Countdown to Kickoff: Bobcats battle Southern
The Countdown to Kickoff series is back following the Texas State Bobcats as the team navigates through the 2023 season.
This week will take a look at the home showdown between the Bobcats and Sun Belt East Division foe, the Georgia Southern Eagles.
This will be the first meeting between Texas State and Georgia Southern since the 2021 season, due to the Sun Belt Conference expanding to 14 members in 2022.
In their last meeting, Georgia Southern took advantage of a blocked punt which was returned for a touchdown, to break a 17-17 deadlock, to win 38-30, which snapped a four-game losing streak.
Last year, Georgia Southern finished the regular season with a 6-6 overall record, culminating in a double overtime win over arch rival App State, to secure bowl eligibility for first-year coach Clay Helton.
The 2022 year was memorable, due to the Eagles switching from their traditional triple option offensive scheme to a more traditional passing offense.
The Eagles saw some success under the new offense, pulling off a major upset by defeating Nebraska on the road, 45-42 early in the season, in what would be the last game for then Cornhusker Head Coach Scott Frost.
Qualifying for the Camellia Bowl, Georgia Southern lost to the Buffalo Bulls, 23-21, to finish the season with a 6-7 overall record.
Heading into the 2023 season, the Eagles are slated to finish in fifth place in the Sun Belt Preseason Polls, behind James Madison, App State, Coastal Carolina and Marshall.
Bill Connelly’s SP+ Ratings Systems has Georgia Southern with a -10.5 overall rating with a 27.9 offensive rating and a 38.5 defensive rating.
After going heavy in the transfer portal last season, the Eagles will look to reload on both offense and defense, to continue their new found success.
Since joining the Sun Belt in 2013, Texas State and Georgia Southern have only met five times in conference play, with the Eagles winning all five games.
Out of the five games, four have been determined by one possession.
Texas State’s only win over Georgia Southern is perhaps one of the most memorable ones in Bobcat history, with the two teams meeting in the first round of the FCS Playoffs in 2005.
Scoring 27 points in the fourth quarter, the Bobcats knocked off Georgia Southern, 5035 to win their first ever playoff game at the FCS level. Texas State reached the FCS Semifinals, before falling to Northern Iowa. The game has reached a mythical status in Texas State as the victory was the catalyst for the Bobcats moving up to FBS in 2012.
Kickoff for Texas State and Georgia Southern is 6:30 p.m., Nov. 4, at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos.
coltonbmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc
