Lafayette, La.  – The Texas State football team (2-6, 1-3 Sun Belt) surrendered three touchdowns in the third quarter when the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (6-2, 3-1 Sun Belt) broke open a tightly-fought contest as the Bobcats suffered a 31-3 loss Saturday afternoon at Cajun Field.
 
The game began as a defensive battle as both teams were scoreless until Louisiana scored a touchdown on a 39-yard run by Elijah Mitchell. Stevie Artigue kicked the extra point to give the Ragin' Cajuns a 7-0 lead.
 
The Bobcats answered when they drove 60 yards on 10 plays to set up a 33-yard field goal by Joshua Rowland.
 
The Ragin' Cajuns closed out the first half with Artigue kicking a 46-yard field goal to make the halftime score 10-3.
 
However, Louisiana scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to break open the game. Levi Lewis hit Nick Ralston for a 24-yard TD pass to start the scoring. After Chris Smith ran 24-yards for a touchdown, Lewis hit Raymond Calais for a 34-yard TD pass down the left sideline.
 
BOX SCORE
- Tyler Vitt started as quarterback for the second straight game and completed 24 of 34 passes for 206 yards. However, Vitt threw two interceptions in Louisiana territory to stop potential scoring drives for the Bobcats.
- Tyler Vitt also led the Bobcats with 38 yards rushing on 10 carries.
- Vitt completed passes to nine different receivers for the Bobcats. Trevis Graham, Jr. led the Bobcats with a career-high six receptions for 52 yards.  
- Freshman Kenny Frazier had the longest catch by a Bobcat (42 yards) for the first reception of his career.
- Freshman Dylan Janz also had his first career reception for 10 yards in the first quarter.
- Jacoby Hopkins had Texas State's longest catch in the first half when he caught a 22-yard pass from Vitt. He finished the game with two catches for 31 yards against the Ragin' Cajuns.
 
-Jeremiah Haydel had two kickoff returns for 72 yards, including a season-long 41-yard return.
- Bryan London II led the Bobcats with 13 tackles, while Frankie Griffin added a season-best 11 stops.
 
KEY MOMENTS
- Louisiana opened the scoring with 6:28 left in the first half when Elijah Mitchell ran 36 yards for a touchdown to give the Ragin' Cajuns a 7-0 lead.
- Texas State was able to get on the scoreboard with a 33-yard field goal by Joshua Rowland.
-After Louisiana scored its three touchdowns in the third quarter, the Bobcats opened the fourth quarter recovering a fumble and holding the Ragin' Cajuns on downs during Louisiana's next two drives.
 
QUOTES FROM THE SIDELINE—JAKE SPAVITAL
"The defense is playing well, but they would like to have the third quarterback. The flood gates opened on them, but that is a good team we played. They are one of the better rushing teams in the country, and I thought we shut them down and got after them in the first half. Then, we got banged up a bit, moved some kids around, and we didn't finish the way we should have. I am pleased with how those kids are playing until there are zeros on the clock. I am disappointed that the offense can't score any points right now.  We are pretty realistic with them, and they see the mistakes that they are making. They understand that we have to play better as a team. We played as a team for three quarters, the first, second and fourth. We can't give up 21 points in a quarter and not be able to stop momentum swings. Once we stop momentum swings, we are going to be all right."
 
UP NEXT
- Texas State returns to Bobcat Stadium when the Bobcats host South Alabama for the Bobcats' annual Homecoming game at 2 p.m. on Nov. 2.
 
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