Press Release:
2022 Texas State Football
Game #1
Texas State (0-0) at Nevada (1-0)
Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022
Kickoff: 2:30 PM PT/4:30 PM CT
TV: Nevada Sports Net
Radio: KTSW 89.9 & Varsity Network (free app)
Clint Shields (Play-by-play)
Geff Gandy (analyst)
Streaming: NevadaSportsNet.com/watch (free)
Twitter Updates: @TXSTATEFOOTBALL
SETTING THE TABLE
Texas State will start its 116th season of football — and 11th at the FBS level — when it opens the 2022 campaign at Nevada on Saturday, Sept. 3 in Reno, Nev.
The Bobcats, who return 19 starters from last year’s team that finished second in the Sun Belt West Division, open their season on the road for the first time since 2019 — which was head coach Jake Spavital’s first season at the helm.
Texas State is coming off a 2021 season in which it had its most wins in a campaign since 2014.
The offense will have a new starting quarterback for the first time in three years as Layne Hatcher, a transfer from Arkansas State with 32 career games of experience, will pilot the offense. The Little Rock, Ark. native left Arkansas State as the program’s 4th-best passer in terms of passing yards and 3rd in passing touchdowns. He is currently among the top-15 in active FBS quarterbacks in both categories.
Other weapons on the offense include returning running backs Calvin Hill and Jahmyl Jeter as well as two of the most accomplished wide receivers in program history, Javen Banks and Marcell Barbee.
Nevada opened its 2022 season last weekend at New Mexico State, topping 23-12.
ON THE ROAD
- Texas State is opening the season on the road for the first time since 2019. Since joining the FBS in 2012, it is 6-16 in road nonconference games.
- Last season’s win at FIU was the Bobcats’ first nonconference road win since 2016.
- The Bobcats had lost 8 straight nonconference road games before the victory at FIU in 2021.
- Texas State split its road nonconference games last season: won at FIU and lost at Eastern Michigan.
- Texas State’s first ever win as an FBS program was on the road in a nonconference road game: Sept. 1, 2012 at Houston (W, 30-13).
Texas State in Road Nonconference Games
Since 2012
Year Record Wins
2012 1-2 Won at Houston
2013 2-1 Won at Southern Miss, Idaho
2014 1-1 Won at Tulsa
2015 0-2 –
2016 1-1 Won at Ohio
2017 0-2 –
2018 0-2 –
2019 0-2 –
2020 0-2 –
2021 1-1 Won at FIU
STARTING AWAY FROM SMTX
- While this is the first time since 2019 the Bobcats have started the season on the road, the last time they won a season opener played on the road was 2016 at Ohio.
- The Bobcats outlasted the Bobcats, 56-54, in triple overtime on Sept. 3, 2016 in Athens, Ohio.
- In season openers that take place on the road, Texas State is 3-3 as an FBS program (since 2012) and 14-13-2 all-time (dating back to 1948).
- Texas State also started the 2013 season with a road win (at Southern Miss) and 2012 (at Houston).
SEASON OPENERS
- Texas State is 63-46-3 all-time in season openers (missing results from seasons 1905-07) and 5-5 in its FBS era (since 2012).
- The last time Texas State won its season opener was 2017: W, 20-11 vs. Houston Baptist.
TIMES ARE CHANGING
- This weekend will be the first time Texas State has played in the Pacific Time Zone since Nov. 28, 2015 at Idaho (2,471 days in between).
- The Bobcats lost to the Vandals, 38-31, in the 2015 regular season finale in Moscow, Idaho.
- Texas State is 1-2 as an FBS program (since 2012) when playing in the Pacific Time Zone.
- Other Pacific Time Zone games include: Nov. 2, 2013 at Idaho (W, 37-21) and Oct. 27, 2012 at San Jose State (L, 20-31).
- The Bobcats are 1-10 all-time in the Pacific Time Zone in program history.
QB1: LAYNE HATCHER
- Layne Hatcher, in his first year at Texas State after transferring from Arkansas State, was named the starting quarterback the week of Aug. 22.
