Yesenia Calderwood · Texas State Insider · College Debut · Week 8
Meet Your Insider
Eat 'em up, Cats! Hey, y'all, I'm Yesenia Calderwood, and if you can't find me at a Bobcats game, I'm probably floating down the San Marcos River on an inner tube with a sun hat and a radio. I travel with the Bobcats and I live with the Bobcats, and every week I'll bring you the players, the matchups, the history and the storylines, sunny and laid-back but fiercely proud. San Marcos has a clear, cold river and a hot, rising football team. Grab a tube, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride with us. My motto for life and football: go with the flow, then run it up the middle. When we win, I'm floating on air. When we lose, I let the river carry it away and get ready for next week.
The School in 60 Seconds
Texas State football began in 1904 and has an overall winning record. The program has 14 conference titles, nine of them outright. As of 2026, the Bobcats play in the Pac-12. Home games are in San Marcos at UFCU Stadium, built in 1981 and seating 28,388. (Bobcat Stadium is the former name, still used in CFBD data.) Texas State is now the fourth-largest university in Texas. And the recent current is strong: 4-8, 4-8, then 8-5, 8-5 and 7-6. That's a river rising.
The Coach and the Scheme
G.J. Kinne is the head coach; CFBD dates his hire to Dec. 2, 2022. His offense is a flash flood, y'all. Texas State leads all of FBS in total offense at 562.3 yards a game. We run for 303.5 a game, 3rd in the country, and score 40 points a game, 9th. We convert 56.1% of third downs, 4th. That's going with the flow, then running it up the middle, over and over. The defense is where the water gets choppy: 297.3 passing yards allowed a game, 137th, and 32.2 points (122nd). And our turnover margin is minus-5. Here's the thing, though: when an offense moves like this, every possession is a chance to put points on the board. We hold the ball 31:30 a game, 37th in FBS. Keep the defense rested, keep the river flowing, and good things happen.
Players to Know
QB Brad Jackson: 106 of 157 for 1,439 yards, 14 TD, 5 INT. Against Colorado State he went 14 of 19 for 213 yards and a touchdown, and ran 13 times for 181 yards and three more scores. Whoa, that's a waterfall.
RB Torrance Burgess Jr.: 838 yards on 108 carries, 5 TD. Against Colorado State: 224 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries.
WR Chris Dawn Jr.: 29 catches, 348 yards, 4 TD. Beau Sparks: two catches for 57 yards against the Rams.
DB Jayden Bradley: team-high 44 tackles. DL Tymere Jackson: 2.5 sacks.
The Conference Picture
Texas State is 3-3 and 1-1 in the Pac-12, and 3-1 at home. We lost at Texas 59-7, then lost to UTSA 31-26. Then the current picked up: North Texas 49-35, Incarnate Word 63-10. We lost a 31-29 heartbreaker at San Diego State, then beat Colorado State 66-27. After Utah State, we go to No. 21 Boise State on Oct. 31. No standings math on the river, y'all. Just know a home win keeps us floating.
The close ones: five points against UTSA and two points at San Diego State. A couple of bounces, and this record looks a lot different.
Season so far, from the tube: the Texas game was cold water, a shock to the system. Since then, this offense has scored 26, 49, 63, 29 and 66. That's a river that keeps rising, and it's the most treasured part of my fall.
This Week: Utah State (2-4) at Texas State (3-3)
Saturday, Oct. 24 · 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. Central) · San Marcos · CBS Sports Network.
Our offense vs. their defense: Utah State allows 140.8 rushing yards a game (68th) and lets opponents convert 40.4% of third downs (93rd). Burgess and Jackson should find running room.
Their offense vs. our defense: Utah State scores 14.5 points a game (136th) and gains 310 yards (129th). But our pass defense is 137th, and receiver Eli Wood has 472 receiving yards. We have to keep an eye on him.
Red zone: we've scored on just 71% of our trips, 128th in FBS. Y'all, that's where we have to finish.
Series: I couldn't find an all-time series record in a free source.
Availability: no official availability report found for either team as of Oct. 18.
What decides it: (1) Our run game against a 68th-ranked run defense. (2) Pass defense against Wood. (3) Finishing in the red zone.
To Hyrum Tolleson, Utah State's insider: ice cream and a river float? Now you're speaking my language. Come on down.
Why I Love This Team
I love an offense that leads the country. I love Burgess running like the river after a storm. I love that the Bobcats keep rising. And I love San Marcos on a fall night. Eat 'em up, Cats!
My call: Texas State Bobcats 34, Utah State Aggies 23.