Texas State hit the road for the first time since Sept. 1 last Saturday when it traveled to New Mexico. It didn’t turn out the same as the Bobcats’ landmark 30-13 win at Houston, as they fell 35-14 to the Lobos.
For the second consecutive game, Texas State failed to score in the second half. The Bobcats trailed 28-14 at halftime.
Let’s take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly from last Saturday’s game.
Good
- Both of senior quarterback Shaun Rutherford‘s touchdown passes — Rutherford led senior tight end Chase Harper perfectly on his way to a 40-yard score in the first quarter, then put the ball only where junior wide receiver Andy Erickson could catch it on a 35-yard strike in the second.
- Erickson’s continued growth — Texas State knew it got a steal when Erickson transferred into the program from Rice. For a second consecutive game, Erickson provided a spark for the Bobcats’ offense. Erickson hauled in eight catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. Minus a first-quarter fumble on a kickoff return, Erickson played a near-flawless game.
- Senior defensive end Joplo Bartu‘s breakout game — Bartu hasn’t looked comfortable as a defensive end since the move, but last Saturday he had his best game to date (six tackles, one sack, one tackle for a loss and one fumble recovery).
Bad
- Lack of tackling — No one got a hand on UNM running back Kasey Carrier during his four touchdown runs. Carrier went untouched from 37 yards, 1 yard, 19 yards and 43 yards. The Lobos went for it on 4th-and-1 from Texas State’s 43-yard line early in the fourth quarter and a stop could have given Dennis Franchione‘s team some momentum. Instead, Carrier went right up the gut on the Bobcats to give his team a 35-14 lead.
Ugly
- The fake punt — Texas State tried to catch UNM napping when it called a fake punt in the first quarter. Junior punter Zach Robinson‘s throw hit a Lobo defensive lineman in the helmet.
- The Bobcats’ offense in the second half — Take a look at Texas State’s drive chart after halftime: INT, downs, punt, punt, punt, INT, INT. In all, the Bobcats only gained 83 yards of total offense in the third and fourth quarters combined.
- Rush defense — Not much more can be said here, as Texas State allowed UNM to rush for 361 yards on 59 carries.