- Hatcher has played in 32 career games at the collegiate level, including 16 starts, and 1,659 career snaps — all at fellow Sun Belt member, Arkansas State.
- The Little Rock, Ark. native has thrown for 7,427 yards in his college career, which is 14th among active NCAA Division I FBS quarterbacks.
- He is also 7th among active Division I quarterbacks in career passing touchdowns (65) and T-13th in career passing efficiency (155.0).
- Hatcher is fourth in the Sun Belt with 16 career games of 200+ passing yards since 2019.
- Hatcher, a Preseason All-Sun Belt pick by Phil Steele and Athlon Sports, enrolled at Texas State in January 2022 and took part in spring practice.
Most Career Passing Yards
Active Division I FBS Quarterbacks
1. Jarrett Doege (Troy) 10,494
2. Holton Ahlers (ECU) 10,225
3. Charlie Brewer (Liberty) 10,184
4. Sam Hartman (Wake Forest) 9,266
5. Adrian Martinez (Kansas State) 8,491
6. Malik Cunningham (Louisville) 8,096
7. Tanner Morgan (Minnesota) 8,072
8. Dillon Gabriel (Oklahoma) 8,037
9. Clayton Tune (Houston) 7,920
10. Sean Clifford (Penn State) 7,839
11. Chris Reynolds (Charlotte) 7,730
12. Kedon Slovis (Pitt) 7,576
13. Dorian Thompson-Robinson (UCLA) 7,541
14. Layne Hatcher (Texas State) 7,427
15. Bo Nix (Oregon) 7,251
Most Career Passing Touchdowns
Active Division I FBS Quarterbacks
1. Jarrett Doege (Troy) 79
2. Sam Hartman (Wake Forest) 72
3. Dillon Gabriel (Oklahoma) 70
4. Holton Ahlers (ECU) 69
5. Charlie Brewer (Liberty) 68
6. Logan Bonner (Utah State) 66
7. Layne Hatcher (Texas State) 65
8. Clayton Tune (Houston) 64
9. Sean Clifford (Penn State) 62
Malik Cunningham (Louisville) 62
Best Career Passing Efficiency
Active Division I FBS Quarterbacks
1. Grayson McCall (Coastal Carolina) 196.1
2. CJ Stroud (Ohio State) 186.6
3. Caleb Williams (USC) 169.6
4. Bryce Young (Alabama) 166.2
5. Spencer Rattler (South Carolina) 166.0
6. Tyler Shough (Texas Tech) 165.3
7. Casey Thompson (Nebraska) 161.9
8. Stetson Bennett (Georgia) 160.6
9. Tyler Van Dyke (Miami) 159.1
10. Malik Cunningham (Louisville) 157.0
11. Dillon Gabriel (Oklahoma) 156.9
12. Jaren Hall (BYU) 155.4
13. Jake Haener (Fresno State) 155.0
Layne Hatcher (Texas State) 155.0
15. K.J. Jefferson (Arkansas) 155.0
BANK ON IT
- Javen Banks is climbing the all-time Texas State career charts, as the senior wide receiver is currently top-10 in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
- Banks has 1,380 career receiving yards, which is 9th in Texas State history.
- His 16 career touchdown catches are tied for 4th in program history.
- In 42 career games, the Wichita Falls, Texas native has 82 receptions, 1,380 receiving yards, 16 touchdown catches, and an average yards per catch of 16.8.
- The 16.8 yards per catch is currently 6th in program history.
- Last season, Banks had career-highs in receptions (36), receiving yards (553), and receiving touchdowns (5).
- Banks needs 620 receiving yards this season to become only the 4th Bobcat receiver to total 2,000 career receiving yards.
HILL COUNTRY
- Running back Calvin Hill is coming off a career year in 2021 when he ran for 714 yards on 128 carries.
- It was the second year in a row he totaled 100+ carries while the 714 rushing yards were nearly 200 more yards than his previous career-high set as a redshirt freshman in 2020.
