Nov. 18, 2006

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HUNTSVILLE - Texas State (5-6, 3-3) outscored Sam Houston 28-7 after the first quarter, and sophomore Stan Zwinggi collected 272 yards of total offense and added two touchdowns in the Bobcats' 28-21 win Saturday in Huntsville over the Bearkats.

The victory spoiled Sam Houston's (6-5, 4-2) hopes of a Southland Conference title and was the first for Texas State in Huntsville since 2000 while also giving 15 seniors back-to-back victories to close out their careers as Bobcats.

Zwinggi rushed for 123 yards on 22 carries and scored once on the ground while adding an 80-yard touchdown reception for his second score. Zwinggi also returned three kickoffs for a combined 69 yards to round out his offensive day.

Chase Wasson completed 12-of-19 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns, each to different receivers. Morris Crosby and Blake Burton joined Zwinggi on the receiving end of a Wasson touchdown pass. The junior quarterback, who started his second straight game in place of an injured Bradley George, also ran for 86 yards on 16 carries.

Defensively, Daniel Varvel led Texas State with eight tackles while the senior trio of Walter Musgrove, Epsilon Williams and Shola Obafemi each registered seven stops.

Both defenses had their hands full throughout the game. Texas State and Sam Houston entered Saturday as the two leading offenses in the SLC in yards per game, and both teams lived up to the billing as the Bobcats finished with a slight edge of 395-386 in total yards of offense.

Sam Houston's D. D. Terry rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries, but only 27 of his yards came in the second half. He was also the game's leading receiver, catching two passes for 87 yards and another score.

Brett Hicks went 9-for-24 for 194 yards and a touchdown passing for the Bearkats, but threw a costly interception in the fourth quarter.

Sam Houston also got 225 return yards from Derrick Harris, whose 90-yard punt return for a touchdown with 20 seconds left in the game made it 28-21 and kept the Bearkats' hopes for overtime alive.

After a 29-yard completion to Blake Martin on a third-and-11 kept the drive alive, Terry scored the game's first touchdown on a 7-yard run just over four minutes into the game to put Sam Houston up 7-0.

Texas State was forced to punt on their first possession, and the Bearkats quickly moved the ball to midfield with another 29-yard pass. Sam Houston would get no farther though and was forced to punt, thanks largely in part to Brandon Perry dropping a sure touchdown pass on second down.

Another Bobcat punt gave Sam Houston great starting field position near its own 40, and the Bearkats capitalized quickly. D.D. Terry scored his second touchdown, this time through the air, on a 44-yard reception from Brett Hicks with 2:04 left in the first quarter.

The `Cats were able to get things going in the second quarter, driving 81 yards and scoring when Blake Burton caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Wasson to make it 14-7 SHSU with 11:37 left in the first half.

The Bearkats drove down to the Bobcat 22 in an attempt to go back up by two scores, but a fourth down pass fell incomplete as Texas State took over on downs.

Two third-and-long conversions kept the chains moving, as Wasson guided the `Cats to another second quarter touchdown. The junior quarterback found Crosby open in the right side of the end zone to tie it at 14 apiece at the 3:48 mark.

Sam Houston couldn't regain the lead heading into halftime, as the Bearkats were forced to punt. Texas State took over at its own 30 with 1:17 left and ran out the clock as the two teams headed to the locker rooms knotted at 14-14.

The Bobcats looked to take their first lead to open the third quarter by marching down inside the Sam Houston 40, but on third down Wasson threw an interception at the Bearkat 26.

The Bearkats failed to make anything out of the turnover, and Crosby gave Texas State great field position for its next drive with a 26-yard punt return to the Sam Houston State 49.

On the very next play, Zwinggi scampered 49-yards down the left sideline and into the end zone as Texas State took a 21-14 lead with 9:14 remaining in the third.

The `Cats defense again forced Sam Houston to punt, and again Zwinggi made the Bearkats pay. After a holding penalty pushed Texas State into a third-and-20 from its own 20-yard line, Zwinggi took a screen pass from Wasson and sliced through the Sam Houston defense for his second touchdown of the quarter. Andrew Ireland's extra point made it 28-14 with 4:07 left in the third quarter.

Sam Houston fought back with a quarter to play, as Andrew Audelin gained 28 yards on two carries to help revive the Bearkat offense. The Bearkats drove to the Bobcat two-yard line, but Donovan King blew through the line and hit Terry in the backfield on third down. On fourth down the `Cats defense again got pressure in the backfield, forcing Hicks to throw an incomplete pass for Sam Houston's second turnover on downs.

Texas State went thee-and-out on the ensuing possession, setting the Bearkats up with good field position. Penalties helped Sam Houston get to the Bobcat 1-yard line, but the Bearkats were denied points.

On fourth-and-goal from the two, Audelin was stopped inches short of the end zone for a turnover on downs. It marked the third time in the game Sam Houston State failed to convert a fourth down from inside the Bobcat 30.

For the second straight possession, the Bobcats went three-and-out after starting from inside their own 5-yard line, and again Sam Houston began a drive inside Bobcat territory.

Momentum shifted back in the `Cats favor when Jamarques O'Neal intercepted Hicks at the Texas State 5-yard line with 5:45 to go in the game.

After two first downs, it looked as if the Bobcats would be able to run out the clock, but things got interesting when Harris scored his return touchdown to make it a one possession game.

An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty pushed the onside kick attempt back to the Sam Houston 20, but the Bobcats sealed the win by recovering the loose ball.

From there the clock ran out on the 2006 season for both teams, as Bobcat players celebrated a win one last time.