STATESBORO – Shai Werts ran for 120 yards and three touchdowns, the Eagle defense picked off three passes in the first half and Alex Raynor kicked four field goals as Georgia Southern topped Texas State 40-38 in Sun Belt Conference football action Saturday afternoon in Paulson Stadium.

Texas State quarterback Brady McBride connected with Jah'Marae Sheread for a 24-yard touchdown pass to trim Georgia Southern's lead to 40-38 with 2:50 remaining, but the Eagle rushing attack converted two third downs on their ensuing possession to run out the clock and preserve the win. 

With the Eagles facing 3rd-and-4 on their own 20-yard line with 2:12 to play, Werts faked the handoff to Logan Wright up the middle and pitched to Matt LaRoche, who took it around the left side for a 27 yards and a first down. GS faced a 3rd-and-2 on the Texas State 45-yard line with 1:23 remaining, and this time, Werts faked the pitch and kept it for a 5-yard gain and another first down.

Georgia Southern held a 27-21 halftime lead, scored on its first three possessions of the second half and held the ball for almost 16 minutes longer than Texas State in the frame.

Eagles of the Game: 
Wright finished with 103 yards on 14 carries, and Wesley Kennedy III had 79 yards and a touchdown on the ground to go with a 23-yard reception. Matt LaRoche recorded 65 yards on eight carries.

Key Moments:
Georgia Southern (6-2, 4-2) picked off three passes in the first 15:07 of the game and built a 20-7 lead with the help of two Werts' rushing touchdowns and a pair of field goals by Raynor.

Texas State (1-9, 1-5) made it a one score game with a 75-yard drive, capped by an 11-yard touchdown run by Calvin Hill. Werts was intercepted on the Eagles' first play from scrimmage on their ensuing possession, and on the next play, Tyler Vitt went up top to Marcell Barbee for a 43-yard touchdown pass that gave the Bobcats a 21-20 lead.

Werts broke free for a 28-yard run and punched it in from two yards out just before the break to give the Eagles a 27-21 halftime lead.

Leading 37-31 midway through the fourth quarter, Georgia Southern drove down to the Texas State 2-yard line before Raynor kicked what would become the game-winning field goal, a 20-yarder with 4:19 to go.

Stats of the Game: Georgia Southern held a 386-30 edge in rushing and 437-299 advantage in total yards. The rushing total was a season high for the Eagles.

Notes: It was the third straight home game for the Eagles, who have not played three consecutive games in Paulson since 2011. It was Werts' 11th career game with 100-plus rushing yards. Texas State has now lost four games this season by a touchdown or less. The Eagles' two losses have come to ranked opponents.

Scoring Plays:
GS – Werts 1-yard TD run – 12:59 1st, 7-0
TXST – Haydel 97-yard KO return – 12:44 1st, 7-7
GS – Werts 29-yard TD run – 8:25 1st, 14-7
GS – Raynor 35-yard FG – 6:05 1st, 17-7
GS – Raynor 41-yard FG – 12:09 2nd, 20-7
TXST – Hill 11-yard TD run – 7:30 2nd, 20-14
TXST – Vitt 43-yard TD pass to Marcell Barbee, 7:13 2nd, 20-21
GS – Werts 2-yard TD run - 1:08 2nd, 27-21
GS – Raynor 39-yard FG – 7:09 3rd, 30-21
TXST – McBride 59-yard TD pass to Javen Banks – 6:03 3rd, 30-28
GS – Kennedy III 8-yard run – 14:22 4th, 37-28
TXST – Seth Keller 27-yard FG – 10:18 4th, 37-31
GS – Raynor 20-yard FG – 4:15 4th, 40-31
TXST – McBride 24-yard TD pass to Jah'Marae Sheread – 2:50 4th, 40-38

Up Next: The Eagles are scheduled to travel to Army next Saturday for a noon kickoff on the CBS Sports Network.