SAN MARCOS, TEXAS — In a game that featured a combined seven turnovers, the Texas State football team could not overcome a pair of touchdowns late in the second quarter when Louisiana held off the Bobcats, 44-34, Saturday night at Bobcat Stadium.
 
Texas State (1-7, 1-3 in Sun Belt) fought back from a two-touchdown deficit, used a pair of key plays on special teams and a touchdown drive to take a 21-14 lead with 11:40 left to play in the first half.
 
With the score tied at 21-21, Louisiana (5-1, 3-1 Sun Belt) added two touchdowns in the final 1:23 of the first half with a two-yard touchdown run by Trey Ragas and a one-yard TD pass from Lewis to Kyren Lacy to take a 34-21 lead into halftime.
 
The Bobcats didn't get any closer than 10 points the rest of the way as the Ragin' Cajuns held off two rallies in the second half.
 
After Louisiana extended its lead to 37-21 with a 42-yard field goal by Nate Snyder on its first possession in the second half, Brock Sturges ran 10 yards for a touchdown to pull Texas State to within 37-27 with 3:26 left in the third quarter.
 
The Ragin' Cajuns answered with Ragus' seven-yard TD run before Sturges scored his second touchdown in the game with an 18-yard run with 1:50 left to play. The Bobcats tried an onside kick, but the Ragin' Cajuns recovered the ball at Texas State's 41-yard line to clinch the victory.
 
BOXSCORE
Sturges led Texas State's offense as he rushed for a career-best 128 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. He had a 40-yard run on Texas State's opening drive.
 
Brady McBride was under duress most of the game while completing 14 of 32 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown pass to Marcell Barbee, but threw three interceptions.
Texas State had pair of big plays on special teams as kicker Seth Keller ran 12-yards for a touchdown on a fake field goal attempt to score Texas State's first points in the game. Keller also made all four of his extra-point attempts to end the game with a career-best 10 points.
 
Jahmyl Jeter also ran for a one-yard touchdown in the second quarter following a fumble recovery by Jarron Morris after a 53-yard punt by Seamus O'Kelly. Morris also intercepted a pass by Lewis. It was the third interception by Morris this season.
 
Hal Vinson forced a fumble for the second straight game, and Kevin Anderson recovered it at Texas State's 26-yard line in the second quarter. Vinson also forced and recovered a fumble at No. 12-ranked BYU on Oct. 24.
 
Sione Tupou also made his first fumble recovery of the season after Auston Deason forced it at Texas State's 32-yard line to stop a Louisiana drive in the third quarter.
 
Brendon Luper led Texas State's defense with 11 tackles, while Tory Spears recorded nine stops, and Vinson had eight to go along with his forced fumble. Kevin Anderson also recorded eight tackles and his fumble recovery.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Texas State plays its second straight home game when the Bobcats host Appalachian State at 2 p.m. next Saturday, Nov. 7, in Bobcat Stadium. The game will be video streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast on KTSW (89.9 FM) and the TuneIn App.