TXST Release:
SAN MARCOS, Texas – Despite a go-ahead touchdown catch by Ashtyn Hawkins with 81 seconds remaining, Southern Miss scored with a 53-yard, game-winning touchdown pass on a fourth-and-four with 32 seconds left in the game to deal Texas State a 20-14 loss on Saturday at Bobcat Stadium.
In a contest that featured only two touchdowns in the first 58 minutes, the Bobcats (3-5, 1-3 Sun Belt) took their first and only lead of the night with Hawkins’ 74-yard touchdown sprint over the middle. The catch by Hawkins was the longest play of the season for the Bobcats and helped put Texas State ahead, 14-13.
The Golden Eagles (4-3, 2-1 Sun Belt) handed the Bobcats their first home loss of the season by answering with a six-play, 69-yard drive in the final minute that culminated with Zach Wilcke lobbing a pass to Chanlder Pittman in front of the Southern Miss sideline. Pittman escaped the Texas State secondary and worked himself to the opposite side of the field in the end zone for the game-winning score.
Texas State had 243 total yards of offense to 318 by Southern Miss. The two sides combined for 176 yards on the final three drives of the night.
The Bobcat defense forced three turnovers – and another two fumbles recovered by the Golden Eagles – and had three sacks. However, the Texas State offense was unable to score after any of the takeaways and went 2-of-16 combined on third- and fourth-down conversions.
Southern Miss also won the time of possession, 34:10 to 25:50, as it ran the ball 49 times to 26 pass attempts. The Bobcats finished with -6 rushing yards on 20 attempts.
The Golden Eagles took a 10-0 lead in the first half with a 33-yard field goal by Briggs Bourgeois in the first quarter and a two-yard touchdown rush by Janari Dean in the second. Dean punched it in to cap a seven-play, 37-yard drive midway through the quarter that was extended with a 20-yard pass from Zach Wilcke to Tiaquelin Mims on third-and-six from the Texas State 22-yard line.
The Bobcats answered on the subsequent drive, though, with their first touchdown of the day. Layne Hatcher connected with Marcell Barbee for a 45-yard pass in stride along the right sideline to put the ball into Southern Miss territory, and then Hatcher found Tyler Huff for a seven-yard pass inside the red zone to move within the Golden Eagles’ five-yard line. The drive was punctuated with a four-yard passing touchdown on a slant between Hatcher and Javen Banks with less than four minutes to go in the half.
Southern Miss extended its first-half lead to 13-7 with a 40-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter. It was the first time Texas State had trailed at halftime at home this season.
In the second half, both sides combined for 10 punts, two turnovers and one turnover on downs in the first 13 drives. Texas State got an interception by Jarron Morris on the opening drive by Southern Miss, but it could not convert a fourth-down attempt before handing the ball back to the Golden Eagles at the Southern Miss 38-yard line.
The Bobcats forced a punt on that drive and the two following before Sione Tupou recovered a fumble on the Golden Eagles’ fourth drive of the second half. The middle linebacker picked up the fumble by Janari Dean for the third Texas State takeaway of the day.
The subsequent drive resulted in a punt, and the Bobcats did not score their first touchdown of the second half until the 5-play, 85-yard drive that started with 2:14 remaining in the game.
Levi Bell and Tory Spears led the Bobcats with eight tackles each. Spears was ejected in the second half after being called for targeting.
Nelson Mbanasor had 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks among its six tackles.
Hawkins finished with 102 receiving yards on five catches. It was his fourth 100-yard game of the season.
The Bobcats will have their bye week next weekend and then travel to ULM for a 4 p.m. game on Nov. 5.
Postgame Notes
Texas State is 1-27 in its FBS history when totaling less than 250 yards of offense in a game. The only win was at Southern Miss on Aug. 31, 2013. The Bobcats won that game, 22-15, with 215 total yards on 60 plays.
Texas State trailed at half for the first time at home this season. The last time they trailed after the first 30 minutes at Bobcat Stadium was Oct. 16, 2021 vs. Troy (14-17).
Texas State had an average field position of their own 23-yard line. Southern Miss, meanwhile, had an average starting field position at their 41-yard line.
The two teams combined for 16 punts.
Southern Miss went 7-of-19 on third downs and 1-of-1 on fourth downs.
Javen Banks moved into sole possession of third place on Texas State’s career receiving touchdown list with the second-quarter score. He has 18 career touchdowns catches in five seasons with the Bobcats.
The passing touchdown from Hatcher to Banks in the second quarter was Hatcher’s 80th career passing touchdown, and he finished with two passing touchdowns in the game to give him 16 for the season. He is now tied for 8th with Bradley George (2007) for the most passing touchdowns in a Texas State single-season.
Jarron Morris’s interception in the third quarter was his first of the season and eighth of his career. It was his first interception since Nov. 14, 2020 at Georgia Southern.
Texas State is 1-2 all-time against Southern Miss.
– Eat ‘Em Up –
