Hammond, La. - Southeastern Louisiana took advantage of four turnovers and two mishandled punts to upset No. 15/17 Texas State 49-24 in the first Southland Conference game for both teams.

 

The Lions held the Bobcats to just 238 yards of total offense and gained 493 yards on 81 offensive plays. Texas State's Dexter Imade and Karrington Bush combined to gain 101 yards and score a touchdown on 25 carries, while freshman quarterback Tyler Arndt completed 15 of his 28 passes for 158 yards and another score. However, the Lions picked off three of his passes.

 

Southeastern Louisiana quarterback Tyler Beatty completed 27 of his 40 passes for career bests of 368 yards and five touchdowns. Three of his touchdown passes were caught by Simmie Yarborough, who finished the game with eight receptions for 114 yards.His three TD receptions also tied his career best. Kory Theodore also caught six passes for a team-high 118 yards. 

 

Zeke Jones led Southeastern Louisiana with 55 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.

 

Things looked promising for the Bobcats when Texas State took the opening kickoff and drove down the field with a six-play, 61-yard drive in 2:11.

 

David Lewis recorded his first catch of the season with a 29-yard reception from Tyler Arndt that put the ball at the one-yard line. Imade scored his third touchdown of the season with the one-yard touchdown run. Justin Garelick added the extra point to give the Bobcats a 7-0 lead.

 

Southeastern Louisiana took their first possession down to Texas State's 25-yard line before Zeke Jones was tackled in the backfield and fumbled the ball. Matt Harris recovered the ball for Texas State to give the Bobcats their second possession of the game.

On the next play, Karrington Bush gained 13 yards up the middle, but Southeastern Louisiana's Tommy Connors knocked the ball loose and Curtis Strong recovered to give the Lions possession at Texas State's 47-yard line.

Southeastern Louisiana took advantage of the short field when the Lions drove the ball down to the two-yard line, where Jones dove over the line into the end zone. Seth Sebastian added the extra point to tie the score at 7-7.

 

Bush took the ensuing kickoff and returned it to the 37-yard line. After Imade gained two yards on a run, Arndt threw a 16-yard pass to Darius Bolden, who made a shoe-string catch at Southeastern Louisiana's 44 yard line. After Imade gained four yards on a run off right tackle, Ardnt hit him for a four-yard pass out of the backfield. However, the drive stalled there and Ben Follis punted the ball down to Southeastern Louisiana's 12-yard line.   

 

The Lions took over and drove down the field to take a 14-7 lead when Tyler Beatty threw a touchdown pass to Brandon Collins, a transfer from Texas, and Sebastian added the extra point. It was the first touchdown catch for Collins, since he caught a touchdown pass against Texas A&M in 2008.  

 

After Bush returned the kickoff to the 30-yard line, he gained 14 yards on Texas State's first play. Then, he ran off tackle for three more yards, and Ardnt converted a third-and-seven play with an eight-yard pass to Bolden. Imade ran up the middle for 15 yards to Southeastern Louisiana's 32-yard line.  

 

Bush came back into the game and gained two yards up the middle before Ardnt completed a 30-yard touchdown pass to Darius Bolden. Garelick kicked the extra point to tie the score at 14-14 with 9:41 left in the first half.  

 

After Texas State's defense forced the Lions to punt from their 40-yard line, Beau Mothe kicked the ball down to Texas State's 10-yard line. Imade gained five yards on two running plays, before Lindsey Leavoy hit Arndt as he was trying to pass the ball. That forced a punt by Ben Follis, who hit the ball off the side of his foot for a seven-yard punt. That gave the Lions possession at Texas State's 21-yard line.

 

Beatty completed a pass to Kory Theodore down to Texas State's nine yard line. Then he hit Jones for an eight-yard pass down to the one. After the Lions were called for an illegal shift, Beatty mishandled the snap and Evan Niles recovered the ball at the 20-yard line. However, Beatty hit Simmie Yarborough for a 20-yard touchdown pass. Then Sebastian kicked the extra point to give Southeastern Louisiana a 21-14 lead with 4:11 left in the half.  

 

On Texas State's next possession, Arndt's pass was picked off by Clint Coleman at 35-yard line. Coleman was tackled at the 28-yard line and tried to pitch the ball and fumbled the ball. Da'Marcus Griggs picked up the fumble and returned it for a touchdown. Garelick kicked the extra point to tie the score at 21-21 with 2:38 left to play in the opening half.  

 

Southeastern Louisiana took possession, but their drive stalled at Texas State's 49 yard line to force a punt by Mothe. The Bobcats took over at their 19-yard line with 1:21 left to play in the first half.  

 

Bush gained combined three-yards on two running plays before Arndt's pass was tipped by Tay Alford. Follis punted the ball and the Lions took over at their 41-yard line with 34 seconds left to play.  

Southeastern Louisiana moved the ball down the field quickly. First, Beatty completed a pass to Theodore to Texas State's 44 yard line. Then he completed another pass to Theodore down to the Bobcats' 13-yard line. On thed final play of the drive, Beatty completed a third pass to Yarborough to give Southeastern Louisiana a 28-21 lead after Sebastian kicked the extra point to end the half.  

 

The Lions received the second-half kickoff and took over on their 25-yard touchdown. Beatty began the drive with a five-yard run before completing a 28-yard pass to Simmie Yarborough to Texas State's 33 yard line. After he ran for five more yards, he threw a 28-yard touchdown strike to Yarborough. Sebastian's extra point gave the Lions a 35-21 lead.

 

On Texas State's ensuing possession from its own 32-yard line, Arndt completed an 18-yard pass to Dillard to move the ball to midfield. But after Bush was held to no gain on the next play, Arndt's pass was intercepts by Curtis Strong at Southeastern Louisiana's 26 yard line. But, the Bobcats regained possession when Dillard hit the ball from behind and Woody McClendon recovered the ball at Southeastern Louisiana's 37-yard line.

 

The Bobcats took advantage as they moved the ball down to the 10-yard line to set up a 27-yard field goal by Garelick to close the gap to 35-24.

 

On Southeastern Louisiana's next possession, the Lions moved the ball down to Texas State's 41-yard line before their drive stalled and Texas State took over at the Bobcats' six-yard line. After Bush gained five yards on the first play, Arndt's pass was intercepted at Texas State's 22-yard line by Re'Keem Wilson.

 

After Jones closed out the quarter with a one-yard run, Beatty rushed for six yards before Jones ran again for eight more yards on a pair of running plays. Then, Brian Young ran for seven yards before T.P. Miller forced a fumble at the four-yard line. The ball rolled into the end zone and SLU's Kevin Hughes recovered the ball to give the Lions another touchdown. Sebastian kicked the extra point to increase Southeastern Louisiana's lead to 42-24.

 

The Lions tacked on another TD after a bad snap on a punt attempt and Follis was tackled at the eight yard line. He picked up  the ball and was tackled at the 10-yard line. Southeastern Louisiana scored on the next play when Jones ran into the end zone for a 10-yard TD run to make the final score 49-24.
 

The loss drops Texas State's record to 3-2 overall this season and the Bobcats are 0-1 in Southland Conference play. Southeastern Louisiana improves to 2-3 overall and owns a 1-0 Southland Conference record.