Texas State (6-5, 3-4 Sun Belt) vs. South Alabama (6-5, 4-3 Sun Belt)
Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023
Bobcat Stadium | San Marcos, Texas
Kickoff: 6 PM
TV: NFL Network
            Jason Ross, Jr. (Play-by-play)
            Tyoka Jackson (Analyst)
Radio: KTSW 89.9 & Varsity Network (free app)
            Clint Shields (Play-by-play)
            Geff Gandy (Analyst)
X/Twitter Updates: @TXSTATEFOOTBALL
Live Stats
 
 
SETTING THE TABLE
A memorable regular season will come to a close on Saturday as Texas State hosts South Alabama in the final home game of the 2023 season. The Senior Day game, presented by Coca-Cola, is set for a 6 pm kickoff.
 
The Bobcats and Jaguars both enter the season finale having already clinched bowl eligibility but the two sides are jockeying for a top-two spot in the Sun Belt West Division standings. Texas State is a game back of South Alabama and Arkansas State for second in the division.
 
Texas State is 4-1 at home this year and is looking to clinch its best home record in a season since 2005.
 
The all-time series between Texas State and South Alabama is evenly split, 4-4, but both teams have defended their home turf in each of the eight matchups. The Bobcats are 4-0 all-time against the Jaguars in San Marcos.
 
Texas State returns home after playing back-to-back road games over the last two weeks. South Alabama, meanwhile, has only played one road game in the last seven weeks but are 2-3 away from Mobile in 2023.
 
The Bobcats are looking to clinch their first winning record in a season since 2014 and are within grasp of setting several offensive season records in the program's FBS era.
 
Tickets for Saturday's game are available at TXST.com/tickets.
 
 
VICTORY STAR

• Going into the final game of the regular season, Texas State is looking to match its single-season wins record during the program's FBS era (since 2012).
• Texas State's 6 wins this year are already its most since 2014. But it is one win away from matching the 2014 total of 7 victories -- which are the most in an FBS season for Texas State.
• The Bobcats have not had a winning season since 2014 when it went 7-5. If they win this Saturday, they would clinch a winning record for the first time in 9 years.

 
TALKING POINTS

• After totaling 30+ points in a game last week for the 7th time this year, the Bobcats remain the Sun Belt's top scoring offense this year entering the final week of the regular season.
• Texas State is 21st in the country and 1st in the Sun Belt in scoring offense with 34.55 points per game.
• In Texas State's first 10 seasons in the Sun Belt, it never finished higher than 4th among Sun Belt teams in scoring offense (2014).
• The Bobcats have scored 380 points in 11 games this year, which are currently the 2nd-most in a season in the program's FBS era.
• Texas State needs 27 more points to set a new program FBS record for highest scoring offense in a single season.
• The current program FBS record is 406 set in 2014.
• Texas State has only averaged more than 30.0 points per game over an entire season once in its FBS history (2014).
• Texas State has scored more than 27 points in 5 of the previous 8 meetings against South Alabama.
• Texas State has not scored more than 406 points in a regular season since 2008 (457). The 2008 Bobcats finished the season (12 regular season games, 1Division I-AA/ FCS playoff game) with 470 points scored.
• The Bobcats have scored 213 points in conference-play this season (7 games). Last year, Texas State scored 253 points all season (12 games).

 
SCORING OFFENSE, TXST'S FBS HISTORY
Top seasons since 2012
Rk     Year       Points      Games
1.      2014       406           12
2.      2023       380           11
3.      2012       343           12
4.      2020       332           12
5.      2015       323           12
 
TOTAL OFFENSE

• Texas State totaled 539 yards of offense against Arkansas State as it has 5 games this year of 500+ yards of total offense.
• The 539 yards were the most by a Bobcats in a game since Sept. 23 vs. Nevada (574).
• Texas State's 5,182 yards of offense this year are its most in a season since 2014 when it had an FBS program record of 5,573 yards.
• The Bobcats need 392 yards of offense on Saturday against South Alabama to set a new FBS program record for most yards of total offense in a season.
• Texas State has not had 392+ yards of offense against South Alabama since the 2019 meeting in San Marcos (W, 30-28; 415 yards).
• The overall program record for most yards of total offense in a season is 6,147 set in 2005 (14 games).
• Texas State is averaging 6.3 yards per play this year, which is currently the best in the program's FBS era.
• The Bobcats enter Saturday ranked 11th in the nation and 1st in the Sun Belt in total offense with 470.0 yards per game.

