GAME 3 PREVIEW: Texas State at South Alabama
Date	Sept. 15 | 6:05 p.m.
Venue	Mobile, Ala. | Ladd-Peebles Stadium (33,471)
2018 Records	Texas State 1-1; South Alabama 0-2
Live Stats	Live Stats
Watch	ESPN+
Listen	AM1300 The Zone | KTSW | AM 930 the Answer | TuneIn Radio
Twitter	TxStateFootball | TxStateBobcats
Tickets	Order Tickets Online
Game Notes	Texas State | South Alabama

 
SAN MARCOS, Texas - The Texas State football team opens its 2018 Sun Belt Conference schedule this Saturday night when the Bobcats travel to Mobile, Ala. and play South Alabama at Ladd-Peebles Stadium beginning at 6 p.m.
 
The game can be heard on the Texas State Bobcats Sports Network on TuneIn.com, AM 1300 the Zone in Austin, KTSW (FM 89.9) and AM 930 The Answer in San Antonio.  Brant Freeman (play-by-play), Bill Culhane (analyst) and Karina Medellin (sideline) will call the action.
 
The game also will be broadcast on ESPN+ with J.D. Byers (play-by-play) and Pat Greenwood (analyst) describing the action.
 
Opening Kickoff
Texas State opens its sixth season of Sun Belt Conference play when the Bobcats travel to South Alabama. Not only is it the conference opener for both teams, but it is the first Sun Belt Conference game played in 2018.
 
This marks the second straight year and second time overall that Texas State will open Sun Belt play during September. Last year, the Bobcats dropped a 20-13 decision against Appalachian State in Bobcat Stadium on Sept. 16.
 
The Bobcats are seeking their second straight victory following a 36-20 victory over Texas Southern on Sept. 8 in Bobcat Stadium.
 
Everett Withers is in his third season as head coach on Texas State's sidelines. Steve Campbell is in his first year as head coach at South Alabama. 
 
SERIES HISTORY
Texas State will be looking for its third win in four outings against South Alabama, entering Saturday's contest with a 2-1 series record against the Jaguars.
 
However, the Bobcats are seeking their first win in Mobile as the home team has won the previous three games in the series. The first two games in the series were decided by a combined six points.
 
Texas State won 33-31 in 2013 after Jason Dann kicked a 41-yard field goal with four seconds remaining. In 2014, the Jaguars held the Bobcats out of the end zone on the game's final play from USA's 10-yard line as Texas State fell 24-20 in Mobile.
 
The last meeting between the two schools was on Oct. 24, 2015, when Robert Lowe rushed for 248 yards on 30 carries to lead the Bobcats to a 36-18 win in San Marcos.
 
TEXAS STATE STORYLINES
Texas State senior kicker James Sherman was named the Sun Belt Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after setting school records for most field goals made and attempted in a game. He made five of his six attempts against Texas Southern.  Sherman also tied a school record and equaled the fourth-highest point total in Sun Belt Conference history when he scored a career-high 18 points against the Tigers. His five field goals are the second-highest total in Sun Belt history, and included two career-long 41-yard successful attempts.
 
Junior linebacker Bryan London made his 26th consecutive start for the Bobcats and has led Texas State with nine tackles against both Texas Southern and Rutgers. He has led the Bobcats in tackles 16 times during his career and ranks second among Sun Belt leaders this season.
 
London also forced two fumbles against Texas Southern. The second set up A.J. Krawczyk's 82-yard return for a touchdown. Krawczyk's return was the longest fumble return in school history. It also was Texas State's second fumble recovery of the season. Dennis Johnson, Jr. had Texas State's first fumble recovery at Rutgers.
 
Texas State enters the South Alabama game ranked second nationally and leading the Sun Belt Conference in defensive touchdowns with two after Krawczyk's fumble return. The first TD came when Kordell Rodgers returned an interception 51 yards at Rutgers.
 
The Bobcats have three interceptions this season and rank 15th nationally and second in the Sun Belt behind South Alabama's five interceptions. Texas State's five total turnovers gained ranks 13th nationally and second in the Sun Belt behind South Alabama's six.
 
Individually, Kordell Rodgers is tied for third among national leaders with two interceptions at Rutgers. Jarron Morris also had an interception in the end zone at Rutgers for Texas State's first interception since the Bobcats played at Louisiana on Oct. 22, 2016.
 
Willie Jones III led Texas State's offense with 107 yards rushing and 233 yards passing against Texas Southern. Jones III completed 18-of-29 passes against the Tigers, and threw the first touchdown pass of his career when he connected on a 46-yard throw to Keenen Brown.
 
His 107 yards are the most yards rushing by a Bobcat since Lowe ran for 248 yards against USA in 2015. He is the first Bobcat quarterback to rush for 100 yards since Tyler Jones ran for 160 yards against Southern Miss on Sept. 15, 2015.
 
Keenen Brown recorded career-highs of seven catches for 108 yards and a touchdown. His 46-yard touchdown catch was the longest of his career. His seven catches equal the most in the Sun Belt Conference this season. Brown's 108 receiving yards are the second-highest total in the Sun Belt.
Junior offensive tackle Aaron Brewer anchors the offensive line and made his 25th consecutive start on against Texas Southern.
 
SCOUTING SOUTH ALABAMA
South Alabama has started the season with a 0-2 record following a 30-26 loss against Louisiana Tech and a 55-13 setback at Oklahoma State.
 
The Jaguars trailed 20-7 at halftime against LA Tech before Evan Orth led a fourth-quarter rally with a pair of touchdown drives.  The first TD drive pulled South Alabama to within 23-20 with eight minutes to play. The second came when Orth ran 59 yards to set up a five-yard TD run by Kawaan Baker.
 
Orth also kept South Alabama close in the first half at Oklahoma State before the Cowboys broke the game open in the second half. He threw a 24-yard TD pass to Baker to make the score 24-13 with three minutes to play in the second quarter before OSU scored 31 unanswered points.
 
Baker leads South Alabama with five touchdowns scored this season, three rushing and two receiving. He also leads the Jaguars in rushing with 91 yards on 13 carries.
 
Orth has completed 18 of 31 passes for 163 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also has rushed for 83 yards on 8 carries. Cole Garvin has thrown for 64 yards and one TD, completing 10 of 22 passes.
 
NEXT WEEK
Following the South Alabama game, Texas State travels down I-35 to San Antonio to play UTSA in the H-E-B I-35 Showdown game at the Alamodome on Sept. 22. That game kicks off at 6 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN+.