Bobcats Offense Stalls in Arkansas

By Brenden Snow
Sports Reporter

The Texas State Football team suffered their third straight loss following a 30-12 beat down from Arkansas State. The Bobcats fall to 2-9 on the season and 1-6 in Sun Belt play. The Red Wolves on the other hand keep their conference championship hopes alive advancing to 6-3 overall and 5-1 in Sun Belt Conference (SBC) play.

The game started promising for the Bobcats as they took the opening drive 75 yards in 12 plays, and punched it in with Anthony Taylor from five yards out to jump out to a 6-0 lead after the PAT was missed by Foster Hilborn.

The Red Wolves would respond right back with a field goal and go on to score the next 16 points of the game. Junior running back Warren Wand and Junior quarter back Justice Hansen would score with their legs and take a 16-6 lead after the first quarter.

Both teams would be shut out in the second quarter and the halftime score would stay 16-6.

The third quarter would start out a little similar to the first quarter. After forcing a turnover on downs defensively the Bobcat offense took over at their own 17 down 10. First play of the drive Robert Brown Jr. would carry 71 yards up the middle down to the Arkansas State 12. Then the ‘Cats would get it into the promise land off an Anthony D. Taylor screen on third and 16 from the 18. Cutting the Red Wolves lead to 16-12 after another missed extra point.

The next drive, Texas State would force a three-and-out and have a shot at the lead with possession at their own eight yard line. They would pick up one first down before facing a fourth and four from their own 24 with a little under 10 minutes left in the third quarter. Then punter, Marcus Ripley, would attempt a questionable fake and try to run it for himself and actually end up losing yards and turning it over on his own 21. The Red Wolves would capitalize five plays later and boost their lead to 23-12,

From that point on it turned into a nightmare for the Bobcats. Penalties and negative plays plagued the team as they would be credited for -10 yards for their last three drives of the game.

Arkansas State would get one more touchdown following a Hansen pass and go on to finish with a 30-12 victory.

The Bobcats will play their season finale Friday Nov. 24th when they head to Alabama to play the conference leading Troy Trojans. Troy, 8-2 overall and 5-1 in conference, will be looking to add another W to the win total in their attempt to reach 10 wins this season.

Featured image by Tino Manor.