FRIDAY FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Texas State (3-1) opens up conference play on the road as the Bobcats take on the Southern Miss Golden Eagles (1-3).

One of the key matchups for both Head Coach G.J. Kinne and the Bobcats will face the Bobcat offense against the Golden Eagle defense with a main focus between the trenches.

“Their defensive line is big and athletic,” Kinne said. “They have a twitch to them. … You can tell their entire backend has some length to them. They play well together, really well coached so it’s going to be quite the challenge. Physically they are going to be one of the best teams we are going to play when it comes to that.”

As for the defense, one of the big tasks will be stopping running back Frank Gore Jr.

“On offense, it comes down to the running backs,” Kinne said. “They are very talented, obviously headlined by Frank Gore Jr. Once again their offensive line is big. You can tell that we are alike because we like big guys and their coach does as well.”

However, the Golden Eagles are not just a running team.

“Their receivers are speedy and can make plays down the field,” Kinne said. Their quarterback you can see every week the experience he has gained is valuable for him. He is getting better each week. He has the talent and he’s being coached very well. This is a really good conference opponent on the road and adds another layer of difficulty.”

Southern Miss comes into the showdown with a 1-3 record following a 44-37 loss to the Arkansas State Red Wolves.

The Golden Eagles allowed over 400 yards of offense including 192 yards rushing in the defeat.

While Southern Miss may be wounded, Kinne reiterate that the key to winning will be on them.

“But once again I like to tell these guys at halftime against Nevada, after UTSA and after Baylor, it’s going to be about us,” Kinne said. “ We are still a young team not necessarily in age but being together for a while. So we have to continue to get better each week. Each meeting is important, each practice is important, each time we are able to face adversity and how we make each decision on how we are going to go is important.”

Southern Miss leads the overall series between the Golden Eagles and the Bobcats at 2-1.

In their last meeting, the Golden Eagles knocked off Texas State 20-14 winning on a 53 yard touchdown pass with 32 seconds left in the game on fourth down.

The Bobcats will be looking for their first win over the Golden Eagles since 2013 when Texas State defeated Southern Miss 22-15.

Texas State will also be looking to make more history this weekend by not only looking to have their winning streak hit three games for the first time since 2013, but the Bobcats are looking for their best start to a football season since the magical 2005 season.

Kickoff for Texas State-Southern Miss will be at 6 pm Saturday at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattisburg, Mississippi.

cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc