TEXAS STATE VS. NORTHWESTERN STATE
Oct. 29, 2011 | 3:00 P.M. | Jim Wacker Field at Bobcat Stadium | San Marcos, Texas


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COVERAGE
Radio: ESPN Deportes (92.5 in Austin)
    Brant Freeman and Bill Culhane describing the Action
Live Stats
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Texas State Game Notes
Northwestern State Notes


The Texas State football team returns to Jim Wacker Field at Bobcat Stadium and plays host to Northwestern State in its annual Homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 3:00 p.m. The Bobcats enter the game looking to improve their record to 6-3 overall and win their sixth game in the last seven outings.
 
Texas State enters Saturday's game having won all three of its home games and are looking to rebound from a 38-28 loss at Southeastern Louisiana. The Bobcats' three victories in home games were a 38-28 victory over Tarleton State on Sept. 17, a 38-12 victory over Nicholls on Oct. 1 and a 46-21 triumph over Lamar on Oct. 15. The other two wins prior to Saturday's loss were a 35-26 decision at Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 24 and a 21 -14 win at McNeese State on Oct. 8.
 
Northwestern State enters the game with a 4-3 record following an open date and after winning three of its four Southland Conference games. The Demons enter Saturday's game having won two straight games for the first time this year. Northwestern State defeated Southeastern Louisiana 51-17 on Oct. 15 and had a 37-17 victory at Lamar on Oct. 8. The Demons also have won three of its last four games after defeating Nicholls 34-0 on Sept. 24 before suffering a 20-18 hard-fought loss against McNeese State. The wins at Lamar and Nicholls evened Northwestern State's record in road games to 2-2 this season.
 
Scouting Northwestern State
Northwestern State leads the Southland in interceptions (14) and field goals (10 of 12; .833) and ranks second in kickoff returns (23.8), scoring defense (23.7), pass defense efficiency (118.6), rush defense (103.7) and in turnover margin (+8). The Demons have given up just six touchdowns during their four Southland Conference games.
 
Junior college transfer Brad Henderson has taken over at quarterback this season and completed 109 of his 168 passes for 1,172 yards and 10 touchdowns. Running back D.J. Palmer leads the Demons in rushing with 251 yards and two TD's on 48 carries while averaging 5.2 yards per carry. Sidney Riley leads Northwestern State with three rushing touchdowns as he has gained 159 yards on 59 carries. Henderson's favorite target has been Justin Aldredge, who has 24 receptions for 358 yards and a team best two touchdowns.
 
Scouting Texas State
Texas State also has a junior college transfer at the helm of its offense in Shaun Rutherford, who completed 76 of his 129 passes for 1,077 and 12 touchdowns. Rutherford ranks 15th among FBS quarterbacks in passing efficiency with a rating of 155.09. Redshirt freshman Terrence Franks took over the team lead in rushing with 610 yards and seven touchdowns on 98 carries after setting the school's freshman record with 234 yards rushing at Southeastern Louisiana. Marcus Curry also has gained 433 yards on 85 carries while Rutherford has run for 418 yards on 104 attempts. Darius Bolden leads Texas State in receiving with 20 catches for 312 yards and a touchdown. Isaiah Battle also has 17 receptions for 228 yards and four TD's.
 
Series History
Today marks the 28th time that Texas State and Northwestern State will play against each other on the gridiron. The Bobcats enter the game with a 10-17 series record against the Demons in a series that began on Oct. 8, 1983. The Bobcats also have a 5-8 mark against the Demons in San Marcos after Northwestern State won a 16-3 decision in 2010.
 
Tickets Available For Texas State-Northwestern State Game
Tickets to the Texas State-Northwestern State game can be purchased by calling 512-245- 2272 or on-line at www.txstatebobcats.com. After the Northwestern State game, the Bobcats have two additional home games remaining this season. Those games are against Prairie View A&M on Nov. 5 and Sam Houston State on Nov. 19.
 
Record-Setting Crowds In 2011
For the second time in school history, Texas State has played three games with an attendance over 15,000. The Bobcats played in front of 15,800 in its season opening game, and had an attendance of 15,502 fans for the Nicholls game and a crowd of 15,028 for the Lamar game. The only other time that Texas State had three crowds over 15,000 in the same year was in 2005 when the Bobcats played two FCS Playoff games at home.
 
Fans interested in purchasing a parking pass for the west side of the stadium can contact the Bobcat Club at 512-245-2114.