SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State football team came up short in its comeback attempt when Bobcats fell, 51-48, in double overtime against I-35 rival UTSA on Saturday afternoon at Bobcat Stadium.
 
Tyler Vitt started his first game of the season and threw for 346 yards and a career-high four touchdowns while completing 26-of-40 passes with two interceptions. Brock Sturges led Texas State with 69 yards rushing and a touchdown on 16 carries and Calvin Hill added 50 yards and a TD on 10 rushes.
 
Marcell Barbee caught four passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns, while Jah'Marae Sheread added four catches for 57 yards and another TD. Jeremiah Haydel had a team-high five catches and returned four punts for 149 yards, including a 91-yard return that tied the score at 41-41 at the end of regulation.
 
"Disappointing is the best way for me to describe the game," Texas State head coach Jake Spavital said. "This game didn't come down to one player because we left a lot of plays out there on the field. The defense gave up 51 points and the offense could not run the ball nor pass the ball in the first half. We had to start throwing the ball deep to set up the run in the second half. Normally, it is the other way around."
 
 
 
Both teams opened the game with big plays to score a touchdown on their first drives of the game. Texas State scored first on the third play of the game when Tyler Vitt hit Brock Sturges in the left flat, and he raced 66 yards for the first TD. Alan Orona kicked the extra point to give the Bobcats a 7-0 lead with 13:48 left to play int the first quarter.
 
UTSA answered with a 58-yard run by Sincere McCormick up the middle. Then, starting quarterback Frank Harris ran 17 yards for the touchdown. Hunter Duplessis kicked the extra point to tie the score at 7-7.
 
The Roadrunners took a 10-7 lead when Duplessis kicked a 27-yard field goal with 12:27 left in the first half.
 
UTSA added two more touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 24-7 lead at halftime. The first came on a 19-yard run by Harris. The second TD came on a five-yard run by McCormick. Duplessis added the two extra-points to close out the scoring in the first half.
 
Texas State scored again on its first possession in the second half after the Bobcat defense held the Roadrunners on downs. First, Sturges ran up the middle 21 yards to UTSA's 29-yard line. After he stumbled for a two-yard loss, Vitt hit Jah'Marae Sheread for a 31-yard touchdown pass on the right side. Orona kicked the extra point to pull TXST to within 24-14.
 
However, UTSA came right back to answer with another touchdown run by Harris. McCormack began the drive with a 58-yard run to Texas State's 13-yard line. Then, Harris took it in the rest of the way two plays later, and Duplessis kicked the extra point to make the score 31-14 with 9:39 left to play in the third quarter.
 
After both teams exchanged punts, Texas State scored its second touchdown in the quarter when the Bobcats went 53 yards in two plays after UTSA was penalized 15 yards for a personal foul to give the Bobcats possession at the Roadrunner 38-yard line. Vitt hit Trevis Graham, Jr. for 11 yards. Then, UTSA was penalized another 15 yards on a pass interference call. Calvin Hill scored his first touchdown of the season with a 12-yard run over right tackle. Orona added the extra point to pull Texas State to within 31-21 with 2:04 left in the third quarter.
 
After the Bobcats held the Roadrunners on downs, Texas State began its next drive at its nine-yard line. The Bobcats moved down the field on the ground as they ran for 69 yards and Vitt hit Marcell Barbee for a 38-yard pass. Sturges capped the drive with a two-yard run over left guard into the end zone. Orona kicked the extra point to pull Texas State to within 31-28 with 10:35 left to play.
 
UTSA extended its lead to 34-28 with 7:26 left to play when Duplessis kicked a 42-yard field goal to cap an eight-play, 50-yard drive.
 
Texas State attempted to take its first lead in the game since leading 7-0 following the opening drive run when UTSA's Rashad Wisdom intercepted a fourth-down pass from Vitt and returned it 81 yards for a touchdown and balloon the Roadrunners' lead to 13 with 3:24 left in the fourth quarter.  
 

Vitt responded minutes later with a 20-yard passing touchdown to Marcell Barbee to pull the Bobcats back to within 41-35. After the Texas State defense held UTSA to a three-and-out on the Roadrunners' next offensive series, Jeremiah Haydel, whose incredible one-handed touchdown reception against SMU went viral on Twitter last week, returned a punt 91 yards to tie the game at 41-41 with 1:16 remaining.   

UTSA started the first overtime period with a 25-yard touchdown pass to take a 48-41 lead. Texas State immediately responded with a 4-yard scoring throw from Vitt to Barbee, who set a career high with his second touchdown reception in the game.   

In the second overtime period, Texas State opened on offense, but was unable to convert a fourth-down field goal. UTSA capitalized on the opportunity and converted a 29-yard field goal to win.   
Texas State looks to bounce back next Saturday, Sept. 19, when the Bobcats open Sun Belt Conference play at ULM at 6:30 p.m. in Monroe, La. The game will be nationally broadcast on ESPNU.