TXST FOOTBALL
Three weeks ago, the Bobcats were on death’s door and on the verge of being bowl-ineligble with a 3-6 overall record.
But Texas State rallied, winning their final three games including a 49-26 win over the South Alabama Jaguars to finish the season 6-6 and clinch bowl eligibility, which was celebrated by jumping into the San Marcos River.
“Backs against the wall, all the odds stacked against us and we found a way,” Head Coach G.J. Kinne said. “Just like I told you guys throughout the year, we got a really good football team and still believe we’re the best team in the [Sun Belt] West. We found a way to beat another good team at home to get that momentum going into the bowl season.”
On the Bobcats’ first drive of the game. Tyler Robles made the 36-yard field goal to put the Bobcats up 3-0.
Despite the Jaguars driving down to the Texas State 28-yard line, the Bobcat defense made the stop on fourth down, giving the ball back to the offense.
Quarterback Brad Jackson hit Chris Dawn Jr. for a 48-yard pass before Jackson scored on a 19-yard touchdown run to go up 10-0 on South Alabama. Jackson broke the school record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a single season set by Barrick Nealy.
South Alabama answered back with a touchdown drive, scoring from the 1-yard line and cutting the Bobcat lead to 10-7.
The Bobcats extended their lead later in the second quarter as Robles made his second field goal of the game from 31 yards out.
Texas State later struck again late in the second quarter. Jackson hit Pare on the screen who then churned up the field for a 32-yard touchdown. Then Ty Stamey hit Titus Lyons for the 2-point conversion to go up 21-7.
South Alabama looked to take advantage of a muffed punt return by the Bobcats with the ball at the Texas State 39yard line.
But the senior defensive end Kennard Snyder made the sack on third down as the Bobcats forced South Alabama to attempt a Hail Mary pass before halftime that fell incomplete.
After the Bobcats forced a Jaguar punt on their first drive of the second half, Texas State scored again on a Jackson 8-yard touchdown run, going up 28-0.
Texas State forced their first turnover of the game on the Jaguars next drive as Jaden Rios came up with the interception.
On the next play, Jackson hit Beau Sparks for a 50-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead. The pass put Jackson over 3,000 yards passing for a single season, becoming just the fifth Bobcat quarterback to do so. After the extra point kick, Texas State led 35-7.
In the fourth quarter, the Bobcats scored yet another touchdown as Jackson rushed from a sixyard score to go up 42-7.
South Alabama scored for the first time since the first quarter as running back Keenan Phillips scored from the 1yard line, cutting the lead down to 42-14.
But the Bobcats yet again answered back. On the ensuing kickoff, Jaylen Jenkins caught the ball in the endzone and returned the ball back 100 yards for the touchdown, making it a 49-14 lead.
The Jaguars scored two touchdowns in garbage time but it was not enough as Texas State won 49-26.
Jackson finished the game passing for 280 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 113 yards and three touchdowns.
Dawn led the team in receiving with eight catches for 154 yards while Sparks caught three passes for 57 yards.
Pare rushed for 92 yards on 20 carries and crossed the benchmark of over 1,000 rushing yards in a single season.
Quarterback Brad Jackson dives for the endzone to score the touchdown in the Bobcats win over South Alabama. Jackson passed for 280 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 113 yards and three touchdowns. DAILY RECORD PHOTO BY GERALD CASTILLO