 
TOTAL OFFENSE, TXST'S FBS HISTORY
Top seasons since 2012
Rk      Year         Total Yards    Games
1.        2014        5,573              12
2.        2023        5,182             11
3.        2015        5,000              12
4.        2012        4,557              12
 
AIR ATTACK

• Texas State's passing offense has already established a new FBS program record as its 3,002 yards this season are the most in a single-season since joining FBS in 2012.
• This year is the first time Texas State has thrown for more than 3,000 yards since 2008.
• The overall program record for passing yards in a season is 3,499 set in 2008 (13 games), which means Texas State needs 497 more yards to tie the record.
• The Bobcats have only thrown for 3,000+ yards in a season 4 times in program history: 2003, 2008, 2009, 2023.
• Texas State is looking to set a new overall program record for most completions in a season as well. It has 253 completions this year, which are only 11 shy of matching the overall program record of 264 set in 2009.
• Texas State's 3,002 passing yards are 29th-most in the country.
• The Bobcats are averaging 272.9 passing yards per game this year, which is 29th in the country and 3rd in the Sun Belt.
• Texas State has thrown for 300+ yards in 2 of the last 3 games and 4 times this season. The 4 300-yard passing games are tied for the most by the Bobcats in the program's FBS history.

 
MOST PASSING YARDS, TXST HISTORY
Most passing yards in a season, overall history
Rk      Year           Passing Yds      Games
1.        2008          3,499                13
2.        2009          3,178                11
3.        2003          3,129                12
4.        2023          3,002                11
 
GROUND GAME

• Texas State totaled 173 yards on the ground against Arkansas State despite trailing for nearly two-thirds of the game.
• Texas State is averaging 198.2 yards per game this season, which is best in the Sun Belt and 18th-best in the country.
• Texas State's 2,180 team rushing yards this year are its most in a season since 2015 when it had 2,248.
• This is the 5th time in Texas State's FBS history that it has run for more than 2,000 yards in a season. All of the previous 4 instances were in its first 4 years at the FBS level.
• The Bobcats are averaging 190.1 rushing yards in conference-only games.

 
MOST TEAM RUSHING YARDS IN A SEASON
Texas State's FBS history
Rk      Year        Rushing Yds      Attempts
1.        2014       2,862                538
2.        2015       2,248                470
3.        2023       2,180                446
4.        2012       2,152                413  
5.        2013       2,058                471
 
FBS RECORD HOLDER

• With 62 yards on 17 carries last week against Arkansas State, Ismail Mahdi became Texas State's FBS record holder for rushing yards in a season.
• Mahdi has run for 1,112 yards on the ground on 176 attempts this year.
• In addition to being the program's FBS record holder, Mahdi is the first 1,100-yard rusher in Texas State history since Claude Mathis set the school's overall record with 1,595 yards in 1997.
• Mahdi enters this week 7th on Texas State's all-time list for rushing yards in a season. He is 33 yards away from tying Reggie Rivers (1,145 yards in 1990) for 6th on the list.
• If Mahdi can gain 88 or more yards on Saturday against South Alabama, he would become just the 3rd different Bobcat to have 1,200 rushing yards in a single season. He would join Donald Wilkerson (1994) and Claude Mathis (1995, 1996, 1997) in that exclusive group.
• Mahdi is 13th in the country and 3rd in the Sun Belt in total rushing yards this season. He is 14th in the nation with 101.1 rushing yards per game.

 
MOST RUSHING YARDS IN A SEASON
Texas State Overall History
Rk.     Player                       Rush Yds      Year
1.        Claude Mathis          1,595            1997
2.        Claude Mathis          1,593            1996
3.        Donald Wilkerson    1,569            1994
4.        Claude Mathis          1,289            1995
5.        Roy Jackson              1,187            1986
6.        Reggie Rivers            1,145            1990
7.        Ismail Mahdi            1,112            2023
8.        Robert Lowe             1,091            2014
 
ALL-PURPOSE PLAYER

• In addition to Ismail Mahdi becoming the program's FBS record holder for rushing yards in a season, Mahdi is working his way up the program's all-purpose yards in a season list as well.
• Mahdi is 1st in the country in total all-purpose yards this season with 1,830.
• He is also 1st in the country in all-purpose yards per game with 166.36.
• Mahdi is already Texas State's FBS leader for most all-purpose yards in a season. He is 5th all-time in the program's overall history.
• Mahdi is 170 all-purpose yards away from becoming only the 4th Bobcat in school history to have 2,000 all-purpose yards in a single season.
• Over the last 8 games, Mahdi is averaging 183.5 all-purpose yards (1,468 total yards).
• Mahdi has 9 games of 100+ all-purpose yards this year and 2 games of 200+ yards.
• Mahdi's 1,830 all-purpose yards are the most by a Bobcat since Karrington Bush had a program-record 2,330 in 2008.

 
MOST ALL-PURPOSE YARDS IN A SEASON
Texas State program history
Rk      Yards       Player                        Year
1.        2,330       Karrington Bush         2008
2.        2,264       Claude Mathis           1995
3.        2,048       Donald Wilkerson      1994
4.        1,851       Claude Mathis           1996
5.        1,830       Ismail Mahdi             2023
6.        1,750       Karrington Bush         2010
7.        1,637       Claude Mathis           1997
8.        1,621       Karrington Bush         2007
9.        1,610       Reggie Rivers             1990
10.      1,512       Claude Mathis           1994
 
