Wrapping up McMurry...

• Brent Benson couldn't be stopped on Tuesday night. The senior guard lit up McMurry and the San Marcos sky with 40 points. He shot 12-of-19 from the field with nine 3-pointers. Benson tied his school record with nine treys and finished three points shy of the Strahan Coliseum record for individual scoring. After the game, Benson said, "My teammates did a great job of finding me and tonight, the shots were luckily falling for me. I felt really good coming into the game."
• Texas State set a Strahan Coliseum team scoring record by tallying 112 points. When Roshun Jackson dunked home a steal with 51.9 seconds remaining, it broke the old standard set Jan. 30, 1990 against Northwestern State.
• During halftime, Davalos said he talked to his team about a level of disrespect the Indians were showing them. McMurry ran a 1-4 flat in the first half on offense, which sent four attackers to the baseline, and only one into the paint. The Bobcats didn't change their defensive scheme that much in the second half, but got their hands in the lane. Texas State finished with 12 steals and 35 points off turnovers.
• The Bobcats scored 23 second-chance points and outrebounded the Indians, 42-22.
• Texas State scored 63 points in the second half. Four points shy of another Strahan Coliseum record.
  

Texas State's 2009 men's basketball signing class...

According to Rivals.com, three players have signed Letters of Intent to play at Texas State next season. NCAA rules prohibit coaches from commenting on players until they are enrolled, so right now, highlights and names will do.

• J.B. Conley - A 6-foot, 6-inch small forward from Temple, TX., had a plethora of options. Among those that recruited him were Texas Christian, Alabama St., Liberty, Oral Roberts, Texas Tech and UC Irvine.
• Dylan Hale - A 5-foot, 10-inch shooting guard from Minneapolis, MN. Other schools to recruit him were Southern Methodist and Fairfield. He could fit a role of a Brent Benson-like player, but I would expect him to be moved to point guard.
• Uriel Segura - A 6-foot, 3-inch point guard from Waco, TX. The only other school to recruit him was Wisconsin-Green Bay. Not much is known about him, but the Bobcats will need a new point guard once Corey Jefferson graduates.
  

Arkansas QB might transfer to Texas State

According to the Arkansas Gazette Democrat, Razorback QB Nathan Dick asked for his transfer from the program. A source close to Dick said he has interest in transferring to Texas State.

If he in fact does transfer, it makes the QB situation a little murky. Bradley George earned his spot with a tremendous second half of the season and Bobcat head coach Brad Wright has talked so much about Tim Hawkins, who was redshirted this season.

Only time will tell.

Here's the story: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/246879/

Texas State sleeps through loss against New Orleans

If you just looked at the box score for Texas State's game against New Orleans, it wouldn't tell the story of the game. The Bobcats looked uninterested in the game, only two days after nearly pulling an upset of the fifth-ranked Texas Longhorns.

Texas State trailed by one at halftime and hung tough in the second. The Bobcats were somehow able to keep it respectable, although going 9-of-26 in the last 12 minutes.

In several huge stretches in the game, Texas State's seniors were on the bench. The only Bobcat upperclassman to have an impact was Brandon Bush (15 points and eight rebounds). Bush's slashing layup brought Texas State within one point, but wasn't enough.

Following the game, Bobcat head coach Doug Davalos lamented his team's performance. He accepted full responsibility for the loss, but said if his team had any credibility, the seniors would too, as well.

Texas State has lost three-consecutive games and host Prairie View A&M on Sunday.

Two players gone from Texas State men's bball team...

Seven games into the 2008 season and the Texas State men's basketball team is already losing players. Not due to injury, but sources have said they quit due to playing time.

Tre Nichols and Gordon Taylor are no longer Bobcats. Nichols and Taylor are no longer on the roster on the Web site, nor have they dressed in recent games.

Nichols was a heavily-recruited guard out of Killeen. He played in three games for Texas State, averaging 12 minutes and seven points per contest. Nichols was one of the Bobcats' best defenders in his short time, notching five steals.

Taylor, who walked-on in 2007, played in five games this season. He never accumulated much playing time and as a walk-on, it's difficult. He saw six minutes per game this season, averaging 1.8 ppg.

The loss of Nichols and Taylor leaves Texas State with 12 players. It should increase Corey Jefferson and Ryan White's playing time at point guard. Brent Benson should also see an increase in minutes with no one pushing him.

Wrapping up SAGU...

Texas State dominated Southwestern Assemblies of God tonight, 110-69. The Bobcat scored the second-most points in school history and played a complete game. Granted, Texas State played a NAIA school, but there were a bunch of positives, while some negatives to take from the game.

Positives

• The Bobcats looked remarkably better on defense. Texas State, at one point, held the Lions scoreless for a span of six minutes in the first half. Yes, SAGU isn't the deftest offensive team, but it is still shooting at the basket, as well. The Lions did get a few open looks, but the Bobcats closed out.
• Texas State moved the ball well, creating open looks. The Bobcats shot 56 percent from the floor in the second half, mainly from points in the paint and alley-oops. Texas State made it look easy at some points.
• John Bowman and Cameron Johnson are turning into good ballplayers. While Bowman is a freshman, he will play upperclassman minutes and Johnson, a sophomore, is one of the team's best defenders.
• Every player who touched the court for the Bobcats scored. Depth is important, no matter when in the season a game is.
  

Negatives

• Texas State misses way too many free throws. The Bobcats went 15-of-30 tonight and committed too many useless fouls in the second half. Texas State could have easily set the school record for points if they made 65-70 percent of their gift shots. The Bobcats, while they are being aggressive on defense, need to limit the ticky-tack fouls.
• Ty Gough still suffers from the "little big man" syndrome. Gough doesn't go up strong enough in the post, often times very weak. He's evidently one of the best squatters on the team, so he should be able to get push off the floor. Gough has a good touch around the rim, just isn't going to be feared by many teams.
• Texas State looked careless with the ball at times. The Bobcats' ball handlers (Ryan White, Corey Jefferson and Tre Nichols) need to know when and when not to pass. Jefferson did well tonight and also hit a 3-pointer.
• While it did play better defensively, Texas State needs to lock out on man defense. The Bobcats sag a little too much and better teams will take advantage of that.
  

The reason for Brent Benson's emergence...

Many fans of the Texas State men's basketball team are noticing an emergence of Brent Benson as a true scoring threat on the team. Last season, Benson did average 12 points per game, but in limited action.

Benson, according to head coach Doug Davalos, is learning to be an "adequate defender," thus earning more playing time in his system. The second-year guard has worked a lot on his help-side defense, trying to draw charges and the like.

Davalos mentioned his team is never going to be a "great defensively," but he'll take "good" any day. He said if they can be "great offensively and good defensively," they have a shot at "doing some big things."

The Bobcats return home tonight against Southwest Assemblies of God.

Live from Washington Grizzly Stadium

• Some ugly weather today, drizzling and about 40 degrees.
• We'll see if turnovers play into today.
• Texas State won the toss and will receive - time to get out to a fast start.
• Bobcats get on the board first with a 47-yard field goal from Andrew Ireland. False start to begin the drive, but Texas State moved the ball well throughout.
• After allowing Montana to convert a long third down, the Bobcat defense locked down and forced a punt. If Texas State scores here, it could take the LOUD crowd out of the game.
• The Bobcats fail to capitalize, they punt it away.
• INTERCEPTION, TEXAS STATE. Morris Crosby picks the ball...Bobcat ball at their own 42-yard line.
• TOUCHDOWN BOBCATS. 16-YARD CATCH BY CAMERON LUKE. George settles in and locks in. 10-0 TX STATE.
• Karrington Bush fumbles. Don't expect to see him again today.
• The Bobcats' defense is stepping up today, with some big stops. Every UM drive has either ended in a punt or turnover.
• Texas State's defense doesn't look to good to open the second half. Two straight runs opened for 15 yards and then the secondary broke down for a 40-yard gain.
• The Bobcats forced a 3rd-and-18, but UM quarterback Cole Bergquist rushes for a 21-yard touchdown. Texas State missed three tackles (Courtney Smith, Michael Rutlidge and Travis Houston).
• If the Bobcats don't come out and score on this drive, consider the momentum turned.
• Well, the momentum has flipped. Texas State failed to score and Montana takes the ball back and scores on its next drive. The Bobcats are now down 21-10. Missed opportunities and tackles have killed Texas State today.
• The Bobcats kick a field goal to bring it within 21-13, and stopped a second-and-10 for a 1-yard gain, but a personal foul gives Montana a first.
• Texas State stops the Grizzlies on a third-and-7, yet, another personal foul (this time by Kenneth Hampton) gives them a first down.
• Bobcat head coach Brad Wright grabbed Hampton by the facemask for a while when he came to the sideline.
• Montana scores on a 1-yard touchdown run by Reynolds, giving it a 28-13 lead with 12:50 remaining in the game.
• Texas State running back Alvin Canady coughed it up on the 3-yard line, the Grizzlies marched down the field and kicked a 37-yard field goal to open up the game, 31-13.
• The Bobcats were outclassed by Montana in this one.
  

Headed to Montana...

The next time I post on this blog, I will be in Montana. Post questions in the comments section and I'll try to get answers for you. Safe travels for all of those making the trip.

Three reasons why Texas State will win on Saturday...

Today, I asked Texas State head coach Brad Wright and Courtney Smith for three reasons why the team will beat Montana. Here are their responses:

Wright: "Well, I think our team thinks we can and that's the most important thing. I think we're going to have more speed than what they're used to seeing. I really believe our defense is going to step up in a way that Montana doesn't think they can. I feel that we're a better football team than Montana gives us credit for. I've heard from them up there that this is just a warm-up game for next week. You know, let them overlook us."

Smith: "Coming into this week, we're firing on offense. We're hungry on defense and three, we just want to play. We have nothing to lose. We don't feel like our backs are against the wall. We just want to play."


Sounds like the Bobcats are confident in what they will do on Saturday. The Daily Record will be there for all of your coverage needs.

Texas State vs Montana to be televised

Here is the press release from Time Warner Cable...

The Texas State Bobcats will take on the University of Montana Grizzlies on Saturday, November 29th live on Time Warner Cable. Coverage begins at 1:00 p.m., with kickoff at 1:05 p.m. in the opening round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

A field of 16 teams from conferences such as Mid-Eastern, Ohio Valley, Big Sky and others will compete in a playoff format to become Division I champion. Texas State University - San Marcos is this year’s qualifying team from the Southland Conference.

