TXST FOOTBALL
Whether the Bobcats angered the football gods or the blind salamander king living underneath the Square, Texas State [3-4] will look to end their spell of bad luck in their Tuesday night showdown against the James Madison Dukes [6-1].
Texas State dropped another heartbreaker last Saturday, losing to the Marshall Thundering Herd 40-37 in double overtime. It is not only the third straight onepossession loss for the Bobcats but also the third straight game where the Bobcats held the lead in the fourth quarter with less than two minutes remaining in the game only to let the lead slip away.
What hasn’t slipped is the Texas State offense. The Bobcats are the highest-scoring offense in the conference with 253 total points, averaging 36.1 points per game. Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings ranks the Bobcat offense as the 40th best offense in FBS.
Freshman quarterback Brad Jackson became just the fifth quarterback in program history to pass for over 400 yards, finishing the game with 444 yards passing, the second-highest in a single game in the history of Bobcat football. The Texas State offense also finished their third straight game with over 500 yards of offense.
But Texas State will face their toughest defense in conference play in the Dukes. James Madison leads the conference with fewest total points allowed at 109, averaging 15.5 points per game. SP+ ranks James Madison’s defense as the 33rd best defense in FBS.
While the Bobcat offense has continued to roll, the Texas State defense has rolled down hill. The Bobcats have given up 219 total points, averaging 31.2 points, the fourth highest in the conference. SP+ ranks the Bobcat defense 127th in FBS.
Despite the defensive woes, the highlight has been senior linebacker Treylin Payne. Payne broke the Texas State school record for most tackles in a single game at 24 and was later named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week.
But Payne and the Bobcat defense will face a tough task in the Dukes offense who are fourth in the conference in total points, averaging 32.2 points per game. SP+ ranks the JMU offense as the 62nd best offense in FBS.
The Dukes offense is led by quarterback Alonza Barnett III who has passed for 1,252 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing for 266 yards and nine touchdowns.
Running back Wayne Knight leads the team in rushing with 611 yards on 93 carries and five touchdowns.
This will be the second- ever meeting between Texas State and James Madison with the Dukes joining the Sun Belt conference in 2022.
James Madison defeated Texas State in their first meeting in 2022, winning 40-13.
James Madison’s first ever football season came in 1972 with the Dukes making the transition to FCS in 1980.
The Dukes won their first FCS national championship in 2004, defeating Montana 31-21.
James Madison claimed another national championship in 2016 before making the jump to FBS in 2022.
In their first year of FBS, the Dukes finished the season with an 8-3 record, tying for first place in the Sun East Division. The next season, the Dukes finished with a record of 11-2, winning the Sun Belt East Division title and qualifying for the Armed Forces Bowl against Air Force. James Madison was ineligible for the Sun Belt Conference title game due to the transition rules for FCS to FBS.
Texas State and James Madison share a unique connection, with both schools being coached by Everett Withers.
Withers coached James Madison from 2014 through 2015, making two playoff appearances and winning a share of the CAA conference title before being hired at Texas State.
Withers coached Texas State from 2016 through 2018 before being fired. He finished with a 7-28 overall record at Texas State.
This will also be the Bobcats’ third Tuesday night game of the regular season having played Louisiana in 2014 and 2024.
Kickoff for Texas State-James Madison is set for Tuesday Oct. 28 at UFCU Stadium in San Marcos. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
