There was hardly any shortage of excitement from Texas State’s offense this year.
The Bobcats were one of the most explosive teams in college football and finished the regular season with 5,720 total yards of offense and 433 points. Both of those ranked in the top five in the FBS at the end of the regular season. The total yardage led the Sun Belt while the total points trailed only James Madison.
Their 90 plays of 30-plus yards currently rank in the top 10 in the country, and their average of 6.69 yards per play is the 16th best.
Texas State is the only program in the Sun Belt that has a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver this season. It’s the first time the Bobcats have accomplished this since running back Karrington Bush and wide receiver Cameron Luke did it in 2008.
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And there’s a strong chance they finish the season with two 1,000-yard wideouts.
WR Beau Sparks’ 1,113 receiving yards lead the Bobcats and are the second-most in the league while Chris Dawn Jr. is going into Texas State’s final game with 931 receiving yards.
Running back Lincoln Pare has 1,022 rushing yards, which is the third-most in the conference, and quarterback Brad Jackson has 692 yards on the ground. I wouldn’t be surprised if the QB eclipses 800 rushing yards for the season with a big performance against Rice in the Armed Forces Bowl. The game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET Friday in Fort Worth, Texas.
It’ll be another opportunity for the Bobcats’ offense to showcase why they had five offensive players earn all-conference honors.
Sparks earned a first-team nod along with left tackle Dorian Strawn while Pare was named to the second team. Jackson and Dawn were selected to the third team.
Not only that, but RB Jaylen Jenkins earned All-Sun Belt honors as a kick returner and brought another explosive dynamic to the team. Kicker Tyler Robles was also named to the second team after breaking the program’s single-season record for field goals made. He currently has 19.
Robles isn’t the only Bobcat setting records.
As a redshirt freshman, Jackson became the fifth player in program history to pass for 3,000 yards. His 16 rushing touchdowns are the most by a Texas State QB, and he is one rushing TD away from owning the single-season record. He also passed for 18 scores, and his completion percentage of 71.3% paces the conference.
The San Antonio product had eight games with a rushing and a passing TD and consistently made big plays throughout the season.
Jackson also needs 191 total yards to break the program record for total offense, which has stood since 2005 when former QB and All-American Barrick Nealy recorded 3,932 total yards. Nealy is currently the Bobcats’ running backs coach.
Sparks has a chance to break a few program records this week as well. The junior’s 80 receptions are tied for the most in a single season for a Bobcat, and he needs 156 yards to break the single-season record held by Luke. The Group of Five All-American also hauled in nine TDs and added a rushing score.
Texas State QB Brad Jackson Returning
The Bobcats will be playing their final game as a member of the Sun Belt, but their offense should still look similar next year.
Jackson, Sparks, and Dawn all announced they’ll be returning which gives Texas State a strong offensive foundation as it enters the Pac-12.
“They love Texas State, they love the opportunity that’s been given to them,” Bobcats head coach GJ Kinne told the media earlier this month. “Just the excitement that that brings, the momentum that’s going to carry into next year is going to be huge for us. … Those three will be three of the top players in the country and three of the top playmakers in the (Pac-12).”
Armed Forces Bowl: Texas State vs. Rice Prediction
I predict Texas State will win and cover the spread. College football betting odds have the Bobcats as a 13.5-point favorite, as of this writing.
The Owls rank near the bottom of the American in total defense, scoring defense, and passing defense. I expect the Bobcats to have no issues scoring often and scoring fast.
Rice’s gun-option offense also isn’t made to win in a shootout, and it will be without starting QB Chase Jenkins.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bobcats win by three or four scores.
