Oct. 21, 2006

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SAN MARCOS - Texas State scored 24 second-half points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, and Jeremy Castillo moved into Texas State's top 10 in career tackles, as the Bobcats ran over Southeastern Louisiana 38-17 Saturday at Bobcat Stadium.

Castillo, who had 15 tackles on the night, pushed his career number to 292, moving past Jimmy Nelms (1984-87) into 10th all-time in career defensive stops. Texas State's fans also made their way into the record book with an attendance of 13,321 - the 16th-largest Bobcat Stadium crowd - assisting the `Cats in the 21-point win.

Bradley George headed the Bobcat offensive attack, as the `Cats improved to 3-4 overall and 2-1 in the Southland Conference with 236 passing yards and three scores from the red-shirt freshman. Daniel Jolly led the Bobcats on the ground, running for 100 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

Texas State out gained Southeastern (2-6, 1-2) 405-378, as the Lions passed for 293 yards, including 250 from starting quarterback Bradd Schlosser. Jamarr' Garrett caught six balls for 110 yards and a score to pace the Lions receiving, while Jay Lucas had 70 yards on a dozen carries to lead SLU on the ground.

Jeff Turner put Southeastern Louisiana on top in the second quarter with the game's first points, booting a 25-yard field goal with 11:05 left. The kick followed a scoreless first quarter that included a George misfire for an interception that ended Texas State's opening drive and a missed field goal by the Lions on their first possession.

The Bobcats answered on their next trip down the field, going 75 yards in 11 plays capped by a nine-yard touchdown strike from George to Morris Crosby with 8:01 to go in the half. Southeastern got back into Bobcat territory on its next drive, but on 4th-and-six from the 27, Schlosser was dropped for a six-yard sack by Nate Langford, giving Texas State the ball at its own 33.

Ten plays and 42 yards later, George found Cameron Luke in the end zone from the 28 to put the `Cats on top 14-3 with 2:03 left in the half. The scoring play was set up by a pair of 10-yard runs and 25 yards of Southeastern penalties, as the `Cats went into halftime up by 11.

Alvin Canady put Texas State ahead 21-3 in the third, taking a pitch around the left side and across the goal line for a one-yard touchdown run with 7:23 left in the quarter. George just missed his third touchdown pass of the game on the previous snap, hitting Canady for 22 yards to the SLU 1, as the 10 play, 84-yad drive captured 5:14 from the third-quarter clock.

George got that third touchdown to open the fourth, connecting with Luke in the corner of the end zone from 29 yards out with 14:52 to go in the game. The eight-play, 46-yard scoring drive put Texas State up 28-3, and Texas State would tack on two more scores - an Andrew Ireland 29-yard field goal and a two-yard Jolly touchdown run - in the game's final quarter.

Southeastern also grabbed a pair of late scoring strikes, finding the end zone on a 64-yard pass from Schlosser to Garrett and an 18-yard toss from Seth Babin to Krishna Muhammed in the game's final minutes.

Chase Wasson caught four balls for 65 yards to quietly lead the Bobcats in receiving, while Luke hauled in a pair of passes for 57 yards and two scores in the win, which moved Texas State to 10-0 all-time against the Lions.

With the win, Texas State grabbed sole possession of second place in the SLC, as a two-way tie now exists between McNeese State and Stephen F. Austin for third on the league ladder. McNeese beat SFA 20-17 in Nacogdoches to earn the third-place tie, while Sam Houston State sits atop the SLC with a 2-0 league mark, despite losing to future SLC member Central Arkansas on Thursday in Huntsville.

The Bobcats continue their season Saturday, taking on Northwestern State at 2 p.m. in Natchitoches, La.