RUSTON, La. » One of the differences between La. and L.A. is The Creek.

As a team-bonding activity, Los Angeles-raised quarterback Nick Isham joined Louisiana Tech football teammates in rope diving.

"I don’t know the name of the place, but it was in the southern woods," Isham said. "It was over this creek-type thing, which was incredibly sketchy. There was a rope tied to the top of the tree, and a little platform halfway up. You swing, and then you let go, and you go into the creek."

There was only one cautionary consideration.

"The alligators are definitely a thought in the back of my mind," Isham said. "But it was incredibly fun, and I figured nobody has gotten hurt so far."

In turn, Louisiana Tech is taking the plunge with a quarterback who will celebrate his 18th birthday on Friday.

"He’s not your normal 17-year-old guy," Bulldogs coach Sonny Dykes said. "He’s a mature kid for his age. He’s a smart guy. And the thing I really like about him is he’s composed and calm. That’s what led us to recruit him, and name him a starter. He handles situations well."

If the Bulldogs had not made a pitch to Isham last Christmas Eve, he might have been on the Hawaii sideline for tonight’s game at Joe Aillet Stadium.

Isham said he had received an offer to join the Warriors as a preferred walk-on.

Isham said he chose Louisiana Tech because "I had a scholarship offer here and not one there."

Thing was, Isham knew little about the Ruston, La., school.

He did research, crafted a list of pros and cons, and "weighed it out," Isham said. "Louisiana Tech turned out to be the best choice. I did the research and made it my new home."

Despite his age, he set a goal of winning the starting job.

"In all honesty, I came to play," Isham said. "That was my whole mind-set. That was my goal. I figured, if you’re not striving to play, you shouldn’t be playing the sport. I worked as hard as I could, and tried to get as good as I could, and it worked out."

Through four games of his college career, Isham has completed 63 percent of his passes, going 91-for-144 for 926 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions. The Bulldogs are 1-3, their lone victory a 48-42 overtime win over Central Arkansas in which Isham helped engineer a comeback in the final 2 minutes of the fourth quarter.

In his second year as head coach, Dykes has maintained a fun atmosphere. Isham said he often takes the offensive linemen to eat.

"Chicken-fried steak was pretty interesting," Isham said. "The fried catfish was pretty new for me. But, I have to admit, the most interesting thing was the fried alligator. It was at a restaurant down the road. It was an appetizer. I didn’t think I would try it. But the O-line made me try it. It wasn’t bad. It tasted like chicken."

For the Warriors, this will be the last time to experience Ruston. The Warriors are leaving the Western Athletic Conference at the end of this academic year.

UH and Louisiana Tech are the NCAA’s farthest-apart league members. Dykes, UH head coach Greg McMackin and UH defensive coordinator Dave Aranda were on the same Texas Tech coaching staff.

For the third consecutive year — and fourth in the past five years — the Warriors and Bulldogs will meet in the WAC opener for both teams.

"It’s an important game for us," McMackin said.