Bobcats push Chanticleers before surrendering fourth-quarter touchdown

Staff Reports

The Texas State football team found itself tied at Coastal Carolina before surrendering a pair of late touchdowns and falling 35-21 on Saturday afternoon at Brooks Stadium.

“It was a tough game, and they are a tough opponent, as we all know,” said Texas State head coach Jake Spavital. “I thought we gave that team all they wanted, but they big played us in the second half.”

HOW IT HAPPENED

Texas State had a pair of touchdown runs and a touchdown pass to tie the score at 21-21 before the Chanticleers pulled away in the fourth quarter.

Coastal Carolina jumped out to a 14-0 lead on Grayson McCall’s two touchdown passes and Massimo Biscardi’s extra-point kicks.

The first TD pass was a 19-yard strike to Kameron Brown.

The Bobcats made a defensive goal-line stand on Coastal Carolina’s next possession when Tory Spears and Nico Ezidore held Shermari Jones out of the end zone on a fourth-down play from the one-yard line.

However, Texas State’s punt from the end zone gave the Chanticleers possession at the Bobcat 28-yard line. That led to McCall hitting Jaiyon Heiligh for a five-yard TD pass.

Texas State came back to close the first half with a pair of touchdown runs. Jahmyl Jeter ran one around the right end for the first TD, and Seth Keller kicked the extra point to pull the Bobcats to within 14-7 with 1:46 left in the first half.

Texas State tied the score when Calvin Hill ran a career-long 54 yards for a touchdown, and Keller added the extra point to tie the halftime score at 14-14.

Coastal Carolina regained a 21-14 advantage in the third quarter when McCall threw a 52-yard pass to Brown in the end zone, and Biscardi kicked the extra point.

But Texas State answered when Vitt threw a 38-yard TD pass to Marcell Barbee, and Keller added the extra point to tie the score at 21-21.

The Chanticleers retook the lead when McCall threw a 21-yard pass to Isaiah Likely, and Biscardi kicked the extra point for a 28-21 advantage.

Coastal Carolina put the game out of reach when McCall threw a 39-yard pass to Tyson Mobley, and Biscardi kicked the extra point to make the final score 35-21.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Texas State outgained Coastal Carolina on the ground as the Bobcats rushed for 195 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries. Coastal Carolina gained 179 yards rushing on 47 carries.

Calvin Hill became the first Bobcat to rush for 100 yards when he finished with 100 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Jahmyl Jeter added 42 yards and a TD on 11 rushes, and Tyler Vitt scrambled for 29 yards on eight attempts.

Vitt completed 13-of-26 passes for 106 yards and one touchdown without any interceptions.

Grayson McCall returned to Coastal Carolina’s lineup after sitting out the past two weeks and threw for a career-high five touchdowns while completing 22-of-28 passes for 319 yards for the Chanticleers. He ran 12 times for 53 yards.

Shermari Jones led the Chanticleers with 92 yards rushing on 23 attempts. Jaiyon Heiligh caught 10 passes for 101 yards and one TD.

WHAT’S NEXT

Texas State closes out the 2021 season on Nov. 27 when the Bobcats travel to Arkansas State in a Sun Belt Conference game that kicks off at 1 p.m. in Centennial Bank Stadium at Jonesboro, Ark.

“We have one more game next week and one more week to fight together, said Spavital. “We want to have one more week of good preparation and see if we can end this season on a high note for these seniors, this team, and this program.”