Time Warner Cable will make the playoff game available to its Digital Cable customers living in the San Marcos, Austin, Waco, Dallas, and San Antonio areas. “We’re excited to provide Texas State fans and alumni the opportunity to see their team play live on Time Warner Cable,” said Stacy Schmitt, VP of Communications for Time Warner Cable Central Texas.

Customers in areas listed below will see the Texas State game on these channels:

Austin and San Marcos – Digital Channel 77
Waco – Digital Channel 15
Dallas Metro Sports – Channel 185
San Antonio – Digital Channel 50


A subscription to Digital Cable is required according to the company.

The Daily Record will be in Montana

The San Marcos Daily Record will be covering the Texas State vs. Montana game in Missoula this Saturday. Be sure to send your questions for the team to Tyler Mayforth and he'll be sure to ask them. Check in the Daily Record each day for new updates and  stories about the game.

Live from Bowers Stadium (Texas State at Sam Houston State)

• Texas State looks very uptight today.
• Bobcat punt returner Drenard Williams lets a ball bounce over his head, goes back to get it, but is BLASTED by a Sam Houston State defender. FUMBLE. Bearkats recover.
• SHSU scores on the next play. Texas State is down 7-0.
• Bobcats go three-and-out, punt, Bearkats take over.
• Texas State's secondary, which looked good in the early going is starting to be tested by Bomar.
• SHSU scores on a 25-yard touchdown pass across the middle to Trey Payne. No safety help, leading to an easy throw-and-catch to Payne.
• Bearkats taking advantage of a weak Bobcat secondary. Bomar connects on his second touchdown pass of the day. Three missed tackles by Texas State.
• I will be taking questions for Coach Wright following the game.
• Good playcall by the Bobcats, George finds John Gilley wide open for a 14-yard touchdown. Gilley trucked a SHSU defender at the goalline.
• 30-yard FG by Ireland...21-10 Bearkats
• Ireland boots another field goal, this time from 48 yards.
  
• Texas State takes some momentum going into the half, only down 21-13.
• The Bobcats have been threatening all day to break a long kickoff return and finally they did. Karrington Bush breaks a 79-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
• TEXAS STATE COMES BACK FROM 21-0 TO TIE THE GAME AT 28-ALL. 6:42 LEFT IN THE THIRD QUARTER.
  

Live from Strahan Coliseum (Tx State vs. Huston Tillitson)

• Texas State is up 41-35 with 6:00 remaining in the first half.
• Bobcat guard John Rybak has really impressed me with his shooting so far. He began the game 4-for-4 from beyond the arc and is not afraid to let it go.
• Texas State forward Ty Gough still seems to have the "little big man" syndrome, not wanting to go up strong to the basket, but evidently, he's one of the strongest players on the team.
• The Bobcats were down 2-0 without even playing a second. An administrative technical foul was called, putting the Rams to the line before the game even started.
  

Possibility of home playoff games for Bobcats...

Had an opportunity to talk with Dr. Teis yesterday about the possibility of a home playoff game, should Texas State advance.  He told me the likelihood of a first round game is slim, but if the Bobcats get into the second round, the chances are higher.  Texas State made bids on all three rounds of the playoffs, so the more games it wins, the higher possibility of a home game.

It all starts Saturday for the Bobcats.  Win and their in.

Live from Bobcat Stadium (Texas State vs. Nicholls State)

• Very windy at Bobcat Stadium, the breeze is blowing toward the end zone complex at 24 miles per hour. Field goals will be tough today.
• Texas State has struggled to stop the run on third down. Nicholls State has converted three on its first drive.
• The Colonels take the early 3-0 on a 40-yard field goal. Nicholls State took 7:27 off the clock on the drive.
• The Bobcats are running formations will all three quarterbacks in. Whenever they do, Clint Toon gets the snap and takes it on a keeper. If Texas State doesn't change that up, Nicholls could key on it.
• Tie game after Andrew Ireland boots a 19-yard field goal.
• GREAT playcalling by the Bobcats to get Cameron Luke WIDE OPEN for a 26-yard touchdown pass. After two straight runs, George play-faked and found Luke all alone in the end zone. It was Luke's 16th touchdown catch this season.
• Looks like Wright is trying to make it up to Zwinggi with the amount of runs he's getting. Zwinggi punches in a 5-yard touchdown run to make it 17-3.
• Texas State limited to Nicholls State to less than three yards per carry in the first half.
• The Bobcats rushed for 145 yards in the half.
  

Big win for Texas State men's bball team...

The Texas State men's basketball team opened the Tip Off Classic in Hawaii with a 76-66 win against Cal State-Fullerton. Brent Benson led all scorers with 25 points, while Emmanuel Bidias A' Moute chipped in 18.

The Bobcats held a 40-23 lead at half, while shooting 46 percent from the floor. Benson finished shooting 8-of-13 with four assists and two steals.

Texas State still struggled from the free throw line, going 26-for-40. The Bobcats missed 14 free throws, which does need to be ironed out before the season really gets going. Texas State was tormented last season by poor free throw shooting, so it will be an interesting development this season.

Regardless, it was a big win for the Bobcats and they look like they turned a corner.

Sure bets for this weekend...

I'm going to try my best to handicap five games this weekend in both college and the NFL.  Take in mind, I'm no better at picking than any other writer out there, but hey, I nailed the Hays-Lehman score last week.  So, without further ado...

1. Texas (-13.5) at Kansas: Judging how the Longhorns played last week against Baylor, it seems they might come out firing against the Jayhawks.  It's supposed to be cold though, so it could have a factor.  I would take Kansas.

2. Oklahoma State (-17.5) at Colorado: The Cowboys were throttled last week by Texas Tech and I don't expect it to be close this weekend.  I would safely take Oklahoma State and the points.

3. South Carolina at Florida (-23): The Gators have been putting a hurting on every one of their opponents since losing to Mississippi.  Florida could be primed for an upset.  I don't see the Gators winning by more than 20, so take the Gamecocks.

4. Baltimore at New York (-6.5): This is a rematch of Super Bowl XXXVII (?).  The Ravens are playing well right now with Joe Flacco at quarterback, but the Giants are too good.  Take New York and the points.

5. Philadelphia (-9) at Cincy: The Bengals are not playing well at all right now and Carson Palmer still isn't healthy.  Look for the Eagles to blitz Cincy all day.  Take Philadelphia and the points.

News shakes up the SLC...

This came out of the Southland Conference media call today...

FRISCO, Texas – The Southland Conference has been notified by the NCAA that the league cannot award its 2008 championship to its reclassifying member Central Arkansas as planned, should the Bears finish the season in the top position of the league’s standings.

By awarding a championship to UCA, or any declaration or reference by the Southland that the institution is the conference champion, the NCAA will revoke the league’s automatic qualification (AQ) into the Division I Football Championship.

As a reclassifying NCAA member moving from Division II to I, Central Arkansas is in the midst of a four-year transition period that, among other things, prohibits its sports programs from participating in NCAA Championships. Once the university completes the transition, its programs are scheduled to have full NCAA DI Championships access beginning in the fall of 2010.

The conference’s membership had approved plans to allow UCA to compete fully for football championship honors, but would have awarded its approved automatic bid to the highest finishing NCAA-eligible team if Central Arkansas finished first in the regular season. Therefore, the championship will be determined amongst the league’s seven other football programs.

“We are very disappointed to learn our competitive plans will not be accepted by the NCAA,” Southland commissioner Tom Burnett said. “Despite our efforts to provide the UCA football program, its student-athletes and university community with the best competitive experience possible during the reclassification period, this restriction limits our intentions. However, under no circumstance can we forfeit our automatic qualification that we’ve had since 1982.”

The Southland began placing Central Arkansas into its football schedule in 2007, but does not include UCA on the AQ application form for the NCAA Championship. In other sports, where there is regular-season play and a conference tournament, UCA has full regular-season championship rights but does not advance to the postseason events where the NCAA bid is competed for.

“By removing UCA from the automatic bid application, which was subsequently approved by the NCAA last spring, we believed that the situation had been adequately addressed,” Burnett added. “However, we will comply with the NCAA Bylaws, and not place our championship access at risk.”

During the reclassification period, if an ineligible team is given access to a conference championship where automatic qualification is at stake, and that team won the title, a conference, per NCAA Division I Bylaw 31.3.4.1(f), would have to relinquish its NCAA automatic bid and rely on having a team or teams chosen at-large.

Texas State needs to win out

It's a simple philosophy. Texas State needs to win out to advance to the playoffs.  The Bobcats also need a little bit of help.

In order for Texas State to clinch the Southland Conference championship, it will need to win its remaining three games. Should the Bobcats beat Southeastern Louisiana, Nicholls State and Sam Houston State, they'll be 5-2 in the SLC.

Right now, Northwestern State and Central Arkansas stand on top of the league with identical 3-1 records. The Demons hold the tie-breaker over Texas State since they won last Saturday.

The Bobcats need Northwestern to lose two games and it's entirely possible. The Demons have two tough games coming up, in the Bears and McNeese State.

Texas State needs to do its part and the league will sift itself out.

Ever wonder why there are so many missed FGs?

So far this season, Texas State and its opponents have combined to go 5-for-17 at Bobcat Stadium on field goal attempts. Texas State kicker Andrew Ireland is 1-for-2, while the opposition is 4-for-15.

That's 11 missed field goals, or 33 points if you're counting at home. Angelo State missed three field goals in the first game of the season and lost by seven. It's a difference between a seven-point loss and a two-point win.

Tomorrow in the Daily Record, we get down to the bottom of the answer. Could it be the ghost of Jim Wacker? Is it an outside force? 

Find out tomorrow.

Update on Stan Zwinggi situation...

Not much to update on this front, but Texas State running back Stan Zwinggi is expected to play against Southeastern Louisiana. It seems like the incident cleaned itself up and the team is moving forward like always.

Why Stan Zwinggi didn't play vs. Northwestern State

For any of those wondering why Texas State running back Stan Zwinggi wasn't playing against Northwestern State, he was suspended. Bobcat head coach Brad Wright said there was a "situation in the locker room and it will be dealt with internally."

More on this after Wright's media luncheon on Monday.

Texas State vs. Northwestern State (game blog)

• Texas State won the toss and elected to receive.
• Bradley George was picked off on the sixth play of the game and Northwestern State returned it for a touchdown. George looked down his receiver the whole time and the route was jumped.
• Kenneth Hampton picks off a tipped pass for the Bobcats to regain possession with 7:40 left in the first quarter.
• Ben Follis nails a punt that goes out of bounds at the 1-yard line, yet Texas State jumps offside to move the ball out to the six.
• The student section is not full at all. Maybe the students are nursing hangovers from Halloween, but for a big game like this, it's not fitting.
• Demon quarterback John Hundley picked off by Morris Crosby. Two turnovers for the Bobcat defense.
• George has plenty of time to find Darren Dillard for a 46-yard touchdown pass.
• The Bobcat offensive line has given George ample time and when George has scrambled, it's been because a lack of receivers being open, not pressure.
• Texas State is making sound defensive plays, not allowing much, in terms of points, to Northwestern. We'll see if it continues.
• The Demons run enough, it will create an opportunity for play-action passing. Northwestern just caught the Bobcats napping and connected on a 51-yard touchdown pass. 14-7 Demons.
• George with his second touchdown pass of the day, this time to E.J. LeBlanc.
• Northwestern kneels it going into the half. 14-all.

SECOND HALF

• Texas State rush defense looking really shaky, giving up more than 5 yards per carry.
• Northwestern just broke a 30-yard touchdown run right through the gut of the Bobcat defense.
• In other news, Stan Zwinggi is not dressed today.
• Follis is having a tremendous day, just boomed a 51-yard punt.
• Great playcalling by Texas State on its last drive. Two plays go to Karrington Bush for longer than 20 yards. Getting the ball into the hands of the playmakers.
• NSU just put together a 15-play, 72-yard, 9:02 drive.
  

Going to be a fun weekend in Bobcat country...

Following the thrilling five-set win against Stephen F. Austin by the Texas State volleyball team, a member of the Athletic Department told me to strap on my seatbelt for a ride this weekend. Beginning tonight, with the volleyball team's win against the Lady Jacks, all the Bobcat teams have a chance to do something special.

• The volleyball team moved one step closer to winning the Southland Conference regular season championship, outright for the first time in a while.
• If the women's soccer team wins on Friday night, it can be in sole possession of first place in the SLC.
• If the football team wins on Saturday against Northwestern State, it will hold first place in the SLC, after being picked to finish fifth preseason.
  

Back to reality...

Well, I'm back after a short vacation. I went home to see Game 3 of the World Series (Go Phillies) and got a text midway through that Texas State trounced Stephen F. Austin 62-21. I had to recheck my eyes for a second, but sure enough, it was right there. I looked at the stats today, and wow, the Bobcats really played a complete game.

• Texas State scored on 10 of its first 11 drives.
• The Bobcats scored a team record 62 points, breaking the previous mark by a touchdown.
• Cameron Luke broke the Southland Conference record for most touchdown catches by a receiver.
• Mishak Rivas continues to be a big-game player, reeling in seven catches for 177 yards.
• Karrington Bush once again averaged better than 10 yards per carry after the Texas State offensive line dominated in the trenches.
• The Bobcats sacked Jeremy Moses three times.
• Texas State converted 8-of-15 third downs.
• The Bobcats gained 678 yards of total offense. You read that correctly, 678 yards.

SFA never gives up...

Here's a look at the comebacks Stephen F. Austin has had this season, so far:

• October 18 - Rallied from a 19-point deficit to beat Nicholls State 50-39. That's a 30-point swing.
• October 4 - Rallied from a 28-point deficit IN THE SECOND HALF to stun Southeastern Louisiana. Jeremy Moses passed for 319 yards and four touchdowns.

Chances are, if Texas State doesn't put them away early on Saturday, the Lumberjacks could make it interesting near the end.

Grading the Bobcats vs. Central Arkansas

Quarterbacks: B-
Running backs: C
Wide receivers: B+
Offensive line: C
Defensive line: D
Linebackers: C
Secondary: C-
Special teams: C

Will expand more on these tomorrow. Your thoughts on the game and the grades?

Inside the stats vs. Central Arkansas

• Central Arkansas quarterback Nathan Brown passed for a season-low 163 yards, yet completed 18-of-22 passes.
• Word is, there have been 30-of-32 teams in the NFL which sent scouts to see Brown this season. The Carolina Panthers were the 30th on Saturday.
• The Bears dominated the time of possession battle, racking up 37:02.
• Texas State only converted 1-of-7 third downs. Can't expect to move the ball well when you can't get a fresh set of downs.
• The Bobcats were bullied for 231 rushing yards, while they only rushed for 131.
• Texas State was o-for-2 when trying to convert fourth downs, UCA was 3-for-3.
• Bradley George was the Bobcats' second-leading rushed with 30 yards. The offensive line did a poor job of opening holes for Karrington and Co.
• Cameron Luke needs one touchdown to tie his single-season record.
  

Texas State vs. Central Arkansas (second half)

• UCA opened the half with a 21-yard reverse, but Travis Houston sacked Brown on the next play to nullify the gain.
• Texas State's defense looks stronger in the second half, forcing the Bears to punt.
• UCA is really running the ball well, with the offensive line getting a big push off the bat.
• The Bears miss a 27-yard FG that would have put them up 24-14.
• FIELD GOAL TEXAS STATE. 35-YD FG to bring the Bobcats within four, 21-17.
• UCA misses a 33-yard FG. Imagine what would happen if Texas State faced a team with a kicker.
• Karrington Bush fumbles, giving UCA ideal field position at the Texas State 8-yard line.
• Two players later, the Bears ice it.
  

Texas State vs. Central Arkansas (first half)

Beautiful homecoming day here in San Marcos. Just a few clouds in the sky and the temperature is hovering around 80 degrees. Will today be an offensive shootout or will a defense step up and take control of the game?

Check back in for updates throughout the game. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.

• Texas State is starting out trying to establish the run. So far, the Central Arkansas defense is stepping up the challenge.
• Bear quarterback Nathan Brown gains 11 yards on a QB draw on 2nd-and-12. The Bobcats need to figure out how to stop a running QB.
• UCA gains a first down on 4th-and-1 with a seven-yard run.
• TOUCHDOWN UCA. 7-yard TD run by Leonard Ceaser. 7-0 Bears.
• Bradley George looks more decisive running the option. He made a good pitch to Karrington Bush for a 15-yard gain.
• There is a scout from the Carolina Panthers in the press box -- probably looking at Brown, Luke and George.
• TOUCHDOWN UCA. 31-yard TD pass to Landers from Brown. Texas State blitzed from the right side and were left vulnerable on the wide receiver screen on the left. 14-0 Bears.
• TOUCHDOWN TEXAS STATE. 7-yard run by Stan Zwinggi. Set up by a beautiful run-and-catch by Mishak Rivas.
• Will Thompson is back in at corner for Texas State.
• TOUCHDOWN UCA. 1-yard TD run by Brent Grimes. The Bears are really running the ball well against the Bobcats. 21-7 UCA.
• TOUCHDOWN TEXAS STATE. 18-yard TD pass from George to Luke. It was a four-play, 47-yard drive that lasted 47 seconds. 21-14 UCA.
• Luke is one receiving touchdown shy of tying the single season school record.
  

Quick interview with Bradley George...

Q: Is it more important to win the game against UCA or avoid another let down?
A: I think it's more important to win. I think we need to be 2-0. We're going in thinking we're going to win, but right now, we're 1-0, period. We're here to win a conference championship.

Q: What did it feel like going into McNeese and pulling out the win?
A: Any time you get a lead like we did against a team like McNeese, it feels good. We score points, but I think we executed well. We have to give ourselves a little bit of credit. Our O-line played phenomenal last week against one of the quickest defenses we'll see.

Q: While looking at tape of Central Arkansas, what do you think of Larry Hart (DE)?
A: From what I've seen, he's the best defensive end I've seen on film so far this year. He's probably all-conference or All-America. I don't know his numbers or his stats, but he's real good and they have a solid defensive line around him.

Coach Wright's quotes about the Daily Record

Here are the two quotes from Texas State head coach Brad Wright that sparked Randy Stevens' column in Tuesday's issue.

Following the 45-42 upset of third-ranked McNeese State. Wright was asked on the postgame interview about how his defense played: "Well, it's one of those deals where you can tell Tyler Mayforth as much as you want our guys are learning this system and they're getting better at it, and he can knock us in the paper, he can make us sound like the worst coaching staff and we have the worst players, but we won this football game because of our defense."

During the media luncheon with Tyler Mayforth, Bill Peterson (San Marcos Mercury) and Pat Turner (San Antonio Express-News). Wright was asked a question about how George has come along this season and how the quarterback kept his head held high: "...You can't be negative. That's why I don't like Tyler and the way he writes and I don't like Randy Stevens and the way that they write. It tears down what you're trying to build and they have no idea what it takes to build a team, the day-to-day running of a team, even though 'what's-his-name' said he played football in high school, which means nothing obviously. But uh, you know there's a lot of work that goes into making a football team successful and turning around a couple of decades of losing and negative press is one of those things that if it continues, I mean, I don't read the paper, and I don't know 10 people who do, but I hear it from people and that's something we need to shield our kids from too. That's probably going to be the next step, if it doesn't stop. We just won't talk to the press. We know when we do bad, we know when we do well, but we need to understand what it takes to be successful and like I said, there are two decades of not doing well around here. It's a culture of losing, surrounded by the press, to the fans. They don't know how to handle success. They don't know how to handle what it takes to be successful. That's part of our job as coaches is to help them understand it."

A few notes...

• Two different stories graced the sports page of the Daily Record today about the Texas State football team. The first, is a story dissecting the game plan the Bobcats used against McNeese State. The second, is an opinion column by Randy Stevens on Texas State head coach Brad Wright picking his battles with the local media.
• Send in your questions pertaining to Bobcat athletics and we'll be sure to publish them in our "Bobcat Mailbag."
• Texas State plays Central Arkansas this Saturday at 3 p.m., not the usual 6 p.m. start.
• The Bobcats are currently ranked third in the nation in total offense, but last in total defense.
• Expect this weekend to be a race and whichever team reaches 50 points first wins.
  

Have the Bobcats turned a corner?

After the win against McNeese State, the question begs to be asked: "Have the Bobcats turned a corner?"

