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College Football: Fact book odds and ends

While flipping through the Texas State Fact Book, a few things jumped out at me...

• The Bobcats had some ball-hawking defensive backs back in the day. Lee Lundin set a school record in 1986 with nine interceptions while three other players — Mac Sauls (1965), Adrian Simpson (1983) and Don Caldwell (1969) — have eight. No player had five or more interceptions since Walter Musgrove in 2006.
• No Texas State player has returned an interception for a touchdown since linebacker Joe Bell in 2008.
• Former All-America wide receiver Da'Marcus Griggs finished six catches shy of tying for the career record in pass receptions. Johnny Parker set the mark from 1969-71 with 160. Griggs had 154.
• Not sure if anybody is ever going to touch Claude Mathis' record of 45 career rushing touchdowns. The same goes for Cameron Luke's touchdown reception mark of 17.
  
• Sterling Rogers forced seven fumbles in 2001 for Texas State. The last player to force five or more was Courtney Smith in 2008 with five.
  

College Football: A video frenzy!

Here are two of the many interviews conducted at Texas State's 2011 media day.

Junior cornerback Darryl Morris



Sophomore quarterback Tyler Arndt

College Football: Welcome Back, Bobcats!

Texas State opens fall camp tonight at 6 p.m.

College Football: Checking on the WAC

One of the major FBS polls released its Preseason Top 25 this morning.

The USA Today Coaches' Top 25 came out with Oklahoma on top with 42 first-place votes, followed by Alabama (13), Oregon (2) and LSU (2).

Two Western Athletic Conference teams graced the "Also Receiving Votes" category as both Hawaii and Nevada found their way in. The Warriors got eight votes, while the Wolf Pack got one.

MLB: Goldschmidt Watch

All former Texas State slugger Paul Goldschmidt does is hit.

One night after going 1-for-3 with a single in his big league debut, Goldschmidt belted a two-run home run off two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum. Goldschmidt put the Arizona Diamondbacks up 2-1 with one swing of the bat, propelling them to a 6-1 win.

You can watch Goldschmidt sending Lincecum's fastball deep into the bleachers by clicking HERE.

Major League Baseball: Goldschmidt gets his call

Former Texas State slugger Paul Goldschmidt finally got his call to the big stage Monday night. Goldschmidt joined the Arizona Diamondbacks for a crucial three-game series against the San Francisco Giants.

In Monday's game, Goldschmidt went 1-for-4 with a single.

Goldschmidt faced Matt Cain on Monday and gets an equally, if not tougher, test on Tuesday when Tim Lincecum throws against the Diamondbacks.

WAC Football Preview (Video Update No. 4)

WAC Football Preview (Video Update No. 4)

WAC Football Preview (Franchione's Plan)

Western Athletic Conference Commissioner Karl Benson briefly touched on Texas State head coach Dennis Franchione having a "plan" to ease scheduling in 2012 and possibly 2013 for the remaining schools. Benson didn't want to steal Franchione's thunder, declining to comment further.

Well, Franchione's plan was to have each team in the WAC play a "travel partner" twice, with the second game not counting towards conference standings.

So, Texas State would play UTSA twice in 2012, once in San Marcos and once on the road. Whatever game was second, wouldn't count toward conference standings, but would be tacked onto the overall tally.

It's an interesting thought for sure.

WAC Football Preview (Video Update No. 3)

WAC Football Preview (Video Update No. 2)

WAC Football Preview (Hawaii AD Jim Donovan)

Spoke with Hawaii AD Jim Donovan about the scheduling fiasco earlier this month as well as the future for the Warriors. Here is the interview...

Hawaii AD Jim Donovan by smdrtyler

WAC Football Preview (Karl Benson speaks)

• Benson said this is a year of transition, but the WAC knows how to handle it.
• Rumors of Utah State leaving the WAC have "no substance."
• Benson hopes to find two schools to make a move, either from the FCS to the FBS or current FBS member in the current WAC footprint to join the conference.
• Benson said the WAC needs to "get through this stage" of having seven football-playing schools.
• "Right now, we're going to take some time off [from looking for new teams]," Benson said. "Beginning in January, going through the first of April, my United Airlines miles will increase significantly. I guess you can call that recruiting."
  
• Due to NCAA mandates, the WAC only has one bowl tie-in beginning in 2012.

WAC Football Preview (Video Update No. 1)

WAC Football Preview (Part 1)

So this is Las Vegas.

After two flights, a short delay in Denver and a cab ride, I'm finally settled into the Orleans Hotel right off The Strip. Outside my window, I can see Sin City beckoning, but right now, it's all about coverage of the 2011 WAC Football Preview, and more importantly, Texas State.

