Texas State Bobcats Had Their Chances vs TCU

In a game in which they were playing against the highest ranked team in school history, the Texas State football team left the field wondering what might have been if…as 15th-ranked TCU defeated the Bobcats 56-21 Saturday night at Amon Carter Stadium.

“They have a very good football team and there is a reason they are ranked where they are,” Texas State head coach Brad Wright said. “We had a lot of missed chances. That is sad part about it because we had some offensive opportunities to get some more points on the board.”

The Bobcats scored the most points given up by the Horned Frogs this year and was looking to add another touchdown late in the third quarter when Ron Jackson recovered a fumble by TCU quarterback Andy Dalton at the Horned Frogs’ 10-yard line.

But three plays later, TCU took away that opportunity when Jason Teague intercepted Bradley George’s pass intended for Da’Marcus Griggs in the back of the end zone.

“I should have thrown it more to his outside shoulder,” George said. “I lofted it and he was able to make the interception.”

That turnover took the momentum away from the Bobcats as TCU would add three more touchdowns in the final minutes.

George finished the game completing 16 of 37 passes for 199 yards and one touchdown. Griggs led the Bobcats in receiving for the second straight game with five catches for 56 yards. Alvin Canady caught four passes for 93 yards and one touchdown. His touchdown was a 62-yard strike from George. In addition, Daren Dillard caught a 16-yard pass and finished the game with four catches for 34 yards. Tim Hawkins through the touchdown pass to Dillard and completed both of his passes for 20 yards.

TCU was led by Joseph Turner who ran for 129 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries, while Andy Dalton completed 18 of his 24 passes for 222 yards and one TD. Bart Johnson led the Horned Frog receivers with seven catches for 70 yards.

“I was proud of our guys with the way we fought, because we weren’t going to come in and lie down against them,” George said. We could have scored at least 10 more points on them and we won’t play a better defense than they have this season. We just have to go back and correct some things.”

TCU opened the scoring after Ben Follis kicked a 35-yard punt to TCU’s 19-yard line as the Horned Frogs went 81 yards on six plays in their initial possession. Joseph Turner gained 17 yards on the first offensive play and quarterback Andy Dalton scrambled for four yards up the middle after he couldn’t find anyone open in the Bobcat secondary. But a facemask penalty on the tackle moved the ball to Texas State’s 45-yard line. After Turner ran for nine more yards and Ryan Crystand rushed three yards up the middle, Dalton hit Jeremy Kerley for 20 yards down to the Bobcat 13-yard line. Ed Wesley scored the game’s first touchdown with a 13-yard run up the middle. Ross Evans kicked the extra point to make the score 7-0.

Texas State’s offense moved down the field following an interception by T.P. Miller at Texas State’s 32-yard line. The Bobcats scored on a 68-yard drive in 15 plays. The drive began with Frank Reddic gaining one yard up the middle and Bradley George hit Daren Dillard for three-more-yards, TCU was called for an off-sides penalty to give the Bobcats a fourth-and-one play at their 41-yard line. Texas State took advantage when Ben Follis faked a punt and ran for four yards around right end. After reserve quarterback Tim Hawkins came in for one play and gained one yard to Texas State’s 45-yard line, George hit DaMarcus Griggs for a 17-yard pass and Reddic gained 24 yards off left tackle to put the ball at TCU’s 13-yard line. After Alvin Canady ran for one yard, TCU’s Jerry Hughes was called for off-sides and George hit Griggs for four yards and a first down at three-yard line. After Reddic ran for one more yard, TCU was called for pass interference in the end zone, setting up the Bobcats at the two. Reddic scored on a one-yard plunge off left tackle to tie the score at 7-7. The touchdown marked the first time TCU has given up a touchdown in the first half this season.

TCU came right back to regain the lead on its next possess when they took over at their own 40-yard line after the kickoff sailed out of bounds at the 14. The Horned Frogs scored in six plays when Dalton and Turner each ran for 16 yards to move the ball down to Texas State’s 28 yard line. After Turner ran for six more yards, Dalton hit Antoine Hicks with a 19-yard pass. Turner scored on a six run up the middle to give the Horned Frogs a 14-7 lead with 11:47 left in the first half.

After the Bobcats were forced to punt on their next possession, the Horned Frogs opened up a 21-7 lead when Dalton hit Jimmy Young for a 36-yard touchdown pass. The play was set up after Follis punted 40 yards to the TCU 43-yard line. Dalton began the five-play, 36-yard drive with a six-yard pass to Young and a 21-yard strike to Bart Johnson. After Matthew Tucker rushed for three yards, Dalton ran for one yard before his touchdown pass to Young. Evans kicked the extra point to make the score 21-7.

The Bobcats climbed back into contention when George hit Canady on the 45-yard pass and raced into the end zone for a 62-yard touchdown pass to pull Texas State to within 21-14 after Justin Garelick’s extra point. The touchdown pass was the second-longest play of the season for the Bobcats this season and marked Canady’s first touchdown reception since he caught a 30-yard pass against Northern Colorado.

TCU closed out the half with another touchdown when Turner scored on a one –yard plunge up the middle to make the halftime score 28-14. The drive began with Dalton hitting a pair of passes for 23 yards to Texas State’s 47 yard line. After the Bobcats were called for pass interference, Dalton hit Jeremy Kerley for another 15 yards and Bart Johnson for nine yards. Turner ran for 12 yards down to the two, before Texas State was called for an off-sides penalty to set up Turner’s run.

The Horned Frogs picked right up where they left off in the second half when they took the second-half kickoff and drove 67 yards down the field in six plays to open up a 35-14 lead. Dalton hit Jonson for seven yards before Turner ran off left tackle for 24 yards to Texas State’s 26-yard line. From there, Dalton completed two more passes for 19 yards and Tucker ran for three yards to Texas State’s four-yard line. Antoine Hicks capped off the drive when he ran it into the end zone for a four-yard TD run.

Texas State came right back midway in the third quarter with some razzle-dazzle play as reserve quarterback Tim Hawkins hit Daren Dillard for a 16-yard touchdown pass to cap off a seven-play, 50-yard drive to make the score 35-21. George put the Bobcats in scoring position when he connected on a pair of passes to Griggs for 34 yards. Then, Hawkins came into the game for George and threw his touchdown pass before Garelick added the extra point.

The Bobcats had a chance to get even closer when Ron Jackson recovered a fumble by Dalton at TCU’s 10-yard line. But the Horned Frogs intercepted George’s pass in the end zone to thwart the opportunity.

TCU closed out the third quarter with a drive down to Texas State’s 12-7ard line. The Horned Frogs scored their sixth touchdown of the night when Wright gained six yards down to six for a first down and capped the nine-play, 68 yard drive with a six-yard run up the middle to make the score 42-21 with 14:21 left in the game.

The Horned Frogs closed out the scoring with two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter as Tucker scored on another one-yard run up the middle and Jercell Fort added a nine-yard TD run to make the final score 56-21.

The loss drops Texas State’s record to 1-1 this season. The Bobcats return home to play host to Texas Southern next Saturday, Sept. 26 at 6:00 p.m. in San Marcos.

Texas State Notes

Texas State’s game at TCU marks the first time that the Bobcats and Horned Frogs have met on the gridiron. The two schools also could meet in the second round of the preseason NIT in Tempe, Ariz., when the Bobcats play Arizona State and TCU plays Cal-State Northridge in first round games.

This marks the fourth straight season Texas State has begun the year with a 1-1 record after opening 2005 with a 2-0 mark. Three of the four losses came against NCAA FBS schools.

TCU is the highest ranked NCAA Division I FBS school the Bobcats have played. Texas State also played against No. 2 Northern Iowa on Sept. 8, 1994 and played at No. 3 McNeese State last season.

Alvin Canady’s 62-yard touchdown reception is the second-longest play for the Bobcats this season. It also marked Canady’s first touchdown catch since he caught a 30-yard TD pass from Clint Toon at Northern Colorado.

Canady’s 93 yards receiving are the most by a Bobcat this season.

Frank Reddic scored the first touchdown of his career with a one-yard run in the second quarter.

Tim Hawkins’ 36-yard touchdown pass to Daren Dillard marked the first pass completed this year that wasn’t thrown by Bradley George.

With his 199 yards passing tonight, George now has 6,962 career passing yards and need 248 more yards to pass Barrick Nealy as Texas State’s all-time career leader.