Texas State will be seeking payback in their rematch against Arizona State this Saturday night after their heartbreaking loss last year in San Marcos. The Bobcats fell to the Sun Devils in a punching match last season with a score of 31-28. This was a game the Bobcats felt they should’ve won and was another matchup they lost in the second half. Head Coach GJ Kinne has emphasized how much they’ve worked on and learned from these 2nd half struggles over the offseason. His team has the chance to prove it this Saturday night in Tempe, AZ at 9:30PM CST.
The Bobcats come into week 3 red-hot off a big win against rival UTSA. The Bobcats offense took control of the game resulting in a score of 43-36. On the other end of the matchup, the Sun Devils are coming off an upset loss to Mississippi State where they lost 20-24.
Offensive Keys
Texas State enters Saturday night as a 14.5-point underdog. Arizona State being unranked now is unfortunate in the case the Bobcats prevail, but the Texas State fanbase doesn’t have a lot to complain about right now. QB Brad Jackson must have another unbelievable performance against Arizona State if they want to hang in this game. It was clear over the weekend in San Antonio that the Bobcat defense still has plenty to work on. This means Brad Jackson and his weapons need to keep a firm grasp on this strong start and continue to build on what’s been working for them.
Jackson nearly threw for 300 yards while connecting with clear wide receiver one Beau Sparks for 155 of them. The Sun Devil defense has been less than impressive to start the season facing less than mediocre offenses in Mississippi State and Northern Arizona. The Texas State offense should have no issues moving the ball and will have to rely heavily on their passing game. The Sun Devils defense has allowed more than 200 yards passing against both opponents they’ve faced this year. Here’s WR Beau Sparks on his thoughts heading into the matchup as he aims to build onto his hot start:
The Sun Devils run defense has been a different story, allowing less than 100 yards through 2 games. If running backs Lincoln Pare and Torrance Burgess Jr. can get going early in this game, we could see a very high scoring affair from the Bobcat offense. QB Brad Jackson is playing lights out and will be going against a secondary that plays a lot of Cover 0/Cover 1. As long as Jackson can handle the blitz well like he has in the first two games, the Bobcats will dominate the passing game. Get ready for the Sun Devils to bring the heat and put the pressure on Jackson to make plays. Wideouts Beau Jackson and Chris Dawn need to play their roles and exploit uneven matchups.
Defensive Keys
One upside for Texas State this year is that they don’t have to plan for the Sun Devils previous star RB Cam Skattebo. He was clearly the game wrecker in last year’s matchup and will be a weight off the Bobcats shoulders in week 3. The Texas State defense has shown glimpses of potential in their first two games but have a lot of cleanup work to do. The run defense has been disappointing, allowing almost 300 yards through two contests. The biggest challenge this week will be containing the Sun Devils mobile QB Sam Leavitt. We saw the Bobcats struggle with long runs from UTSA QB Josh McCown last week and will have an even bigger hill to climb this week with Leavitt. He’s much more skilled and understands how to manipulate the defense into thinking he’s throwing deep down the field. If head coach GJ Kinne has been focusing on this in practice this week with his defense, the Bobcats have a good chance to make a big splash in the college football universe this Saturday. Here’s Bobcats Safety Ryan Nolan’s thoughts on the matchup heading into the weekend:
The Texas State secondary has been worrisome as well and must be prepared for a few deep shots to start the game. ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham is known for coming out hot and attacking, especially when he’s fired up after a big loss. The Sun Devils won’t be afraid to take shots early. Leading tackler Ryan Nolan and his secondary will need to step up and be prepared to face a power 5 offense.
One thing is clear; this Texas State football program has massive momentum heading into this matchup and the Sun Devils do not. However, the Sun Devils seem hungry for a win after a disappointing loss to Mississippi State last weekend. Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham has been praised for his up-and-coming coaching career, similarly to Texas State head coach GJ Kinne. Take a look at GJ Kinne’s response when being asked about the difficulties Arizona State presents and how he respects their coaching staff:
This will be a battle between two young and newly successful head coaches. GJ Kinne has a good shot to go into week 4 undefeated as long as his team keeps their foot on the gas and game plans correctly. From what we’ve seen so far this season, I feel confident he has the boys ready to play. Keep on rollin’ Cats.
Score Prediction: Texas State 42 Arizona State 38