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Texas State was expected by many to roll over UAPB after the Golden Lions got their attention with some overconfident smack talk, but few people likely expected a 65-0 streamrolling that could've been much worse. The Bobcats came out and absolutely obliterated the SWAC cupcake from start to finish, and hit some notable milestones in the process. Here are some of the highlights:
- Worst loss in UAPB football history
- First shutout since 2005's 1-aa playoff team blanked Southern Utah 34-0
- Tied for fourth most points scored in Bobcat history
- Most points against a lower division opponent since the 2005 team beat Oklahoma Panhandle State 75-7
- UAPB didn't cross the 50 yard line once in the 2nd half
- Texas State didn't punt once in the first half, and perhaps most impressively:
- A school record of 697 yards gained.
Whether a total dismantling of a sad sack team like UAPB is really a valuable barometer of where Texas State stands is highly debatable, but there were a few things to glean from tonight's evisceration.
Bright Spots
The hurry-up offense looked smooth under the direction of Tyler Jones as he made crisp throws with precision to rack up a 21 of 25, 278 yards, 4 TD outing. Robert Lowe went off for 150 yards, 10.7 YPC and a touchdown, and WR Jafus Gaines stood out with 114 yards receiving and two touchdowns, including one that he juggled and caught on his back (although he should've caught it easily). Gaines still had trouble with dropping some wide open looks, but he ran solid routes and stood out as a potential star for the offense.
Mike Orakpo and David Mayo caused havoc on defense as expected, as Orakpo was a catalyst for two sacks and Mayo jarred the ball loose on a massive hit to cause a UAPB turnover. David Mims II was also a potential standout at corner after making a couple of solid pass breakups on some long bombs, and Aaron Shaw made some solid hits at the rover position. The secondary appears to have enough talent to eventually come together and help out the linebackers if the starters say healthy.
Potential Issues
The defensive line situation as it stands doesn't inspire a ton of confidence. None of the starters registered more than two tackles apiece, and at times they had trouble disrupting an unimaginative rushing attack that consisted of throwing a running back at the middle of the defense and Benjamin Anderson scrambling for his life. Much of the work involved in stuffing the run and pressuring the quarterback was done by the Bobcat linebackers.
Secondly, 8 penalties for 90 yards will need to be cleaned up if the Bobcats want to have a chance of hanging with a Navy team that is one of the most disciplined in the country. Some of the penalties were caused by the backups, but Texas State as a team still needs to be better at playing under control and eliminating mistakes.
Final Thoughts
Texas State made it personal with UAPB and played with a nastiness not seen in San Marcos in quite a while, as evidenced by their ruthless play and quite a bit of talking at the UAPB players on the field.
Although this win was fun to watch and incredibly satisfying for everyone around the program, playtime is officially over. Navy's triple option machine comes to a potentially sold out Bobcat Stadium in two weeks, and the 'Cats will have their work cut out for them.