Sunday, September 30, 2012

College Football: Bobcats fade against Wolf Pack

San Marcos ? Texas State isn?t going to cut it as a first-year program in the Football Bowl Subdivision if it keeps playing 30 minutes of a 60-minute game.

The Bobcats found out that harsh reality Saturday afternoon against Nevada.

Despite taking a slim lead into halftime, Texas State came out flat after the break. The Bobcats went scoreless in the second half as the Wolf Pack broke the game open en route to a 34-21 win.

?This kind of makes you, as a coach, sick to your stomach and I hope it does as players,? Texas State head coach Dennis Franchione said. ?We had opportunities. We put ourselves in positions, had some chances and we just didn?t get it done.?

Texas State (2-2) did just enough in the first half, which is why Franchione?s team took a 21-20 lead into the locker room.

The Bobcats got it going early when junior safety Justin Iwuji picked off Nevada sophomore quarterback Cody Fajardo on the fourth play of the game. Iwuj, who returned the ball to the Wolf Pack 17-yard line, remembered something he saw in film and jumped in front of the pass.

?They like to run routes at the sticks, so I was just able to make a good break on the ball,? Iwuji said. ?Every time we take the field as a defense, our goal is three-and-out or takeaway. If we can do that, it?s going to aid our offense.?

Texas State?s offense cashed in on the turnover five plays later when senior running back Marcus Curry punched in a 1-yard run. It was Curry?s fifth touchdown of the season (four rushing, one receiving).

Following two scores by Nevada (a 9-yard touchdown pass and a 24-yard field goal), the Bobcats opened things up a bit more. Texas State scored twice to offset another touchdown by the Wolf Pack, once on a 2-yard shovel pass from senior quarterback Shaun Rutherford to redshirt freshman running back Tim Gay (14-13) and then on a 28-yard pass from Rutherford to junior wide receiver Andy Erickson (21-13).

?That was actually the first touchdown I?ve scored in college, so it felt really good,? said Erickson, who caught eight passes for 108 yards. ?I just wish we could have come out with a win.?

Erickson?s touchdown, which came with two minutes, 46 seconds remaining in the second quarter, proved to be the last highlight of the game for the Bobcats? offense. Texas State put up 21 points and 171 yards of total offense in the first half, compared to zero and 73 in the second.

?We?ve had our second-half problems for whatever reason,? Franchione said. ?I don?t have a good explanation for it; whether we?re wearing down or play calls, which are my fault, but we?ll look at it and see what it is. To beat a team like that, we need to make plays in the second half.?

Nevada (4-1), a strong running team, chose to pass more after halftime and caught Texas State by surprise. Fajardo completed 12 of his 18 passes in the second half for 171 yards, including several long third downs.

The Bobcats must regroup before heading on the road for the first time in three weeks. Texas State takes on New Mexico on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Source: http://www.sanmarcosrecord.com/sports/x1241988246/College-Football-Bobcats-fade-against-Wolf-Pack

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