Game Statistics

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San Marcos, Texas- Facing a triple option running attack for the first time this season, the Texas State football team answered with a strong running game of its own as the Bobcats upset 17^th-ranked Cal Poly 21-12 on Saturday night on Jim Wacker Field at Bobcat Stadium. 

 

“This was a big win,” said Texas State head coach Brad Wright. “Our defense played well against an option team. (Texas State defensive coordinator Fred Bleil) and his staff did an incredible job. Playing against the option is a completely different game plan. We did the little things that it took to be successful. This victory goes to the defense, no doubt about it.” 

 

It also goes to Texas State running backs Karrington Bush and Dexter Imade as they answered a challenge as well. Bush Imade led the Bobcats with 95 yards rushing and scored the first two touchdowns of his collegiate career on 16 carries. While, Bush gained 86 yards and scored another touchdown on 14 carries.

 

Bush scored his touchdown on a 37-yard run to give Texas State an early 7-0 lead with 10:45 left to play in the opening quarter. The scoring drive began when Tyler Arndt completed a 28-yard pass to Daren Dillard to the Mustang 43-yard line. Then Tyler Arndt completed a six-yard pass to Corey Scott to set up Bush's touchdown run.

 

Cal Poly's Mark Rodgers returned the ensuing kickoff 65 yards to Texas State's 20-yard line. But Texas State's defense held and the Mustangs were forced to settle for a 32-yard field by Jake West.

 

The two teams didn't score again until the third quarter. The Mustangs scored the first points in the second half when West kicked another field goal, this time from 33 yards away with 7:46 left in the period.

 

Texas State answered with nine-play, 72-yard touchdown drive as Bush and Imade accounted for the bulk of the yardage. The drive started with Texas State taking possession at its own 35-yard line. After Arndt completed a pass to Eric Gentry to give the Bobcats a first down at the 43, Bush gained 30 yards on a run around the right side. Then, Imade broke free up the middle for a 26-yard jaunt just shy of the goal line.

 

The strangest play of the night statistically happened on the next play. Imade tried to run a sweep around the left side, when he was tackled by Kenny Jackson for an eight-yard loss. But, Jackson was called for grabbing the face mask and Cal Poly was penalized half the distance to the goal. As a result, Texas State took over on its four-yard line with a first and goal. The Bobcats scored two plays later when Imade went up the middle for a two-yard touchdown run. After Justin Garelick kicked the extra point, the Bobcats held a 14-6 lead with 4:29 left to play in the quarter.

 

“I was relieved to help out the defense mainly,” said Imade. “They had been working so hard the whole game.”

 

On Cal Poly's next drive, the Mustangs drove down the field 74-yards for a touchdown to pull to within 14-12 when quarterback Doug Shumway scored on a one-yard run up the middle. Cal Poly elected to try a two-point conversion in an effort to tie the score, but Shumway's pass was overthrown out of the end zone.

 

The Bobcats answered quickly as they took the ensuing kickoff and drove down the field once again. Imade capped off the drive when he rushed up the middle for a 37-yard touchdown run. Garelick added the extra point to make the score 21-12.

 

The Mustangs never cross the 50-yard line on their last three possessions as Texas State's defense forced Cal Poly to punt the ball away each time. The first came after Shumway completed a pass to Dominique Johnson for six yards to the Mustang 40-yard line. But, Shumway's next pass to Jordan Yoakum fell incomplete.

 

Texas State drove the ball down to Cal Poly's 42-yard line before Bobcat punter Ben Follis pinned Cal Poly back at its own four-yard line. The Mustangs did get a first down to the 16, but Johnson caught Shumway's third-down pass out of bounds and forced Cal Poly to punt again.

 

The Bobcats were force to punt again four downs later and Follis answered with a 53-yard punt that forced the Mustangs to take over at their four-yard line a second straight time. Cal Poly was able to move the ball down to Texas State's 47-yard line before the game ended.

 

The victory improves Texas State's record to 2-1 and Cal Poly drops to 2-1.