Bobcats bowl-bound after defeating South Alabama for first winning season since 2014

Texas State clinched their first winning season for the first time since 2014 as the Bobcats defeated Sun Belt West Division rival the South Alabama Jaguars, 52-44.

Following the Bobcats 77-31 loss to Arkansas State the week before, Head Coach G.J. Kinne saw the response Texas State needed.

“I’m really happy for these seniors,” Kinne said. “To bounce back the way they did after that loss to Arkansas State ,[after] a lot of people counted us out. But we believed in this room and that was a grit win for us.”

The Bobcats flipped the momentum swing their way in the first quarter after punting on their first offensive drive.

The Jaguars completed a ten-yard pass on their next possession only for the Bobcats to strip the ball out and force the fumble.

The ball was picked up by safety Caleb Culp who returned it 31 yards for the score as the Bobcats took a 7-0 lead.

“It definitely set the tone,” Culp said. “That was something we have been talking about for the past few weeks–just trying to score on defense. … It turned up the defense for sure.”

The defense continued to pour it on the South Alabama offense and forced the punt to give the ball back to the offense.

The Bobcat offense responded with a 48-yard touchdown pass from quarterback T.J. Finley to wide receiver Ashtyn Hawkins to put Texas State up 14-0.

Texas State forced another South Alabama punt to put the ball back in to the offense’s hands leading to a 79-yard touchdown drive capped off with a one-yard touchdown run by running back Jahmyl Jeter as the Bobcats lead was extended to 21-0.

The Bobcats then caught the Jaguars by surprise with a pooch kick and recovered the ball for another Texas State offensive possession.

Texas State tacked on a 28-yard field goal by Mason Shipley as the lead was pushed to 24-0.

The 24-0 start in the first quarter set tone for the Bobcats for the rest of the game as Texas State failed to relinquish the lead.

“It was really good because that’s a good team you saw,” Kinne said. “Their defense, especially in the second half and in the second quarter. They’re really good, and they held a lot of people to not very many points and not very many yards. So for us to come out the way we did and play – I thought T.J. (Finley) played really well, and got the ball out. Thought our receivers played really well. It was definitely a team effort.”

Despite the Jaguars answering back with their first touchdown drive of the game to cut the lead down to 24-7, Texas State answered right back as wide receiver Kole Wilson returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for the touchdown to make it a 31-6 game, following a missed two point conversion.

South Alabama tacked on a field goal and another touchdown drive with a two-point conversion to make the halftime score 31-17.

The Jaguars made a concerted effort to crawl back into the game in the second half but couldn’t overcome the second half deficit as the Bobcats held on to the 52-44 win.

Texas State will learn their bowl fate this Sunday.

cmcwilliams@ sanmarcosrecord.om Twitter: @ColtonBMc