Bobcats look to bounce back in home opener against Tigers

Following a tough loss to rival UTSA, Texas State returns home this Saturday, as the Bobcats host the Jackson State Tigers in the home opener.

After two straight road games, Head Coach G.J. Kinne said he is expecting an 'electric atmosphere.'

“I thought we traveled well to both games,” Kinne said. “Now we need all of our fans and all of the support on Saturday. For a lot of these guys, this will the first time playing in our home stadium. We are also hosting over 200 recruits and we will have some big time visitors, so it’s going to be an electric atmosphere.”

One of the main focuses for Texas State will be offensive execution, as the Bobcats were held to just 13 points against the Roadrunners last week.

With a focus on offense, the Bobcats want to get back on track come Saturday.

“We just have to focus on the execution,” Kinne said. “That is something we got better at last year as the year went on. ... Offense is all about rhythm. Just as we went in our two-minute drill before halftime, that’s how it’s supposed to look all the time.

“It wasn’t like the whole game was abysmal. It was just hit and miss. If a guy was open, the protection fell through. If the protection was great, we didn’t get the ball where it needed to be. It was one of those deals where it was a little bit off. So, we just have to better at executing and focusing on those details that show up on Saturday.”

Jackson State comes into Saturday’s showdown with a 2-1 record, with wins over South Carolina State and Southern, and a loss to Florida A&M in the Orange Blossom Classic.

The Tigers are going through a massive transition, due in apart to the departure of former head coach Deion Sanders who took over a struggling Colorado program, resulting in the transfer of multiple key players from last year’s conference championship winning team.

This will be the first ever meeting between the Tigers and the Bobcats, though Texas State is no stranger to members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Texas State is currently 23-2 against members of the SWAC, with a 12-2 record against Prairie View A&M, a 10-0 record against Texas Southern, and a 1-0 record against Arkansas Pine Bluff. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. Saturday from Bobcat Stadium.

cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc