Nov. 19, 2005

Final Stats |  Quotes

SAN MARCOS - Nick Session scored on a five-yard run in overtime as Texas State defeated Sam Houston State 26-23 to capture a share of its first ever Southland Conference championship.

With the win, Texas State improved to 9-2 on the year and 5-1 in Southland Conference play. By way of its 32-29 overtime win against the Bobcats earlier in the season and a 39-26 win over McNeese State Saturday, co-champion Nicholls State earns the automatic bid to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs which begin next Saturday. Texas State will have to wait until 12 p.m. Sunday when the NCAA announced its playoff field to see if it was awarded one of eight at-large bids. The playoff announcement will be carried live by ESPNews.

Sam Houston State (3-7, 2-4) had tied the game at 20-20 late in regulation on a two-play, 91-yard drive. After Michael Meeks dived into the end zone to knock a Cory Elolf punt back into play, the Bearkats took over at their own nine. Sophomore quarterback Wade Pate dropped back and completed a 47-yard pass to Dustin Dziuk. From the Texas State 44, Pate found Michael Malone free down the near sideline and hooked up a for a 44-yard touchdown strike to tie the game with 2:46 to play in regulation.

Texas State lost five fumbles during the game, including one to end a Bobcat drive at the end of regulation.

On a series that began at their own 20, Barrick Nealy engineered a drive into Sam Houston State territory. He completed a 13-yard pass to Dameon Williams out to the Texas State 46. On the following play and with 1:10 to play, Nealy stepped out of bounds for a gain of one on an option run. He cut back inside as the whistle blew and was hit late. The 15-yard penalty moved the ball to the Sam Houston State 38. From there, Nealy cut up field from out of the pocket but at the 10 had the ball stripped and recovered by Sam Houston State's Ayo Akindona with 45 seconds to play.

The Bearkats would take a knee twice to run out the clock and force overtime.

In overtime, Sam Houston State took control first and had the ball first and goal after an 11-yard, third-down pass from Pate to Brandon Perry. On first down, Jamarqus O'Neal leveled receiver Stevie Smith for an incompletion and after a four-yard run by Pate, O'Neal again came up with a pass breakup. The play forced a 23-yard field goal by Lance Garner to put Sam Houston out in front for the first time during the game, 23-20.

On Texas State's first play from scrimmage in overtime, Barrick Nealy scrambled and cut down the sideline for a 20-yard run. From the five, Session barreled into the end zone for the game-winning score and was mobbed by teammates and most of the student body which came out of the east side stands.

A majority of the 15,288 fans in attendance stayed for the presentation of the Southland Conference championship trophy awarded at the game. The crowd was the third-largest in Bobcat Stadium history and the most to witness at Texas State home game since 1982.

Texas State improved to 7-0 at home this season, marking the first time since the 1982 and 1983 seasons that the Bobcats had gone undefeated at home. The last two Division II teams in school history combined to go 12-0.

For the first time this season, Texas State did not score on its first drive. In fact it would not be until the 7:08 mark of the second half that the Bobcats would get on the board as Session capped a 12-play, 75-yard drive with a two-yard scoring plunge as the `Cats took a 7-0 lead.

Prior to the scoring run, the Bobcats had fumbled twice and had a third drive end in a missed field goal over the course of its first four series.

The teams would trade second-quarter field goals and Texas State's lead was 10-3 at the half.

On Sam Houston's first drive of the second half, Pate would be intercepted by Jeremy Castillo at the Bearkat 39.

Douglas Sherman would carry for 16 yards before the drive stalled and Stan Jones came on to kick a 33-yard field goal with 12:19 to play in the quarter.

Sam Houston would cut the lead to 13-10 when Pate hooked up with Dustin Dziuk for a 30-yard touchdown pass to cap a six-play, 80-yard drive. The series was highlighted by a 28-yard run by Pate and a 10-yard completion to Brad Baca with the Bearkats facing third-and-one.

A 22-yard field goal Garner early in the fourth quarter tied the game at 13-13. The Bobcats would stop Sam Houston at the five after the Bearkats had moved the ball 79 yards on 16 plays. Fred Evans' shoestring tackle of a scrambling Pate stopped the SHSU quarterback from a possible touchdown run and SHSU was forced to send on its field goal team.

Texas State would regain the lead on its next drive.

A 44-yard kickoff return by Dameon Williams would led the `Cats start the series near midfield.

From the Sam Houston 49, running back Daniel Jolly would account for 40 yards, including a seven-yard touchdown run that gave the Bobcats a 20-13 lead with 9:29 to play. The only play Jolly was not a part of was an 11-yard pass completion from Barrick Nealy to Justin Williams on third-and-three. The completion ended a string of 10 straight incompletions thrown by Texas State's senior signal caller.

Nealy would complete 12-of-30 passes for 118 yards during the day. He also ran for 153 yards. It was his second straight 100-yard rushing game and fourth this season. Jolly finished with 91 yards on 13 carries.

O'Neal finished with three tackles and three pass break ups. Senior linebacker David Simmons led the Bobcats with nine tackles, including one for lost yards while Melvin Webber had seven tackles, including two for losses.