- Hill averaged 5.6 yards per carry last year, which was 9th-best in the Sun Belt and best by a Bobcat with at least 100 rushing attempts since Terrence Franks (6.7) and Robert Lowe (5.9) in 2014.
- Hill has averaged more than 5.0 yards per carry in a season twice in his career, making him one of only two Bobcats in Texas State’s FBS era to do that (min. 100 rushing attempts). The other is Robert Lowe, who did it across 3 seasons (2013-15).
IN THE TRENCHES, PT. I
- The Texas State offensive line returns 3 of its primary starters from a year ago and has experience across all positions.
- Left tackle Dalton Cooper, right guard Kyle Hergel and center Russell Baker started at least 8 games last year. Baker mostly started at right tackle until the last 2 games.
- Adding in Kylar Cooks and Jaydan Smith, Texas State has 5 offensive linemen who have started at least 10 games in a Bobcat uniform in their careers.
- The Bobcat offensive line has 8 players who have logged 10+ NCAA games in their careers. Richard West (Texas A&M Commerce transfer), Evan Lovell (Rhode Island transfer), and Silas Robinson help comprise the group.
- Alex Costilla has played in 7 career games while Ian Hover, who joined the Bobcats this summer, played in 9 games at Campbell (FCS).
- The offensive line group has combined to play in more than 200 career games at the Division I and II levels and 9,000+ career snaps.
- Cooper (1,736 career snaps), Lovell (1,707), Hergel (1,511) and Baker (1,396) lead the Bobcats in career snaps. West does not have a complete snap count while at Texas A&M Commerce, but he played in 29 games.
IN THE TRENCHES, PT. II
- The Texas State offensive line is not the only experienced group of guys in the trenches. The Bobcat defensive line underwent a makeover this offseason, adding 5 FBS transfers.
- Kajuan Robinson (Memphis), Levi Bell (LA Tech), Nelson Mbanasor (Texas Tech), Dominique Ratcliff (Louisiana) and Myron Warren (Texas) were added in the offseason. All but Ratcliff joined the program in the summer.
- The group of 5 new faces adds to the key returners of Samuel Obiang, Nico Ezidore, Davon Sears and Gjemar Daniels.
- The Texas State defensive linemen who have played a college game (9 total) have combined to play in 165 career FBS games.
EXPERIENCED GROUP
- The Bobcat roster features 49 players who have played in 10+ career games at either the FBS, FCS or Division II level.
- Of those 49, 34 have played in 20+ career games and 6 have played in 40+.
- Sione Tupou, who is in his seventh season of college football, leads the team with 46 career games played. The Allen, Texas product started his career at UTEP.
Texas State Players with 40+ career college games
Sione Tupou, ILB 46
London Harris, ILB 45
Rontavius Groves, WR 44
Nico Ezidore, DL 43
Kordell Rodgers, CB 43
Javen Banks, WR 40
ONE SCORE AND ONE YEAR AGO
- Texas State played 7 one-score games last year, going 4-3 in such contests.
- It was the most one-score games for the Bobcats in the Jake Spavital era and most since 2014 (7 games; 4-3 record).
- In 2019 and 2020, the Bobcats combined to play in 8 one-score games, one more than last year’s total.
- The 4 wins in one-score games in 2021 equaled the amount Texas State had in the prior 3 years combined.
Texas State: One-Score Games (FBS Era)
Year Total W-L Record
2021 7 4-3
2020 5 1-4
2019 3 2-1
2018 5 1-4
2017 3 1-2
2016 2 1-1
2015 2 0-2
2014 7 4-3
2013 4 3-1
2012 3 1-2
WAVE OF MOMENTUM?
- Texas State won its regular season finale in 2021, which was the first time since 2014 it had done that.
- In the last 10 instances of the Bobcats winning their regular season finale (since 1989), they have gone on to win the season opener in the following season 8 times.
— Eat ‘Em Up —
