TXST FOOTBALL
Texas State defeated Arkansas State 41-9, avenging their 77-31 last season to the Red Wolves in front of a sellout crowd at UFCU Stadium.
Head Coach G.J. and the Bobcats improve to 4-2 overall with their first 2-0 start in Sun Belt conference play along with the largest margin of victory over Arkansas State.
“Obviously a huge win for us against a quality opponent,” Kinne said. “I thought we played really well and were clean in all three phases. … Just super proud of the guys and coaches. We had a great plan against a quality team. The crowd was awesome and fun to see. We play well at home, and we are a really good football team. You can see it every single time we play.”
Having been a part of last year’s blowout loss to Arkansas State, running back Ismail Mahdi was happy to get back their win.
“It feels really good to go out there and get the dub,” Mahdi said. “The defense did a really good job, and I’m proud of them. [Arkansas State] didn’t score a touchdown. It felt good for the team, and it’s good morale for the team.”
The Bobcat defense forced two turnovers and allowed no touchdowns in Texas State’s 41-9 win over the Arkansas State Red Wolves. Daily Record photo by Gerald Castillo
Arkansas State struck first, scoring on a 41-yard field goal and taking an early 3-0 lead.
The Bobcats responded by putting up seven points. With the ball at midfield, quarterback Jordan McCloud hit wide receiver Kole Wilson for a 53-yard touchdown pass, allowing Texas State to go up in front 7-3.
The Bobcat defense came up with the first big play of the game as linebacker Treylin Payne intercepted the pass and handed the ball back to the offense.
Texas State was stuffed on fourth down on the following drive but the defense backed the offense up by forcing Arkansas State to punt.
McCloud added his second touchdown of the night, rushing in for the five-yard touchdown run while losing his helmet in the process.
At the end of the first quarter, Texas State led 14-3.
Arkansas State answered back with a field goal only for Bobcat kicker Mason Shipley to answer back with a 39-yard field goal kick to make a 17-6 game.
The Red Wolves got the ball back and drove to inside the Bobcat 20-yard line with just 34 seconds remaining in the game.
But the Texas State defense held firm and kept Arkansas State out of the endzone as the Red Wolves settled for the field goal.
At halftime, the Bobcats led 17-9.
Receiving the ball to start the second half, the Bobcats found paydirt when McCloud hit wide receiver Jaden Williams for a 25-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 24-9.
The Red Wolves got the ball back and drove to inside the Bobcat 30-yard line. But Texas State had other ideas. On the Red Wolves’ rushing play, the Bobcat cornerback Jordan Polk forced a fumble, allowing the Bobcats to recover and once again stopped Arkansas State from finding the endzone.
“In those moments, you have to focus on creating game changing plays,” Polk said. “The opportunity is going to present itself. Every time in critical [moments] in a game, the opportunity is going to position itself, so you just have to be ready to make the play.”
The turnover proved costly for the Red Wolves as the Bobcats drove down the field and scored on a 30-yard touchdown pass from McCloud to wide receiver Joey Hobert.
The Bobcat defense forced another Red Wolf punt with Texas State having the ball at the Arkansas State eight-yard line going into the fourth quarter.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, McCloud and Hobert connected again, scoring on the shovel pass and pushed the lead to 38-9.
Shipley tacked on the final points of the game by kicking a 29-yard field goal to make the final score 41-9.
McCloud finished the game with 320 passing yards and four touchdowns. Mahdi ran for 164 yards on 17 carries as the team rushed for over 200 yards for the second straight game after running for less than 100 against Sam Houston.
“Coach Neely does a great job putting ourselves in great situations when it comes to game time,” Mahdi said. “We are too good of a running back group to not make plays, so he harps [on] it everyday.”
The Bobcat defense held Arkansas State to 384 yards of offense but limited the Red Wolves to just three field goals in the first half and kept their opponents off the scoreboard in the second half.
“It means everything,” Polk said. “You know how it is with our offense. Field goals cannot beat us no matter how many you kick. … Our job is to give the ball and let them do what they do.”
Texas State will be back on the road this Saturday against Old Dominion.
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m.
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