NOT FORGOTTEN

As the talk of offense has dominated the off-season, especially the battle for the quarterback position, the Bobcat defense has been quietly looking to improve from last season.

Under new Head Coach G.J. Kinne and new defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke, the Bobcats look to give opposing offenses nightmares.

“It’s coming along really well,” Kinne said. “I think we have a chance to be really elite upfront. Anytime you can do that, you have to be really good at being good. His energy and the way he gets his guys to play really sticks out. The defense is playing really well right now, but we have a huge task in front of us against Baylor.”

One of the biggest changes for the Bobcat defense is moving to a 4-2-5 base defense, but with the ability to change into multiple schemes.

Despite the change in scheme, Patke has been pleased with the team’s handling of the new system.

‘They have been learning our style of play,” Patke said. “Being multiple and aggressive is who we are and they are starting to understand that and thrive in it, in that system. We are going to practice really hard, so that our Saturday’s are enjoyable.”

With 15 defensive transfers and eight players signing their letter of intent in the 2023 class, it has been a rush to acclimate the new players to the system.

However, Patke said he is happy with their progress.

“I’ve been pleased,” Patke said. “We had a lot of new guys and new faces, but played a lot of football. The hardest part about the transfers and bringing the old guys in, is that they have to play a role at some point. Not everybody is going to be a starter, but everybody is going to play a role. I’m big on connection within the defense and being accountable to each other. That’s part of the standard.”

With the Fall camp seeing many of the defensive players battling for a starting position, the competition was fierce, to say the least.

“Coming into Fall it was like a new Spring,” Patke said. “There were a lot of new players. Obviously we had the guys coming back, but we had to give the new guys a fair evaluation as well. It was fun and we had two weeks of good competition and the guys understood it. They want to win and they want guys on the field who are going to help them win.”

One of the big contributors for the Bobcats has been the transfer of 11 Incarnate Word football players from the 2022 season, including defensive back Shawn Holton who made 37 tackles and three interceptions for the Cardinals last year.

With the Cardinal players knowing the system and the expectation, the process has been made easier on the coaching staff.

“A lot of the guys from UIW have helped out,” Patke said. “They know the standard which helps grow within the locker room. A player-led team is way better than a coach- led team, and some of those guys are 'the team,' in terms of preparation and how we practice.”

For Holt, the closeness of the UIW team and being back with his teammates was one of the reasons the graduate senior wanted to transfer to Texas State.

“That’s a reflection of what we did last year,” Holt said. “It didn’t matter what position you were– defensive backs, tight ends, wide receivers–everybody was close together. Just being able to come back with my guys was a great opportunity.”

Knowing what the expectations are, Holt has seen himself catching his fellow teammates up to the system.

“My original job was to make sure they were not making the same mistakes I was,” Holt said. “I helped the guys learn how to practice properly, see the looks we have seen in Week 10 that we can nip in the butt and knock it out Week 1. Just trying to expedite the process and help the coaches out as much as possible.”

With the Baylor game less than two weeks away, Patke said he expects a tough matchup from the Bears come the season opener.

“They are going to be a physical team,” Patke said. “They have a defensive head coach so they want to control the football and run the outside zone. That’s what they ran for the last couple of years and ran it at a high level. They are well coached up front and they have a quarterback that can push the ball up field.'

cmcmwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc