SAN MARCOS, Texas – After helping lead Texas State to a 12-point win over App State, Tory Spears and Seth Keller were named Sun Belt Conference Defensive and Special Teams Player of the Week, respectively, for week six, the conference office announced.
 
Spears returned an interception for a 94-yard touchdown and had a career-high 12 tackles against the Mountaineers. He became the first player at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level to have 12+ tackles and an interception returned for a touchdown in a game since September 2021 (Chad Muma, Wyoming, vs. Ball State) and first Sun Belt player to do that since 2014. He is the first player to ever turn the feat in Texas State's FBS history.
 
The pick-six by Spears in the third quarter came on a fourth-and-four at the Texas State 12-yard line, clipping App State's opening drive in the second half of what was then a 21-point game. It was the redshirt junior's first career interception and longest interception returned for a touchdown by a Bobcat since 2020. Meanwhile, his 12 tackles were the most by a Texas State defensive back since November 2020.
 
A Houston, Texas native, Spears became the first Bobcat to be named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week since Sione Tupou picked up the honor nearly a year ago to the day on October 11, 2021.
 
Keller garnered his second career player of the week award after going 3-for-3 on field goals and 3-for-3 on extra points. The three field goals made by the redshirt junior were a season-high and moved him into a tie for fourth place on Texas State's all-time career field goals made list with 29. It was his third career game of 3+ field goals.
 
The three PATs also made Keller responsible for 12 of Texas State's 36 points in the win and helped the Bobcats score on six of their 10 drives.
 
Keller is the first Texas State specialist to earn the conference's player of the week since Jeremiah Haydel picked up the honor as a kick returner on November 16, 2020. The Colleyville, Texas product earned his first career weekly honor on November 2, 2020.
 
This marks the first time since 2015 that a pair of Bobcats won conference player of the week awards in the same week. The last time was Robert Lowe (offensive) and Lumi Kaba (special teams) on October 26, 2015.
 
Texas State, currently holding its best record at the halfway point of a season since 2014, returns to action on Saturday at Troy. Kickoff against the Trojans is set for 2:30 p.m.