2023 Texas State Football
Game #5
Texas State (3-1, 0-0 Sun Belt) at Southern Miss (1-3, 0-1 Sun Belt)
Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023
M.M. Roberts Stadium | Hattiesburg, Miss.
Kickoff: 6 PM
TV: ESPN+
            Jason Baker (Play-by-play)
            Austin Davis (Analyst)
Radio: KTSW 89.9 & Varsity Network (free app)
            Clint Shields (Play-by-play)
            Geff Gandy (analyst)
X/Twitter Updates: @TXSTATEFOOTBALL
 
 
SETTING THE TABLE
After getting off to its best start since 2013, Texas State will now open its conference schedule on the road with a matchup at Southern Miss on Saturday at 6 pm (ESPN+).
 
Texas State, which has won back-to-back games coming into the weekend, enters week five among the nation's leaders offensively in scoring offense (13th) and total offense (15th) and defensively in team TFLs (1st) and team sacks (7th). The special teams unit is also 15th in kick returns.
 
The Bobcats finished off their nonconference schedule with wins at Baylor and against Jackson State and Nevada at home. The win over the Wolf Pack last weekend required Texas State to come back from a 17-0 halftime deficit, which was its largest come-from-behind win in the program's FBS history.
 
Texas State and Southern Miss, Sun Belt West Division foes, met last year in San Marcos. The game saw two touchdowns in the final 1:21 of the game, with the first one being by Ashtyn Hawkins on a 74-yard touchdown reception that helped give Texas State its first and only lead in the game at 14-13. Less than a minute later, Southern Miss scored the game-winning touchdown on a fourth-and-four play.
 
This Saturday's meeting is the first one in Hattiesburg since the 2013 season opener. In that game, Texas State had to stave off a Southern Miss comeback attempt and went on to win the game thanks to a Tyler Arndt rushing touchdown with less than three minutes to go.
 
 
BEST IN A DECADE

• Texas State is off to its best start since 2013 thanks to wins over Baylor, Jackson State and Nevada to start the season.
• The last time Texas State started a season 3-1 was in 2013. That year, the Bobcats opened the year with a 22-15 road win at Southern Miss followed by a 28-3 victory over Prairie View A&M at home. They then beat Wyoming 42-21 in the fourth game of the year.
• Texas State has now started a season with a 3-1 record twice in its FBS history (since 2012): 2013 and 2023.
• The Bobcats have been 3-1 a total of 6 times this century.
• If Texas State were to win on Saturday at Southern Miss, it would be the first time it has started a season 4-1 since 2005 (4-1).
• In the 2005 season, under then head coach and current special assistant to the head coach David Bailiff, the Bobcats reached the semifinals of the Division I-AA Playoffs and won a share of the Southland Conference championship.
• In its program history, Texas State has won 4 of its first 5 games 31 times, but only twice in the last 40 years (1984-current).

 
Texas State's 3-1 Starts Since 2000
Year      First 4 Games           5th G Result               Final Rec
2023      3-1                            ?                                 ?
2013      3-1                            L                                 6-6
2010      3-1                            L                                 4-7
2005      3-1                            W                               11-3
2002      3-1                            L                                 4-7
2001      3-1                            W                               4-7
 
SUN BELT OPENERS

• This Saturday's matchup at Southern Miss will be the Sun Belt Conference opener for the Bobcats.
• Texas State is opening its conference schedule on the road for the second straight season and third time in the last 4 years.
• The Bobcats have lost 4 straight conference road games, with their last win occurring on Nov. 27, 2021 at Arkansas State (W, 24-22).
• Texas State is 1-1 so far this season on the road, winning at Baylor before falling at UTSA.
• The Bobcats won the only previous meeting against Southern Miss in Hattiesburg, back in 2013 (W, 22-15).

 
LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD

• The Texas State offense has scored 35 or more points in 3 of its 4 games this season, helping it rank among the best scoring offenses in the country.
• Entering this weekend's matchup at Southern Miss, the Bobcats are 13th in the country in scoring offense with 41.8 points per game.
• The Bobcats are one of 16 teams in the country averaging 40 or more points this season.
• Texas State is the second-highest ranked scoring offense among "non-Power 5" schools as it trails Toledo, which is 11th in the country with 42.2 points per game.
• The Bobcats have scored 167 points in 4 games in 2023. Last year, Texas State scored 253 points in 12 games (21.1 points/game).
• Texas State's 167 points in the first 4 games this season are its most in the first 4 games of any season since it scored 174 in 1981.
• The 167 points in the first 4 games are the third-most in Texas State program history, trailing 1981 (174) and 1951 (168).
• Texas State's 3 games of 35+ points this season is more than it had in the last 2 seasons combined (2).

 
NATIONAL LEADERS IN SCORING OFFENSE
Through Week 4 (Sept. 23)
Rk       School                        Points/Game
1.        USC                            55.0
2.        Oregon                      54.0
3.        Washington               49.8
4.        Oklahoma                  46.8
5.        Washington State      45.8
6.        Syracuse                    44.2
7.        Miami (FL)                 43.8
8.        Florida State              43.2
9.        Louisville                    43.0
10.      LSU                            42.8
11.      Toledo                       42.2
12.      Ole Miss                     42.0
13.      Texas State                41.8
14.      Georgia                      41.5
15.      Penn State                 40.5
16.      Liberty                       40.0
 
OFFENSIVELY SPEAKING

• Powering the high-scoring offense is Texas State's total offense, which is at 482.2 yards per game entering this weekend.
• Texas State is first among Sun Belt teams and 15th in the country in total offense.
• The Bobcats have 500+ yards in each of the last 2 games. They had 684 yards against Jackson State on Sept. 16 and 574 vs. Nevada on Sept. 23.
• The last time Texas State had back-to-back games of 500+ yards was 2017 when it had 507 against Coastal Carolina on Oct. 28 and 563 yards against New Mexico State on Nov. 4.
• Texas State has 1,941 yards of offense this year, which is tied for the second-most in the program's FBS history through the first 4 games of a season (since 2012). This year's total is tied with 2015 for the second-most.
• The program record for most total yards of offense is 2,023 which was set in 2014.
• The Bobcats are averaging 7.5 yards per play. Last season, they averaged 4.7 yards per play.

 
GROUND GAME

• The Bobcats have also established themselves as one of the best rushing offenses in the country as they rank 18th in that category with 209.2 yards/game.
• The Bobcats have had 200+ yards in back-to-back games entering Saturday against Southern Miss. They had 399 rushing yards against Jackson State on Sept. 16 and 276 yards vs. Nevada on Sept. 23.
• The last time the Bobcats had back-to-back games of 200+ rushing yards was 2020. Texas State has never had 3 straight games of 200+ rushing yards in its FBS history.
• Texas State is also second among Sun Belt teams in rushing offense this year, trailing Louisiana for the top spot (238.0 yards/game).
• Last year, Texas State was held to -6 rushing yards by Southern Miss in the 20-14 loss on Oct. 22 in San Marcos. The Bobcats had 24 yards gained but due partially to 3 sacks, they also had 30 total yards lost on rushing attempts.
• The Bobcats are 400 rushing yards away from matching last season's team rushing total for th entire season.

 
ISH GOES FOR 200

• The top performing running back for Texas State so far this year is sophomore transfer Ismail Mahdi.
• Mahdi, in his first year as a Bobcat after transferring from HCU, had a career-high 216 rushing yards on 21 attempts against Nevada. He leads the team with 399 rushing yards this season.
• Mahdi led all FBS running backs for Week 4 with the 216 rushing yards. His 10.3 yards per rush attempt was also best among FBS running backs (min. 15 attempts).
• Mahdi enters this week 16th in the nation in total rushing yards (399) and 17th in rushing yards per game (99.8). He is 4th in the Sun Belt in total rushing yards and 5th in average yards per contest.
• Mahdi was the first Bobcat with a 200-yard rushing game since Lincoln Pare had 221 in the 2022 season finale against Louisiana.
• The total bested Mahdi's previous personal-best of 184 rushing yards, which he had in his collegiate debut with HCU against Northern Colorado on Sept. 3, 2022.
• Last year for HCU, Mahdi had 568 rushing yards on 112 attempts in 8 games.
• Mahdi became the 11th different Bobcat in the program's Division I era (FBS & FCS, since 1984) to have 200 rushing yards in a game.
• Mahdi is the 4th different Bobcat to have 200 rushing yards in a game in the program's FBS history. His total of 216 yards was fifth-most in Texas State's FBS history.

