SAN MARCOS, Texas — A week after opening its 2021 football schedule in front of the sixth-largest crowd in program history, the Texas State football team will now head to the state of Florida to play Florida International.
The two teams will square off at 7 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. CST at FIU Stadium in Miami, Fla. The game can be seen on ESPN+ with AJ Ricketts and Patrick Murray describing the action. For those interested in a radio broadcast,
Clint Shields and
Geff Gandy will call the action on KTSW (89.9 FM San Marcos) and The Varsity Network app.
LOOKING AT THE BOBCATS
Texas State junior wide receiver
Marcell Barbee is one of just 10 student-athletes within the Sun Belt Conference to have caught a pass for a touchdown so far in the 2021 season. Only Arkansas State's Corey Rucker (3) has caught multiple touchdowns this season.
Sophomore place kicker
Seth Keller converted two field goal attempts against Baylor last Saturday. The Colleyville, Texas native has now converted his last eight consecutive field goal attempts dating back to the dating back to the 2020 season. Since assuming place kicking duties prior to the ULM contest on Sept. 19, 2020, Keller has converted nine of his 10 career field goal attempts. His lone miss came again on a 37-yard field goal attempt in hurricane-like conditions at Troy on Oct. 10, 2020.
Texas State quarterback
Brady McBride enters this weekend's game against FIU with 18 career touchdown passes. The sophomore signal caller has tossed at least one scoring pass in every game he's appeared in as a Bobcat after transferring from Memphis prior to the 2019 season. He set his career high with five in Texas State's win over Arkansas State on Nov. 21, 2020.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Florida International enters Saturday's game on the heels on a 48-10 victory over Long Island on Thursday, Sept. 2. The game marked the first season-opening win for head coach Butch Davis at FlU since taking over the program prior to the 2017 season.
The Panthers enter the weekend having racked up a C-USA-leading 594.0 yards of total offense through this point of the 2021 season. The Panthers are one of just four teams (FIU, WKU, North Texas and UAB) in the 14-member C-USA to surpass the 500-yard mark on offense this season. On the other side of the line of scrimmage, FIU is ranked fourth in the conference (291.0) in total defense.
No student-athlete in the C-USA has a better yards per rush average than Florida International's D'vonte Price. In the Panthers' season-opening game against Long Island, Price carried the ball five times for 165 yards (33.0 yards per carry) for three touchdowns. Only Louisiana Tech's Austin Kendall — 68 rushing yards on five attempts for a 13.6 average — has a double-digit yards per rush in the conference.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday night's meeting between the two programs will mark the first football contest between Texas State and Florida International.
This weekend's game will mark just the second time in program history Texas State has played as a FBS team within the state of Florida. The Bobcats first did so against then-No. 10 Florida State on Sept. 5, 2015.
FOLLOW US
For all the latest information on Texas State football, be sure to follow the team at @TXSTATEFOOTBALL on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at @TxStateBobcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
