Bobcats close out season hosting No. 20 Coastal Carolina

(Editor’s note: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, this story was printed on Wednesday as news of sophomore defensive back Khambrail Winters’ death was still developing. As of press time Wednesday, head coach Jake Spavital said the team had not reached a decision on how it would proceed for the rest of the week. For up-to-date information, visit www.sanmarcosrecord.com)

Texas State looks to ride the momentum of its second win of the season by hosting the front-runner for the Sun Belt championship.

The maroon and gold go up against No. 20 Coastal Carolina, the highest-ranked opponent to visit Bobcat Stadium since No. 6 Houston came to San Marcos on Sept. 24, 2016. The Chanticleers boast the No. 1 scoring offense (37.4 points per game) and defense (17.1 points per game) in the conference, making it one of the tougher teams Texas State has played this season.

The Bobcats are coming off one of their best performances of the season, surviving a shootout with Arkansas State last Saturday, 47-45. Head coach Jake Spavital felt the team did a good job of playing complementary football and wants to see the same this week against CCU.

“We put together a team win,” Spavital said. “You know, there were some guys that elevated their play in critical moments. As a team, there were times where the defense wasn't holding up at all but when they needed to make a stop, they made a stop. And there were times when the offense needed to respond and we responded and that hasn't been the case this entire year.”

The Chanticleers lean run-heavy on offense but are extremely efficient when passing the ball. Redshirt freshman quarterback Grayson McCall has completed 106 of 156 passes for 1,593 yards with 18 touchdowns and just one interception. His 190.5 passer rating ranks first in the league, 26.1 points above all other quarterbacks.

“They're really fun to watch,” Spavital said. “I think the quarterback's playing at a very high level right now. (Senior C.J.) Marable, their running back, is probably one of the better ones I've seen in a while and their skill is comparable to the top of our league. And with their O-line, everybody talks about how small they are but they play extremely well and for their scheme and they're very efficient at what they do.”

Spavital is impressed with Coastal Carolina’s front seven and believes it’ll present some challenges for the Bobcats. But he’s confident in Texas State’s offense, especially after multiple players had breakout games against the Red Wolves last week.

Junior wide receiver Javen Banks scored a touchdown for the third game in a row and is now averaging 23.7 yards per catch this year. Banks exited Saturday’s game early and did not return. Spavital said the junior got the wind knocked out of him, tried to stand up too fast and fainted on the field, and the head coach didn’t want to insert him back into the game afterward. Banks has been a limited participant in practice this week and is being monitored by the team.

Fellow junior wideout Trevis Graham Jr. posted five receptions for 72 yards and two touchdowns, all season highs. And redshirt sophomore quarterback Brady McBride’s 443 passing yards were the second-most for a single game in program history.

“I thought (McBride) played extremely well, made some really good decisions with the football,” offensive coordinator Jacob Peeler said. “You know, guys were in the right place, where they should have been at times and I think that allowed him — we had some good protection, gave us some time as well. So I thought he was playing with a lot of confidence and he practiced that way all week and it showed up on Saturday. But I'm really proud of that kid. He's faced some adversity this year and he handled it extremely well, thought he played his best game, for sure.”

Texas State (2-9, 2-5 Sun Belt) is scheduled to go up against Coastal Carolina (8-0) at 2 p.m. this Saturday. 

“It's a really good team that's playing very disciplined, efficient football,” Spavital said. “You know, the kind of things that we talk about in here all the time that we need to improve on is what they're doing at a high level right now. They're a very experienced group, and they're very talented and it's gonna be a great challenge for us. We've got one more opportunity to go out there at (Jim Wacker Field) and leave it all out there on the line. So we're pretty excited to get back to work and enjoy our Thanksgiving and go out there and cut it loose on Saturday.”