Nov. 5, 2005

Final Stats |  Quotes

SAN MARCOS - Texas State held McNeese State's offense to a season-low 129 yards while Bobcat quarterback Barrick Nealy ran for two touchdowns and passed for another in a 49-7 win Saturday.

For Texas State (7-2, 3-1), it was the biggest margin of victory in a Southland Conference game as the Bobcats maintained a share of the Southland Conference lead. McNeese State (4-3, 2-2) slipped a game back of the league leaders.

Texas State travels to Stephen F. Austin next week for a game which will be televised by Fox Sports Net-Southwest beginning at 1 p.m. McNeese State will play host to Northwestern State.

A Nealy touchdown run on fourth-and-goal from the one capped the Bobcats' first series and set the tone for the game as Texas State rolled to a 35-0 lead by the break.

Texas State took advantage of great field position early to build on its lead. The Bobcats' average starting field position in the first half was the Cowboy 43.

A 31-yard McNeese State punt that was returned 11 yards by Morris Crosby allowed Texas State to set up shop at the Cowboy 38 for the team's first offensive series. Nealy would start the drive with a 12-yard run and he would later complete a five-yard, third-down pass to Dameon Williams to give the Bobcats a first down at the 14. After a two-yard run by Morris Brothers, Nealy carried for nine to the McNeese three.

Nick Session would lose a yard on first down before Nealy threw an incompletion then ran for a three-yard pick up to the one on third down. But facing fourth-and-goal, Nealy would score to put the Bobcats up 7-0 early.

McNeese State would drive into Texas State territory on its next series but Cowboy quarterback Mark Fontenot was intercepted by Gary Shepard who returned the ball 27 yards to the McNeese 45. A personal foul penalty would tag 15 yards on the play and the Bobcats would start at the 30.

On the second play of the series, Brothers would race 26 yards for a touchdown and the Texas State lead was 14-0 with 5:50 to play in the first.

A key defensive play and timeout for the Bobcats would set up Texas State's third score.

Jeff Brown and Fred Evans combined to sack Fontenot for a five-yard loss to the McNeese 18. A timeout with 11 seconds to play in the quarter would force the Cowboys to punt into the wind for the third time. Jason Cook's 31-yard punt gave the Bobcats' first down at the Cowboy 49.

Nealy would engineer an eight-play drive that was sustained and culminated by a pair of third-down plays. He would toss a 13-yard pass to Crosby with the Bobcats' facing third-and-nine from the 35. Three plays later he found Tyrone Scott wide open down the middle of the field for a 22-yard touchdown strike on another third-and-long play.

On the day, Nealy completed 15-of-22 passes for 128 yards and also had 12 carries for 69 yards.

Texas State would add a pair of touchdown runs set up by turnover recoveries by a pair of Bobcat linebackers. Jeremy Castillo recovered a Chris Jones fumble at the McNeese 25. Nealy would score on the fifth play of the ensuing drive from six yards out. Jeff Brown's interception near midfield on McNeese State's next series would set up a scoring drive which Brothers capped with a five-yard touchdown run that gave the `Cats a 35-0 lead.

In the second half, Nick Session scored on a seven-yard touchdown run while Daniel Jolly scored on a 25-yard run. Both running backs had career nights. Jolly rushed for a game-high 85 yards on 14 carries while Session had 60 yards on 13 attempts.

The Bobcats looked as if they might pull off their first Southland Conference shutout since 2000 after the Cowboys failed to convert on a fake field goal.

McNeese State lined up for a 24-yard Blake Bercegeay field goal attempt with over eight minutes to play in the game and trailing 49-0. But an end around by Neely Hubbard would end in an incomplete pass and the Bobcats took over at their own 17.

Texas State's next series would stall as a pair of penalties moved the Bobcats back to inside their own 10. Facing fourth-and-18, a Cowboy special teams' rush forced punter Cory Elolf to take off running and his three-yard carry would allow McNeese to take over at the 12.

Facing third-and-five, McNeese State's third quarterback of the game, freshman Beau Lasseigne completed a seven-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Link and squash the Bobcats' shutout hopes.

Texas State would manage to run out the final 5:21 of the game to remain undefeated at home this season (6-0) and run its record in Bobcat Stadium to 10-1 over coach David Bailiff's two seasons.

Texas State's defense held the Cowboys to 75 yards rushing while McNeese managed to complete just five-of-23 passes for 54 yards. The Bobcats had 424 yards of total offense - 296 yards rushing and 128 passing.

Castillo and sophomore defensive lineman John Gilley each had five tackles and a fumble recovery in the game. Shepard finished with four tackles, including one for a loss and broke up a pss to go along with his pass breakup.