#6, Football holds off Bobcats
12/27/2010 7:00:00 AM | Football
In a game featuring the State of Texas' fifth-longest NCAA Division I football rivalry,Texas State's second-half rally came up two points short as Sam Houston State held on for a 31-29 victory to end both teams' seasons.
The victory clinched a winning season and a third place tie in the final Southland Conference standings for a young Bearkat squad picked to finish next to last in the league in preseason polls. The performance also earned the game the No. 6 spot in the countdown of great moments during the 2010 sports year.
Up 28-9 with 8:53 remaining in the third quarter, the Bearkats saw Texas State rally go on a 20-3 run to have an opportunity to force overtime on a two-point conversion attempt with less than 2:38 to play. But Darius Bolden couldn't hang on to a Tim Hawkins conversion pass in the right corner of the end zone.
The play saving victory for the Kats and gave Sam Houston a 6-5 season record and 4-3 mark in Southland Conference play in head coach Willie Fritz's first season as SHSU head coach.
Freshman Tim Flanders became the first Sam Houston running back to gain 100 or more yards in seven games in one season as he rushed for 124 yards on 26 carries including two touchdowns. Flanders, who missed the Central Arkansas contest a week ago and had played sparingly in the previous two games due to an ankle injury, ended the year as the Southland's rushing leader with 948 net yards.
The total is a Sam Houston school record for most yards by a freshman running back.
"I'm really pleased with what we have here at Sam Houston and what we accomplished this year," Fritz said. "I feel like we have a really good group of young men. We made a lot of strides. I would say that there weren't a lot of people that thought we would win many games, let alone six games and have a chance to win nine.
"Now we have to make that same type of improvement next season in order to be a championship-caliber team. In no way, shape or form have we arrived going 6-5. We have a very good nucleus coming back, but us coaches and the players have to strive to get better and bring more to the table."
The Bobcats scored the first points of the game when freshman Zac Ammar kicked a 21-yard field goal to give Texas State a 3-0 lead.
With a 15 mile-per-hour wind resulted in Justin Garelick attempting an onsides kick, but the ball failed to travel the required 10 yards resulting in a five-yard penalty that gave Sam Houston State possession on Texas State's 44-yard line. The Bearkats covered the 44 yards in six plays as Torrance Williams scored a touchdown on an eight-yard run. Miguel Antonio added the extra point to give Sam Houston State a 7-3 lead.
On Texas State's next possession, Hawkins completed 29-yard pass to Da'Marcus Griggs, but Darnell Taylor hit the ball out of his hands from behind and Victor Carmichael recovered the ball and returned the ball to Texas State's 40 yard line. The Bearkats scored their second touchdown three plays later when Tim Flanders scored another touchdown on a 13-yard run and Antonio added the extra point to give Sam Houston a 14-3 lead with 3:58 left in the first quarter.
After the Bobcats were unable to gain a first down on their next possession, a 24-yard punt by Ben Follis gave the Bearkats possession at Texas State's 45-yard line with 1:42 left in the opening quarter. The Bearkats scored their third touchdown of the game when Frank Ridgeway scampered 19 yards into the end zone. Antonio's extra point made the score 21-3 with 14:53 left in the half.
Texas State came back to score a touchdown of its own when Tim Hawkins hit Karrington Bush out of the back field 49 yards. Ammar's extra-point attempt was blocked to make the score 21-9 at the end of the first half.
The Bearkats scored again on the opening kickoff of the third quarter when Flanders scored on a one-yard run and Antonio added the extra point to make the score 28-9 with 8:53 left in the third quarter.
Texas State answered with a touchdown of their own when Hawkins scored on a one-yard run to cap off a six-play, 74 yard drive. Hawkins set up the touchdown with a 56-yard run three plays earlier. Ammar's extra point made the score 28-16 with 3:11 left in the third quarter.
Sam Houston State came right back when Brandon Closner returned Garelick's kickoff 51 yards to Texas State's 44-yard line. The Bobcats defense answered the challenge when Xavier Daniels blocked a 25-yard field goal attempt by Antonio and Sam Pier returned the ball to Sam Houston State's 31-yard line.
Hawkins completed an 11-yard pass to Griggs on Texas State's first offensive play. Then, he ran six yards to Sam Houston's State 15-yard line. On third down, he hit Griggs for a 15-yard touchdown. Ammar added the extra point to pull the Bobcats back to within 28-23 with 12:52 left to play.
Sam Houston State added three more points when Antonio kicked a 46-yard field goal with 7:44 left to play to extend the Bearkats' lead to 31-23.
After Bush returned the kickoff to the 26-yard line, the Bobcats drove down the field. Hawkins hit Daren Dillerd for a 10-yard pass to give Texas State a first down at Sam Houston State's 19-yard line. Then he completed an 11-yard pass to Griggs before Bush powered his way up the middle for a four-yard touchdown run to make the score 31-29 with 2:31 left to play.
But, Texas State's attempt to tie the score came up short when Darius Bolden couldn't hang on to a pass from Hawkins on the two-point attempt.
Sam Houston State was able to run out the clock to seal a 31-29 victory.
