The Bobcats head into their famous rivalry against UTSA, the “I-35 showdown”, with plans to build on their red-hot start to their season. Texas State is coming off a dominant season opener against Eastern Michigan, where their offense accounted for 606 total yards, with 392 of them coming on the ground. Other than the Bobcat defense looking shaky at times, the fans couldn’t have asked for a much better start to the season. QB Brad Jackson, WR Beau Sparks and RB Lincoln Pare ran the show on Saturday night and simply took care of business. It made the fans believe that the glowing reviews they heard about this trio over the offseason may hold some weight.
As much as I’d like to dive into the success that Texas State had in week 2, Texas State has a very important game in less than a few days that deserves an in-depth preview. Head Coach GJ Kinne and the Bobcats have their sights set on the Roadrunners with the intention of leaving San Antonio with a win for the second year in a row. UTSA is actively trying to beat their all-time attendance record on Saturday as they’ve been promoting it on their social accounts for weeks now. Some say they’re focused on breaking a record. Others would claim that they’re scared of the Alamodome being filled to the brim in maroon. Either way, Bobcat fans should encourage them breaking the record as it’s a good publicity for both programs. For such an anticipated G5 matchup, fans (and GJ Kinne) are frustrated with the game being televised on ESPN+ instead of ESPN 1 or 2. Take a look at GJ giving his thoughts on the matter:
Keys to the Passing Game
First, let’s focus on the passing game. Redshirt Freshman QB Brad Jackson is coming off a hot start in week 1, where he connected with WR Beau Sparks in the endzone four separate times. The duo seemed unstoppable and the chemistry was apparent. It was eerily similar to the Matthew Stafford – Cooper Kupp connection we saw on the LA Rams over the last couple of years. When Brad Jackson was keeping plays alive, Sparks was finding open spaces in the secondary at just the right time. UTSA has been watching film on this all week and will have a plan in place to make sure they limit Sparks as much as possible. It will be necessary that WR Chris Dawn gets more involved in the offense in week 2. Dawn secured 5 receptions for 50 yards in the Bobcats opener, but he will have to play a much bigger role in this upcoming matchup. He was the anticipated wide receiver 1 coming into the offseason and this will be his chance to act like it. They’ll need a few big plays from him like this one from last season:
UTSA just came off a week 1 loss to Texas A&M where they let up 399 yards of total offense with 291 coming in the air. It may seem like the Roadrunner defense was fairly stout, but the Aggies were in control for most of the game and were playing quite cautious towards the second half. The UTSA defense showed promising moments, but made too many big mistakes against a Marcel Reed lead offense. I have more confidence in Brad Jackson than Reed, and he seemed to have no problem against the Roadrunners.
In terms of other pass catchers, a big key to this game will be how the Bobcats utilize their tight ends. This program has never been known for their tight ends making a big impact in the passing game, but GJ Kinne has hinted at it being a much bigger part of his offense this year. Oklahoma transfer Blake Smith and Louisiana transfer Ty Stamey must step up in the case the Birds have a plan for the Bobcats wideouts. Head Coach GJ Kinne played around with some 8-personnel vs. Eastern Michigan and I expect him to sprinkle it in again. Here’s coach breaking down what he expects from his team in this rivalry matchup:
Keys to the Running Game
One thing the Bobcats fanbase can feel comfortable with coming off last week’s win was the run game. Running back Lincoln Pare ended the night with 12 carries, 167 yards and a touchdown. When Pare wasn’t on the field, Greg Burrell was taking his place and nearly replicating his production. I expect this duo to build on this momentum against the Roadrunners. While that may be seem tough to do as the UTSA defense only allowed 108 rushing yards against the Aggies last week, GJ Kinne’s game plan and this Texas State running back room should be better suited to deal with this Roadrunner defense. With Texas State having the heaviest(!) offensive line in college football, it should make it easier for these backs against an undersized defensive front.
It may work in the Bobcats favor that they had two clear stars take most of the workload last week (Sparks and Pare). Hopefully, UTSA will have tunnel vision on those two which will open up opportunities for Texas State’s many other talented skill players like WR Kylen Evans, WR Chris Dawn, TE Blake Smith, etc. As mentioned in my last article, setting up play-action plays by starting the run game off hot is the key to the Bobcats winning football games. Get Pare and Burrell heated up and follow up with some rollout plays. Give Brad Jackson the opportunity to get mobile and work his magic, either with his legs or arm. If they can do that, I could see this being a blowout. As arrogant as I am, QB Brad Jackson is level headed looking forward to the game. Take a look:
Defensive Keys
Onto the other side of the ball. The Texas State defense knocked off some rust last week and plans to bring more intensity this Saturday at the Alamodome. The Bobcats defense had no glaring issues from last game, but showed moments of weakness, especially in the first half. Tackling was poor, secondary was iffy and pass rushing was nearly nonexistent until the last quarter. This defense has a few young starters who are lacking experience but they must be mentally prepared for this matchup if they want a shot at the I-35 Showdown trophy.
The Bobcats defense will face their first real test against an Owen McCown lead offense who accounted for 373 total yards last week, with 203 yards coming on the ground and 170 in the air. The game ended in a loss for the Roadrunners with their running back Robert Henry Jr. being their only shining light. He ended the game with 177 yards and two touchdowns, practically keeping this UTSA team in the game the entire time. The Bobcats defense was shaky last week but if they attack the run and get star EDGE rusher Kalil Alexander involved early, they have a good chance of shutting down this Roadrunner offense. GJ Kinne and his staff need to be running tackling drills every practice this week because Robert Henry Jr. will shake off those arm tackles we saw in week 1 with ease. This clip needs to be on repeat in the Texas State film room this week:
This anticipated matchup should be one for the books. Both fanbases have been trash-talking all offseason and now have the chance to see their teams back it up. UTSA opens the game as -4.5 favorites at home with the Over/Under sitting at 66.5. The Bobcats have the opportunity to show the college football world that they’re a competitive football program and deserve respect. Add that on top of a potential win over the Sun Devils in Tempe the week after? Pinch me. Bobcat fans – show up and show out. It’ll be a game you won’t want to miss.
Score Prediction: TXST 34 UTSA 24