Box Score

HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana rolled up 493 yards of total offense on the way to a convincing 49-24 win over nationally-ranked Southland Conference foe Texas State in the league opener for both teams Saturday afternoon at Strawberry Stadium.

For the second straight season, the Lions (2-3, 1-0 Southland) opened its league slate with a win over Texas State (3-2, 0-1 Southland), which had won the previous 12 meetings in the all-time series prior to last season's 51-50 Southeastern win. Southeastern held the No. 15 Bobcats to 238 total yards and 14 first downs, forcing Texas State into four turnovers.

Senior quarterback Tyler Beatty completed 27 of 40 passes and posted career highs with 368 passing yards and five touchdowns. Beatty and junior wide receiver Simmie Yarborough hooked up on three scoring tosses. With the three scoring catches, Yarborough, a Brookhaven, Miss. native who was celebrating his 21st birthday on Saturday, became the school's career leader with 24 receiving touchdowns.

Yarborough led the Lions with eight catches for 114 yards, while junior Kory Theodore added six catches for a game-high 118 yards. Junior Brandon Collins pitched in with four catches for 74 yards and his first touchdown as a Lion. Sophomore running back Zeke Jones totaled 69 all-purpose yards and finished with a touchdown both rushing and receiving.

Defensively, seniors Tommy Connors and Mark Newbill led the way with nine and eight tackles, respectively, for the Lions. Seniors Clint Coleman, Re'Keem Wilson and Curtis Strong all had interceptions for Southeastern, while sophomore Devan Walker, junior Lindsey Leavoy, junior Devin Boutwell and freshman Doc Ward each were credited with sacks.

Texas State quarterback Tyler Arndt completed 13 of 28 throws for 158 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. Dexter Imade (15-51) and Karrington Bush (10-50) shared the rushing load for the Bobcats. Darius Bolden led TSU with four catches for 62 yards and a score.

The Bobcats took the opening kickoff and drove 61 yards. A 29-yard pass from Arndt to David Lewis keyed the march that was capped by an Imade one-yard scoring plunge.

After the two teams traded fumbles, the Lions evened the score with a nine-play, 47-yard scoring march. Jones powered in from two yards out to knot the score at 7 with 4:18 left.

The two teams combined for 35 points in a wild second quarter. Southeastern struck first with a 28-yard scoring pass from Beatty to Collins that put the Lions up, 14-7, with 13:19 left in the half.

Texas State answered on its next drive, as Arndt found Bolden for a 30-yard score that knotted the score at 14 with 9:41 remaining in the second quarter.

Southeastern retook the lead after a seven-yard punt by Ben Follis allowed the Lions to take over at the Bobcat 22-yard line. Four plays later, Beatty found Yarborough on a deep crossing route for a 20-yard score and a 21-14 Southeastern lead.

Texas State drove into Lion territory, but Coleman picked off Arndt at his own 35-yard line. Coleman attempted to lateral the ball to Wilson, but it fell from Wilson's grasp. DaMarcus Griggs scooped up the loose ball and ran in from 28 yards out to tie the score at 21.

Southeastern took over at its own 41-yard line with 34 seconds remaining in the half. Beatty hooked up with Theodore on passes of 17 and 22 yards to set the Lions up deep in Texas State territory. Beatty found Yarborough from 13 yards out to put Southeastern up, 28-21, heading into the half.

Southeastern padded its lead on the opening drive of the third quarter, as Beatty led the Lions on an eight-play, 75-yard scoring march. A 28-yard touchdown pass to Yarborough put Southeastern on top, 35-21, with 10:45 remaining in the third quarter.

Texas State cut the lead to 35-24 with a 28-yard field goal by Justin Garelick with 5:12 left in the third quarter, but from that point forward it was all Lions. A juggling Wilson interception at the Bobcat 22-yard interception set the Lions up with prime field position as the third quarter ended.

Sophomore Brian Young came in after Beatty was briefly shaken up and rushed inside the five-yard line. T.P. Miller stripped Young, but senior offensive tackle Kevin Hughes fell on the loose ball in the end zone for a 42-24 Southeastern lead.

On the ensuing Texas State possession, Southeastern recorded three consecutive sacks to force a Bobcat punt. Follis mishandled the snap and freshman Walter Smith wrapped him up, allowing the Lions to take over at the Bobcat 10-yard line.

On the first play, Jones took a Beatty shovel pass in from 10 yards out to put the game out of reach with 11:54 remaining in the contest.

The Lions will hit the road next Saturday for a 2 p.m. league contest versus Sam Houston State in Huntsville, Texas.