Texas State went into a hostile environment and dominated the Cowboys until the fourth quarter. The Bobcats were handling the third-ranked team in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Throughout the game, Texas State swarmed the ball on defense and made Derrick Fourroux's day difficult. The Bobcats forced three fumbles, recovering two and limited McNeese's vaunted offense.

Before the fourth quarter, Texas State held a 38-20 lead. When the Bobcats scored to open up the final period, they were up 45-20 and cruising to victory. Texas State's defense slacked a little bit, allowing the Cowboys to score 22-unanswered points, but hey, it earned the hard-fought win.

So, do you think the Bobcats have turned the corner? Is Texas State the team to beat in the Southland Conference? The question will be answered this Saturday when UCA comes to town.

Inside the stats vs. McNeese State

• Texas State finally won the turnover battle, forcing three fumbles, recovering two.
• The Bobcats dominated the time of possession battle in the first, second and third quarter. Texas State held the advantages, 8:36-3:31, 10:38-4:22 and 9:57-5:03, respectively.
• The Bobcats continue to move the chains on third down, converting 10-of-15.
• Texas State only missed one chance in the Red Zone and finished 4-for-5.
• Karrington Bush got 13 carries, four more than he did against Texas Southern and put up 127 yards. He should see more touches as the season progresses.
• Bradley George should be the starter from here on out. He completed 30-of-47 passes for 335 yards and four touchdowns. George connected with Cameron Luke on a 45-yard strike.
• Luke reeled in three more touchdowns, upping his season total to 10.
  

Texas State opens up against McNeese State

In the week leading up to today's game, Texas State seemed confident its defense will be able to at least slow down McNeese State. The Cowboys have the top-ranked offense in the Football Championship Subdivision and put up 40.7 points per game.

Several Bobcat defensive players mentioned the goalline stop against Texas Southern as a changing point for the season. They are feeling more confident in themselves and want to carry it with them going into their Southland Conference schedule.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Southland Conference play begins...excited?

• What — McNeese State Cowboys vs. Texas State Bobcats
• When — Saturday, 7:00 p.m.
• Where — Cowboy Stadium (17,410 capacity)
• Radio — KTSW (89.9 FM)
• Head Coaches — Texas State: Brad Wright (7-9, second year). TSU: Matt Viator 20-4, third year)
• Last Meeting — McNeese State 41, Texas State 20 (Oct. 6, 2007 in San Marcos)
• Series Record — McNeese State leads 18-7
• 2008 Records — Texas State: 3-2. McNeese State: 3-1
• Basic Offense — Texas State: Pro-set multiple. McNeese State: Pro-set multiple
• Basic Defense — Texas State: 4-3 multiple. McNeese: 4-2-5
• Players to Watch — Texas State: QB Bradley George, RB Karrington Bush, WR Cameron Luke, LB Courtney Smith, CB Drenard Williams. McNeese State: QB Derrick Fourroux, RB Toddrick Pendland, WR Quinten Lawrence, WR Steven Whitehead, LB Allen Nelson
• Intangibles — Texas State has never fared well when it plays McNeese State. The Bobcats have lost 11 out of 18 games against the Cowboys and are 4-6 in Lake Charles, La. Texas State comes into the game fresh off a win over Texas Southern and put up 63 points in the process. Bradley George looked to have found his rhythm, but McNeese is just too good. The Cowboys average 40.7 points per game and took North Carolina to the brink. Don’t expect the Bbobcats to hang too long in this one.
• Daily Record Prediction — McNeese State 48, Texas State 27.

What's wrong with the Bobcat defense?

Through five games in the 2008 season, the Texas State football team is looking like it did last season. The offense can put up points in bushels, but the defense allows them right back.

Case in point, the Bobcats traveled to Northern Colorado for the third game of the season and many expected a blowout. Texas State allowed an 80-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage, but the offense piled on 21-unanswered points. Even a casual Bobcat fan would know what happened next; the defense collapsed.

Texas State allowed the Bears to tack on 21-straight points to tie the game at 28-all going into halftime. The bleeding continued against Southern Utah and then against Texas Southern, it all came to a head.

The Bobcats allowed the Tigers to gain 623 yards of total offense, including 481 through the air. Texas State was without starting cornerbacks Will Thompson and Morris Crosby, yet, it wouldn't have mattered. Defensive coordinator Fred Bleil said he was at a loss for the way his defense played.

"I was very disappointed, but not in the run defense," Bleil said. "It has been adequate all year, but our pass defense is way behind schedule. I mean we were without two starters, but who's on the field is who plays and you need to play with what's dealt to you. The reason why they got 600 yards isn't because of them, it's because of us."

The Bobcats have been bothered all season long by the underneath routes. Teams constantly find holes in the Texas State zone and pick up 10 to 11 yards per pass.

Third downs have been hazardous to the Bobcat defense since they are victimized by the crossing routes. Texas State may force a team into third-and-9, but when the opposition gets 10 yards on the next play, it's all negated.

"We need to straighten up our zone coverage," Bleil said. "We've been playing a lot of zone coverage and haven't been playing much man-to-man. We need to fix the holes. On third-and-9, they're getting 10 and we need to make that seven.

"We're that much off from fixing it. In zone, it's all angles. It's between one and two receivers when they hit them and we gotta hang with the route angle, as opposed to the coverage angle."

The Bobcats will have their work cut out for them when they travel to McNeese State this Saturday. The Cowboys average 40.7 points per game.

Grading the Bobcats vs. Texas Southern

San Marcos — Through 20 minutes against Texas Southern, the Texas State offense failed to click. A weak Tiger team was hanging with the Bobcats.

Texas State quarterback Clint Toon, who had been nursing a sore elbow, failed to get the machine rolling. After Toon tossed an easy interception, Bradley George saw his first action in two games and thrived.

The Bobcats matched each TSU score with one of their own. George led Texas State to 49 points and helped blow the game wide open.

“That was the Bradley George we had been expecting to see since last spring,” Bobcat head coach Brad Wright said. “It was good for him to show up tonight.”

Here is a breakdown of the Daily Record’s grades for the game against Texas Southern.

Quarterbacks: A

Both Toon and George were hampered by injuries all week and only one showed it didn’t affect his play. George was subbed in with 9:48 remaining in the second quarter and dominated. The 26-year-old junior finished with 281 yards on 14-of-17 passing and three touchdowns. He picked apart a poor Tiger secondary with calculated reads and precision passing.

Check the rest out here.

Inside the stats against Texas Southern

• Six of Texas State's scoring drives went five plays or less.
• Six scoring drives lasted shorter than two minutes.
• Seven touchdowns went for longer than 30 yards.
• The Bobcats only had 58 plays from scrimmage, compared to Texas Southern's 106, yet, only had 24 less total yards.
• Texas State averaged 10.3 yards per play.
• Karrington Bush and Cameron Luke only touched the ball five times each, yet, they each scored twice.

Were you pleased/disappointed/optimistic with the win?

Since Texas State won on Saturday, talk around town has had fans less than optimistic about the team. While the Bobcats won by 24 points, they still let up more than 600 yards of total offense and 481 passing yards to Bobby Reid.

Now, the schedule shifts to conference play, where Texas State opens up with McNeese State. Five games into the season, the Bobcats are 3-2, with several unconvincing wins.

So, as a fan, are you pleased/disappointed/optimistic about the upcoming slate of games? Or, are you still withholding some emotion until a few games into conference play?

Live from Bobcat Stadium (Texas State vs. Texas Southern)

Check back here for the live blog from the Texas State vs. Texas Southern football game at Bobcat Stadium.

The Bobcats are going to try to atone for the loss last week against Southern Utah. Hopefully Texas State comes out with a bit of urgency tonight.

FIRST QUARTER

• Nice day for a college football game. A few clouds in the sky but there's a lot of blue. It's guaranteed one team with the TSU acronym will win, but the question is which.
• Hardly any students in the Light Side. Makes you think what last week's loss did for support.
• Texas Southern won the toss and will defer to the second half.
• TOUCHDOWN TEXAS STATE. 34-YARD PASS FROM TOON TO LUKE. 7-0 BOBCATS.
• Texas State stalled on its second drive, going three-and-out. Again, it's the inconsistency that's killing the Bobcats.
• TOUCHDOWN TEXAS SOUTHERN. 20-YARD PASS FROM REID TO AARON THOMAS. 7-7 TIE.
• Mishak Rivas takes the ball around end for a 16-yard run.
• TOUCHDOWN TEXAS STATE. 38-YARD RUN BY ALVIN CANADY. 14-7 BOBCATS.
• Reid passed for 128 yards in the FIRST QUARTER.

SECOND QUARTER

• Texas State just dodged a bullet when the Tigers' running back fumbled in the end zone. The Bobcats get it on the touchback.
• Texas State gives it right back when Clint Toon throws an interception. Stan Zwinggi added insult to the interception with a late hit at the end.
• TOUCHDOWN TEXAS SOUTHERN. 12-YARD PASS FROM REID TO WILLIAM OSBOURNE. 14-14 TIE.
• Bradley George is warming up on the sideline. He should be in soon.
• TOUCHDOWN TEXAS STATE. 39-YARD PASS FROM GEORGE TO BLAKE BURTON. 21-14 BOBCATS.
• TOUCHDOWN TEXAS STATE. 70-YARD PASS FROM GEORGE TO LUKE. 28-14 BOBCATS.
• George is 7-for-7 for 198 yards. He's thrown three touchdowns.

THIRD QUARTER

• TOUCHDOWN TEXAS STATE. 37-YARD RUN BY ZWINGGI. 42-20 BOBCATS.
• Texas State is winning a game it should. The Bobcats aren't looking good doing it, but the Tigers are giving them a bunch of opportunities.
• TOUCHDOWN TEXAS SOUTHERN. 28-YARD PASS FROM REID TO OSBOURNE. TWO-POINT CONVERSION FAILED. 42-26 BOBCATS.
• Both teams combined for 786 yards of total offense so far in the game. There are eight minutes left in the third quarter.
• From the water is wet department: Texas State's secondary looks bad.
• TOUCHDOWN TEXAS SOUTHERN. 2-YARD RUN BY LUCAS CAPARELLI. 49-33 BOBCATS.
• Rejoice, it's 49-33 after the third quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

• TOUCHDOWN TEXAS STATE. 41-YARD RUN BY BUSH. 56-33 BOBCATS.
  

Our feature on Mishak Rivas...

Here's part of the feature we ran on Mishak Rivas in yesterday's Daily Record.

San Marcos — There was no doubt where the opening play from scrimmage for Texas State would go. Well, at least not for the coaches and player involved.

They knew since fall practice began in early August.

“They told me when I had got here the first day of two-a-days that I would get the ball,” freshman wide receiver Mishak Rivas said. “I thought he was bluffing, but as time went on, he told me ‘You’re going to get the first play,’ so then I just had to get prepared for it now and there wasn’t much I could do other than prepare for it and know where I had to run.”

Rivas went in motion against Angelo State and took the handoff from Bradley George around the left end for nine yards. It’s almost like he hasn’t stopped running since.

Texas State kicks off with Texas Southern tomorrow at 5 p.m. What are your thoughts on the game? Will the Bobcats have another disappointing loss, or will they rebound in a huge win?

Be sure to check the blog tomorrow for live updates from the game.

A look at Texas Southern

Here's a look at Texas Southern, with a preview of tomorrow's article. Be sure to also look out for a feature on Mishak Rivas in Thursday's edition of the Daily Record.

Take a glance through the Texas Southern roster and you'll likely stumble across a name that looks eerily familiar. Yet, you don't exactly know from where you know it.

You look over the name again, “Bobby Reid,” and then the school from which he transferred “Oklahoma State.” Then it clicks.

If you were in-tune with sports in the last few years, Reid's name should jump out at you as the reason centered around Cowboy head coach Mike Gundy's rant about being 40-years-old.

A writer saw Reid's mother feeding him chicken after a game and thought it would be a clever anecdote. Before she knew it, her merits were called to the floor by Gundy in a press conference, begging her to write about him, because in his words, “I'm a man. I'm 40.”

Following the fiasco, Reid transferred from Oklahoma State to Texas Southern, where he could get playing time. The Tigers welcomed him with open arms and made him the focal point of their offensive attack.

Reid's a big guy for a quarterback, 6-foot, 3-inches tall and weighs 230 pounds. His size doesn't keep him from being an elusive scrambler and an even better passer on the run.

Construction finally begins on baseball field

Demolition equipment finally showed up at the Texas State baseball field recently and began destroying the metal stands surrounding the diamond. As of today (9/30), the stands are reduced to sheet metal and should be excavated soon.

Construction should begin soon after all the rubbish is cleared away, as Phase I is scheduled to be done before Opening Day. In talking with some of the Bobcat players, they want it done as soon as possible.

We'll try to keep you updated with the construction and post some pictures as well.

Grading the Bobcats...

The grades will be expounded in today's edition of the Daily Record, but here are the marks for the Texas State football team against Southern Utah. Feel free to add your own in the comment section.

Quarterbacks: C
Running backs: C
Wide receivers: B
Offensive line: D-
Defensive line: D
Linebackers: C
Secondary: C
Special teams: D-

Where do the Bobcats go from here?

Saturday's loss to Southern Utah was a wake-up call for the Texas State football team. The Bobcats were unprepared to play against the Thunderbirds and the product on the field showed. SUU stuck to a gameplan and dominated Texas State at the line of scrimmage. The Bobcat secondary still struggled to defend the crossing routes and missed plenty of tackles.

The question is, where does Texas State go from here? The season isn't over, not by any stretch of the imagination, but things need to be fixed.

But, what?

Questions for Brad Wright following this game...

I will be taking one or two questions for Texas State head coach Brad Wright following this game from the readers. Please, keep them respectful and insightful. Post them in the comment section and we'll go from there. Thanks.

HERE ARE SOME QUOTES FROM WRIGHT FOLLOWING THE GAME:

"I knew right after pregame warm-ups that we weren't ready to play. You can get the feeling aout how guys are and I told Coach (Travis) Bush and tried to get them to understand they need to wake up and get after it."

"I guess ultimately, it's my fault as a head coach for having a poorly prepared football team on the field. That's basically the bottom line. I didn't impress these young men enough with the fact that we're about to play a very good football team. I failed them. I failed this university. I need to get better at what I do."

Live from Bobcat Stadium (Texas State vs. Southern Utah) 2nd half

• 20-7 SUU at halftime and Texas State needs to do something to change their fortunes.
• The story of the game so far is how flat the Bobcats have come out for the second-straight home game. Texas State needs the crowd behind the team and this isn't going to do it.
• Silence falls over Bobcat Stadium, and then boos, as Cameron Luke fumbles the ball after a catch across the middle.
• One play later, TOUCHDOWN SUU. 30-yard pass to Nick Miller. 27-7 THUNDERBIRDS.
• Nothing's going well for Texas State right now as it just had a 12-yard punt.
• The Bobcats can't tackle at all tonight. When they try, the linebackers and secondary are blowing right by the ball carrier. Stone has a good set of legs on him and can escape pressure. He had 34 yards rushing at halftime.
• Texas State scored, but chose to go for two, down 34-13. The question is why? If they got it, the Bobcats would be down 19 points, which is still three scores.
• We have a Bradley George sighting. He's in the game with 6:03 remaining. Toon threw two interceptions and only led Texas State to 13 points.
• Texas State lost both Morris Crosby and Will Thompson to injuries in the first half of the game.
  

Live from Bobcat Stadium (Texas State vs. Southern Utah)

Check back here for the live blog from the Texas State vs. Southern Utah football game. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. and the Bobcats are looking to put together a two-game win streak.

• Nice weather today as there are only a few clouds in the sky and temperatures hovering around 90 degrees.
• The biggest question going into this game is will the Bobcat secondary make the Southern Utah quarterback look better than he is? Hopefully, Texas State will put them away early enough not to have to answer that question.
• The Thunderbirds won the toss and chose to defer. The Bobcats will receive the kick to open the game.
• Karrington Bush muffs the opening kickoff and Southern Utah recovers it at the 18-yard line. Thunderbird ball.
• TOUCHDOWN SUU. Deckar Alexander 7-yard run. 7-0 THUNDERBIRDS.
• For the second straight week, Mishak Rivas gets the opening play from scrimmage.
• Texas State goes for it on 4th-and-1, but it's stopped at by the SUU defense. If the Thunderbirds come back to score, it will be a huge question of why.
• FIELD GOAL, SUU. 38-YARD FG through the uprights. 10-0 THUNDERBIRDS.
• 18-yard completion to Cameron Luke on 3rd-and-5. Good read by Clint Toon.
• The Bobcats are simply being outplayed in the first quarter by SUU. The Thunderbirds defense looks quick and are putting a lot of pressure on Toon.
• TOUCHDOWN SUU. Kenny Apilli with a 25-yard run. 17-0 THUNDERBIRDS.
• Texas State brought the blitz to open the second quarter and was nailed with a pass interference penalty.
• Interception for the Bobcats on the next play. Defense looked awfully excited. See if it jump starts the offense.
• TOUCHDOWN TEXAS STATE. Karrington Bush with the fake-option dive. 17-7 THUNDERBIRDS.
• FIELD GOAL, SUU. 51-YARD FG through the uprights. 20-7 THUNDERBIRDS.
• Personal foul on Jeff Bowen nullifies a sizable gain by Stan Zwinggi. 3rd-and-19 now.
• Texas State misses a 47-yard FG with seven seconds remaining. HALFTIME.
  

Score predictions anyone?

Texas State finally returns home after a two-game road trip to play Southern Utah. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Saturday. The Bobcats enter the game 2-1 after skimping by Northern Colorado last week. The Thunderbirds are 1-3 after losing to Northern Iowa last Saturday.

On paper, it should be an easy win for Texas State, yet, games aren't played on paper. The Bobcats also have a history of playing down to their opponent's level.

This said, I do think Texas State will come out strong and try to make a statement. The Bobcats better play some defense or it could get ugly.

Texas State -14

Would you take that bet or do you wager against it?

Scouting the Thunderbirds...

• Southern Utah brings a 1-3 record into the game against Texas State on Saturday.
• The Thunderbirds lost to Air Force, Montana and Northern Iowa.
• SUU only held the ball for 18 minutes against the Panthers last weekend.
• The Thunderbirds' defense isn't the best in the Football Championship Subdivision. SUU ranks 105th against the run and 71st vs. the pass (out of 118 teams in the FCS).
• The Thunderbirds rank 98th in total defense, allowing 429 yards of offense a game. Guess who is 99th. Texas State.
• SUU runs the spread offense, which seems to give the Bobcats fits.
• Last game, the Thunderbirds passed 48 times for 304 yards.
• The more the Texas State secondary is on the field, the more chances for it to be picked apart as the game wears on.
• This should be a game the Bobcats win easily, but like tomorrow's story in the Daily Record says, stats can be misleading.
  

Grading the Bobcats vs. Northern Colorado

Texas State won its first non-conference road game in six years after beating Northern Colorado 38-35. It wasn't a pretty win for the Bobcats, but a win nonetheless. Before looking forward to Southern Utah, we must look back at the game that was.

Here's the Daily Record's report card for Texas State vs. UNCO:

Quarterback - B-

• Clint Toon played well enough for the Bobcats to win. Toon completed 18-of-36 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown. He also was intercepted once on a bad read in the end zone. The pick came at the end of the half and his gaffe cost the Bobcats six points.
  

Running backs - A

• Both Stan Zwinggi and Alvin Canady had big games in place of Karrington Bush, who sat the bench due to inconsistency. Zwinggi rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown, while Canady scored twice. Canady also caught a touchdown to tie the game at 7-all. His second touchdown run put Texas State ahead 35-28.

Wide receivers - C

• With the exception of Canady out of the backfield and Cameron Luke, the receivers weren't anything special against the Bears. Many of Toon's incompletions came off dropped passes, which cannot happen at the FCS level. The Bobcats had three completions of more than 20 yards, but should have had more if the balls Toon threw were caught.

Offensive line - B

• Texas State's offensive line was able to pave the way for 180 yards on the ground, 116 of which came from the legs of Zwinggi. The Bobcats created holes for the backs when needed and gave Toon protection to make his reads. Several times, the pocket broke down, forcing Toon on the run. Toon was sacked twice in the game and the line needs to be sure to account for all blitzers or at least recognize it coming.

Defensive line - B

• Texas State's defensive line overcame a slow start to have a big game. After UNCO broke an 80-yard touchdown run right through the middle, the Bobcats' line dug deep. Travis Houston, Wellington DeShield, Ray Parker and Freddy Paige each recorded a tackle for a loss. DeShield and Paige each sacked Bear quarterback Bryan Waggener once.

Linebackers - A

• Courtney Smith, Marcus Clark and Joe Bell each played huge for the Bobcats in the 38-35 win. Smith was named Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week after recording 11 tackles, an interception and a sack. Clark tallied four tackles, including 1.5 tackles for a loss and Bell returned an interception for a touchdown.

Secondary - D-

• The lone saving grace from giving the Bobcat secondary a failing grade was Morris Crosby's interception off a tipped pass. For the second straight week, Texas State was torched through the air. The Bobcats gave up 392 yards passing, including two long touchdown passes. Texas State needs more consistent play out of its safeties and as of right now, it's not happening. Drenard Williams was lucky his spearing penalty didn't cost his team a win.

Special Teams - B

• Solid day out of both Andrew Ireland and Ben Follis. Ireland split the uprights with the potential game-winner and Follis averaged 40.3 yards per punt. The Bobcats need to straighten out their punt return team, as E.J. LeBlanc had nowhere to go. When he did, he chose to backtrack, rather than go straight. LeBlanc finished with three returns for five yards.
  

Courtney Smith named SLC Defensive POW

The Southland Conference announced its offensive and defensive players of the week. Nice to see the Bobcats getting noticed on the defensive side of the ball.

http://www.southland.org/ViewArticle.dbml?temp_site=NO&DB_OEM_ID=18400&ATCLID=1587726

Defensive Player of the Week: Courtney Smith, Texas State
Smith ed Texas State with 12 tackles, including nine solo stops, in the 38-35 victory at Northern Colorado. The senior from Statesboro, Ga., also registered one sack (-8 yards) and intercepted a pass and returned it 9 yards. His biggest play of the day came with 19.2 seconds left at Texas State’s 1-yard line when he forced a fumble by Northern Colorado quarterback Bryan Waggener and the Bobcats recovered to preserve the victory. Texas State took a knee on the final play of the game to win their first non-conference road game since 2001.

Honorable Mention: Andrew Eddie, Nicholls State; Chris Bown, Sam Houston State.

Grading the Bobcats...

On Tuesday, the Daily Record will be running its report card on Texas State's game the previous Saturday. What do you think the grades should be of the following areas?

Quarterbacks:
Running backs:
Wide receivers:
Offensive line:
Defensive line:
Linebackers:
Secondary:
Special teams:

Feel free to post your grades in the comments section and we'll average them together and include them in our story.

Texas State vs. Northern Colorado game thoughts...

Wow. I think I'll let every Texas State fan who watched the game to take a deep breath. All right...

• First thing first, the Bobcats were handed a win by Northern Colorado. Texas State had every right to lose the game, yet, the Bears fumbled away the chance at the 2-yard line on a simple quarterback sneak.
• The Bobcats' prevent defense is extremely porous.
  
• Texas State allowed UNCO to drive pretty much effortlessly down the field on them in the last two minutes. Even though the Bobcats forced a long fourth down, the Bears converted it and nearly tallied a touchdown on the same play.
• Looking back at the play, it was questionable whether or not the receiver's knee was down before he crossed the plane.
• Quick trivia question: When was the last time Texas State held an opponent to less than 300 yards of total offense?
• Trivia question answer: October 28, 2006 vs. Northwestern State.
• Defensive coordinator Fred Bleil does a good job of calling blitzes, yet, the rushes leave the middle of the field wide open for a long completion. It happened on UNCO's 75-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.
• Bryan Waggener passed for 392 yards, completing 35-of-51 passes. He tossed three touchdowns and was picked three times.
• Texas State's defense looked improved in the first half, but after the Bears adjusted in the second half, it looked to easy for the home team.
• Someone needs to tell E.J. LeBlanc there is nothing wrong with calling for a fair catch. Much better than backtracking two yards to escape the coverage. UNCO did a good job on punt coverage, but three returns for five yards total isn't what you want to see out of your punt returner.
• The Bobcats snapped their six-year non-conference road losing streak.
  

Texas State vs. Northern Colorado game blog

For those of you who couldn't make it to Greeley for Texas State against Northern Colorado, you are still in luck. The Big Sky conference offers a live video feed from Nottingham Field for free. You can register for an account and watch the game here.

The Bobcats need to make a statement against the Bears. UNCO has been at the bottom of the Big Sky conference for three years (how long its been in the Football Championship Subdivision) and are prone to giving up the big play.

So Texas State fans, what do you think is going to happen? Will the Bobcats' road woes continue or can they kick the trend?

Texas State vs. Northern Colorado preview...

Here's part of the preview for the Northern Colorado game on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:35 p.m. in Greeley.

By TYLER MAYFORTH
Daily Record Sports

Texas State doesn’t have many intangibles going its way when it travels to Northern Colorado.

First, the Bobcats haven’t won a road non-conference road game in six years. Second, the game will be played at altitude, where the air is thinner and oxygen will be at a premium.

But don’t tell this to Texas State.

The Bobcats don’t want to hear it.

“Honestly, I don’t know why it’s so hard to win on the road,” Texas State cornerback Will Thompson said. “It’s really not up to being at home or on the road, it’s about getting out there and doing your job.”

For more, read today's issue of the Daily Record.

Football, volleyball and baseball notes...

• The Texas State football team leaves Friday for its game against Northern Colorado on Saturday.
• Clint Toon got a ringing endorsement from head coach Brad Wright today when asked by another reporter who his starting quarterback would be. "(Bradley's) made some bad decisions and we're going to have to go with the other guy," Wright said. "It's part of the deal. When you have a guy that's playing better, that's who your first-string quarterback's going to be. Clint's going to step in and be our quarterback."
• The Bobcats will be facing another pass-first offense against the Bears. UNCO attempted 46 passes against Purdue two weeks ago. The Bears are led by Florida-transfer Bryan Waggener.
• The Texas State volleyball team throttled Prairie View A&M tonight in a doubleheader sweep, 3-0 and 3-0. The Bobcats now travel tomorrow morning to the Pepperdine Asics Invitational in Malibu, Cali.
• Spoke with Texas State catcher Ben Theriot after the game tonight. He said the team is excited about the new stadium, but no one on the team knows when the construction will start.

Texas State volleyball in the middle of a slide...

Tomorrow (Wednesday) night, the Texas State volleyball team is looking to break a skid. In their last nine games, the Bobcats are 1-8.

Even though Texas State did play Big XII powerhouses such as, Texas and Baylor, they struggled at the Sheraton Four Points Invitational in Arizona. The Bobcats were able to take a set from the Longhorns in their match, but then were swept by Georgia and rebounded to take two sets from Houston.

Texas State plays Prairie View A&M tonight and should have an easy time against the visitors. The Panthers are 0-6 and have been swept every time they stepped on the court.

The Bobcats need to make an example out of a team going into the Pepperdine Asics Invitational. Texas State head coach Karen Chisum always talks about how they need to show the NCAA committee it belongs at higher than a four seed.

Well, up until this point, the Bobcats haven't proved anything.

Re: NFL week two picks

Each week, I will pick four games on the NFL schedule, which I think will be good games. Offer your picks in the comments section.

Colts @ Vikings - Going to be a really good game with the Vikings' defense. It will be interesting to see if the Colts can rebound off the loss to Chicago. The pick: Colts.

Chargers @ Broncos - Two AFC West powerhouses meet at the beginning of the schedule. Can Denver put up the points like it did against Oakland? Is LaDanian Tomlinson healthy enough to carry San Diego? The pick: Chargers.

Patriots @ Jets - Brett Favre's first game against the reigning AFC Champions. Should be interesting to see how New England reacts after losing Tom Brady. The pick: Jets.

Eagles @ Cowboys - Biggest Monday night game on the schedule for the first few weeks. Both teams are coming off huge wins, in which both offenses looked good. Should be a high-scoring affair. The pick: Eagles.


All games were pretty close, even though the result was 1-3. Each game was within four points and the Chargers, Jets and Eagles could have won with more aggressive play-calling. Next week shall be better.

The closest thing to automatic...

We recently published a feature on Andrew Ireland, Texas State's kicker. Check it out. Thanks for the suggestions on who to profile next week. Either it will be Karrington Bush or Mishak Rivas.

Here's an except for the story about Ireland.

San Marcos — When Andrew Ireland stepped on the field following Texas State’s first touchdown against Southern Methodist, he was just following directions.

Football kickers are creatures of habit.

Every day, it’s three steps back, two to the side. Keep your head down and drive through the ball. Look up after you’ve followed through.

Kickers love to hear nothing as the ball leaves their foot. Ireland wasn’t as lucky against the Mustangs.

“You might feel a little pressure, but all you do is hear it kick and then you either hear nothing or you hear it hit something else,” Ireland said. “It happened to hit (the SMU player) dead in the chest. I looked up to see where the ball was and it happened to be behind me.”

NFL week two picks...

Each week, I will pick four games on the NFL schedule, which I think will be good games. Offer your picks in the comments section.

Colts @ Vikings - Going to be a really good game with the Vikings' defense. It will be interesting to see if the Colts can rebound off the loss to Chicago. The pick: Colts.

Chargers @ Broncos - Two AFC West powerhouses meet at the beginning of the schedule. Can Denver put up the points like it did against Oakland? Is LaDanian Tomlinson healthy enough to carry San Diego? The pick: Chargers.

Patriots @ Jets - Brett Favre's first game against the reigning AFC Champions. Should be interesting to see how New England reacts after losing Tom Brady. The pick: Jets.

Eagles @ Cowboys - Biggest Monday night game on the schedule for the first few weeks. Both teams are coming off huge wins, in which both offenses looked good. Should be a high-scoring affair. The pick: Eagles.

Live from Gregory Gymnasium

We're here at the Gregory Gymnasium on the campus of the University of Texas for the Time Warner Cable Invitational. Texas State is playing Houston in its last game of the tournament.

FIRST GAME

• Texas State up 9-5 early, the Cougars are making a lot of mistakes
• After a wide volley, Houston calls timeout, 10-5 Bobcats
• Texas State continues to press the issue, going up 14-7, forcing another timeout.
• The Bobcats are up 17-7, out-digging the Cougars, essentially out-hustling them.
• Houston storms back with four unanswered points, forcing Karen Chisum to call timeout, 17-11 Texas State.
• There are a good number of Bobcat volleyball fans here in Gregory Gym, dwarfing the number of Cougar fans.
• Texas State wins a long rally to take the first set, 25-19.

SECOND GAME

• Texas State leads 4-2 early.
• Houston has taken a 9-7 lead, but the Bobcats answer back with an Amber Calhoun kill.
• Texas State takes a 14-13 lead. The Cougars look ready to play this game.
• A bit of a family battle today, with Melinda (Texas State) and Kinsey (Houston) Cave on opposite sides of the net.
• Texas State timeout with it down 15-16.
• The Bobcats are down by three (20-17) and looking for answers.
• After Lawrencia Brown spiked home a weak volley, Houston called timeout, leading 21-20.
• Texas State timeout after it was called for a carry. Cougars lead 24-21.
• The Bobcats rally back to 24-23, forcing UH to call timeout.
• Cougars win the match 25-23.

THIRD GAME

• Chisum calls times out with Texas State down 7-3.
• The Bobcats are being outplayed, they are down 11-5.
• UH forced to call timeout after Texas State takes three of the next five points.
• The Bobcats win a long rally, seems to fire up the team. 15-11 UH.
• Texas State is out of position, Cougars win the point, 21-17 UH. Chisum calls timeout.
• Cougars win the set, 25-17.

FOURTH GAME

• Texas State leads early 5-2.
• Tie game, 7-7.
• The Bobcats have a 15-12 lead midway through the fourth set. Butron ace.
• UH calls timeout, team making too many errors. 18-14 Texas State.
• UH calls its second timeout, down 20-14.
• Bobcats win the set, 25-19.

FIFTH GAME

• Texas State leads 5-4.
• Back-and-forth, now Houston leads 7-6.
• Cougars win the set, 15-12 and the match 3-2.
  

How about a front-loaded schedule?

Texas State recently released its 2008-09 men's basketball schedule.

At first look, the Bobcats will have a chance to travel a bit, with games in Hawaii and Wyoming. A closer look reveals Texas State head coach Doug Davalos did a great job of front-loading the schedule in his team's favor.

There is only one true money game on the list (Texas), but you could count two more (Wyoming and Rice). The Bobcats have a good chance to go into conference play with a winning record.

Home games (non-conference): Huston-Tillotson, Southwest Assemblies of God, New Orleans, Prairie View A&M, McMurry, Schreiner and Northern Colorado.

Away games (non-conference): Cal State Fullerton, San Francisco, Wyoming, Northern Colorado, Rice and Texas.

Bolded are Division II and lower teams. Both McMurry and Schreiner play in Division III.

Thoughts on the schedule?

Clint Toon named starting QB

Two games into the season, the Texas State football team made a change at quarterback. 

After the Bobcats struggled with Bradley George at command of the offense, they decided to give Clint Toon a shot. Toon directed Texas State to a win against Angelo State and 26 points in the second half against Southern Methodist.

"We've got two (quarterbacks) and right now," Bobcat head coach Brad Wright said. "Clint's got the upper hand because even though he did throw two interceptions in the game, we do feel like at this point, he's deserved the starting nod and that's pretty much where we are right now."

A few quick notes...

• On Thursday, we will be running a profile of a select Bobcat football player or coach and would like your help in narrowing it down. So far, we have several options; Karrington Bush, Marcus Clark, Fred Bleil or Travis Bush. Vote on one of those or propose your own and we'll see where it goes.
• Ran "Grading the Bobcats vs. SMU" in today's issue. You can read the story here.
• There has been no update on who will be starting at quarterback against Northern Colorado. I will try to find out more tomorrow.
  

Look out for the Bobcat report card tomorrow...

Tomorrow, the Daily Record will run a report card on Saturday's game against SMU. Be sure to check it out and post your own grades for the team in the comments section. This will happen every Tuesday after Texas State has a game on Saturday. Be sure to check it out tomorrow.

The Sunday Hangover

A look back at the Texas State @ Southern Methodist game:

• Texas State dominated SMU in time of possession (34:33 to 25:27) and held a slight edge in total offense (465 to 431). The Bobcats abused the Mustangs' rush defense for 233 yards and converted 12-of-15 first downs.
• By the look of the statistics, it would seem like Texas State won the game, except for one category — turnovers. The Bobcats turned the ball over five times (three fumbles and two interceptions). 
• Texas State's secondary was no match for the trio of Bo Levi Mitchell (QB), Emmanuel Sanders (WR) and Aldrick Robinson (WR). Mitchell connected with Sanders and Robinson for 310 yards and five touchdowns.
• For the second straight week, Bobcat starting quarterback Bradley George struggled. In two games this season, George is 3-of-11 passing with two interceptions. Two of the fumbles in the first half came off poor reads by George on the option.
• One of the fumbles should never have happened, according to Karrington Bush. "(The ball) hit off my helmet actually. It was supposed to be a handoff, but (George) pitched it."

Live from Gerald J. Ford Stadium (SECOND HALF)!

• Texas State dominated time of possession in the first half, 19:44 to 10:16, yet not the scoreboard. Let's see how the coordinators plan to stop this bleeding.
• Toon picked off with 12:49 left in the third quarter. FIFTH TEXAS STATE TURNOVER.
• TOUCHDOWN TEXAS STATE. TOON TO LUKE FOR 17 YARDS. IRELAND MISSED THE POINT AFTER. SMU 30-19 MUSTANGS.
• Texas State's defense bending, not breaking in the second half, covering receivers a little bit better.
• FIELD GOAL SMU. 36-YARD KICK BETWEEN THE UPRIGHTS. 33-19 MUSTANGS.
• This is one of the biggest drives for Texas State this game. If they score, it's a whole new game. If they are stopped, look for SMU to try to put it away.
• Bush breaks a 22-yard run to put the Bobcats at their own 48.
• Texas State's drive stalled on the Mustang's 17-yard line after an intentional grounding call on Toon.
• FIELD GOAL TEXAS STATE. 34-YARD KICK BETWEEN THE UPRIGHTS. 33-22 MUSTANGS.
• Travis Houston limps off the field, on his own power, but he's back in.
• TOUCHDOWN SMU. 7-YARD RUN BY DeMyron Martin. 40-22 MUSTANGS.
• Texas State wanted to go for it on 4th-and-2, but called timeout to rethink.
• TOUCHDOWN TEXAS STATE. 29-YARD TOUCHDOWN PASS FROM TOON TO LUKE. 40-29 MUSTANGS.
• TOUCHDOWN SMU. 34-YARD TOUCHDOWN PASS FROM MITCHELL TO ROBINSON. 47-29 MUSTANGS.
  

Live from Gerald J. Ford Stadium (FIRST HALF)!

Beautiful day here at Ford Stadium. Not a cloud in the sky and the Dallas skyline is visible in the distance. A few SMU players are playing catch on the sidelines, but no Texas State players are out yet. Hopefully when the Bobcats do come out, they are ready to play.

Check back in for information and updates!

• Both teams are on the field for warm-ups. Thirty-eight minutes until game time. A good amount of Texas State fans are already here with the Loud Crowd right up front.
• Not a big crowd at all for SMU, even though its early. Seems like more Texas State fans than anything.
  
• The Mustangs won the toss and will receive the kick.
• TOUCHDOWN SMU. 11:18 LEFT IN THE FIRST QUARTER. B.L. MITCHELL TO EMMANUEL SANDERS. 7-0 MUSTANGS.
• SMU looked to move the ball effortlessly against Texas State's defense. The Mustangs never had a third down.
  
• Both teams opened with run plays, each went for 7 yards.
• Stan Zwinggi crushed on an option play SMU read perfectly. Zwinggi fumbles, the Mustangs recover.
• SMU kicker misses a 46-yard FG. Still 7-0 SMU.
• Texas State burns its first timeout with 5:33 left in the first quarter. The question is WHY?
• Bradley George's toss to Karrington Bush glances off Bush's shoulder pads - SMU takes over. Second turnover of the day for Texas State, both fumbles.
• George looks out of sync with the offense. A missed pitch on the option, now an inaccurate toss.
• TOUCHDOWN SMU. 4:26 LEFT IN THE FIRST QUARTER. B.L. MITCHELL TO ALDRICK ROBINSON. 14-0 MUSTANGS.
• June Jones is having his way with the Texas State secondary.
• Clint Toon is warming up on the sideline.
• Toon opens up the second quarter with a pass into the hands of an SMU player. THIRD TEXAS STATE TURNOVER.
• Maybe a little life out of the Bobcat defense, Marcus Clark with a sack, forcing 4th down.
• George fumbles again. SMU sniffing out the option. FOURTH TEXAS STATE TURNOVER.
• TOUCHDOWN SMU. 11:45 LEFT IN THE FIRST QUARTER. B.L. MITCHELL TO SANDERS. 21-0 MUSTANGS.
• Toon's mobility saves the Bobcats from punting. His scramble and enusing pass to Bush gets a first down.
• TOUCHDOWN TEXAS STATE. 3:33 LEFT IN THE SECOND QUARTER. KARRINGTON BUSH 2-YARD RUN. 21-6 MUSTANGS.
• EXTRA POINT BLOCKED BY SMU, RETURNED FOR THE SAFETY. 23-6 MUSTANGS.
• TOUCHDOWN SMU. 2:45 LEFT IN THE SECOND QUARTER. MITCHELL TO SANDERS, 3RD TIME TODAY. 30-6 SMU.
• Texas State looks efficient running its two-minute drill with Toon at the helm.
• The Bobcats are 8-of-10 on third downs so far this game.
  
• SMU snuffed out another Texas State option for a 7-yard loss. Eight seconds left in the half.
• TOUCHDOWN TEXAS STATE. 0:02 LEFT IN THE SECOND QUARTER. TOON TO LUKE, 7-YARD PASS. 30-13 SMU.
  

Speed, not height could kill Texas State

Last week against Angelo State, the Texas State defense fell victim to a cycle of events. First, Ram quarterback John Neiswander would dump the ball to his tight end or running backs on an under route, softening up the Bobcat defense. Neiswander would then find one of his taller receivers (both ASU starters were taller than 6-foot-2) for a jump ball.

Texas State was almost powerless against the attack as Neiswander completed 18-of-25 passes. When the Bobcats did bite on a route, Neiswander found a gap in the seam and nailed the receiver for a huge gain.

This weekend, Texas State goes against Southern Methodist. The Mustangs' starting wide receivers are all under 6-foot tall, but quick. In the run-and-shoot offense, receivers must be fast to break into their slants and to make moves in the open field.

The Bobcats' secondary is fast, with Will Thompson, Drenard Williams and Morris Crosby at corner. Jamal Williams and Brian Williams anchor the safety positions and have speed.

One of the biggest keys to the game this week will be the corner's ability to tackle in the open field. Should SMU's recievers get running room, they could be gone for six.

"Not if we come out and tackle correctly," Jamal Williams said in response to being asked how big a difference it is facing a faster than taller wide receiver. "It will all be the same."

Odds and ends...

• Texas State is ready to try their hand at stopping the SMU's run-and-shoot
• The Bobcat secondary is excited, just look at what cornerback Drenard Williams said, "I know, every corner, we love these types of games. If a team does 90 percent passing, it means we get practice on our breaking skills, get interceptions and we're ready for it."
• Against Angelo State, Texas State ran its base defense. Not many blitzes, but crowded the box for the run.
• Defensive coordinator Fred Bleil expects to throw the kitchen sink at June Jones.
• Bleil doesn't care if he's preparing to go against Jones or any other coach, he said, "I've been at North Texas two years ago and Tulane last year, we've played talented teams, so it's just another game week for me. I've coached against June Jones before. It doesn't matter to me if they make $2 million or $2, they're just coaches."
• In an unrelated note, at least to football: construction began on the baseball/softball complex. Trucks removed the stands and press box from the softball field today.
  

Scouting the Mustangs...

• Offensively, no one needs to know more than two words in trying to understand what type of offense SMU runs: June Jones.
• Jones, hired to revive a dying program, uses a specialized version of the Run-and-Shoot.
• He primarily likes to run short slants across the middle or dump it to a receiver in the flat. Jones' offense is based in the methods of the "West Coast," where receivers need to be athletic enough to break tackles in the open field.
• Jones put the ball into the hands of a true freshman quarterback, B.L. Mitchell. The freshman is easily rattled, as he threw three interceptions after Rice (SMU's last opponent) began to blitz.
• Defensively, the Mustangs are small, especially on the defensive line.
• Three of the four starting lineman weigh less than 255 pounds, including a 234-pound end.
• The Owls had great success running the ball against SMU, piling 208 yards on 44 carries.
• Even though Jones doesn't have Colt Brennan at quarterback any longer, teams don't want to try to go point-for-point with the Mustangs.
• Look in tomorrow's Daily Record for a full breakdown of SMU.
• Look in Friday's Daily Record for a game preview and a detailed prediction of the score.
  

A few quick notes...

• Bradley George will be Texas State's starting QB for the SMU game and Clint Toon will get his reps
• The Bobcat volleyball team struggled tonight against Baylor, in which head coach Karen Chisum said, "It was a very, very disappointing loss. We came out with no energy tonight and why I don't know. The university and marketing people did everything to set up the atmosphere and it was there. It was there. We let them down tonight. It's a big, big disappointing loss."
• A lot of support from other Texas State teams tonight for the Baylor game. Saw several men's basketball, football and baseball players there.
• The Bobcat softball team was honored before the game and given their Southland Conference championship rings (regular season, of course).
  

Questions for June Jones

I will be speaking with Southern Methodist head coach June Jones on Wednesday about the upcoming game with Texas State. Beside the questions I already am going to ask, I wanted to see if you, the readers and fans had any for him. Please e-mail them to me or reply in the comment section. I will also take questions for Bobcat head coach Brad Wright as well.

Does Texas State have a QB controversy?

We all know Texas State head coach Brad Wright likes to use a two-QB system. Last season, Bradley George and Clint Toon split time, and while it didn't transfer to many wins, it kept both players fresh.

Should the two QBs split time this season?

Against Angelo State, George didn't look good, to put it nicely. He threw as many interceptions (two) as he did completed passes. Granted, the Bobcats ran the ball a lot before halftime, but out of nine passes, at least half should be completed, judging on his past success.

Neither George or Toon differentiated themselves in the first half. At the start of the third quarter, George was on the bench and Toon took the reigns. After a mediocre quarter, Toon led Texas State to two scores in the final period, the last, clinched the game.

"We're going to look at the film," Wright said, when asked if George is still his starter. "Obviously, you guys (the press) can sit out there and say 'Clint Toon should be the starting quarterback and right now,' I'm going to sit here this evening and say right now, he looks like he should be the starting quarterback. But there may be a lot of things he still did wrong too. We may still be at ground zero and we don't have a quarterback. I don't know."

Who should be starting next week against Southern Methodist? Discuss.

Live fron Bobcat Stadium (SECOND HALF)!

• Both teams are on the field, TIED AT 7. Angelo State gets the ball.
• Rams open up with a 33-yard pass.
• ASU completes a 20-yard pass on 4th-and-10.
• Texas State pass defense returning to its old form. Neiswander has 53 yards passing in 2nd half, already.
• TOUCHDOWN! Neiswander 4-yard pass to Nate Bayless, who made a great catch inches from the turf. 14-7 ASU (10:49 left in the 3rd quarter).
• Dr. Larry Teis is looking pretty uncomfortable sitting in the press box. He schedules some tough Division II teams.
• Texas State escaped a bullet on third-and-6. Neiswander barely missed Sam Tindol streaking up the middle of the field. Could've gone for a touchdown if the ball was there.
• Clint Toon's legs are saving the Bobcat offense. He's saved several plays so far in the second half with his ability to scramble. George might have been benched.
• TOUCHDOWN! Toon 4-yard touchdown pass to Mishak Rivas in the corner of the end zone. 14-14 TIE.
• Texas State keeps dodging bullets. Another missed FG by ASU. Still 14-14.
• Re: Texas State dodging bullets. ASU pass interference gives Bobcats first down with 8:50 to go. Would have been 4th-and-5.
• Angelo State plays the tip drill, interception. Ram ball 19-yard line, 7:55 left in the 4th.
• Ram kicker Ryan Smith nails a trifecta of missed FGs; hits the upright, wide right and wide left.
• TOUCHDOWN. Blake Burton 1-yard run. 21-14 Texas State.
• Telling quote postgame "We didn't play to win, we played not to lose," Texas State head coach Brad Wright.
  

Live from Bobcat Stadium (FIRST HALF)!

• It's a hot one out here at Bobcat Stadium with the temperature hovering right around 97 degrees at 5:20 p.m. Both teams are on the field and look ready to begin. Just 38 minutes until the 2008 season kicks off.
• Five minutes to go until kickoff and the turn-out on the student side is far more than on the "Dark Side."
• Texas State wins the toss and decides to receive. We get to see early what the offense can do.
• Even though it's early in the game (12:33 left in the first), the Bobcats are moving the ball easily on the ground.
• TOUCHDOWN! Bradley George to Cameron Luke for an 8-yard touchdown pass. The only completed pass on the drive (George only attempted two). 7-0 Texas State, 10:18 left, 1st quarter.
• Bobcat defense forced a turnover on its the Rams' first drive. Marcus Clark sack and forced fumble, Donovan King recovery.
• Texas State turns it right back over as Bradley George telegraphs a pass into the hands of Jordan Cortez. It's Cortez's first interception in THREE years.
  
• George was injured on the interception return (George warming up on the sideline, seems to be fine).
  
• Angelo State puts a good drive together, but a FG attempt bounces off the left upright. Still 7-0 Texas State.
• Simple flare passes, either to RBs or TEs confusing Bobcat defense.
• TOUCHDOWN! Josh Neiswander to Drew Peterson for an 1-yard score. Tied up 7-7, 0:15 left until half.
• George picked again by Angelo State, second interception of the day, this time by Pete Parker.
• TIED AT 7, HALFTIME
  

Look for tomorrow's live blog from Bobcat Stadium

This site is going to be updated frequently with information, scores and tidbits from Bobcat Stadium during the Texas State - Angelo State game.  Be sure to check us out.

In 2008, the Texas State football team will...

Match the following answers with the person who said it (Answers will be given tomorrow):

1 - "...prepare one game at a time and win one at a time. That's the only way we can do it."
2 - "...take each game one at a time and hopefully compete in the Southland Conference."
3 - "...be vastly improved from last year. We're going to be definitely be taking that first step to becoming the new Texas State."

A - Stan Zwinggi
B - Will Thompson
C - Brad Wright


Finish the statement yourself in the comment section. In 2008, the Texas State football team will...


ANSWERS: 1-C, 2-A, 3-B

Observations from practice 8/27...

• Texas State began running scout team drills for the Angelo State game.
• Jamal Williams is back on the field as his injury was deemed less than serious. His right ring finger is splinted, but otherwise, he looks fine.
• Williams did look timid on several plays, but due to his hand injury, how can you blame him?
• The second team offensive line didn't look good at all today. They were out of position and allowed the nose tackle into the backfield on every play, especially during OL/DL drills.
• Mishak Rivas should be recipient of several misdirection plays this season.
• Rivas' speed around the end should be a force to be reckoned with this fall.
• Bradley George was picked off by a walk-on freshman during passing drills.
• You've heard of players vomiting, but today, a Texas State coach lost his lunch on the sideline between drills.
  

Now opening up the Bobcat Mailbag

In order to bring you, our readers closer to the action, the Daily Record is opening up the "Bobcat Mailbag." We ask you, the readers, to send in questions to be asked to the Bobcat coach or player of your choice. Each week, we will pick three questions out of the mix and run them in our print edition. They will also be posted online. You can e-mail them to Tyler Mayforth or post them right here on the blog.

Is NOW the time to win?

When I spoke with Dr. Larry Teis, athletic director at Texas State about the state of the Bobcat athletic department, earlier this summer, two things he said jumped out at me.

One: "We need to win (this year). I told our coaches this specifically, especially our key coaches and they know it. It's me, it's them, it's all of us. We're doing a capital campaign and one of the big things to take a capital campaign to the next level is to win. It's no secret, I've sat down with Doug (Davalos) and Brad (Wright) and told them 'We need to do this and we need to do this together.' I'll do everything I can within budget and within my power, because I hired both of them. I believe in them. We're carrying the torch for the entire university. That's the position we're in."

Two: "The goal is for football to get to the playoffs every year. This year we're hoping to get to the playoffs and make it a few rounds and see where we end up. Basketball, we probably let that program get down too low, to three wins. But we've gone from three to nine to thirteen. That's progress."

Both comments have an underlying theme. NOW is the time to win at Texas State. As fans, do you agree with the statements Dr. Teis made?

What if football and basketball don't live up to expectations and improve this year? What changes need to be made to assure success?

Discuss.