SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State football team (0-3) begins a three-game homestand with Sun Belt Conference foe Georgia State (2-1) at 6 p.m. on Sept. 21 at Bobcat Stadium. The Bobcats will aim to avoid the program's first 0-4 start since the 1987 season.

FOLLOW ALONG
Texas State Radio Network – PxP: Bill Culhane, Analyst: Clint Shields, Sideline Reporter: Karina Medellin
1300 AM The Zone (Austin/San Marcos), 930 AM The Talk (San Antonio), 89.9 FM KTSW (San Marcos), TuneIn App
ESPN+ – PxP: Brant Freeman, Analyst: Joplo Bartu, Sideline Reporter: Brooke Shoemaker
Live Stats – StatBroadcast

SETTING THE SCENE
- The Bobcat offense has struggled to begin the 2019 season and rank at, or near, the bottom in six categories, including scoring offense (12.7 points per game), total offense (301.3 yard per game), rushing offense (24.7 yards per game), sacks allowed (13), third down conversion rate (33.3 percent), and red zone scoring (60.0 percent).
- Interceptions have plagued the Bobcats all season as Texas State ranks second worst nationally in interceptions thrown with seven. TXST has thrown at least one interception in each game this season and have tossed multiple picks in three of the last five games dating back to last season.
- Senior wide receiver Hutch White has collected 23 receptions this season for 198 yards. His 7.7 catches per games puts him on pace for 92 grabs this season, a mark that would shatter the current record of 80 receptions by two-time All-Southland Conference honoree Da'Marcus Griggs in 2009.
- Sophomore cornerback Jarron Morris and senior safety Jalen Smith each tallied an interception in the loss to SMU. Texas State has earned four takeaways via interception this season and are tied for the league lead in the category. The Bobcats collected a multi-interception game for the first time since picking off Josh Adkins twice in a 27-20 victory over New Mexico State last season.
- The defense continues to run through the middle as senior linebackers Bryan London II and Nikolas Daniels lead the Bobcats in tackles with 25 and 22, respectively. London has added 2.5 tackles for loss and an interception, while Daniels has tallied 1.0 tackles for loss and one pass breakup.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
- Georgia State opened the season with an upset victory over the Tennessee Volunteers, 38-30, on Aug. 31. GSU outscored the Vols 31-16 in the final 45 minutes of the game to secure the first victory over a Southeastern Conference (SEC) team in program history.
- The Panthers are led by dual-threat senior quarterback Dan Ellington. He is averaging 273 (209 passing/64 rushing) yards of total offense per game. Ellington has tossed eight touchdowns against just one interception through three contests.
- Senior running back Tra Barnett has paced the Panther ground attack this season with 274 yards on 49 carries with a pair of scores.
- The defensive unit is led by 26 tackles from junior linebacker Trajan Stephens-McQueen. He also holds the team lead with 3.0 tackles for loss. Senior linebacker Ed Curney has added 20 tackles to the box score this season.
- Georgia State has seen six players combine for 7.0 sacks this season. The team total ranks tied for the lead in the Sun Belt Conference.
- GSU ranks last in the conference in defending the red zone. Opponents have scored points in all 11 trips inside the red zone this season with eight drives ending in touchdowns. Conversely, Texas State has allowed scores on 13-of-17 trips (76.5 percent), the third-best figure in the league.

SERIES HISTORY
- The series is split 3-3 in the previous six contests between the two programs. Each team has won two-of-three matchups away from home. TXST claimed the first two games in the series before GSU rattled off three-straight victories.
- Texas State evened the series with a 40-31 victory in Atlanta on Nov. 3, 2018. The Bobcats racked up 489 yards on 62 plays (7.9 yards per play) to steal the conference win on the road.  
- Junior wide receiver Jeremiah Haydel hauled in two passes for 103 yards and a score in the game. He torched the Panther secondary for a 93-yard touchdown to pull ahead of GSU by a score of 26-10 with 9:10 remaining in the third quarter.

SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL
- The Saturday evening matchup between Texas State and Georgia State will mark the beginning of the seventh season in the Sun Belt Conference for the Bobcats. TXST is 1-5 in league openers since joining the Sun Belt in 2013.
- Georgia State's impressive season-opening 38-30 win in Knoxville, Tenn. gave the conference at least one victory over a Power Five opponent for the fourth-straight season.
- Coastal Carolina gave the Sun Belt a win over the Big-12 Conference after upsetting Les Miles and the Kansas Jayhawks, 12-7, on Sept. 7.
- In recent seasons, Troy defeated Nebraska (24-19) on Sept. 15, 2018 and No. 25 LSU (24-21) on Sept. 30, 2017. South Alabama toppled Mississippi State (21-20) on Sept. 3, 2016.  The Warhawks of ULM also beat Wake Forest (17-10) on Aug. 28, 2014.
- The Sun Belt has a record of 13-13 through the first three weeks of the 2019 college football season after posting a conference record 24 wins outside of conference play during the 2018 campaign.

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