didnt punt through three quarters and scored on six of their first seven possessions.Jarred Craft had 151 yards on 21 carries and Trent Taylor caught six passes for 166 yards for the Bulldogs (1-2).Jarred did a phenomenal job, whether it was to start off a drive or a short play that hed just bust open, he did a great job getting his holes, almost always making the first defender miss quarterback Ryan Higgins said. He kept us alive.The Red Raiders pulled some razzle dazzle in the second quarter, running a double reverse that ended in Giles hands and brought him one of his three touchdowns -- a 42-yarder.I stole that from Western Kentucky, Kingsbury said. It was a great play they ran for a touchdown, so we repped it a ton. We had it but we werent getting the right looks for it, and it just worked out tonight.TAKEAWAYS:LOUISIANA TECH: The Bulldogs defense came into the game giving up just 295 total yards per game to rank 31st in the nation . Texas Tech moved the ball at will and had almost 100 yards more of offense than that (392), and led 35-17 at halftime.TEXAS TECH: Ranked 117th in total defense coming into the game, Texas Tech showed improvement. The Bulldogs tallied 572 total yards, fewer than the 652 the Red Raiders gave up in their 68-55 loss at Arizona State last week. I thought offensively we handled the situation better, Kingsbury said. Everybody executed at a much higher level.Holtz lauded Texas Techs defense. They ran a lot of coverages, they ran a lot of fronts, he said. They do as much as any defense Ive ever seen. They ran I dont know how many coverages tonight, but you couldnt attack what they were doing.UP NEXT:LOUISIANA TECH: The Bulldogs continue their road games when they travel to Middle Tennessee.TEXAS TECH: The Red Raiders have a bye next week before hosting Kansas on Sept. 29. It will be the first Thursday night home game for Texas Tech since beating then-No. 24 TCU 20-10 on Sept. 12, 2013, Kliff Kingsburys first season with the Red Raiders.POINTS GALORE:It was the eighth home game in a row that the Red Raiders scored at least 50 points---Follow Betsy Blaney on Twitter at www.twitter.com/betsyblaney---Online: AP college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org Swell Bottles Clearance . Having already announced that the race will start May 9 with three stages in Northern Ireland and Ireland and finish in Trieste on June 1, the rest of the route was unveiled Monday. Swell Bottle Resort Collection . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. http://www.swellbottlesclearance.com/swell-black-bottle.html . Following a lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the Prudential Center and addressing the players himself. Swell Traveler Sale . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. Swell Water Bottle Floral . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The Atlanta Falcons are hoping their second season with coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan brings more familiarity, confidence -- and wins.A few new key players might make an even bigger difference.The Falcons improved from 6-10 to 8-8 but missed the playoffs in Quinns first season. There was improvement, especially on defense, but the failure to take advantage of a 5-0 start left the season feeling more like a letdown.The teams biggest offseason addition could be a difference maker for quarterback Matt Ryan, 31. Three-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack left Cleveland to sign a five-year, $47.5 million deal.Mack will be expected to provide the stability and leadership at center the team has lacked since Todd McClures final 2012 season.Even after the release of Roddy White, the most accomplished receiver in franchise history, Ryan has potent playmakers with receiver Julio Jones and dual-threat running back Devonta Freeman. Mohamed Sanu was signed to be the No. 2 receiver.Ryans 21 touchdown passes in 2015 were his fewest since his 2008 rookie season. His 16 interceptions were the second most of his career.Ryan organized and paid for a passing camp which preceded OTAs and minicamp. He said having a year in Shanahans system has made a difference. Thats important because there were calls for Shanahan to be replaced after it appeared Ryan had not adjusted well to the zone-blocking scheme.I think were further along this offseason, Ryan said this month. I think thats going to bode well for us.Ryan said theres certainly an adjustment period following a coaching change, but added I think we handled it pretty well.The key newcomers on defense include linebacker Courtney Upshaw, defensive end Derrick Shelby and rookie strong safety Keanu Neal. Each should start. Another rookie, linebacker Deion Jones, also could play a big role.Here are some story lines to watch for the Falcons training camp:KUDOS FOR KEANU: Neal was drafted from Florida to be an anchor for the defense. Quinn believes Neal has the toughness to play close to the line like a linebacker and the pass coverage skills to defend tight ends and running backs. Quinn said Neal showed in minicamp thhe mental quickness and the speed that he plays with.dddddddddddd.Quinn said the strong safety position is so important to his scheme that he drafted Neal with the No. 17 overall pick instead of looking for pass rush help.NEW ROLE FOR BEASLEY: Quinn, the former Seattle defensive coordinator, couldnt find instant answers for the teams persistent pass-rush problem. The Falcons were last in the league with 19 sacks. They have ranked no higher than 28th in sacks since 2012.Vic Beasley Jr., last years first-round pick from Clemson, had four sacks while spending most of his time at defensive end. The plan this year is for Beasley to play strongside linebacker in the base defense and defensive end in nickel packages. Quinn estimates the Falcons will be in their nickel package at least 60 percent of snaps.Shelby had 3 1/2 sacks with Miami last season.HELP FOR JULIO: Perhaps no receiver added to the roster would have prevented defenses from assigning an extra defender to Jones. His 136 catches for 1,871 yards in 2015 each ranked as the second-best totals in NFL history.Last year, Freeman had 73 catches and tight end Jacob Tamme had 59 as Ryans top options to Jones. Sanu, who signed a five-year, $32.5 million deal, could be in position to flourish as the new top complement to Jones. Sanu was a part-time starter with Cincinnati.Second-year receiver Justin Hardy could earn a job as the No. 3 receiver with a strong camp.QB INSURANCE: Ryan made every start for the sixth straight season, but his durability may disguise the effects of the constant pounding. Ryan has been sacked at least 30 times in three straight seasons -- the three highest totals of his career.Ryans new backup is veteran Matt Schaub, 35, who played for Shanahan in Houston. Quinn said Schaub has added a real calming presence.HESTERS HEALTH: Devin Hester, 33, is coming off toe surgery. He played in only five games last season and needs a strong camp to show he has regained the speed that made him one of the top return specialists in the game.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '