Nov. 2, 2006

Final Stats |  Quotes |  Photo Gallery 

SAN MARCOS - Bradley George hit Alex Darley for a 30-yard touchdown pass as time expired, but down two points, Chase Wasson was unable to stretch the football far enough on the conversion attempt, as Texas State fell 21-19 to Nicholls State Thursday at Bobcat Stadium.

The Bobcats (3-6, 2-3 SLC) went 68 yards in 29 seconds on the final drive, as George completed passes of 22, 16 and 30 yards on the last-ditch scoring possession. Nicholls State (4-5, 2-2) scored all 21 of its points in the third quarter, as Texas State outdid the Colonels 361-330 in total offense.

Nicholls outgained Texas State 248-156 on the ground, while the Bobcats finished with a 221-103 yard edge through the air.

George finished the night with 221 yards on 16-of-32 passing and a touchdown, and Wasson had six catches for 82 yards to lead the team in receiving. Stan Zwinggi ran for 83 yards on 16 carries, while Jeremy Castillo had 13 tackles to move into ninth all-time in career tackles with 312 career stops.

Cal Jones led Nicholls on the ground with 67 yards on 13 carries, while Vincent Montgomery threw for 94 yards and a touchdown on two completions in four attempts. Cory Vavala made ten tackles to lead the Nicholls defense, which forced one fumble and recovered two.

A pair of first-quarter Bobcat fumbles - one on a Zwinggi rush and another on a muffed punt - put Nicholls State in the red zone, but the Colonels could not capitalize, missing a 26-yard field goal with 3:00 left and returning control to the `Cats to begin the second quarter.

A Nicholls fumble would provide the game's first points, as Zack Chauvin lost control of the ball at the nine yard line and Donovan King covered for Texas State inches away from the end zone's back line, putting the `Cats ahead 7-0 with 13:03 remaining in the first half.

The score marked the first Bobcat defensive touchdown in 2006, and the first fumble recovery for six points since Walter Musgrove found the end zone on a recovery against McNeese State in 2003.

A second Colonel fumble in the quarter gave Texas State the ball at the Nicholls 40, and after George hit Wasson for 18 yards to the 22 to open the drive, Andrew Ireland booted a 25-yard field goal to put the `Cats on top 10-0 with 8:04 to go in the half. The kick capped an eight-play, 33-yard scoring drive that covered 4:29 on the clock.

A Texas State stop and a Nicholls State personal foul on the ensuing punt put Texas State at the Nicholls 46 with 6:26 left in the half, and four plays into the drive George again found Wasson for 17 yards, putting the ball inside the Colonel 10. Five snaps later, Ireland put Texas State up by 13 with another 25-yarder with 2:15 to go in the second, and Texas State took the 13-0 lead into the halftime locker room.

Nicholls State drove 64 yards in ten plays to open the second half, and its shortest gain of the possession proved to be its biggest, as Dwayne Jones punched in a 4th-and-goal effort from the one, cutting the Bobcat lead to 13-7 with 10:19 to go in the third.

The Colonels grabbed their first lead of the game a possession later, needing only one play to go 56 yards on a pass from Montgomery to Michael McClendon that put the Colonels up 14-13 with 8:29 left. Nicholls would tack on another touchdown as the third quarter closed, going up 21-13 by completing a 12-play, 60-yard drive on an eight-yard Zach Morgan touchdown run with nine seconds left.

The win enabled the Colonels to claim the storied paddle for the second-straight year, marking the first Colonel win on Bobcat soil since 2002, when Nicholls claimed a 24-21 win at Bobcat Stadium.

Up next, Texas State steps out of Southland play for a non-conference clash with Texas Southern on Nov. 11, and the `Cats finish the regular season Nov. 18 in Huntsville, Texas, at Sam Houston State.