SAN MARCOS– Don’t give up on the Bobcats yet. They showed signs of life last weekend in a stunning 41-14 win at Southern Miss, ending their five-game losing streak. The Bobcats are now sitting at 4-6 on the season and need to win out with two games remaining to be eligible for a bowl game.
Texas State returns home after two consecutive weeks on the road to face UL Monroe (3-7) at 4 p.m. Saturday and is a heavy favorite to win (-19.5). Despite the generous odds, Texas State has not done well as the favorite this year. Several of the games they lost during their five-game skid were ones in which they were favored. That said, the win last week against Southern Miss was a big moment for the team and the fanbase, keeping the bowl hopes alive.
The two remaining games are home games, with South Alabama (3-7) coming to town on November 29, which should be a win for the Bobcats. All of a sudden, this season—one that previously looked forgettable—is showing promising signs. Best-case scenario: Texas State wins these two games against UL Monroe and South Alabama and then wins its bowl game, finishing the season above .500 at 7-6. Sure, it would still be a step back from the last two seasons, in which they went 8-5; however, it would still be a drastic improvement in the middle of what once seemed like a hopeless stretch.
It all starts Saturday at 4 p.m. The Bobcats now have a rekindled purpose. They are playing for bowl eligibility rather than just playing not to lose. The team everyone saw dominate Southern Miss last week is the team this fanbase knows it can be week in and week out. This is why there has been so much frustration among the fanbase and on social media—this team has not lived up to expectations so far. But now they have a golden opportunity to salvage what has been a broken season.
