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.