SAN MARCOS– The college football world was focused solely on Arizona State and Texas State last night at UFCU Stadium in San Marcos, Texas, as the matchup was broadcast live on ESPN.
Featuring a blackout theme, the Texas State students quickly filled the stands, making their presence known all night. The overall attendance surpassed 25,000, an impressive turnout for a Thursday night. The final score was 31-28 as the Arizona State Sun Devils captured a road victory.
“That’s a good team, a well-coached team with good talent. We were right there, though; I’m proud of the guys,” Texas State head coach G.J. Kinne said. “The message afterwards was to stay together, and we’re going to go win a whole bunch of ball games.”
Indeed, the Bobcats were right there. ASU started things off by scoring a touchdown with AP Player of the Week Cam Skattebo, who rushed for 265 yards and had 35 receiving yards last week against Mississippi State. But the Bobcats went on an offensive surge, scoring 21 unanswered points led by quarterback Jordan McCloud.
UFCU Stadium was rocking with the Cats ahead 21-7 in the second quarter. But as quickly as they built the lead, the Sun Devils came roaring back. Sam Leavitt, ASU quarterback, connected with wide receiver Jordyn Tyson on a 52-yard pass resulting in a touchdown. Additionally, they put forth another impressive drive resulting in a score.
Before you could blink, it was all knotted up 21 apiece at the half. As the second half began, it was clear that both teams had made adjustments, and that this half was going to be nothing like the first. To win, it was going to come down to defense. Both sides exchanged punts until ASU’s kicker missed a field goal, which set up a 44-yard touchdown pass from Texas State’s Jordan McCloud to wide receiver Jaden Williams. The Cats were back in front, 28-21.
Relative to the first half, the Sun Devils marched right back, with quarterback Sam Leavitt leading the charge with a 40-yard scramble. As the third quarter wound down, the Bobcats faced a tricky fourth-and-2 call where they elected to go for it. Enter Joey Hobert. Hobert caught a pass and then proceeded to hurdle an ASU defender, landing on his feet and continuing to plow away for more yards before being brought down. This play, particularly being on fourth down and showcasing elite athleticism, sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Hobert’s showmanship will likely be on the ESPN Top 10 Plays of the Week. But ultimately, this drive did not amount to anything, forcing the Bobcats to punt. The game was tied at 28 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Texas State defense did its job by limiting Skattebo to just 62 yards on 26 carries. They could hardly have done a better job against the AP Player of the Week.
“It’s unfortunate we couldn’t win that one for those guys,” Kinnie said. “They played well. We put them in some tough situations, and they responded almost every time.”
The fourth quarter started out as a dogfight, with both defenses flexing their muscles and forcing punts. It looked like the game might head into overtime until the wheels fell off for the Bobcats.
Ismail Mahdi, the Bobcats’ beloved player, had an uncharacteristic fumble deep in Texas State’s own territory. This took the wind out of everyone’s sails. Luckily, the Bobcats defense held Arizona State to a field goal. The score was now 31-28 midway through the quarter.
The Cats got the ball back, but once again, Texas State had an untimely turnover. This time, it was Jordan McCloud who threw an interception. The defense came up with a stop, but the Bobcats’ offense could not get much going in the second half, as they went for it on fourth down and didn’t convert. Game over.
ASU handed off to Skattebo, who finally broke free for a couple of nice gains, and that all but sealed it. Bring on the kneeling. It was a tough pill to swallow after such a great performance on both sides of the ball for Texas State. Arizona State just outcoached and overpowered them in the crucial moments of the game. Of course, you can dissect the officiating all you want, but the truth is the Sun Devils were the better team Thursday night.
“That was awesome, I mean it really was, “Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “It’s not good for my health but it’s very good for our football team to win that game.”
This matchup between a Pac-12 school and a Sun Belt Conference team also featured two of the youngest coaches in all of college football. Texas State’s head coach is 35, and Arizona State’s coach is just 34. These two coaches represent the future of college football. It is likely this will not be the last time these two coaches face off against one another.
Dillingham, when asked about the job that contemporary Texas State head coach GJ Kinne has done thus far during his tenure at Texas State, offered a lot of high praise.
“I think he’s a phenomenal football coach. I think this is the best Texas State team potentially that’s ever played here. In two years here, he’s put together arguably the best team in the history of the program.”
As for the Bobcats, they have quite a bit of time until their next game. On September 28, they will face the Bearkats of Sam Houston State at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans. The Bobcats should be favored to win this neutral-site contest, and then they will take their first legitimate road trip to Troy, Alabama, where they have never won and will face an opponent they have yet to beat.
“We have a long break before the next one. We’ll get in here and go to work. We have a bunch of really good leaders and coaches,” Kinne said. “We’ll watch the film, get in the training room, recover, and get ready for the next one.”
All things considered; it was a memorable atmosphere last night at UFCU Stadium. The student section was rocking, and the alumni showed up as well. For a Thursday night broadcast on ESPN, those at ESPN could not have wished for a better game or environment. The place was electric. It’s a shame that Texas State could not have come out on top here, but nonetheless, it was a great game, and the university got publicity it had not received in quite some time, if not ever.
This Texas State football team is on the rise, and they could be in the conversation for the College Football Playoff come the end of the year. If they continue to play like they have been, they certainly will be.
“I know this, and I think everyone knows we’ve got a really good team,” Kinne said. “We just have to keep getting better and continue to play our brand of football.”