 
200-YARD RUSHING GAMES IN TEXAS STATE'S
FBS HISTORY
Since 2012
Rk     Total           Player                              Date
1.      284              Terrence Franks              Oct. 4, 2014
2.      248              Robert Lowe                    Oct. 24, 2015
3.      236              Robert Lowe                    Nov. 20, 2014
4.      221              Lincoln Pare                     Nov. 26, 2022
5.      216              Ismail Mahdi                   Sept. 23, 2023
 
ALL-PURPOSE PLAYER

• A key element of Mahdi's all-purpose performance this season is to break out for a big play as he leads the team with 9 plays of 20+ yards this season.
• Mahdi is 5th in the country with 9 plays of 20+ yards from scrimmage this season.
• On Mahdi's 40 touches from scrimmage (36 rush attempts, 4 receptions) this season, he has 13 plays of 10+ yards (32.5 percent).
• Mahdi had 8 plays of 10+ yards last week against Nevada, including 7 on rushes and 1 receiving.
• All 4 of Mahdi's touchdowns this season have come on plays of 36 yards or more.
• Mahdi is averaging 11.1 yards per rush attempt this year.
• He finished the game against Nevada with 256 all-purpose yards (216 rushing, 40 receiving). It was his second-most in a game, trailing his 267 with HCU against Northern Colorado in 2022.
• Mahdi is 6th in the country and 2nd in the Sun Belt in all-purpose yards per game this season (154.5). He is also 7th in the country in total all-purpose yards with 618.

 
NATIONAL LEADERS IN ALL-PURPOSE YARDS/GAME
Through Week 4
Rk       Total             Team
1.        173.0            Ashton Jeanty                Boise State
2.        168.5            Jawhar Jordan                Louisville
3.        161.25          Rome Odunze                Washington
4.        158.5            Xavier Legette                South Carolina
5.        157.75          Kimani Vidal                   Troy
6.        154.5            Ismail Mahdi                  Texas State
7.        147.75          Ja'Quez Cross                 Arkansas State
 
BIG PLAY POTENTIAL

• With the help of Ismail Mahdi, Texas State has totaled 31 plays from scrimmage of 20 or more yards this season. Of the 31, 20 are in the air and 11 are on the ground.
• Texas State is tied for the 6th in the country in number of plays of 20+ yards this year.
• The Bobcats are also tied for 20th in the country with 69 plays from scrimmage of 10+ yards.
• Last year, Texas State had 39 plays of 20+ yards in 12 games. It had 3 in the game against Southern Miss on Oct. 22, including a 74-yard touchdown reception by Ashtyn Hawkins with 1:21 left in the 4th quarter that gave the Bobcats the lead.
• The Bobcats have 19 plays of 20+ yards in the last 2 weeks after having a season-low of 4 at UTSA on Sept. 9.

 
MOST PLAYS FROM SCRIMMAGE OF 20+ YARDS
Through Week 4
Rk     School                   Total
1.      Washington          39
2.      Ole Miss                34
3.      Notre Dame          33
         UCF                       33
         USC                       33
6.      Texas State           31
         Washington State 31
8.      LSU                        30
         Vanderbilt             30
 
EFFICIENCY ON OFFENSE

• Thanks to the ability for big plays and back-to-back games of 500+ yards of total offense, Texas State is also among the leaders in yards per play.
• The Bobcats enter the week 11th in the country in yards per play (7.4).
• Texas State averaged 8.7 yards per play against Nevada last week, which was preceded by an output of 10.4 yards per play against Jackson State in week 3.
• In the 2022 meeting against Southern Miss, Texas State was held to 3.9 yards per play on its 63 offensive plays (243 total yards).

