Monday, July 17, 2017
Sunday, July 16, 2017
Troy, AL -- It was a game for the ages. There were several lead changes and broken records, but Texas State emerged as the Sun Belt Conference champs.
Bobcats quarterback Jordan Moore had a career day in a career season, going 28 for 33 with 476 yards and 6 touchdowns, a school record. He had no interceptions. Wide receiver Isaiah Battle broke school records for receptions in a season with 84 and receiving yards in a season with 1362.
Texas State started with the ball and drove down the field to the Troy 30 yard line. It looked like another easy scoring drive for the Bobcats, but a blitz jarred the ball loose from Moore and the Trojans picked up the ball up and ran it for a touchdown. This was unfamiliar territory for Texas State, but they fought back and scored with a run by Terrance Franks. Troy answered with a field goal, and Texas State scored another touchdown, this time by tight end Bradley Miller. With the score now 14-10 Bobcats, Troy dished it out some more and scored, making it 17-14. Texas State stuck to the system and scored again inside two minutes left in the half. They would stop the Trojans again before halftime and score one more touchdown.
The highly contested battle continued in the 3rd quarter. Troy drove down the field and scored, making it 28-24 Bobcats. But the redshirt freshman quarterback Moore seemed to feel no pressure and kept to the system. Texas State would score again with a touchdown pass to Andy Erickson, and then again to Isaiah Battle. Now up 42-24, Troy started to lose steam. The Bobcats forced the turnover and eventually scored again making it 49-24. Texas State knew they had the victory. Troy would score again, but so would Texas State and the comeback was squashed.
Texas State has secured the conference title and a bid for the New Orleans Bowl on December 22.
This is it. One more game and the conference belongs to the Texas State Bobcats. We're witnessing greatness to be sure, but it's time to clamp down and leave it all on the field this week. Troy is 8-3 and matches Texas State's Sun Belt Conference record. You better believe the crowd in Troy, Alabama is going to be loud and rowdy. Texas State has passed all tests leading up to this, and it will be a fitting end and a well deserved accomplishment if they can finish this out.
San Marcos, TX -- Bobcats quarterback Jordan Moore broke the 400 yard passing mark for the sixth time this year as Texas State broke the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers' will late in the game. Although Western Kentucky stopped the Bobcats rushing attack, they, like everyone else this year, couldn't find an answer for the "Trio", the new nickname for the receiving corps of Isaiah Battle, Brandon Smith, and Andy Erickson in their Trio formation. The Hilltoppers threw everything at the attack and came up short each time. The pressure became too much and Texas State pulled away in the second half.
Texas State is now 10-1 and there are some rumblings of them ending up in the national rankings by the end of the season.
This must seem like a broken record, but this is a team that can put the Bobcats back in the loss column. Westerns Kentucky's talent level is significantly superior to TX State's, and it will be really easy for the Bobcats to think they're invincible and get a rude awakening.
That being said, Texas State is the favorite. O'Bradovich's system really does look invincible. If the Bobcats can work the system like they always do, it would be hard to bet on the Hilltoppers to crack this puzzle.
Jonesboro, AR -- Bobcats runningback Terrance Franks broke Texas State's record for touchdowns in a season with 17, but it was the passing attack as usual that shined against Arkansas State. Early on it looked like a game, but by the 2nd quarter, things began to look familiar for the Bobcats as of late. Wide receiver Andy Erickson had a big game with 120 yards and two touchdowns. But Isaiah Battle, Brandon Smith, and tight end Bradley Miller each made their mark, proving again that Texas State can attack you from anywhere.
Arkansas State is a tough opponent at home. At 6-3, they will be the toughest test the Bobcats have had since Louisiana-Lafayette. At this point, we pretty much know that Texas State can score a ton of points on most anyone. But if they miss a few key conversions and turn the ball over one too many times, all the while with Arkansas State keeping up with them in scoring, you can see why there's cause not to take this game lightly at all.