CLIMBING THE CHARTS

• Ashtyn Hawkins had a career-high 165 receiving yards on 8 catches last week as the junior had a breakthrough game against Arkansas State.
• Hawkins is 2nd on the team this year with 688 receiving yards. He also has 47 receptions, which are 3rd-best on the team.
• Hawkins' 165 receiving yards against the Red Wolves were the most in a game by a Bobcat since Hutch White had 165 against South Alabama on Nov. 9, 2019.
• Hawkins, in 32 career games as a Bobcat since 2021, is among the program's career leaders in several receiving categories.
• He enters this weekend 4th in career receptions with 133. He needs 9 receptions to tie Cameron Luke (2006-08) for 3rd on that list.
• Hawkins is also 8th on the program's career list for receiving yards with 1,559. He is 6 yards away from tying Billy Dunk (1977-80) for 7th on the list.
• Hawkins is Texas State's all-time FBS leader in career receptions and 2nd in career receiving yards.
• Javen Banks, Hawkins' former teammate, holds the Texas State FBS record for career receiving yards with 1,646.

 
JOE DIRT

• While Ashtyn Hawkins is climbing Texas State's career receiving lists, Joey Hobert is ascending on the program's single-season receiving lists.
• Hobert's team-leading 71 receptions this year are 3rd-most in a single-season in the program's overall history. It is already the school's FBS single-season record.
• Hobert needs 9 more catches to tie Texas State's single-season overall record for most in a season, which is currently held by Da'Marcus Griggs in 2009 (80 catches).
• Hobert's team-best 847 receiving yards this year are 7th-most in program history.
• Hobert needs 73 receiving yards to tie Da'Marcus Griggs for 6th on the program's single-season list.
• The overall program record for most receiving yards in a season is 1,268 set by Cameron Luke in 2008.
• Hobert's 8 touchdown catches this season are tied for the 5th-most in school history. The overall program record is 17 set by Cameron Luke in 2008 while the FBS record is 10 set by Marcell Barbee in 2020.

 
DELIVERY MAN

• And the person delivering the passes to Hawkins and Hobert this year has been quarterback TJ Finley, who is close to staking his claim to single-season passing records in Texas State history.
• Finley has 2,919 passing yards this year, which are the 3rd-most in program history.
• With 81 more yards, Finley would become the 3rd quarterback in Texas State history to throw for 3,000 yards in a season. He would be the first since Bradley George had 3,121 in 2009.
• Finley needs 211 yards to set the overall program record for most in a season. Barrick Nealy holds the record with 3,129 in 2003.
• Finley's 21 touchdown passes are currently tied for the 4th-most in school history and most by a Bobcat since Tyler Jones had 22 in 2014.
• The overall program record for most touchdown passes in a season is 26 by Bradley George in 2008.
• Finley's 245 completions are 3rd-most in program history and 30 away from matching the overall record.

 
MOST PASSING YARDS IN A SINGLE-SEASON
Texas State's program history
Rk     Total          Player                       Year
1.      3,129         Barrick Nealy            2003
2.      3,121         Bradley George        2009
3.      2,919         TJ Finley                   2023
4.      2,875         Barrick Nealy            2005
5.      2,670         Tyler Jones               2014
 
GETTING TO THE BACKFIELD

• Texas State's defense is one of the best in the country in getting into the backfield as the Bobcats enter this week ranked 3rd in the nation in TFLs (8.3/game) and 29th in sacks (2.64/game).
• The Bobcats have 91.0 TFLs this season, which are already an FBS program record (previous: 77.0 in 2022).
• The 91.0 TFLs are the most in a season for the Bobcats since 1982 when they set the program record with 111.0.
• Texas State's 30.0 sacks this year are an FBS program record for most in a season and the most overall since 2011 (31.0).
• The last time Texas State had more than 31.0 sacks in a season was 1999 (32.0). And the last time it had more than 32.0 was 1997 (41.0).
• The overall program record for sacks in a season is 58.5 set in 1982.

 
RECORD CHASERS

• The two biggest pieces to Texas State's TFL production this year have been defensive end Ben Bell and linebacker Brian Holloway.
• Holloway leads the team with 12.5 TFLs while Bell has 12.0 TFLs.
• Holloway is 1.0 TFL from tying the school's FBS record for most TFLs in a season while Bell is 1.5 TFLs away.
• The record is held by Ben's brother, Levi Bell, who set it last season with 13.5.

 
MOST TFLs IN TXST'S FBS HISTORY
Since 2012
Rk     Total       Player                       Year
1.      13.5        Levi Bell                    2022
2.      13.0        Nico Ezidore             2020
         13.0        Michael Odiari         2014
4.      12.5        Brian Holloway        2023
5.      12.0        Ben Bell                   2023
         12.0        Nikolas Daniels        2019
         12.0        Joplo Bartu               2012
 
THROUGH THE UPRIGHTS

• Mason Shipley, a Lou Groza Award semifinalist, is 13-of-13 on field goals this season and nearing the Texas State record for most field goals made in a single season.
• Shipley needs one more field goal made to tie Seth Keller for the school record. Keller, a former teammate of Shipley's, had 14 field goals made in both 2021 and 2022.
• Shipley is 14-of-14 on field goals in his Texas State career (1-of-1 in 2022).
• Shipley is one of 3 kickers in FBS who have not missed a field goal this season.