2023 Texas State Football
Game #10
 
Texas State (6-3, 3-2 Sun Belt) at Coastal Carolina (6-3, 4-2 Sun Belt)
Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023
Brooks Stadium | Conway, S.C.
Kickoff: 2:30 PM CT/3:30 PM ET
TV: ESPN+
            Jeff McCarragher (Play-by-play)
            Nate Ross (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
For the first time in nine years, Texas State is bowl eligible – and now it is in a fight for a shot at the Sun Belt championship as it enters the final three games of the regular season.
 
The Bobcats are coming off a 45-24 win over Georgia Southern – their second-largest win ever in a Sun Belt game – to notch their sixth victory of the year. The six wins are the most for the Bobcats since 2014, and they enter this week in a tie for second in the Sun Belt West Division.
 
Texas State will travel to Coastal Carolina this week for its first road game in more than a month. The Chanticleers represent the third opponent in a row that Texas State has to had face that sits in first or second in their conference division.
 
The Bobcats have not faced Coastal Carolina since 2021 and Saturday's matchup is the fifth in the all-time series. While Texas State has lost three in a row to Coastal, its lone win in the series came on the road in 2017.
 
Texas State boasts the Sun Belt's top offense with 36.2 points per game on an average of 483.4 yards. The defense is also second in the country in tackles for loss.
 
The Chanticleers, meanwhile, are a team that controls the clock (second in the conference in time of possession), forces turnovers (first in turnover margin), and limits the opponent on the scoreboard (second in scoring defense).
 
In addition to looking to snap a three-game losing streak against Coastal Carolina, the Bobcats are looking to match their FBS record for most wins in a season with a victory on Saturday.
 
The 2:30 pm CT/3:30 pm ET game can be watched on ESPN+.
 
 
SIX-WIN SEASON

• For the first time in 9 years, Texas State has itself a 6-win season as last Saturday's 45-24 win over Georgia Southern at home clinched a .500-or-better regular season record for the Bobcats.
• The last time Texas State had a 6-win season was in 2014 when it went 7-5.
• The win over the Eagles also gave the Bobcats bowl eligibility and put them in line for their first ever trip to a bowl game.
• Texas State was bowl eligible in 2013 (6-6) and 2014 (7-5) but was not selected.
• In 12 seasons at the FBS level (since 2012), Texas State has had 3 seasons of 6 or more wins: 2013, 2014, 2023.

 
AIMING FOR THE TOP

• With 3 games to go in the regular season -- and bowl eligibility already clinched -- Texas State is now setting its sights on a shot at the Sun Belt championship.
• The Bobcats, who have won 14 conference championships in program history but none as a member of the Sun Belt, are one game back of tying first-place Troy (4-1) in the Sun Belt West Division. However, the Trojans have the tiebreaker over the Bobcats after Troy beat Texas State, 31-13, on Oct. 28 in San Marcos.
• Texas State needs to win out in its final 3 games and hope for Troy to lose 2 of its last 3 to capture the Sun Belt West Division's spot in the Sun Belt Championship Game on Dec. 2.
• The Bobcats play at Arkansas State and host South Alabama after this weekend's game against Coastal Carolina. The next 3 opponents have a combined conference record of 9-7.
• Troy, meanwhile, plays at ULM this weekend and then hosts Louisiana before closing out the season at Southern Miss. Those 3 teams have a combined conference record of 3-14.

 
21 AND OVER

• Texas State's 45-24 win over Georgia Southern was its second-largest win of the season and one of the largest conference victories in its FBS history.
• The 21-point win over the Eagles was the Bobcats' largest margin of victory ever in a Sun Belt home game.
• It was the first time Texas State beat a conference opponent by 21+ points since Sept. 19, 2020 against ULM (38-17 in Monroe).
• Texas State has 5 double-digit wins this season, its most in a single campaign since 2005 (8).
• Texas State's average margin of victory this year is +8.0.

 
TXST'S 20-POINT CONFERENCE WINS
In the Sun Belt (since 2013)
Diff.     Opponent                     Date
23        at Georgia State           Nov. 29, 2014
21        Georgia Southern        Nov. 4, 2023
21        at ULM                          Sept. 19, 2020
20        at Coastal Carolina       Oct. 28, 2017
 
FOR THE OVER 40 CROWD

• Texas State's 45 points against Georgia Southern was the second time this year that it has scored 45 or more against a conference opponent -- something it has not done 2014.
• This year, Texas State scored 50 at Southern Miss in a win and then it added the 45-point effort last Saturday against the Eagles.
• In 2014, the Bobcats scored 45+ in the final 2 games of the season: 45 vs. Arkansas State (W, 45-27) and 54 at Georgia State (W, 54-31).
• The Bobcats are averaging 31.8 points in conference-only games, which is 3rd-best in the Sun Belt.
• Texas State has never scored 45+ points in 3 conference games as a member of the Sun Belt and has not done it as a program since 2008 when it was a member of the Southland Conference (FCS).

 
HIGH SCORING OFFENSE

• Texas State enters this week averaging 36.2 points per game, which is 18th-best in the nation and tops in the Sun Belt.
• The Bobcats have scored 326 points in their 9 games so far, which is the first time they have scored more than 300 points in a season since 2020.
• This year's 326 points are currently 4th-most in a season in the program's FBS history.
• Texas State needs 7 more points to move into sole possession of third on the list while it needs 18 points to take control of second.
• The Bobcats' FBS record for points in a season is 406, which was set in 2014.
• Texas State averaged 21.1 points per game last season, which means it has seen a 15.1 point per game improvement year-over-year.
• Texas State's scoring offense improvement from 2022 to 2023 is second-best in the nation through Week 10 of this season.
• Texas State has only averaged more than 30.0 points per game over an entire season once in its FBS history (2014).

 
SCORING OFFENSE, TXST'S FBS HISTORY
Top seasons since 2012
Rk     School      Points        Games
1.      2014         406            12
2.      2012         343            12
3.      2020         332            12
4.      2023         326            9
5.      2015         323            12
 
BIGGEST IMPROVEMENT IN SCORING OFFENSE IN THE NATION
Comparing 2022 to 2023, through Week 10
                                                              2023          2022
Rk      School                     Diff.             Pts/G         Pts/G
1.        Georgia Tech          +16.0           33.2           17.2
2.        Texas State             +15.1          36.2           21.1
3.        Colorado                 +15.0           30.4           15.4
4.        New Mexico           +14.3           27.4           13.1
5.        Colorado State       +13.1           26.3           13.2
TOTAL RECALL

• While Texas State's scoring offense is 18th in the country, its total offense is top-10 in the country with 483.4 yards per game.
• Texas State is 10th in the nation and first in the Sun Belt in total offense.
• The Bobcats had 487 total yards of offense in the win against Georgia Southern, which was their fifth-highest total in their 9 games this season.
• Last year, Texas State had one game of 475+ yards of offense. This year, it has 5.
• In Sun Belt-only games, Texas State is averaging 484.4 yards per game, which is also best in the conference.
• The Bobcats have only averaged more than 400 yards of offense in Sun Belt-only games once in program history: 2014 (443.8).
• Coastal Carolina has held its Sun Belt opponents to 379.5 yards per game this year. The most yards gained by a Sun Belt team against the Chanticleers' defense was 438 by Georgia Southern on Sept. 30.

