COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Michael Birdsong threw three touchdown passes, Deven Sullivan returned a second-quarter interception 37 yards for a score and Tennessee Tech beat Murray State 55-19 on Saturday to lock up third place in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Birdsong was 18 of 25 for 278 yards passing, hitting Dontez Byrd on 43- and 29-yard scoring passes, and Austin Hick on a 42-yarder. Byrd had 14 catches for a career-high 198 yards and broke the school record for single-season receptions with 69 to become the fourth Tech player with 900 receiving yards in a season.

Yeedee Thaenrat and Maleek Hall each scored on 5-yards runs and Colby Brown threw a 20-yard pass to Jordan Smith. Thaenrat gained 118 yards on 15 carries.

Hall also intercepted a pass by Murray State's KD Humphries, leading to a 46-yard field goal on the Golden Eagles' next possession.

Humphries hit Malik Golson on a 14-yard TD pass and Mareio McGraw scored on a 1-yard run for the Racers (4-7, 4-4).