 
SBC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• Brian Holloway was named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week for week 4 after totaling 12 tackles, 2.0 TFLs and 2 forced fumbles against Nevada.
• Holloway became the first Bobcat to earn the conference's defensive player of the week award since Tory Spears in October 2022. It is his first career weekly honor from the Sun Belt.
• Holloway had 2 forced fumbles in the second half and the tackle on a fourth-and-two stop in the fourth quarter against Nevada to help the Bobcats limit the Wolf Pack to only a late fourth quarter touchdown for their only second half points of the comeback win.
• Holloway leads the team with 37 tackles and is 25th in the country with 9.2 tackles per game. He is tied for 26th in the country in total tackles.
• He is also tied for 4th in the nation in forced fumbles (2).
• According to PFF, Holloway is tied for 6th in the country among linebackers with 11 total pressures (sacks, hits and hurries).

 
AT A LOSS

• Brian Holloway's 2.0 TFLs against Nevada helped the Bobcats total 7.0 in the game and remain the nation's leader in that category.
• Texas State has 41.0 TFLs this season, which is tied with USC for the most in the country.
• The Bobcats and Trojans are also atop the nation in TFLs per game with 10.2.
• Texas State has 10+ TFLs in 3 of its 4 games this season.
• Last year, Texas State had a season-high 12.0 TFLs against Southern Miss. In the 3 all-time meetings, the Bobcats have 6.0+ TFLs in all 3 games and 9.0+ TFLs in each of the last 2 matchups.
• Ben Bell and Brian Holloway lead the Bobcats with 1.2 TFLs/game this year. They are both tied for 38th in the country in that category.
• There are 21 different Bobcats this season with at least 0.5 TFL. Last year, there were 17.

 
SACK LUNCH

• The Texas State defense is also among the nation's best in sacks as it enters this week tied for 7th in the country in that category.
• The Texas State defense is averaging 3.75 sacks per game this season despite it having a season-low 1.0 against Nevada last week.
• The Bobcats' 15.0 team sacks are also tied for 7th in the country.
• Ben Bell, Tavian Coleman and Deven Wright lead the team with 2.0 sacks each.

 
TJ THE QB

• Quarterback TJ Finley has already established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the Sun Belt Conference this season.
• Finley leads the conference in passing efficiency -- and is 18th in the country -- with a 172.3 clip.
• Finley is also top-4 in the Sun Belt in passing yards, passing touchdowns, passing yards per completion and total offense.

 
TJ FINLEY IN THE SUN BELT
Where the quarterback ranks entering Week 5
Category                                Rank     Total
Passing Efficiency                  1st         172.3
Points Responsible For          1st         66
Passing Yards                         2nd       1,055
Passing Yards/Game              2nd       263.8
Passing Touchdowns             3rd        8
Total Offense                         3rd        268.8
Passing Yards/Completion    4th        13.19
 
CENTURY MARK

• Wide receiver Ashtyn Hawkins had a season-high 6 catches against Nevada as he eclipsed the 100-career reception milestone in the process.
• Hawkins is the 14th receiver in program history to have 100 career receptions. He enters this week 3rd in the program's FBS history with 103 receptions.
• In 25 career games as a Bobcat -- since 2021 -- Hawkins has 103 catches for 1,057 yards and 9 touchdowns.
• He had 5 catches for 102 yards and a touchdown in his lone career game against Southern Miss in 2022.

 
100-RECEPTION BOBCATS, FBS ERA
List of Texas State players with 100+ career receptions since 2012
Player                          Career Receptions      Years
Hutch White               116                              2016-19
Brandon Smith            112                              2012-15
Ashtyn Hawkins         103                              2021-Current
Tyler Watts                 102                              2015-18
 
4-1 STARTS

• Head coach GJ Kinne is looking to do something a Texas State head coach has not done in 40 years.
• If Texas State were to win on Saturday against Nevada, Kinne would become the first Bobcat head coach to start his Texas State career with a 4-1 record since John O'Hara did in 1983.
• O'Hara started his Texas State career 9-1.