In 13 meetings with Texas State, the Ragin’ Cajuns have yet to lose a game to the Bobcats. Heading into this latest match, the Cajuns were 3–6, with a 2–3 record in the Sun Belt Conference, and the Bobcats were 3–5, with a 0–4 Sun Belt record.
Early in the first quarter, the Bobcats showed lightning fast snaps, but a resolute Cajuns defense kept them to a quiet beginning. Off of that effort, Zylan Perry was able to get a first down after a scrum where he was hit at the Texas State 48-yard line, and pushed all the way to the 33-yard line.
Perry’s effort, paired with a first down from his fellow running back, Bill Davis, put quarterback Lunch Winfield in position to throw a bullseye to wide receiver Shelton Sampson Jr., for a touchdown with eight minutes, six seconds left in the first.
The Bobcats were unable to respond with a touchdown, so with four minutes, 45 seconds in the first, the Bobcats kicked a field goal to bring the score to 7–3.
After the Cajuns were forced to punt, Texas State quarterback Brad Jackson handed the ball off to running back Lincoln Pare, who was able to run right down the middle of the Cajuns for a touchdown, making it 7–10 with 27 seconds left.
On the kick return, Cajuns’ wide receiver Robert Williams had a scary hit with Bobcat linebacker Chantz Johnson, which left the Cajuns at their six-yard line.
Consecutive first down passes to Landon Strother and Sampson Jr. put Winfield in position to throw a 27-yard touchdown pass to tight end Caden Jenson, which, after the extra point, brought the score to 14–10 with 11 minutes, 24 seconds in the second quarter.
To follow that up, safety Kody Jackson picked up an interception to put the Cajuns back in a scoring position. Davis, once again, lived up to his nickname of the “Billdozer,” as he refused to be denied at the 13-yard line, running in another Cajuns touchdown.
With the score 21–10, Cajuns offensive linebacker Cameron Whitfield recovered a Texas State fumble. Where, after a handoff to Perry, an endzone catch by Sampson Jr. was called incomplete, however, the call was overturned and wide receiver was awarded his second touchdown of the night.
In response, the Bobcats threw a bomb sideline pass to wide receiver Beau Sparks, placing them at the 24-yard line, where tight end Titus Lyons scored a touchdown, making it 28–17 with four minutes, 26 seconds in the second quarter.
Not to be outdone, Winfield ran in his own touchdown, with help from Perry, Davis, Trey Miller and offsetting personal foul calls. With 21 seconds left in the first half, the Cajuns were winning 35–17.
The second half, unfortunately, proved to be a much scrappier one than the first. After sustained runs by the Cajuns running back duo, Texas State snagged an interception which ultimately led to no points and turnover on downs.
The Cajuns, however, would also be forced to punt after the Bobcat defense smothered the runs of Perry and Winfield.
Texas State rebounded with a 40-yard dart to wide receiver Chris Dawn Jr., but after a subsequent offensive pass interference call, hard-hitting defense by Courtline Flowers and a tipped pass, Texas State had to settle with a kick, bringing the score to 35–20 with two minutes, 57 seconds in the third quarter.
Once the Cajuns recovered an attempted onside kick, Davis crossed the 50-yard line, and then a pattern of Texas State penalties truly began, as the Bobcats got a personal foul call for a facemask on Winfield.
Then, to begin the fourth quarter, in back-to-back plays there was an offsides call and another facemask on the Bobcats. Those gave the Cajuns enough opportunity for Winfield to run it in again for a touchdown, making it 42–20 with 13 minutes, two seconds left in the second half.
Texas State then put together an impressive last stitch effort, starting with a flea flicker trick play to make the score 42–26, however they could make the two-point conversion, as the ball bounced off of the crossbar. Then off of a fumble from Jenson, the Bobcats hit another flea flicker, but Jackson tripped and fell on the two-point conversion.
With the score 42–32 with eight minutes left, the Cajuns found themselves disjointed, while the Bobcats looked more energized than ever. After the Cajuns had to punt, Jackson got multiple first downs off of Pare, and then threw a touchdown to Dawn Jr., making it 42–39 with three minutes left.
A crucial personal foul call on the Bobcats kept the Cajuns hopes of preventing a comeback alive. That call was followed by multiple penalties. First, an offsides and pass interference call in the same down put the Cajuns at the 49- yard line, then another offsides call put them at the 44, a final offsides put them at the 39.
After a first down by Winfield and ensuing victory formation, things began to turn ugly as a scuffle between the teams began, evolving into a full blown melee during post-game handshakes.
The Bobcats walked away with two losses that night, as a chorus of boos provided a soundtrack to their retreat back to San Marcos.
For the Cajuns, this game was to keep bowl-eligibility on the table, and for Texas State, this game was a chance to finally beat Louisiana in Sun Belt play, as the 2025-26 marks the Bobcats’ swan song season in the conference. Following the conclusion of this season, Texas State will make a move to the Pac-12 Conference.
If they wanted to fight, they should’ve won. Geaux Cajuns and so long Bobcats.