 
TOTAL OFFENSE RANKINGS IN THE NATION
Through Week 10 (Nov. 4)
Rk      School                  Yards Per Game
1.        LSU                      544.6
2.        Oregon                538.7
3.        North Carolina     518.8
4.        Washington         509.1
5.        Liberty                 501.0
6.        Georgia                493.0
7.        Oklahoma            490.0
8.        USC                      487.0
9.        UCF                      483.7
10.      Texas State          483.4
 
WREAKING HAVOC

• While Texas State's offense has been among the nation's leaders all season, its defense has become one of the program's best in its FBS era in a couple categories.
• Texas State has 78.0 TFLs this year, which is a new FBS program record (since 2012).
• With last Saturday's 5.0 TFLs against Georgia Southern, the Bobcats broke the previous record of 77.0 set last season.
• The 78.0 TFLs are the most by a Bobcat defense since 2011 when it had 83.0 in Texas State's last season at the FCS level.
• The overall program record for Texas State in TFLs is 111.0 set in 1982.
• The Bobcats also have 26.0 sacks this season, which is 1.0 shy of matching the program's FBS record for most in a single-season. The FBS record of 27.0 was tied last season and first set in 2014.
• This marks the first time Texas State has had 25.0+ sacks and 70.0+ TFLs in back-to-back seasons since 2000 and 2001.
• Texas State enters this week ranked second in the country in TFLs and TFLs/game (8.7) while it is 20th in sacks.

 
FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS

• A key to the pressure by the Texas State defense is defensive end Ben Bell, who leads the team with 7.0 sacks and 12.0 TFLs.
• In the last 2 games, Bell has 4.0 sacks among his 5.5 TFLs.
• Five of Bell's 7.0 sacks are in conference play.
• Bell is 1.0 TFL away from cracking Texas State's all-time top-10 for most TFLs in a season.
• He also needs 1.5 TFLs to match the program's FBS record, which is held by his brother, Levi, and set last season.
• Bell is tied for 15th in the country in TFLs. He is also tied for 13th in the nation in sacks.
• Bell has 2.0+ TFLs in 4 of his 9 games this year and at least 1.0 TFL in 6 games.
• According to PFF, Bell is tied for 20th in the country in total pressures (sacks, hits, hurries) with 36.

 
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.      12.0           Ben Bell                  2023
         12.0           Nikolas Daniels       2019
         12.0           Joplo Bartu             2012
 
IN PURSUIT

• Alongside Ben Bell in getting behind the line of scrimmage is redshirt senior linebacker Brian Holloway, who has a career-high 10.0 TFLs.
• Holloway has at least 1.0 TFL in 7 of his 9 games this season.
• Holloway is also the team's leading tackler with 71 stops (37 solo). His 7.9 tackles/game are 7th in the Sun Belt and 54th in the country.
• According to PFF, Holloway has the third-most pressures among FBS linebackers with 25.

 
MOST TOTAL PRESSURES AMONG FBS LBs
According to PFF, through Week 10 (Nov. 4)
Rk     Total        Player                           Year
1.      30             Collin Oliver                  Oklahoma State
2.      28             Nathaniel Watson        Mississippi State
3.      25             Brian Holloway            Texas State
4.      24             Andrew Simpson          Boise State
         24             Nickolas Martin            Oklahoma State
 
ON FOURTH DOWN

• Texas State's defense came through with 2 fourth-down stops in as many attempts last Saturday against Georgia Southern.
• In the last 5 games -- all against Sun Belt teams -- Texas State has held its opponents to 2-of-13 on fourth downs (15.4%).
• For the season, Texas State is fourth in the Sun Belt and 31st in the country in fourth down defense (10-of-25, 40%).
• In the last 3 games, Texas State opponents are 14-of-45 (31%) on critical downs (3rd and 4th down).

 
APPROACHING 1,000

• Although he fell one yard shy of his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season, Ismail Mahdi moved closer to becoming Texas State's first 1,000-yard rusher in 9 years.
• Mahdi enters this week 11th in the country and third in the Sun Belt in rushing yards with 953.
• He is also seventh in the nation in rushing yards per carry (6.91).
• Mahdi's career-high 953 rushing yards are the second-most in Texas State's FBS history, trailing Robert Lowe's 1,091 on 185 attempts in 2014.
• Lowe was the last Bobcat to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
• If Mahdi crosses the 1,000-yard mark, he would become the 12th Bobcat to ever rush for that total in a season. Three different Bobcats have combined to do it 4 times this century entering this year.
• The program record for most rushing yards in a season is 1,595 set by Claude Mathis in 1997.

 
MOST RUSHING YARDS IN A SEASON
Texas State FBS History (Since 2012)
Rk.    Player                  Rush Yds     Att        Year
1.      Robert Lowe        1,091          185        2014
2.      Ismail Mahdi       953             138        2023
3.      Robert Lowe        945             164        2013
4.      Robert Lowe        915             175        2015
5.      Lincoln Pare         772             172        2022
 
ALL-PURPOSE PLAYER

• In addition to Ismail Mahdi nearing a major milestone on the ground, he has maintained to be an all-purpose threat for the Bobcats as he has 1,483 all-purpose yards so far this year.
• Mahdi has 953 rushing yards, 315 kick return yards and 215 receiving yards on 160 touches.
• He is the nation's leader in all-purpose yards per game with 164.78. He also leads the country in total all-purpose yards.
• Mahdi is already Texas State's FBS leader for most all-purpose yards in a season. He is 10th all-time in the program's overall history.
• Mahdi's 1,483 all-purpose yards are the most by a Bobcat since Karrington Bush had 1,750 in 2010.
• Over the last 6 games, Mahdi is averaging 186.8 all-purpose yards (1,121 total yards).

 
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.      1,750         Karrington Bush          2010
6.      1,637         Claude Mathis             1997
7.      1,621         Karrington Bush          2007
8.      1,610         Reggie Rivers              1990
9.      1,512         Claude Mathis             1994
10.    1,483         Ismail Mahdi              2023
 
RECEIVING RECORDS

• Joey Hobert had 13 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown against Georgia Southern, which tied him with teammate Ashytn Hawkins for the most catches in a game in Texas State's overall history.
• Hobert is the program's FBS all-time leader in receiving yards in a season with 804 this year.
• He needs 3 more catches to tie Hutch White (2019) for the most receptions by a Bobcat in a season in the program's FBS history.
• Hobert is averaging 8.8 catches for 108.3 yards over the last 6 games.

 
FOR STARTERS

• Texas State enters this week having scored on its opening drive of a game in 5 straight contests.
• The Bobcats have scored a touchdown in 4 of the last 5 games on their opening drive. The only non-TD drive was a field goal against ULM.
• Texas State has a touchdown on its opening drive of a game in 5 of the last 7 games.
• Texas State has opened the game receiving the ball in 5 straight games and in 8 of the 9 games overall.

 
IN THE SECOND HALF

• While they have scored 38 points on their 9 game-opening drives this season, last Saturday against Georgia Southern was the first time the Bobcats scored a touchdown on their first drive of the second half since Sept. 23 vs. Nevada.
• Texas State has scored a touchdown on 4 of its second half-opening drives this year.
• The Bobcats are 4-0 when they score a touchdown on their first drive of the second half.
• They are also 2-0 this year when they score a touchdown on their first drive of the game as well as the opening drive of the second half. They have done this against Georgia Southern and Jackson State.

 
RED ZONE CHANNEL

• Texas State was able to reverse a recent trend against Georgia Southern by scoring touchdowns on trips to the red zone.
• In the 3 games prior to Georgia Southern, the Bobcats were 4-of-13 on finishing trips to the red zone with a touchdown (31%).
• Against the Eagles, the Bobcats scored a touchdown on 5 of their 7 red zone trips (71%).
• Texas State is 4th in the Sun Belt in red zone offense by scoring (TD or FG) on 86% of its red zone trips. The Bobcats have a TD on 28 of their 43 trips to the red zone (65%).

 
BIG PLAY POTENTIAL

• Texas State had 5 plays of 20+ yards from scrimmage against Georgia Southern as it continues to be one of the nation's most explosive offenses.
• The Bobcats have 58 plays of 20+ yards this season, which are tied for 7th in the country.
• They also have 159 plays of 10+ yards which are tied for 8th in the country.