San Marcos, Texas – Collegefootballfan.com broke out of a relentless, seven-month quarantine and flew all the way to San Marcos to attend our first live game of the 2020 season for our 611th intercollegiate football game overall. The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns posted a late second quarter comeback to overcome the Texas State Bobcats, 44-34. Turnovers set up key scores in this Sun Belt battle, but in the end, the Ragin’ Cajuns relied on the arm of QB Levi Lewis (22 of 32, 332 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) and on the legs of Trey Ragas (19 rushes for 131 yards, 3 TDs) to propel them to their fifth win of the season to keep them atop the Sun Belt West (5-1, 4-0).
Oh no – not a blow-out!
On a perfect evening for football under a full Halloween moon causing a lot of bumps in the night at Bobcat Stadium, the Cajuns mischievously swiped two Bobcat passes and turned them into 14 points for an early lead. Instead of allowing a romp to take place after giving up two consecutive picks to start the game with a 14-point deficit, TSU answered with 21 of their own. The first came on a well executed fake field goal with PK Seth Keller running around the left end for a 12-yard jaunt on a pitch from his holder to end the first period deadlocked, 14-14.
We got us a game for a while
The Cats overtook the lead with a 33-yard TD pass from Brady McBride to Marcell Barbee early in the second. Louisiana evened it right back up at 21-21 when Lewis took it in on a 12-yard run midway in the same stanza. The Bobcat defense needed to start stopping the Cajun offense. They did it for one series, but that was all they could muster. With 2:26 to go in the half, Lewis’s passes and Ragas’s rushes put them in the end zone in six plays with Ragas running in from the two.
State took over with a minute left, but McBride (14 of 32, 166 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs) threw his third interception of the half, second by Cajun DB Eric Garror. From their 38-yard line with 54 seconds left, a key pass completion to Pete LeBlanc put Louisiana at the TSU three. With seven ticks left, Lewis connected with Kyren Lacy for a one-yard TD pass for Cajun’s 34-21 halftime lead.
Screw the “new normal”
With Covid-19 bringing us into the world of abnormality, the halftime show was presented pre-recorded on the two Bobcat Stadium big screens both stationed on angles at the ends of the horseshoe-shaped stadium – good viewing for a within the stadium. However, the recordings just don’t do justice for the experience of attending a college football halftime show. The Texas State Strutter’s Cowgirl women’s dance team, 111- strong, sat relegated in the enclosed end zone all dressed up with no place to go along with other 7,500 others estimated to be in attendance to watch their pre-recorded performance. What a letdown for these students and the Bobcat fans. Hopefully, we’ll be back when things return to normalcy and the Bobcats (1-7, 1-3) will be more competitive.
Bobcats battle back?
To start the second half, the visitors extended their lead, 37-21, on their first possession with Nate Snyder’s 42-yard FG. The home team got back on the board with a 62-yard drive keyed by runs from Brock Sturges (17 carries for 129 yards, two TDs) who brought it over from 10 yards out to close the gap, 37-27, as a two-point conversion failed. The Cat D forced a Cajun punt to potentially make the game more interesting, but the offense sputtered.
Runnin’ Ragin’ Cajuns
In the final quarter, Louisiana relied on their running game to eat some clock mixing runs between Elijah Mitchell (17 carries for 96 yards) and Ragas who finished off the 56-yard drive with a seven-yard TD run, his third of the game. Another Bobcat score by Sturges from 18 yards out sealed the final score with 1:50 left to play. The onsides attempt on the ensuing kickoff landed safely into the grasp of member of the Louisiana hands team. The visitors from Cajun country prevailed, 44-34.
Cats need a defensive makeover
Despite three fumble recoveries and an INT, the Bobcat defense could not come up with key plays to stop the Cajuns who gained 282 yards on the ground and 322 through the air. They allowed five of eleven third down conversions on key drives and never sacked Lewis. No emotional leadership seemed to exist on the field, and we never witnessed the players huddle up to review strategies while instead resting comfortably when on benches along the sideling. The only sideline action noted from here watched the constant offering of swigs from blue Powerade bottles by managers on a night not under a blistering hot, midday sun, but on a cool, pleasant Halloween night perfect for football. It seemed like the focus was for student managers working on commissions to promote Powerade. Defensive leadership needs to aspire to adjust attitudes on the field and strategies along the sideline.
Next up for the Ragin’ Cajuns, the Arkansas State Red Wolves (3-4, 1-3) come to Lafayette, LA in another Sun Belt West match-up. The Bobcats return home for an afternoon game on Jim Wacker Field next week to take on tough Appalachian State leading the Sun Belt’s East Division (4-1, 2-0). The Mountaineers from Boone, NC lead the Sun Belt by far on defensive scoring. They allow only 17.6 points per game in a conference featuring some high-flying .
As for collegefootballfan.com, we’re back in quarantine for our eighth month now planning another breakout before November’s over. We have our periscope up now considering a potential two-game trip before the month’s out. Both match-ups stir our interest, but timing is everything. Will teams avoid Covid-19? Can games go on as scheduled? Will kick-off times be convenient so we can attend both? We figure we wait for at least that information, and then we go from there. If a conflict occurs, we may have to choose which one we prefer, a tough choice for us. Stay tuned for Game 612 and possibly Game 613. Beat Covid-19!