For the Bobcats, this is their first chance to impress the WAC. Texas State couldn't have sent a better ambassador in head coach Dennis Franchione. Fellow media members and officials from the WAC have nothing but positive things to say about him.

Franchione will talk with the print media Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m. and I'll try to have it broadcasting via uStream at that time. You can also find it on the WAC's web site shortly after completion.

Stay tuned for more photos, stories and videos from the 2011 WAC Football Preview.

College Football: Franchione speaks on Hawaii

Texas State head coach Dennis Franchione loves coaching against the Hawaii Warriors. In fact, Franchione is the only coach in college football history to bring three different teams to Honolulu and walk out with a win each time.

With six wins, there wasn't a doubt in Franchione's mind that he wanted another crack at Hawaii to get number seven in the near future.

"I'm the guy that brought it up [to Texas State Director of Athletics Dr. Larry Teis]," Franchione said after delivering a keynote at the first Bobcat Club luncheon of the season. "With the postseason being up in the air in 2012, I thought it would be a treat to our players, fans and a good game for us."

Then Franchione took a peek at the Bobcats' schedule in 2012.

"It looks pretty demanding," Franchione said. "If we added that game, it would have been tough on our guys. Then to cut out another week of recruiting, I don't know if we should do it right now. I would like to do it in the future, but I'm not sure if 2012 was the correct time."

Once Franchione decided against the game, which would have begun a three-game, away-home-away series with the Warriors, Teis pulled out of talks with Hawaii AD Jim Donovan.

While Franchione would like to get a crack at the Warriors in the near future, Donovan's remarks to the Honolulu Star Advertiser lead one to believe there won't be another opportunity.

"We won't be working with Texas State anytime in my tenure," Donovan told the paper.

When told of that, Franchione simply responded, "That's his prerogative. There will be another AD someday."

College Football: Potential series with Hawaii scuttled

According to the Hawaii Star Advertiser, a potential away-home-away series with the University of Hawaii was recently thrown into the trash.

The Warriors were left with an open spot in their 2012 schedule and Texas State, due to its transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision, won't be able to reach a bowl, thus allowing it to play 13 games in the regular season.

When the Bobcats upped the asking price for the game, UH complied, however, it soon went for naught.

At least Texas State will get an opportunity to play the Warriors other sports, right? Well, not UH athletic director Jim Donovan is gone.

"We won't be working with Texas State anytime in my tenure," Donovan told the Star Advertiser.

You can read the story here — Franchione knows how to put the hurt on the Warriors

College Football: Roundtable

Here is a part of today's roundtable with Brant Freeman and Brent Thibodeaux...

San Marcos — Texas State recently underwent its first evaluation of the 2011 season as Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine released its annual position-by-position scouting reports.

The Bobcats received one A, five B’s and two C’s and now it’s time to put those grades to the test. Joining me in discussing if those marks are ‘Too High,’ ‘Too Low,’ or ‘Just Right’ are Brant Freeman (radio play-by-play voice of the Bobcats) and Brent Thibodeaux from BobcatReport.com.

Quarterbacks: B+

Tyler Mayforth: Not sure what DCTF was thinking, but it’s too high. Right now there are just too many questions to justify that grade. How healthy is Tyler Arndt? Do the Bobcats actually trust Tim Hawkins to throw the ball? Is Shaun Rutherford a true option under center for Texas State? If Arndt bounces back, Hawkins completes more passes to his teammates than the ground and Rutherford shakes off a few years of rust, the potential is there. Right now, that’s all it is.

Brant Freeman: Wow. Since there are so many questions regarding the position, it’s tough to say. There isn’t much to go off of when you take a look at the body of work for everybody involved. Tyler Arndt started four or five games as a freshman, but his injury set him back. Tim Hawkins was inconsistent, but showed flashes in his four starts and now we throw Shaun Rutherford into the mix. If you look at potential, B-plus is just about right, but right now, it’s a bit too high. I almost want to give it an incomplete.

Brent Thibodeaux: I’d say that’s just right. With With Tyler Arndt coming back from knee surgery, getting him healthy is priority number one. A 100-percent Arndt means this Bobcat team has their true gunslinger at quarterback. Hawkins is a capable back-up that can step into the starting role, if called upon. Rutherford has shown flashes at the position but his skills may be best suited at receiver.

For the rest, click HERE.

College Football: Bobcats get graded

Dave Campbell's 2011 Texas Football magazine recently hit newsstands packed with scouting reports and projections for the upcoming college and high school football seasons.

For each Division I team in Texas, the magazine ranks the squad by position, assigning letter grades to each spot. Here is how the magazine graded Texas State...

Offensive Line: B-
Running Backs: B
Wide Receivers: B+
Quarterbacks: B+
Defensive Line: C+
Linebackers: A-
Secondary: B-
Special Teams: C