November 21st, 2009
Texas State ends football season with 28-20 win over Sam Houston

SUBMITTED REPORT

With 14 seniors playing the final game of the collegiate careers, the Texas State football team ended the 2009 season in record-setting fashion as Bradley George threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns to help Texas State overcome three turnovers and defeat Sam Houston State 28-20 Saturday afternoon at Bobcat Stadium.

George, who finished the day completing 22 of 37 passes and threw two interceptions on the day, ends his career as the all-time leading passer at Texas State having completed 753 of 1277 passes for 9,556 yards and 91 touchdowns. He also ended his senior season with 3,121 yards, seven yards shy of Barrick Nealy’s single season record at Texas State as he completed 258 of 409 passes for 23 touchdowns.

The win gives Texas State a 7-4 overall record and a 5-2 mark in the Southland Conference, equaling their 2008 SLC mark of 5-2, when the Bobcats won their first outright conference championship. The win clinches at least a third-place finish for the Bobcats this season.

Sam Houston concluded its season with 5-6 and 3-4 records respectively. Blake Joseph finished his collegiate career completing 24-of-36 passes for 240 yards and a touchdown after transferring from Houston for his senior campaign, while Chris Poullard finished the game with 118 yards and one TD on 19 carries to lead all runners.

Da’Marcus Griggs caught 11 of his passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns. His reception total was one shy of a Texas State single game record and gives him 80 receptions this season, which breaks Bobcat All-American Cameron Luke’s record of 73 set in 2008.

Ironically, Texas State’s first turnover came on the game-opening drive when George hit Griggs with a 46-yard pass to Sam Houston’s 14-yard line. But, Griggs fumbled the ball on the play and Sam Houston’s Chuck Obi returned the ball to Sam Houston’s 34 yard line. The Bearkats took advantage as they drove the ball down the field 66 yards in 11 plays as Chris Poullard ran over left guard for a one-yard TD run to give Sam Houston a 7-0 lead.

The Bobcats answered on their next possession when Alvin Canady scored on a 48-yard run over left tackle to tie the score a 7-7. The run was Canady’s longest since he ran for a 58-yard jaunt against Stephen F. Austin on Oct. 20, 2007. He ended his senior season with a career-best 546 yards and nine touchdowns on 128 carries.

The Bearkats took the ensuing kickoff and drove down the field again as Joseph threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Chris Lucas to give Sam Houston a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Bobcats tied the score again at 14-14 when George completed a 19-yard touchdown pass to Daren Dillard for the first of George’s three TD passes.

Sam Houston State’s Miguiel Antonio kicked a 31-yard field goal with 2:06 left in the second quarter as the Bearkats took a 17-14 lead into halftime.

The Bearkats extended their lead to 20-14 when Antonio kicked a 16-yard field goal on the first drive of the second quarter. But that was the final points Sam Houston would score as the Bobcat defense stiffened the rest of the way.

Texas State took its first lead in the game with 2:41 left in the third quarter when George hit Griggs for a 13-yard touchdown strike.

Sam Houston attempted to regain the lead with 14:22 left to play, but Antonio’s 44-yard field goal attempt was wide left.

The Bobcats answered with a 73-yard drive that culminated with George hitting Griggs with another 13-yard touchdown pass that made the final score 28-20.

The win gives Texas State 15 wins in the past two seasons, the most wins in a regular season since 1983, and the best back-to-back Southland Conference finish since the Bobcats joined the league in 1987. This also gives Texas State their first back-to-back winning seasons since 1991.