Texas State (0-0, 0-0 Sun Belt) vs Eastern Michigan (0-0, 0-0 MAC)

Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025
UFCU Stadium | San Marcos, Texas
Kickoff: 7 p.m. CT

TV: ESPN+
            Brant Freeman (Play-by-play)
            Keith Moreland (Analyst)

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

X/Twitter Updates: @TXSTATEFOOTBALL

Head Coach GJ Kinne Week 1 Media Availability

Gameday What to Watch for...

• Pre-game Pac-12 and Bowl Championship Celebration
• Halftime Pac-12 drone show
• Postgame TXST drone show
• Return of the Fun Zone
• HEB-TXST Rally Towel Giveaway (First 10,000 fans)

Texas Strong...
TXST is joining football teams across Texas and will wear a helmet sticker in memory of those affected by this summer's devastating floods.


Standing together and wearing our hearts on our helmets. A green ribbon over the state of Texas in memory of the victims and all those impacted by this summer's devastating floods. #TexasStrong

Opening Drive...

• The Bobcats were picked to finish second in the Sun Belt Conference's West Division as announced in the 2025 preseason coaches poll, sharing first-place votes with division-favorite Louisiana. 
• TXST won its second consecutive bowl game and finished the 2024 slate 8-5 overall and 5-3 in conference play, winning the most Sun Belt league games for the program since 2014. 
• The eight overall wins gave the Bobcats back-to-back seasons of reaching the mark, having not done so since the 1982-83 seasons.
• GJ Kinne became the first head coach to record consecutive eight-win seasons since Jim Wacker in 1981-82.
• TXST enters its final season in the Sun Belt, announcing on June 30 that it will transition to the Pac-12 conference on July 1, 2026.
• Texas State posted the highest home season attendance average the program has seen in 2024 (22,649) besting the 2023 total, and had two sellouts at UFCU Stadium in 2024 (UTSA & Arkansas State).
• In January, Head Coach GJ Kinne announced a trio of football staff updates including the promotion of Landon Keopple to Offensive Coordinator and the hirings of Tanner Burns and Randy Martinez.
• Brad Jackson, Lincoln Pare, Dorion Strawn, Kalil Alexander, Ryan Nolan, Treylin Payne and David Nunez were voted on by their teammates as captains for the 2025 season.
• For the second consecutive season, and third in the last four, Texas State has won the Sun Belt Conference's Vic Bubas Cup, which is presented annually to the league's top athletics department.
• Beginning with the 2025 season, the Sun Belt Conference will publish availability reports for all conference football games.
• TXST opens the Johnny and Nathali Weisman Football Performance Center this season, which includes coach's offices, athletic training facilities, the Trevillion Weight Room and team meeting rooms

A Win vs Eastern Michigan Means...

• The Bobcats win their third straight season opener after defeating Lamar 34-27 in 2024 and upsetting [rv/rv] Baylor 42-31 in 2023. TXST is 66-45-4 all-time in season openers.
• TXST wins its fourth straight home opener (2024, Lamar 34-27; 2023, Jackson State, 77-34; 2022, FIU 41-12).
• The Bobcats start the season 1-0 at UFCU Stadium after three straight seasons of winning 4+ games at home.
• TXST gets its first program win over Eastern Michigan after falling 51-29 in 2021.
• GJ Kinne wins his 17th game as coach of the Bobcats, and third consecutive season opener, after back-to-back 8 win seasons in 2023 and 2024.

2025 Captains | TXST Highlights...
Lincoln Pare | 2025 AFCA Good Works Team Nominee ... 2025 First Responder Bowl MVP ... 2024 College Sports Communicators Comeback Award Watch List ... 25 games played ... 267 rushes for 1326 yards and 13 TDs ... 41 catches for 343 yards and 1 TD ... 1 kick return.

Brad Jackson | 2025 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List ... 3 games played ... 8 completions for 118 yards and a TD ... 22 rushes for 164 yards and 4 TDs.

Dorion Strawn | 23 games played including 23 starts ... Helped the Bobcats to national rankings of 5th in total offense (476.9), 8th in scoring offense (36.5) and 16th in rushing offense (208.2) in 2025 ... Also ranked 4th in first down offense (339).

Kalil Alexander | 19 games played with 5 starts ... 46 tackles, including leading TXST in 2024 with 13 TFLs and 8.5 sacks.

Ryan Nolan | 12 games played with 7 starts ... Tied for 2nd on the team 52 tackles with 2 fumble recoveries in 2024.

Treylin Payne | 13 games played ... 28 tackles and tied for a team-high 2 INTs in 2024.

David Nunez | On the TXST roster since 2020 ... received scholarship in Aug. 2025 ... 17 games played ... 16 punts for 629 yards, including 15 for 575 in 2024.

Inside the Series...
All-Time Record: EMU leads 1-0
Home: -
Away: EMU leads 1-0
Most points scored by TXST: 21 (2021)
Most points scored by EMU: 59 (2021)
Largest margin of victory by TXST: -
Largest margin of victory by EMU: 38 (2021)
Longest win streak by TXST: -
Longest win streak by EMU: 1

Last time out: 9/25/21  |  Ypsilanti, Mich.  |  L    21-59

Complete Notes Packet...