The Louisiana-Lafayette offensive duo of redshirt senior quarterback Ben Woolridge and redshirt junior running back Dre’lyn Washington combined for 346 yards and two scores en route to a 23-17 victory against Texas State Tuesday night at Jim Wacker Field at UFCU Stadium.
According to Texas State Head Coach G.J. Kinne, the loss feels extremely disappointing for the entire program.
“Disappointing [loss]. I’m sick for our kids, students and alumni,” Kinne said. “We have to go back to work, and that is what we’ll do tomorrow.”
Kinne said redshirt junior quarterback R.J. Martinez replaced redshirt senior quarterback Jordan McCloud under center in the second half after McCloud suffered an injury.
“I thought [R.J. Martinez] played really well, the kid is a gamer. He went out there and led the team down on a couple [of] big drives and made some key decisions,” Kinne said. “He checked the ball down really well and moved around back there.”
After starting the game with an 11-play drive leading to the Ragin’ Cajun’s four-yard line, Texas State was forced to settle for an early field goal.
With a 6-0 lead using over 10 minutes of clock in the first quarter, the maroon and gold defense allowed a 64-yard rushing touchdown to Washington.
The Ragin’ Cajuns extended their lead to 14-6 before halftime with an 11-play, four-minute drive, leaving just over a minute for the Bobcat offense.
Following McCloud’s injury, Martinez completed 11-14 pass attempts for 113 yards and a late interception.
Texas State junior running back Ismail Mahdi rushed for a one-yard touchdown during the third quarter, tying the game at 14-14. The Bobcats entered the fourth quarter with a three-point deficit following a field goal from Louisiana-Lafayette redshirt senior kicker Kenneth Almendares.
Neither team could muster much offense in the fourth quarter. The Ragin’ Cajuns kicked two field goals while Texas State kicked one.
“We still got a lot to play for; we have to get bowl eligible, so we have to get out there and work,” Kinne said. “We’ll be on the road again versus a really good team, so we have to get back to work.”
The Texas State Bobcats have lost four of their last six games, dating back to week two of this season. The team sits with a 4-4 record and travels next week to play the University of Louisiana-Monroe.
Kickoff between Texas State and Louisiana-Monroe is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, at Malone Stadium in Monroe, Louisiana. The game will be available to watch on ESPNU.
