SAN MARCOS — Texas State didn't need 52 or 62 points — totals they scored against Stephen F. Austin the last two seasons — to defeat the Lumberjacks Saturday.
Four touchdowns and a ton of missed opportunities by SFA were enough for the Bobcats to frustrate the Lumberjacks to the bitter end.
Photo by Jeff Abt |
SFA quarterback Jeremy Moses is tripped up the Texas State defense Saturday afternoon in San Marcos.
|
Texas State scored the game's final 21 points to take a 28-7 win that knocked the Lumberjacks out of sole possession of first place in the Southland Conference race here at Bobcat Stadium.
How did SFA's six-game winning streak that included dramatic 3-point wins against McNeese and Central Arkansas come to a screeching halt?
SFA looked like a first-place team occassionally, compiling 416 yards offense in setting up scoring opportunity after scoring opportunity.
But once within scoring distance, the Lumberjacks looked like a completely different team than the one that carried a 6-1 mark into Saturday's homecoming game for the Bobcats — one that couldn't make the plays with points on the line.
SFA true freshman Evan Engwall missed two early field goals.
The Lumberjacks failed to score on a fourth-and-goal play at the one-yard line.
SFA lost a fumble inside Texas State's 20-yard line. Junior quarterback Jeremy Moses threw two interceptions, one in the third quarter into double coverage that set up Texas State's go-ahead score.
More spooky facts.
SFA was 1-of-4 in the red zone, 4-of-14 on third down and allowed 324 passing yards to Texas State quarterback Bradley George, who threw four touchdowns while rarely being pressured by the Lumberjacks' front line.
"We didn't capitalize," SFA senior receiver Aaron Rhea said. "We drove the ball, but we didn't execute when we needed to."
"We just got beat by a football team," SFA head coach J.C. Harper said. "They deserved to win. We didn't capitalize on the opportunities we had, and they did."
Texas State (5-3) stayed in the championship hunt with its third straight league victory. The only thing standing between the Bobcats and sole possession of first place is a 51-50 overtime loss to Southeastern Louisiana, when the Bobcats gave up 24 straight points in the fourth quarter.
Saturday's game was the Bobcats' first home contest since that loss. Texas State had more zip, more energy than the Lumberjacks, although the Bobcats had played the last two weekends on a two-game road trip in Louisiana.
"Anytime you play a team like Texas State that has their back against the wall, it's going to be tough," Harper said. "They won it last year. They want to win it again."
While Texas State gave up 416 yards, including 244 yards by Moses and 151 yards rushing, the Bobcats made big plays after big plays to turn away SFA's scoring chances.
Despite all of the earlier missed chances, SFA was still in the game midway in the fourth quarter, trailing 14-7.
But on third-and-five from Texas State's 27-yard line, redshirt freshman linebacker Joplo Bartu followed a play where he pressured Moses into an incompletion with a sack that gave the Bobcats the football at the SFA 34-yard line.
Aided by an interference penalty, Texas State drove to the touchdown that gave it a 21-7 lead, the capper coming on George's 32-yard touchdown pass to Mishak Rivas on a third-and-31 strike with 3:58 left in the game.
The Bobcats added a late score on George's fourth TD pass, a 17-yarder to Da'Marcus Griggs.
Griggs and Rivas both had huge receiving games for a Texas State passing attack that found seams in SFA's secondary throughout the game.
Griggs caught nine passes for 91 yards and one score. Rivas had six receptions for 85 yards and two scores.
"It was one of those games — offensively we kept swinging and defensively we kept swinging," Texas State coach Brad Wright said. "And some of those punches started to land at the end.
"It was like a heavyweight fight, if you asked me."
Despite compiling 243 yards offense in the first half, SFA (6-2, 3-1) came away empty in points in trailing 7-0 at the break.
Texas State's defense kept everything in front of it, forcing the Lumberjacks to gain first downs and chew up yards.
That was not a problem. But scoring was a different story.
SFA came away frustrated after Engwall missed two field goals, the second a chip-shot 22-yarder.
On SFA's following possession, Moses converted a third-and-six play from the Texas State 27-yard line with a 20-yard pass to Contrevious Parks.
But facing a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line three plays later, Moses' pass in the flat toward Parks was off target, leaving the offense short for the third time.
After SFA's defense held Texas State to a three-and-out, the Lumberjacks threatened again, moving inside the Bobcats' 20-yard line, only to turn the ball over when true freshman Romonte Hampton fumbled after being stripped of the ball by Texas State linebacker Joe Bell.
SFA had yet another possession in the first half, a late-ditch effort in the waning seconds of the first 30 minutes. But Moses' throw down the middle of the field with six seconds left was intercepted by Texas State linebacker Matt Harris.
Moses was 18-of-28 for 151 yards in the first half.
Texas State's only first-half score came on its first possession. The Bobcats' offense came out throwing, with George connecting on short throws against the Lumberjacks' defense.
The Bobcats picked up first downs on three straight plays to open the drive. Once at the 6-yard line, George lost three yards when he fumbled the snap of center. But on the next play, he had plenty of time to throw and found Rivas, who was skirting the back of the end zone line on a crossing route.
SFA's defense did a nice job in the opening half, limiting Texas State to just 7 points, although the Bobcats did manage 174 yards, including 148 yards passing by George, who was 16-of-21 out of the shoot.
Texas State kicker Ryan Batchelor missed a 44-yard field goal and Texas State's running game was turned back, managing just 26 yards on 16 carries.
But while SFA's defense played well enough to keep it close, the Lumberjacks' offense never could break through, although the chances were there.
"They just outplayed us," Harper said. "They played harder — they played better."
