Bobcats Fall to Arkansas State in Season Finale

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Tyler Siudzinski had Texas State’s longest rushing score of the year with his 34-yard run in the third quarter to give the Bobcats a two-point lead, but Arkansas State scored the game’s final 22 points to claim a 36-14 win in front of a nationwide ESPN2 audience Saturday evening at Bobcat Stadium.

Texas State ends the season 2-10 overall (0-8 Sun Belt), while Arkansas State (7-5, 7-1 Sun Belt) claimed a share of the Sun Belt title along with Appalachian State.

How It Happened:

• Senior Tyler Jones led the Bobcat offense onto the field for the first series. A pair of penalties against the Bobcats put the offense behind the chains, allowing Arkansas State to force a three-and-out.
• The Bobcat defense responded in kind on Arkansas State’s first drive, limiting the Red Wolves to a three-and-out that netted negative five yards.
• Arkansas State then forced the Bobcats to punt from deep in their own territory. After the punt, the Red Wolves took over at their own 47-yard line and four plays later Johnston White burst six yards over the right end for the game’s opening score. Dila Rosemond blocked the extra point – Texas State’s NCAA-leading eighth blocked kick of the season – leaving Arkansas State ahead 6-0 with 7:22 showing on the first-quarter clock.
• The defenses owned the next four series with each forcing a pair of punts, while yielding a combined three first downs.
• After Texas State’s fourth punt of the evening, Arkansas State broke through offensively with its second touchdown of the first half. Taking over at the TXST 44-yard line, Warren Wand took a lateral from Justice Hansen 18 yards on the first play of the drive. And on the next play Wand burst 26 yards up the middle for his seventh TD of the season. The point after was converted by J.D. Houston, providing the Red Wolves a 13-0 lead with 12:35 to go before the half.
• On the Bobcats’ next possession Connor White quarterbacked Texas State 60 yards in 10 plays, highlighted by a 38-yard connection to Thurman Morbley down the right sideline, to the Arkansas State 15-yard line. However, the Red Wolves’ defense would force a Bobcat field goal attempt. Blaise Taylor came off the right end and blocked the 32-yard attempt to keep the score 13-0 in Arkansas State’s favor.
• The Bobcat defense responded with a three-and-out, setting the offense up at the Arkansas State 46 after a 34-yard Arkansas State punt.
• White used his legs to pick up the drives’ first two first downs. First via a 10-yard run on third-and-2, then a 31-yard scamper down the Red Wolves’ 13 on third-and-26. Two encroachment calls against the Red Wolves on fourth down gave the Bobcats a first-and-goal. On third-and-goal White found Mason Hays in the end zone with a four-yard toss to cap the 12-play drive and cut Arkansas State’s lead to 13-7 with just over a minute to play before halftime.
• The second half opened with the Texas State defense forcing Arkansas State’s fourth three-and-out of the evening. Ten plays and 74 yards later, Texas State took a 14-13 lead as Siudzinski burst around the right end and outran the Arkansas State defense 34 yards to paydirt. The drive, which was kept alive by a 16-yard Brendon Rushing reception on third-and-10, consumed 4:24 off the clock and gave the Bobcats their first advantage on the scoreboard since leading Idaho 14-7 in the first quarter on Nov. 12.
• Arkansas State regained the lead at 16-14 two minutes later following a Cody Brown interception of White. The Red Wolves’ offense moved inside the Bobcat 10, but had to settle for a 27-yard Houston field goal.
• Texas State moved the chains twice on its next series, but the drive stalled at the Bobcats’ 35-yard line.
• A-State took a 22-14 lead on the second play of the fourth quarter with Justice Hansen’s seven-yard scoring strike to Dijon Paschal.
• After a 22-yard punt return by Taylor that set the Arkansas State offense up at the TXST 41, the Red Wolves pushed their lead to 29-14 with 9:49 to play on Blake Mack’s 14-yard touchdown catch from Hansen.
• Three plays into the Bobcats’ ensuing possession, Chris Humes intercepted Jones at the Texas State’s own 15-yard line to set up Arkansas State’s final touchdown – a two-yard run by Chad Voytik – to provide the 36-14 final.

Notable:

Jones made his 42nd and final career start at quarterback … Texas State’s blocked extra point in the first quarter was the Bobcats’ eighth blocked kick of the season (three punts, three extra points, two field goals) … Siudzinski’s 34-yard TD run in the third quarter was the longest touchdown run by a Bobcat this season … Redshirt freshman linebacker Bryan London finished the season with 141 total tackles – the fourth most in program single-season history.

Statistical Leaders: ­

Arkansas State’s offense was led by Hansen’s 179 yards through the air as he completed 13 of 21 attempts, including a pair of scores … Wand rushed for a game-high 135 yards and a touchdown on 23 attempts, while also hauling in a team-best four passes for 64 yards.

White led Texas State in passing with 102 yards, completing 12 of 22 attempts … Siudzinski was the Bobcats’ top rusher with 85 yards and a score, while Mayberry gained 35 yards … Tyler Watts finished with a team-high 52 yards on seven receptions …  Bryan London led the Texas State defense with a career-high 18 solo tackles.

Senior Day:

Prior to the game, graduate student Jeremy Miller and seniors Darius Hood, Darnell Dailey, Jr., Steven Eddings, Fred Nixon, Tyler Siudzinski, Kolby Kolek, Steve Smith, Lumi Kaba, Giuliano Cattaneo, Nicholas Pletschette, Dallas McClarty, Teron Fitzgerald, Felix Romero, Damani Alexcee, Javante O’Roy, Ryan Melton and Tyler Jones were honored for their accomplishments and contributions to Texas State University football.