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Texas State’s winning streak snapped in 38-7 loss to App State

Texas State Football
Saturday, November 10, 2018

Texas State’s first winning streak since 2014 was snapped by Appalachian State on Saturday. 

The Bobcats (3-7, 1-5 Sun Belt) entered the game with hopes of picking up their first conference home win under head coach Everett Withers. But the Mountaineers (7-2, 5-1) ran away with Saturday’s contest in 38-7 fashion. 

“Played a really good football team tonight,” Withers said. “Anytime you play a really good football team you have to convert on 3rd downs. You can’t turn the ball over, especially two turnovers in plus territory, you can’t do that. And you have to be able to get off the field on 2nd and long and 3rd down, you have to be able to do that. We didn’t do any of those tonight and anytime you’re playing a really talented football team, you’re not going to win that game.” 

When asked if App State was the best team Texas State has faced this season, junior cornerback Anthony J. Taylor admitted that the Mountaineers were a very good team. 

“App State was a very, very good team,” said Taylor, who finished with three tackles. “They managed the clock well. They stuck to what they did well and they’re a very good team.”

Texas State received the opening kickoff and the offense marched into Mountaineer territory. 
But the drive ended when sophomore quarterback Willie Jones III fumbled and App State recovered it at its own 34. Jones suffered an injury on the play and didn’t return to the game. 

The Mountaineers struck quickly. App State scored on a 3-play, 67-yard drive, which was capped off on a 6-yard scoring grab by senior wide receiver Dominique Heath from sophomore quarterback Zac Thomas. 

Freshman quarterback Tyler Vitt entered the game in Jones’ absence. His first drive looked promising but it ultimately stalled inside App State territory and the Bobcats punted. 

Texas State only saw itself down 7-0 at the end of the first quarter. But the Mountaineers scored early in the second period on a 1-yard touchdown pass from Thomas to junior tight end Collin Reed. 

The Bobcats had a goal-to-go situation and looked poised to score. But Vitt made a bad decision on 3rd and goal when he tossed an interception to App State junior outside linebacker Noel Cook.

“Poor decision on throwing the ball away in the redzone to cause a turnover,” Withers said. “I know he’d like to have that back. We all would because I think that was big turning point in the game.” 

The Mountaineers took advantage of the turnover and scored on a 1-yard run by sophomore running back Darrynton Evans, which capped off a 13-play, 95-yard drive. 

App State took a 21-0 lead into the halftime and quickly added to it in the third quarter. On the second play of the second half, Evans took it 79 yards to extend the lead to 28-0. 

Texas State finally found the endzone on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Vitt to graduate senior  tight end Keenen Brown to cut the deficit down to 28-7. 

But that’s as close as the Bobcats would get. The Mountaineers scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to secure a 38-7 victory. 

“Losing is not a good feeling at all,” sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Haydel said.  “But, you know, right now we just made a lot of mistakes. Turned the ball over and I think we just got to correct that going into next week and give ourselves a chance to win.

App State’s defense, which came into the game ranked No. 9 in the nation in total defense, held Texas State to 132 yards passing and 86 yards rushing. 

Despite a disappointing result, the Bobcats have no plans on giving up when they travel to take on Troy on Nov. 17 at 2:30 p.m. 

“I think we just have to come together and just stay together and not separate as a team,” Haydel said. “We got two games left, and we’re just going to finish strong. We got fight in us. We’re not just going to lay down. We’ve got Troy coming up. We’re going to prepare for them and we’re just going to give it all we got.”

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