Bobcats Rally in Final Minute, Defeat Louisiana Monroe

It was ugly, until it wasn’t. 

The Texas State Bobcats could not complete a drive against the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) Warhawks, trailing 9-to-20 with less than five minutes of the game.  The Bobcats then bookend two, 75-yard drives to defeat the Warhawks, 21-to-20, with 41 seconds remaining on the game clock. 

A crowd of 27,537 fans, the fifth largest in school history, watched the exciting come-back. 

Texas State looked sharp, taking the opening kick-off 69 yards on 17 plays, settling for a field goal.  ULM responded with a 52 yard, 8 play driving, culminating with a touchdown.  But the Bobcats could muster no more than two field goals, taking a 9-to-7 lead into the locker room at the half. 

Reflecting on the first half performance, Texas State head coach GJ Kinne said, “Really it was execution and penalties that got us. We were driving the ball and then we get a hold or something, and then we convert the first down and they call it offensive pass interference. So, you know, it was just kind of one of those games when you get out of the rhythm like that, it’s tough.”

Bobcat defense rose to the occasion, holding the Warhawks to 135 yards on the ground (3.9 yards / carry on 35 attempt), and 150 yard in the air (14-for-22, 6.8 yards / attempt).  ULM converted on only 3-of-14 third down attempts, and 0-for-1 fourth down tries. 

 
“There’s no doubt the defense came to play tonight. Think they kind of felt like their backs were against the wall,” said Kinne.  “Talked about third downs I thought we were a lot better on third downs.” 

Texas State could have thrown in the towel early in the fourth quarter when Ja’Terious Evans snagged a TJ Finley pass, running it back 76 yard and giving ULM an 11-point margin. 

Texas State fan reached a low point following the interception, thrown water bottles at the ULM bench before security interceded. 

Joey Hobert was the stand-out offensive contributor for the Bobcats.  Hobert pulled in ten catches for 110 yards, including both Texas State touchdowns. 

Commenting on Texas State’s getting their fifth win in a season for the first time since 2014 Kinne said, “It was huge. I talked about it all week. This is the dang Super Bowl.”  He went on to say, “In the big picture of things this game was the most important game of the season.”

Kinne became the first Texas State head coach to win five of his first seven games at the helm of the Bobcats since John O’Hara in 1983. This is the first season that Texas State is 5-2 since 2011.