SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State football team (3-7, 1-5 Sun Belt) could not hang with the Sun Belt Conference preseason favorite Appalachian State Mountaineers (7-2, 5-1 Sun Belt), falling by a score of 38-7 on Saturday evening at Bobcat Stadium.

Texas State was outgained 468 to 218 in total offense by the visitors. On 34 carries, APP rushed for 221 total yards, compared to 31 carries for 86 yards for Texas State. Additionally, the Mountaineers converted 9-of-16 third down attempts, while TXST managed first downs on 3-of-12 third-down plays.

After taking care of the football in the victory over Georgia State a week ago, the Bobcats coughed up the football three times on Saturday. TXST lost a pair of fumbles and threw an untimely interception.

Two weeks ago, the Mountaineers were ranked No. 25 in the country. Today, they proved why the pollsters made them the second team in Sun Belt Conference history to crack the top-25 rankings.

Appalachian State wasted little time finding paydirt. On the first possession of the game, the visitors marched 67 yards down the field on three plays to score the first seven points of the game. Sophomore quarterback Zac Thomas completed each of his three passes on the drive, including an eight-yard touchdown toss to sophomore wide receiver Dominique Heath.

The next two drives for the Mountaineers were surgical. The first covered 70 yards in 13 plays, while the latter spanned 95 yards in 13 plays to put APP up 21-0 heading into the halftime break.

The first drive of the sequence saw Thomas, perhaps the best quarterback in the Sun Belt, account for 56 yards. The key play in the sequence came on a fourth-and-7 in Bobcat territory. APP dialed up a crossing route for Kansas State transfer Corey Sutton. He caught the short route and scampered 24 yards down the TXST sideline for the first down. Thomas capped off the drive with a one-yard run-pass-option scoring flip to junior tight end Collin Reed.

APP's next touchdown drive started after an interception redzone throw from freshman quarterback Tyler Vitt. Appalachian State took over at the five-yard line. Sophomore running back Darrynton Evans shouldered the load on the drive. He had a 16-yard carry to jumpstart the offense and bring the Mountaineers to midfield. Evans ran a crafty seam route to separate from the coverage. Thomas lobbed the ball to Evans and he hauled in the catch before stumbling down at the one-yard line. On the next play, Evans plunged into the endzone on a power play over the right guard.

Evans broke open the game on the second play from scrimmage in the second half. He took a zone handoff off the left side and went untouched for 79 yards for his second touchdown of the contest. APP led 28-0 24 seconds into the second half.

The lone Texas State touchdown came with eight minutes remaining in the third quarter. Vitt found graduate transfer tight end Keenan Brown all alone in the left flat. Brown collected the pass and walked into the endzone from six yards out. He has been on the receiving end of five touchdown passes this season, the most of any tight end in the Sun Belt. The score was cut to 28-7.

Appalachian State scored the final 10 points of the game to bring the game to its final tally of 38-7.

Up next, Texas State will hit the road to take on Troy at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 17 at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

-- TXSTATEBOBCATS.COM --