TXST Release:
SAN MARCOS, Texas – In an act of personal redemption, Seth Keller hit a last-second field goal to cap a fourth-quarter comeback by Texas State as the Bobcats beat Arkansas State, 16-13, on Saturday at Bobcat Stadium.
Texas State (4-7, 2-5 Sun Belt) won its third straight against the Red Wolves (3-8, 1-6 Sun Belt) by scoring 13 of its 16 points in the final quarter, including a 49-yard field goal by Keller with three minutes to go and then the game-winner from 29 yards out with two seconds remaining. The 49-yarder was a career-long.
Keller, who missed a game-winning opportunity earlier this month at ULM in the final seconds, matched his season-high with the three field goals made and moved within one of the school record for career field goals made.
The 13 points allowed by Texas State were its fewest against a Sun Belt opponent this season while the 291 yards allowed were the lowest by a conference opponent since November 2018.
The win also snapped a four-game losing streak for Texas State.
Lincoln Pare, in his first year after transferring from Arkansas State, scored the lone Texas State touchdown with a two-yard rush early in the fourth quarter. The score evened the game at 10-10 with 12 minutes to go.
Arkansas State seized the lead with a touchdown in the closing seconds of the first half. After Texas State took a 3-0 lead on the opening drive of the game, the Red Wolves eventually gained the advantage with a nine-play, 73-yard drive starting around the two-minute mark in the second quarter that ended with a 26-yard touchdown catch by Johnnie Lang.
The Red Wolves later went up 10-3 with a 56-yard field goal by Dominic Zavada halfway through the third quarter.
The Bobcats stayed in the game with the help of a rushing attack that ended the night with 144 yards, which was its second highest total this season. Pare led the way with 75 yards on 19 carries while Josh Berry had 54 yards on 13 attempts.
The Texas State defense finished with 8.0 tackles for loss, led by three from Brian Holloway, who missed last week’s game at South Alabama. Holloway had six tackles and a sack to go with the three TFLs.
The Bobcats nearly had a defensive touchdown early in the game when Alonzo Edwards, Jr. forced a fumble in Arkansas State territory near the Texas State sideline midway through the second quarter. Edwards, Jr. recovered the fumble and ran untouched into the end zone, but after an official’s review, the touchdown was overturned after it was determined the Arkansas State wide receiver, Jeff Foreman, touched the fumbled ball as he was going out of bounds to end the play.
With retained possession, the Red Wolves ended up moving the ball into Texas State territory, but Zavada missed a 51-yard field goal at the end of the drive to keep Arkansas State off the scoreboard.
In the fourth quarter, after Texas State took a 13-10 lead with the 49-yard field goal by Keller, Arkansas State managed to get good field position on the subsequent kickoff with a 37-yard return by Lang to put the ball at the Texas State 41-yard line and with 3:09 on the clock.
After three unsuccessful plays and on fourth-and-nine, the Red Wolves picked up their only fourth-down conversion of the night with a 31-yard connection between quarterback James Blackman and Daverrick Jenkins. Despite the second-biggest play of the night in terms of yardage by the Red Wolves, Texas State’s defense forced Arkansas State into a 23-yard field goal with 31 seconds remaining in the game.
On the final drive, Texas State quarterback Layne Hatcher found Drue Jackson for a 21-yard catch near the Bobcat sideline to put the ball into Arkansas State territory. On the next play, Hatcher dropped it off to Donnovan Moorer, who ran for a 21-yard reception and into field goal range for the Bobcats. The Red Wolves were called for roughing the passer on the play, which further moved the Bobcats into Arkansas State territory and help set up the game-winner by Keller.
The win improved Texas State to 4-1 at home this season.
Texas State will wrap up its season on Nov. 26 with a Senior Day game against Louisiana. Kickoff at Bobcat Stadium is set for 4 p.m.
Postgame Notes
Seth Keller has 35 career field goals made, which trails Will Johnson (2011-14) and Ray Whitehead (1991-94) for the most in school history (36). Keller is 35-of-41 in field goals in his Texas State career. Keller already owns the school record for most field goals made in a season (15), a mark he set last year.
Texas State has won three in a row against Arkansas State, dating back to 2020.
The last three games in the series between Texas State and Arkansas State have been decided by a combined seven points.
The margin of victory for Texas State was its smallest this season.
Sione Tupou led the team with seven tackles and now has a career-high 78 tackles this season.
Texas State’s 71.0 team TFLs this season are a school FBS record.
Layne Hatcher finished with 196 passing yards and now has 2,520 this season. He is sixth in school history for most passing yards in a single season and trails Bradley George (2,660 in 2008) for the fifth-most.
– Eat ‘Em Up –
