RUSTON, La. (AP) _ Tim Rattay passed for 406 yards and four touchdowns, and Billy Ray Tell ran for two more scores Saturday as Louisiana Tech thrashed Middle Tennessee 41-18.

Rattay completed 41 of 56 pass attempts in his first game since injuring an ankle two weeks ago. Tell finished with 156 yards on 12 carries as Tech (3-2) won its third game in a row while dealing MTSU (1-6) its third straight loss.

Tech's defense also dominated MTSU, holding the Blue Raiders to just 37 yards rushing.

Rattay threw touchdown passes of 15 yards to Sean Cangelosi and 24 yards to James Jordan, and Tell ran seven yards for another score as Tech built a 21-6 halftime lead.

Tech scored three more touchdowns in the third period _ on a 71-yard run by Tell and Rattay's passes of 10 yards to Jordan and 10 yards to Cangelosi. At that point, Rattay was replaced by backup Brian Stallworth, who completed all three of his passes for 33 yards.

MTSU was able to mount just one long drive in the game _ a 71-yard march on four plays that ended with a 49-yard touchdown pass from Kendall Newson to Jamison Palmer with 2:18 left in the third period.

The other Blue Raiders touchdowns came on a 1-yard run by Dwone Hicks in the first period and an 80-yard fumble recovery by Kareem Bland with 59 seconds left in the game.