TXST FOOTBALL
Bobcats clash with Jaguars in final game of the season
The Countdown to Kickoff series takes a look at the upcoming 2024 season for the Texas State Bobcats.
This week will preview the Bobcats’ final game of the season when Texas State goes on the road to South Alabama in a showdown with the Jaguars on Black Friday.
The Jaguars are coming off a 6-6 regular season and a second place finish in the Sun Belt West Division standings that ended in a three way tie between Arkansas State and Texas State.
In South Alabama’s meeting with Texas State, the Bobcats dropped 52 points on the Jaguars for their seventh win of the season. It marked the first time Texas State won seven games in a regular season since 2014.
South Alabama qualified for the 68 Ventures Bowl in Mobile, Alabama and won by beating Eastern Michigan 59-10.
During the offseason, Head Coach Kane Wommack resigned to become the defensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide leading to the promotion of offensive coordinator Major Applewhite to head coach.
Applewhite was previously the head coach of the Houston Cougars and was a former quarterback for the Texas Longhorns.
South Alabama returns six offensive starters from last year’s team that averaged 30.9 points per game during the regular season.
Among the six returners are a trio of wide receivers in Jamaal Pritchett, Javon Ivory and Devin Voisin.
Pritchett is the leading receiver returning for the Jaguars with 57 catches for 883 yards and a team high eight touchdowns. Ivory made 20 catches for 234 yards and one touchdown. Voisin will look to bounce back for the season after missing last year due to an injury.
Tight end DJ Thomas- Jones will also look to make an impact after making 27 catches for 235 yards and five touchdowns.
Looking to take the reins at quarterback in a starting role is Gio Lopez. Lopez passed for 475 yards and four touchdowns in limited action last season.
Three defensive starters returned for South Alabama last year that held opposing offenses to just 21.9 points per game.
Jaden Voisin and Ricky Fletcher return in the secondary while Wy’Kevious Thomas returns on the defensive line. Voisin made 66 total tackles, 29 solo tackles and four interceptions last year while Fletcher made 38 total tackles and 26 solo tackles. Thomas made 38 total tackles, 11 solo tackles and one sack.
The history of the Texas State-South Alabama series dates back to 2013 when the Bobcats joined the Sun Belt Conference. The series is also defined by the number of one-possession and two-possession games played between the two teams.
The first meeting between the Bobcats and Jaguars took place during the 2013 season and ended with a 33-31 win for Texas State.
The 2014 season was a painful one for Bobcat fans as Texas State was unable to beat South Alabama in a 24-20 loss. To rub salt in the wound, the Jaguars, despite having a 6-6 record compared to Texas State’s 7-5 record, were picked over the Bobcats during the bowl game selection process.
Texas State got their revenge the next season with a 36-18 win.
The two teams did not meet again until the 2018 season when the conference moved into a division format and both teams were placed in the Sun Belt West Division.
Texas State and South Alabama continued to trade wins back and forth with the Bobcats taking the 2019, 2021 and 2023 games and the Jaguars taking the 2018, 2020 and 2022 games.
The Bobcats lead the overall series 5-4 with the home team winning all of the matchups.
Texas State and South Alabama are scheduled to play on Black Friday Nov. 29 at 2:30 p.m. from Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.
cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc
