SAN MARCOS, Texas — After four non-conference games and a bye week, the Texas State football program will begin its 2021 Sun Belt Conference slate against South Alabama on Saturday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m.
Brant Freeman and Keith Moreland will call the game's action on ESPN+ with Koral Riggs on the sidelines serving as an in-game reporter.
Clint Shields and
Geff Gandy can be heard on the airwaves on KTSW (89.9 FM in San Marcos) and The Varsity Network App.
LOOKING AT THE BOBCATS
Texas State will be the final of the 10 Sun Belt Conference football-playing universities to open its conference schedule. Both Coastal Carolina and Louisiana sit atop the East and West Divisions, respectively, with 2-0 conference marks. Bobcat head coach
Jake Spavital is looking to move his career record to 3-0 in conference-opening games after beating Georgia State, 37-34, in triple overtime in 2019, then knocking off ULM, 38-17, in 2020.
Texas State sophomore quarterback
Brady McBride will enter Saturday's contest having thrown 103 consecutive passes without being picked off. The last interception McBride has thrown was with 7:44 remaining in the fourth quarter against Baylor when Jairon McVea halted a Bobcat drive with an interception on a third-down play.
Saturday's game will mark the 15th career home game for Texas State head coach
Jake Spavital since taking over at the helm of the football program prior to the 2019 season. Over the last three years, Spavital's Bobcat teams have earned wins over South Alabama, Georgia State and Arkansas State — twice — when it comes to Texas State's conference opponents.
SCOUTING THE JAGUARS
Saturday's game will mark the first road game for South Alabama since playing at Bowling Green on Saturday, Sept. 11. Until the Jaguars take the field against the Bobcats, South Alabama's contest against the Falcons mark the only road football game for USA this season.
South Alabama will be looking for a couple of firsts when the game is kicked off Saturday. The Jaguars will be looking for back-to-back road victories for the first time since Sept. 27 and Oct. 4, 2014, against Idaho and Appalachian State, respectively. USA will also be looking for its first win in the Lonestar State since knocking off UTSA, 30-27, in double overtime on Oct. 8, 2011.
Last time out, South Alabama junior wide receiver Jalen Tolbert became the first player in program history to surpass 2,000 career receiving yards. After hauling in six passes for 143 yards against Louisiana, Tolbert moved to within one of tying the program's all-time mark for 100-plus receiving yard games.
SERIES HISTORY
Texas State and South Alabama have played on the gridiron six times with each team winning three games. Neither team has won a road game throughout the course of the series history.
Last season, South Alabama knocked off Texas State, 30-20, in Mobile despite Bobcat quarterback
Brady McBride completing 28-of-40 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown.
The last time Texas State beat South Alabama came on Nov. 9, 2019, when the Bobcats won, 30-28, in San Marcos. Joshua Rowland was credited with the game-winning 31-yard field goal with 6:14 remaining in the fourth quarter after South Alabama missed a 28-yard field goal attempt with 68 seconds left. In that game, Texas State quarterback
Tyler Vitt completed 23-of-33 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns.
FOLLOW US
For all the latest information on Texas State football, be sure to follow the team at @TXSTATEFOOTBALL on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. General athletic news can also be at @TxStateBobcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
