Texas State (4-2, 2-0) at Old Dominion (2-4, 1-1)

Saturday, October 19, 2024
S.B. Ballard Stadium | Norfolk, Va.
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. CT

TV: ESPN+
            Chip Tarkenton (Play-by-play)
            Andy Mashaw (Analyst)

Radio: KTSW 89.9 & Varsity Network (free app)
            Clint Shields (Play-by-play)
            Geff Gandy (Analyst)

X/Twitter Updates: @TXSTATEFOOTBALL

OPENING DRIVE

• Texas State is coming off a historic 2023 season that saw the program win its first bowl game, in its first appearance, a 45-21 victory over Rice in the SERVEPRO First Responder Bowl.
• The Bobcats set an FBS-program record with eight wins in 2023.
• Texas State posted the highest season attendance average the program has seen in 2023 at 21,184 (127,102 total), and has had two sellouts at UFCU Stadium in 2024.
• Texas State opened the season receiving votes in the US LBM preseason Coaches Poll and received eight votes in the week 3 edition.
• TXST is coming off a 41-9 Sun Belt win over Arkansas State to start SBC play 2-0 for the first time in program history.
• Jordan McCloud was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week following the win over A-State.
• Nash Jones was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, college football's premier scholar-athlete award. 

A WIN VS OLD DOMINION MEANS

• The Bobcats win the first meeting in the all-time series.
• Texas State has won 6 of 8 dating back to the 2023 season.
• TXST starts 3-0 in Sun Belt Conference play for the first time in program history (joined in 2013).
• The Bobcats are 7-4 in their last 11 SBC outings dating back to the start of 2023.
• TXST starts off conference play 3-0 for the first time since 1982 (finished 7-0 in the Lone Star Conference).

VICTORY STAR
Texas State played in, and won, its first bowl game in 2023, a 45-21 victory over Rice in the SERVEPRO First Responder Bowl.

• The Bobcats set an FBS program record for wins in a season with 8.
• The last time Texas State had 8 wins in a season was in 2008 when the Bobcats were 8-4 in the regular season and finished the year with a first-round loss at Montana in the Division I-AA (FCS) Playoffs first round.
• Texas State has 14 seasons in its program history with 8 or more wins.

THE KINNE EFFECT
In his first year, Texas State head coach GJ Kinne took the Bobcats to a place they have never gone -- a bowl game -- and did something that has not been done in 40 years.

• Kinne is the first Texas State head coach to have a winning season in his first campaign at the helm of the Bobcats since Dennis Franchione in 1990 (6-5).
• With the bowl win, Kinne became the first, first-year head coach at Texas State to win 8 or more games since John O'Hara in 1983 (9-3). O'Hara took over the Bobcats after they won back-to-back DII national championships under Jim Wacker in 1981 and 1982.
• Prior to Kinne, only 2 Texas State head coaches in the program's history had won 8 or more games in their first season: O'Hara (1983) and Bill Miller (8-2 in 1965).
• Kinne was named the 21st head coach in Texas State's history on Dec. 2, 2022 (one day after his 34th birthday).

EXCITING BRAND OF FOOTBALL
One thing that GJ Kinne and the rest of the Texas State coaching staff installed in their first year was an offense that has produced at its highest level in the Bobcats' FBS history.

• Texas State finished the 2023 season ranked 11th in the country in scoring offense (36.7) and 15th in total offense (457.6).
• Texas State finished 28th in the country in passing offense (270.9) and 26th in rushing offense (186.7).
• Entering 2023 as an FBS team, Texas State had never ranked higher than 24th in the nation in total offense. In 2014, the Bobcats finished the season 24th in total offense, which was the only time they had been in the nation's top-50 in that category.
• Also entering the season, Texas State's highest finish as an FBS team in rushing offense was 18th (2014) and passing offense was 56th (2020).
• Its best finish in scoring offense at the FBS level was 31st in 2014.
• The Texas State offense averaged 132.4 more yards per game in 2023 compared to 2022.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
Comparing averages and national rank

	2022		2023
Category	Total	Rank	Total	Rank
Total Offense	325.2	112th	457.6	15th
Scoring Offense	21.1	110th	36.7	11th
Passing Offense	221.1	79th	270.9	28th
Rushing Offense	104.1	119th	186.7	26th

TXST in 2024

	2024
Category	Total	Rank
Total Offense	477.5	12
Scoring Offense	38.2	21
Passing Offense	292.2	20
Rushing Offense	185.3	43

ON THE OFFENSIVE
While Texas State's offense finished 11th in the country in scoring offense, it became the nation's most improved scoring offense over the 2023 season.

• Texas State improved its scoring output from 21.1 points per game in 2022 to 36.7 in 2023 (+15.6) - 38.2 in 2024
• The Bobcats' 36.7 points per game in 2023 marked the first time they have averaged more than 28 points per game since 2014 when they averaged 33.8.

A FINE LINE
The Bobcat offensive line has only allowed 6 sacks in 2024 (1.00/game), ranking them 14th nationally.

TXST State has started the same offensive line every game in 2024 - Strawn, Jones, Todd, Lockette, Harkey. The group has combined for 100 career starts, led by Nash Jones with 45.

LET'S GET ACTIVE
Quarterback Jordan McCloud ranks in the top 10 among FBS active players in touchdown passes and total TDs responsible for and the top 20 for completions, completion %, passing yards, total plays and total offense.
 

TD Passes	77	5
Total TDs Responsible For	94	6
Completions	715	15
Completion %	64.9%	13
Passing Yards	8,621	16
Total Plays	1,415	16
Total Offense	9,531	15

Ismail Mahdi is also an active national leader for all-purpose yards, leading the country in all purpose-yards per game.
 

All-Purpose YPG	152.95	1
Rushing YPG	96.7	4
KO return avg.	26.0	7

STAYIN' ALIVE
Wide receiver Joey Hobert is one of 23 players with a streak of 25+ consecutive games with a reception at 29, dating back to Dec. 31, 2021.

Hobert had his 4th multi-TD game at Texas State, and 9th overall, against Arkansas State.

2024 games
vs. Lamar | 6-91, 2TD
vs. Sam Houston | 8-75, 2TD
vs. Arkansas State | 10-101, 2TD

HOTTEST TICKET IN TOWN
The Bobcats have sold out 2 of 4 home games this season with crowds of 28,000 against UTSA and Arkansas State. It was the first Sun Belt Conference sellout for TXST on Oct. 12.

Single-Game Attendance Highs (Home)
Rk    Date Attendance Opponent
1.     Sept. 24, 2016 - 33,133 Houston
2.     Sept. 8, 2012 - 33,006 Texas Tech
3.     Sept. 13, 2014 - 32,007 Navy
4.     Sept. 23, 2017 - 31,333 UTSA
5.     Oct. 12, 2024 - 28,000 Troy
        Sept. 7, 2024 - 28,000 UTSA