First of all, Texas State is ranked first in total offensive points, overall yards, and passing yards. Although the Bobcats are only playing Sun Belt competition, it's all relative. No other team is dominating their conference in stats the way Texas State is. It's definitely something to be proud of for Bobcat nation.
With all of that being said, the last three games of the season are not only the most important, but it's probably the toughest stretch of opponents in the way of a conference title. The Bobcats have what it takes to beat Arkansas State, but then they have to turn around and face Western Kentucky. If that wasn't enough, they have to finish at Troy, which houses the favorite to win the Sun Belt right now. So these opponents aren't the cakewalk we've seen lately.
This is indeed a special season, so no matter what happens, we should enjoy the fact that this is the most exciting football we've seen in San Marcos in ages.
This one was never really a contest. The Texas State Bobcats seem to be trying to prove something. Whether that's national prominence or what, I don't know. But they're not letting up on any of their opponents and they didn't let up in Idaho, as they blew the Vandals out of the building.
Quarterback Jordan Moore broke the school records for touchdowns in a single season (3535) and touchdown passes in a single season (27).
Runningback Terrance Franks tied the school record for touchdowns in a season early in the game, but was injured shortly after. So Tim Gay took led the charge with over 100 yards on the ground. However, it was Gay that suffered the more severe injury late in the game, and he will miss six weeks with back problems. Luckily, Franks' injury doesn't look too severe and he should be back on the field in time to face Arkansas State.
Idaho is having a really down year with only one win, so the Bobcats should handle this game pretty easily. They haven't taken any opponent lightly, so there's no reason to think they will this week.
Bobcats quarterback Jordan Moore will most likely break some school records in this game, including the single season passing yards mark.
Saturday, July 15, 2017
San Marcos, TX -- In another display of offensive domination, the Bobcats got their seventh win of the season by defeating the South Alabama Jaguars. Texas State pulled away early as quarterback Jordan Moore found wide receiver Brandon Smith in the end zone twice in their first two possessions. From there, it would not stop as Bradley Miller scored one of his two touchdowns on the game.
"It's good when you can pass the ball around to many different targets", said Bobcats head coach Dennis Franchione. "It keeps the defense from keying on one good player and shutting you down completely. Instead, the defense breaks down and you have the success we've seen all season."
Terrance Franks added two more touchdowns and is on pace to break the school's rushing touchdown record well before the end of the season.
This win makes Texas State bowl eligible.
South Alabama (3-3) is rated lower then the Bobcats on rivals.com, which would mean they will be considered heavy underdogs. Texas State quarterback Jordan Moore is already coming up on a few school records, so a big game might see him break those.
Let's address the obvious thing right now. The hiring of Sean O'Bradovich was a grand slam by Dennis Franchione. In hindsight, we're lucky that he found this guy before anybody else did. I mean, nobody saw the receiving corps as threatening at all before this season. Isaiah Battle was not in anyone's defensive game plan I can assure you, and he's a senior who's been around. Yet he's in the top five in receiving yards in the country. Yes, that's right, the entire country. So kudos to the coaching staff for getting these mid-major caliber players performing like all-americans.
So the question becomes, can the defense do its part to get the Bobcats in conference title contention? That remains to be seen. There is still tough competition ahead. Western Kentucky is waiting in the wings, and Troy has actually emerged to be the favorite in the Sun Belt if you don't count Texas State. So I think that's what's going to be the interesting part in all of this. But we'll take it. Texas State football is relevant. We haven't been able to say that in most of our lifetimes.
San Marcos, TX -- Georgia State was taken to school again in their inaugural year in the FBS, giving up 56 points to the Texas State Bobcats. Texas State seemed to be on autopilot as Jordan Moore moved the ball with ease, distributing the ball between Isaiah Battle, Brandon Smith, and Andy Erickson quite evenly. Even tight end Bradley Miller had a big day. But it wasn't just the passing game. Terrance Franks had three touchdowns and well over 100 yards.
Texas State (6-1) is in a roll as they host South Alabama next week.
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