Head Coach GJ Kinne Postgame

SAN MARCOS, Texas (AP) — Jordan McCloud threw four touchdown passes and Texas State had a program-record 703 yards of offense and scored on nine of its 12 possessions to rout Southern Miss 58-3 on Saturday night.

McCloud was 23-of-28 passing for 335 yards and threw two scores to Ismail Mahdi. Brad Jackson also threw a touchdown pass and ran for a score for Texas State (5-4, 3-2 Sun Belt Conference).

Kole Wilson had six receptions for 116 yards for the Bobcats. Konner Fox, Jaden Williams and Drew Donley each had a touchdown catch.

Lincoln Pare's 68-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter capped the scoring.

Connor Gibbs kicked a 46-yard field goal in the second quarter for Southern Miss (1-9, 0-6), which was held to 194 yards. Rodrigues Clark had 66 yards rushing on 15 carries for the Golden Eagles.

The Bobcats return to action at home against Georgia State Saturday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+

Texas State Postgame Notes – November 16, 2024
Texas State 58 (6-4, 4-2), Southern Miss 3 (1-9, 0-6)
Attendance: 22,618
UFCU Stadium | San Marcos, Texas
Media Guide | Roster | Schedule

NEXT GAME: Georgia State | Saturday, Nov. 23 | 6 p.m. CT
UFCU Stadium | San Marcos, Texas State University
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Varsity Network/89.9 FM KTSW

Captains: Joey Hobert, Jordan McCloud, Nash Jones, Mason Shipley, Ismail Mahdi, Kaleb Culp, Tory Spears

Series vs. Southern Miss: 3-2
Home: 1-2

Head Coach GJ Kinne
Career Record: 26-11
Career FBS Record: 14-9
Record at TXST: 14-9

• The Bobcats improve to 3-2 in the series with Southern Miss.
• Texas State wins four Sun Belt games for the second consecutive season after going 4-4 in 2023. It is the third time overall in the Sun Belt (2014, 5-3).
• TXST is bowl eligible for the second consecutive season after going 7-5 through the regular season in 2023.

Team Stats

• PROGRAM RECORD: TXST had 703 yards of total offense (was 697 vs Arkansas Pine-Bluff – 8/30/14)
  • 7th time this season with 400+
  • Season high was previously 591 vs Arkansas State
• Scored 50+ points
  • Season high
  • 1st time since 11/25/23 vs South Alabama
• 437 yards passing
  • Season high
  • 1st time with 400 since 11/4/17 vs New Mexico State
  • 4th most in the FBS era (previous game high was 326 vs SHSU)
• 5 passing TDs
  • Season high
  • 1st time with 5 since 10/1/16 vs UIW (6)
  • T2nd most in the FBS era (had 4 2x in 2024 – ASU, Ark St)
• Held Southern Miss scoreless in the second half
  • 3rd time this season holding an opponent scoreless in a half (Lamar & ULM)
• Held Southern Miss to 70 passing yards
  • Season low
  • 2nd time under 100 yards in 2024 (vs SHSU – 95)
• Held Southern Miss to 194 yards of total offense
  • Season low
  • 1st time holding an opponent under 200 yds since 12/26/23 vs Rice
• Season-high 13 TFLs
  • Was 11 at Troy
  • 3rd game with 10+
• Fast Start
  • TXST has outscored opponents 127-27 in the 1st quarter
  • Outscored opponents 219-95 in 1st half

Individual Stats
Jordan McCloud | QB
Maxwell Award Watch List, Walter Camp Award Watch List, Davey O'Brien Award Class of 2024, Manning Award Watch List, Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List, Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team

Passing: 23-28-1, 335 yds, 4TD
Rushing: 5-22 

• Season high for passing yards (331 came in first half)
• Ties season high for TDs (ASU, Arkansas State)
• 5th game in 2024 with 4+ TDs responsible for (UTSA, ASU, Troy, Ark St)
• 82.1% passing – 2nd best in 2024 (83.3% vs Ark St)

Career active numbers (NCAA Rank heading into Southern Miss)
TD passes - 83 (6)
Total TDs responsible for - 102 (5)
Passing Yards - 9,278 (17)
Total Offense – 10,236 (15)
Completions – 771 (16)

Brad Jackson | QB
Passing: 4-6, 102 yds, TD
Rushing: 3-32, TD

• 1st career passing TD
• 1st career 100-yd game
• 3rd career rushing TD (2nd consecutive game, 2 at ULM)

• Now has a reception in 28 straight games dating back to Nov. 5, 2022
• 1st 100-yd game in 2024
• 2nd 100-yd game at TXST (102 vs South Alabama, 11/25/23)

• Now has a reception in 33 straight games dating back to Dec. 31, 2021

Additional offensive notes:
4 players with receiving TDs - 1st time in 2024
3 players with rushing TDs - 3rd time in 2024 (UTSA, ULM)

James Neal | LB
Tied season high with 9 tackles (ODU)

Kameron Washington | DT
3.5 TFL (11 yards) – 1st of 2024 season

Trez Moore | CB
2nd straight game with an INT
 
Mason Shipley | K
Lou Groza Award Watch List, Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
7-8 PAT, 1-1 FG (40 yds)

Head Coach GJ Kinne Postgame

Opening Statement
Really big night, huge night for the football program, the university and everyone involved. Anytime you can get bowl eligible for the second year in a row. It is special and we want to celebrate it, and what better than to jump in the river with your guys that you go to work with every day. So I'm really happy for everyone involved.

Bowl eligibility for the second year in a row after this program went 10 years without having a bowl. What does it mean to hear that and then come in here and turn this program around. 
It's awesome, and it's not just me, it's the administration, it's the players, it's the coaches, it takes everyone to accomplish that back-to-back years. It's just the beginning and we're really excited to see where this one is going. And it is special for sure, it is one of those things where people lose sight of what we are doing and how fast we are doing it. I think that part is special.

Jordan McCould, 4 TD passes, 300 yards in the first half, just overall thoughts about not only his performance, but how the offense was operating.
I thought it was great for him to be healthy again. That was good to see, as a head coach and you got a senior quarterback out there. It was hard for me to watch him the last two weeks go out there and be hurt. I wanted him to be healthy, sometimes you have to protect kids from themselves. He's a special player with a really bright future ahead of him. 

How does this defense continue to get better?
Coach McCoil and that defensive staff do a great job. That's something that maybe is getting overlooked on the season, is how well the defense has played this year and you know our special teams has played really good as well. But I think, if you look around the country, it's hard to play defense in college football, and you know, we're playing really well.

We also saw Brad Jackson for the second week. What can you say about him as a player, and just what he's been doing these past couple of weeks?
He's a special player and he was ready to go tonight when his number was called. We will continue to have packages for him and he's just a student of the game. … I think the biggest thing I said last week, the players believe in Brad because they know what kind of work ethic he has and what kind of person he is.