TXST FOOTBALL
Colton’s Corner: TXST-UTSA game a must win for Bobcats
It’s rivalry week in San Marcos as Texas State battles the archrival UTSA Roadrunners.
Despite their short history in football, the rivalry has developed a fierceness on par to Texas-Texas A&M and Baylor-TCU, and this year’s game might be the biggest ever.
Both programs enter the game as one of the favorites to win the conference with the Roadrunners gunning for the American Athletic title and the Bobcats aiming for the Sun Belt Championship.
But with the expanded college football playoff and the Group of Five champion being given a spot, the winner of this week’s Texas State-UTSA game will potentially have a leg up in the chase for the coveted G5 playoff appearance.
In fact, this game may very well be the biggest game of the Texas State-UTSA series.
While being in position to potentially qualify for the playoffs would be great for the Bobcats, the pressure of exorcizing their Roadrunner demons is greater.
It is no secret about the Bobcats’ struggles against the Roadrunners on the field. Despite four of the five games played between Texas State and UTSA being determined by one possession, the Roadrunners are 5-0 all time against the Bobcats. The program, whose first season came in 2011, has been one step ahead of the Bobcats at seemingly every turn since both teams made the jump to Football Bowl Subdivision in 2012.
Since 2012, the Roadrunners have won two conference championships and qualified five bowl games with UTSA winning their first in 2023.
Texas State, on the other hand, has only made one bowl game appearance in 2023, though the Bobcats were bowl eligible in 2013 and 2014 only to be passed over.
Simply put, UTSA has seemingly thrived in the FBS while Texas State has been floundering.
However, it seems the Bobcats have found their footing under Head Coach G.J. Kinne after winning eight games last season, winning their first ever bowl game and beating Baylor to start the season. Now, it’s time to get the roadrunner off their back.
Since 2023, the Bobcats are now in the same spotlight as UTSA due to their status as one of the premier G5 programs not only in Texas but in the nation as a whole.
While Texas State could very well be the G5 representative for the College Football Playoff, if the football gods are willing, the season may not mean as much if the Bobcats don’t come away with a win against UTSA.
Heading into their week two showdown, Texas State must win this not just for keeping playoff dreams alive, but for the state of the program.
The struggles of the Bobcat football program between 2015-2022 can also be defined by their rivalry with UTSA, when Texas State tripped over themselves – sometimes metaphorically and sometimes literally – and allowed the Roadrunners to gain the advantage.
If the Bobcats want to fully shed the bad karma of the previous faults, beating UTSA would go a long way.
Though this is only a week two football game, everything seemingly hinges on the result of the Texas State-UTSA game.
It is the classic college football rivalry game. One team leaves with the glory of bragging rights and a leg up in the playoff race. The other must wallow in their misery.
cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc
