Maroon & Gold Weekly Wrap-Up: Bobcat Football, Volleyball, Cross Country & Soccer

Maroon & Gold Weekly Wrap-Up:

Bobcat Football, Volleyball, Cross Country & Soccer

Davis Nets Two Penalty Kicks in Overtime Victory over Huskies

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Senior Kaylee Davis scored both goals from the penalty spot in the Texas State soccer team’s 2-1 overtime victory over Houston Baptist Sunday night in the 4th Annual Teal Match at the Bobcat Soccer Complex. The two penalty kicks by the Allen, Texas native are the most ever by a Bobcat in a match.

The Bobcats are now 4-0 on the season and are undefeated in their last 17 matches, still tied for the longest streak in the nation with UCLA. The Huskies exited San Marcos with a 1-2 record.

Davis had an early change in the third minute with a shot attempt from the near side. It rattled off the wrong side of the left post and out for a goal kick.

Late in the 24th minute, Noor Abukishk got a shot off in the box right as Heather Martin was diving. The senior goalkeeper blocked the attempt but was unable to corral it. Xya Balderas followed up by squeaking the ball through multiple defenders for the opening goal, which snapped a shutout streak of 496:21 minutes dating back to last season’s Sun Belt Conference Tournament semifinals against South Alabama.

Texas State put pressure on HBU to tie the match. The breakthrough came nearly halfway through the 36th minute when Hannah Solano’s attempted pass hit off the hand of a Husky defender inside the box for a penalty kick. Davis stepped up and buried the spot kick into the left corner of the net to knot the score at 1-1.

Halfway through the 56th minute, Kamaria Williams got by a defender and sent a tough shot past the charging goalkeeper. The ball appeared to be on its way into the back of the net but a defender made a diving kick save at the last second to keep the score tied.

Renny Moore had a good look early in the 88th minute but saw the keeper make a diving stop in the bottom right corner.

HBU was able to place a shot on goal almost a minute into the overtime period. The attempt was caught by Martin as the Bobcats increased their pressure on the visitors.

Over the next seven-plus minutes, the Bobcats were able to get multiple crosses into the box and won two corner kicks. Off of one of the corner kicks, Holly Streber ripped a shot from about eight yards out that was unfortunately blocked by a Husky.

With 1:35 left on the clock in the extra period, Solano sent a cross into the box and saw a defender hit the ball with her hand to award TXST a penalty kick. Davis stepped up and smashed the ball into the right corner for the match-winning score.

The Bobcats outshot HBU 16-12 but saw the visitors hold a 7-6 advantage in shots on goal. Davis took a season-high seven shots and placed three of them on goal. Also taking multiple shots for TXST was Moore with three.

With her two tallies, Davis now has 28 goals in her Texas State career and she is now alone in fourth place in program history. The Allen, Texas native also jumped into a tie for fourth with 156 shots to match Jaynee Sherman’s (2001-04) total. Davis also jumped up to third in career match-winning goals with her 11th tonight.

Martin made six saves between the posts and picked up her 29th career victory.

Next weekend sees the Bobcats begin a stretch of three consecutive road matches. First up is a contest at UTEP on Friday at 8 p.m. CT. Box Score: https://txstatebobcats.com/boxscore.as px?id=6871&path=wsoc

Bobcat men win UIW Opener, women finish fourth

SAN ANTONIO – The Texas State men’s cross country team opened the 2019 season with a win as they collected 38 points in the 6k race at the UIW Opener August 30 in San Antonio, while the women placed fourth in the 4k with 94 points.

Four Bobcat men finished in the top 10 and five inside of the top 15 in the season opener. Junior Justin Botello paced the Maroon and Gold with a third-place finish, timing out at 18.43.5. Senior Johen DeLeon was right on his heels, finishing in fourth place with a time of 18.43.6. Both times rank No. 7 and No. 8, respectively in the program’s men’s 6k all-time list. Sophomore Dereck Elkins placed seventh (18:52.8), junior Cade Michael finished 10th (19.00.6), and sophomore Travian Holst crossed the finish line at No. 14 (19.09.5) to round out the Bobcats top five.

The women were led by junior Tina Sierra who placed sixth with a 15:39.6 time. Junior Sydney Cole crossed the tape at No. 16 with a 15:53.5 mark, freshman Riley McGrath came in at No. 17 at 15:53.5, senior Abby Steinhauser placed 25th with a time of 16:07.7, and senior Allyson Godfrey concluded the Bobcat scorers at No. 30 with a 16:23.5 time.

Texas State will return to competition Oct. 5 when they head to Fayetteville, Ark. to participate in the 31st annual Chili Pepper Festival hosted by Arkansas.

Men’s Final Standings (6k)

1. Texas State – 38 points
2. UT-Rio Grande Valley – 47 points
3. Incarnate Word – 56 points
4. Texas A&M- Corpus Christi – 78 points
5. Trinity (Tex.) – 147 points
6. UTSA – 177 points
7. Our Lady of the Lake – 203 points

Women’s Final Standings (4k)

1. Incarnate Word – 54 points
2. Texas A&M- Corpus Christi – 57 points
3. UTSA – 83 points
4. Texas State – 94 points
5. Trinity (Tex.) – 107 points
6. UT-Rio Grande Valley – 114 points
7. Texas Lutheran – 195 points
8. Our Lady of the Lake – 220 points

Bobcats downed by Northern Iowa

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State volleyball team dropped its weekend finale to Northern Iowa by the count of 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-13).

TXST struggled offensively with a .062 hitting percentage while UNI hit .297. Although the Bobcats aced the Panthers three times, the visiting team won the battle in assists (44-29) and blocks (8-2).

“We never got in a rhythm on offense,” said head coach Karen Chisum. “We had a competitive first set, but you just cannot hit .062 and expect to win. Tonight was one of those nights that was not meant to be. Northern Iowa is a very good and fundamentally sound group and they took advantage of our miscues.”

No player on the Bobcats (1-2) registered double-figure kills. Junior outside Kenedi Rutherford had a team-high five kills while senior outside Cheyenne Huskey, sophomore middle Jillian Slaughter, and a pair of freshmen in Caitlan Buettner and Tessa Marshall all finished with four kills. Senior defensive specialist Micah Dinwiddie paced the team with 14 digs and Buettner had 10 digs.

UNI (2-1) was led by junior middle hitter Kate Busswitz’s 13 kills on 22 attacks with just one error (.545). sophomore outside hitter was just as impressive with a .529 hitting percentage behind 12 kills and had a match-high four blocks, including two solos. Senior outside Karlie Taylor finished with 11 kills and eight digs to round out the top hitters for the Panthers. Senior libero Abbi Staack registered 23 digs, while senior Rachel Koop had 12 digs. 

Set 1
Northern Iowa took an early 6-2 lead until Texas State scored four unanswered points to knot the scoreboard at six. After three ties, the Panthers went on a 4-0 run and forced a Bobcat timeout as they led the home team 13-9. The Maroon and Gold clawed their way back and gained their first lead of the night at 17-16 thanks to a 4-0 run highlighted by back-to-back kills from Slaughter, but as the two teams tussled in the later portion of the match, the Panthers came out on top 25-23 with back-to-back kills.

Set 2
The Panther never trailed in set two as they opened on an 8-2 run. UNI led by as many as 10 in the set and although TXST put together a 4-0 run to steal some momentum, the visiting team kept steady and won the set, 25-19.

Set 3
After four early ties, Northern Iowa used a massive 13-5 run to take a 17-9 lead. The Bobcats scored a quick two points, but the Panthers closed out the set on an 8-2 run to end the match.

The Bobcats have a quick turnaround as they return to Strahan Arena Tuesday at 6 p.m. to face a motivated Rice team who are also receiving six votes in the AVCA Coaches’ Poll.

Program Best Start with 1-0 Win over I-35 Rival UTSA

SAN ANTONIO – A tough, physical match ended with the Texas State soccer team’s (3-0) third 1-0 victory of the season, this time against I-35 rival UTSA (1-1) Friday night at the Park West Athletic Complex.

The 3-0 start is the best in Bobcat history. It is also the first time that TXST has shutout its first three opponents of a season. TXST extended its undefeated streak to 16 matches, tied for the longest active streak in the nation with UCLA and tied for the third longest in Sun Belt Conference history.

UTSA controlled the possession in the early portion of the match. Texas State broke through and won a free kick in the final third late in the 11th minute. Sarah Everett sent the free kick into the box where Kaylee Davis flicked the ball past the goalkeeper and into the left netting from six yards.

Davis’ goal was the 26th of her TXST career to move her into a tie for fourth with Jaynee Sherman (2001-04) in program history.

The Bobcats placed two more shots on goal in the first half that were stopped by the goalkeeper. The first came off the foot of Hannah Solano in the 25th minute and the second was a long attempt early in the 35th minute from Addison Gaetano.

A good chance for the Roadrunners came in the 42nd minute. Camrynne Hoover hit a curling shot from 20 yards out that just barely cleared the crossbar for a goal kick.

Mackenzie Smith was able to win a free kick from 20 yards out near the far corner of the 18-yard box in the 76th minute. After the ball sailed over a pack of players, Solano sent in a high cross that found the head of Davis. The senior’s attempt went wide of the post.

Four minutes later, Haley Groff was able to win a free kick on the far side and right outside of the box. Jordan Kondikoff’s free kick found Smith, who headed the ball slightly past the outside of the near post for a goal kick.

The Bobcats was able to keep the ball in their offensive half most of the final four minutes to close out the victory.

UTSA outshot TXST 12-8 with both team’s placing three shots on frame. Davis took a team-high four shots. Renny Moore, Gaetano, Smith and Solano all attempted one shot apiece.

Heather Martin made three saves as she played all 90 minutes. The shutout gave her 15 in her career.

Next up for the Bobcats is a return to the Bobcat Soccer Complex for their 4th Annual Teal Match on Sunday against Houston Baptist. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Box Score: https://txstate bobcats.com/boxscore.aspx?id=6870&path=wsoc

Bobcats push the Women of Troy to the edge

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State volleyball team gave No. 14 Southern California all that they could handle Friday evening in Strahan Arena. The Bobcats pushed the nationally ranked team four sets, but ultimately fell, 3-1 (28-26, 15-25, 17-25, 23-25) in front of 2,583 fans. Friday night’s home crowd ranks No. 4 all-time in the volleyball program’s history.

“Our kids played a heck of a match,” head coach Karen Chisum. “I am so proud of them all because different ones stepped up at different times. USC is bigger and hits the ball harder, but we played some great defense. We transitioned pretty well, and it was just fun to see our girls dig in there and get some of those hard-driven balls and transition and get a kill. This crowd was amazing tonight and after seeing a match like that, they will be back. They are excited about Texas State volleyball and helped out a lot in terms of energy. The girls just did not quit and that is all you can ask for.”

The Bobcats (1-1) had three players that finished with double figures in the kill column. For the second consecutive match, senior outside hitter Cheyenne Huskey led the team as she totaled 13 kills, and freshman outside hitter Courtney Heiser put together her second double-double this season with 10 kills and a team-best 11 digs. Rounding out the top hitters for Texas State was junior Kenedi Rutherford who registered a season-high 10 kills. Sophomore setter Emily DeWalt totaled 36 assists, while freshman middle blocker Allie Smylie led the way with four blocks and sophomore Kaylie Koenen produced two aces.

Two USC (1-0) All-Americans led the charge in the victory, including senior O1 Khalia Lanier who had a match-high 17 kills and junior outside hitter Brooke Botkin who had a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs. Sophomore setter and 2018 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention Raquel Lázaro handed out 46 assists, senior libero Jenna Adams had 20 digs, and senior middle Jasmine Gross had five blocks, all of which were match-high numbers.

Set 1
The Bobcats stunned the Women of Troy by taking the first set 28-26 that saw 14 ties and four lead changes. Huskey had the hot hand with five kills in the stanza and Heiser followed her lead with four kills. Both teams largest lead was three points in the set and after having set point four times, the Bobcats got over the hump with back-to-back kills from Huskey to steal the opening frame.

Set 2
USC struck early in the second set by jumping out to an 8-3 lead. The Bobcats muscled their way back in the set and tied things at 10, but the Women of Troy responded with a 4-0 run that ultimately ignited a 15-5 advantage to wrap up the set, 25-15.

Set 3
Southern California continued to have the momentum as they went wire-to-wire to win the third set 25-17 and took a 2-1 match lead. The Bobcats were down 12-4 early but scored three unanswered points to begin to mount a comeback. USC would then build its lead back to eight with the count at 17-9 and kept the home team at bay to close the set.

Set 4
The fourth set started with back-and-forth action until the Bobcats reeled off five unanswered points to take an 11-8 lead. Texas State led by as many as seven points in the frame after Rutherford found the floor for the fourth time in the set to give the Bobcats a 19-12 lead. USC stayed the course, however, led by Lanier who registered five kills on eight errorless swings to help the Women of Troy escape with a 25-23 set.

The Bobcats will conclude their opening weekend with a 7 p.m. tilt vs. Northern Iowa at Strahan Arena Saturday. Both clubs are receiving votes in the AVCA Coaches’ Poll and UNI is coming off of a 3-1 setback vs. No. 4 Texas Friday night.

PREVIEW: Bobcats ready for big opening weekend

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State volleyball team is set to begin the 2019 season in front of the Bobcat faithful on Aug. 30-31 at Strahan Arena. The reigning Sun Belt Champions will play two matches on Friday beginning with a noon match vs. Liberty and end day one with a 7 p.m. tilt vs. No. 14 USC. The Bobcats will conclude the opening weekend with a 7 p.m. match vs. Northern Iowa Saturday.

The Bobcats are coming off a historic 2018 season that saw them claim their first Sun Belt Regular Season Championship title, their second Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship (2013), and their first NCAA Tournament victory.

FOLLOW ALONG
ESPN+ – PXP: Brant Freeman, Analyst: Mick Haley
Listen: 89.9 FM KTSW (San Marcos)
Live Stats vs. Liberty – Statbroadcast
Live Stats vs. No. 14 USC – Statbroadcast
Live Stats vs. (RV) Northern Iowa – Statbroadcast

SETTING THE SCENE

• The Bobcats are picked to repeat as Sun Belt Conference Champions after receiving all 12 first-place votes, gathering 72 total points. The Cats are also receiving six votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s (AVCA) 2019 Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Texas State will enter the season receiving votes for the first time in program history.
• Of Texas State’s three opponents this weekend, two are noted in the AVCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll, including No. 14 USC and Northern Iowa who are receiving 13 votes.
• Texas State head coach Karen Chisum is in her 40th season at the helm of the program and is five wins shy from becoming the seventh coach in NCAA Division I volleyball to win 900 matches (895-550-3).
• Chisum, who won the 2018 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year award ranks No. 3 among active NCAA Division I volleyball coaches in wins, and No. 13 all-time across all NCAA Divisions.
• The Maroon and Gold will return 10 student-athletes from the historic 2018 season, including 2018 Freshman and Setter of the Year Emily DeWalt, and two other 2018 All-Sun Belt First Team selections in senior outside hitter Cheyenne Huskey and sophomore outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald.
• Four Bobcats were voted to the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Team and the club swept all three specialty awards. DeWalt was tabbed as the 2019 Sun Belt Preseason Setter of the Year, Huskey was named the 2019 Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year (first in program history), and senior defensive specialist Micah Dinwiddie was picked as the 2019 Sun Belt Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Fitzgerald was the fourth selection to the 2019 Sun Belt Preseason Team.
• Dinwiddie ranks No. 2 in career digs at 1,487 and is 160 digs shy from passing former Bobcat Sierra Smith (1,646) to become the program’s all-time leader.
• Texas State is 11-1 in their last 12 home matches and enters 2019 with a seven-match home winning streak that dates back to Sept. 28 when they defeated Little Rock, 3-1.

SCOUTING TEXAS STATE

• Texas State finished 2018 with a 27-7 record and an impressive 15-1 conference mark. Both are the most wins since 2011 prior to joining the Sun Belt Conference.
• The Bobcats claimed their first NCAA Tournament victory after topping Rice 3-1 in the first round.
• TXST ended the 2018 campaign with a No. 22 RPI ranking, the highest in program history.
• For the second consecutive year, the Bobcats paced the Sun Belt in overall wins (27) and home wins (11). Statistically, Texas State led the league in hitting percentage (.263), kills per set (14.10), and assists per set (13.39).
• The Bobcats have reached the 20-win plateau for the fifth time in six seasons since joining the Sun Belt and coach Chisum has a total of 31 winning seasons and 25 campaigns with at least 20 victories.
• Texas State had three student-athletes finish with at least 300 kills in 2018, including Huskey (358), former Bobcat Amy Pflughaupt (322), and Fitzgerald (313).

SCOUTING LIBERTY

• The Flames posted a 15-17 overall record in 2018 and was 10-6 in their inaugural season in the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN).
• Liberty earned a No. 4 seeding in the ASUN Conference Tournament, becoming the first team since 2005 to reach the league’s tournament in their first year (East Tennessee State). The Flames reached the semifinals before being swept by the eventual tournament champions, Florida Gulf Coast.
• The Flames were picked to finish fourth in the 2019 ASUN Conference Preseason Poll and will be led by a pair of seniors in outside hitter Casey Goodwin and middle blocker Anna Gragg. Both seniors were named to the conference preseason team.
• This will be the first meeting between Liberty and Texas State.

SCOUTING NO. 14 USC

• The Women of Troy open the season ranked No. 14 in the AVCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll and are one of six ranked Pac-12 teams, including No. 1 Stanford, the 2018 National Champions.
• USC concluded 2018 with a 22-11 overall record and a 13-7 mark in the Pac-12 which tied for second. USC made its 28th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the second round before being upset by San Diego.
• USC was picked to finished second in the 2019 Pac-12 Preseason Coaches’ Poll and had three selections on the preseason team in senior outside hitter Khalia Lanier, junior outside hitter Brooke Botkin, and sophomore setter Racquel Lázaro.
• In 2018, Botkin was named to the AVCA All-America Second Team, while Lázaro was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and joined Lanier on the AVCA All-America Honorable Mention list.
• The Trojans are 2-0 all-time against the Bobcats. The last meeting between the two clubs was Aug. 25, 2012, on a neutral court. This will be the second meeting in San Marcos with the first on Aug. 26, 2006. USC swept both matches.

SCOUTING NORTHERN IOWA

• Northern Iowa is receiving 13 votes in the AVCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll after a 24-10 record in 2018 and a 16-2 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) to be named the regular-season champions.
• UNI went on to win the MVC Tournament and earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament but was bounced out in the first round after falling to Pepperdine in five sets.
• The Panthers are led by four 2018 All-MVC honorees, including a pair of first-team selections in senior setter Rachel Koop and senior outside hitter Karlie Taylor, and two second-team selections in junior middle hitter Kate Busswitz and junior outside hitter Jaydlin Seehase.
• This will be the first meeting between Northern Iowa and Texas State.

PREVIEW: TXST XC set for 2019 season opener, two listed on Sun Belt’s watch list

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State cross country teams are back and ready for competition as they open the 2019 season on Aug. 30 at the UIW Opener hosted by Incarnate Word at the Classic Elites Soccer Complex at McAllister Park in San Antonio, Texas. The teams will be running under the lights in the season opener with the women starting their 4k race at 8:30 p.m. followed by the men’s 6k race at approximately 8:50 p.m.

Entering the 2019 season, the Bobcats are picked to win the conference on the women’s side and picked fifth on the men’s side. Texas State will return seven women highlighted by the 2018 Sun Belt Conference Individual Champion and Runner of the Year, senior Leslie Romero and 2018 All-Sun Belt selection, junior Sydney Cole.  Both Romero and Cole are listed in the Sun Belt Conference’s top seven women’s cross country runners to watch.

Other returners on the women’s side are sophomore Ashley Frye, senior Allyson Godfrey, senior Sarah Godfrey, junior Tina Sierra, and senior Abby Steinhauser. The Bobcats have one newcomer on the women’s side in freshman Riley McGrath.

On the men’s side, sophomore Derek Elkins, a 2018 All-Sun Belt Third Team selection, will lead a pack of five returners. He is accompanied by sophomore Chase Bracher, sophomore Travian Holst, junior Owen McGlothlin, and junior Cade Michael. Newcomers for the men are freshman Pedro Osorio Lopez, and a pair of transfers from Tarleton State, including junior Justin Botello and senior Johen DeLeon.

Top 7 Women’s Cross Country Runners to Watch

Izzy Evely, Appalachian State
Samantha Kolor, Appalachian State
Pauline Meyer, Arkansas State
Lisha Van Onselen, Coastal Carolina
Andonet Cheruiyot, South Alabama
Sydney Cole, Texas State
Leslie Romero, Texas State

Women’s Cross Country Predicted Order of Finish

1. Texas State
2. Appalachian State
3. Arkansas State
4. Georgia State
5. South Alabama
6. Coastal Carolina
7. Troy
8. UT Arlington
9. Georgia Southern
10. Little Rock
11. Louisiana
12. ULM

Top 7 Men’s Cross Country Runners to Watch

Gable Dershem, Appalachian State
Dakota Mendenhall, Appalachian State
Adriaan Wildschutt, Coastal Carolina
Nadeel Wildschutt, Coastal Carolina
Warno Potgieter, South Alabama
Justin Domangue, UT Arlington
Jared Lautenslager, UT Arlington

Men’s Cross Country Predicted Order of Finish

1. UT Arlington
2. Appalachian State
3. Coastal Carolina
4. South Alabama
5. Texas State
6. Troy
7. Louisiana
8. Arkansas State
9. Little Rock
10. ULM

Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week Honors for Turman

NEW ORLEANS – A dominate defensive performance on the opening weekend of the regular season saw Genesis Turman be selected as the Sun Belt Conference’s Defensive Player of the Week. It is the first weekly honor in her career.

Turman is the first non-goalkeeper for the Bobcats to take home the weekly defensive honor since joining the Sun Belt.

The Allen, Texas native started both matches over the weekend at right back and was part of a backline that recorded two shutouts. It is only the second time in program history that Texas State has shutout its first two opponents of a season with the first coming in 2016.

Overall, Turman and the rest of the backline limited Incarnate Word and Prairie View A&M to a combined 14 shots and just five shots on goal.

She was also in the right place at the right time in the ninth minute against the Panthers as an attempted clearance by a defender ricocheted off her stomach and into the net for the long goal of the match. It was Turman’s second career match-winner score with the first coming at Appalachian State last season.

Friday sees the Bobcats return to action for their first road match of the season at I-35 rival UTSA. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Park West Athletic Complex.

Texas State Toppled at No. 11 Texas A&M, 41-7

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas State football team (0-1) was defeated 41-7 at the hands of the No. 11 Texas A&M Aggies (1-0) on Thursday night at Kyle Field to open the 2019 season.

BOX SCORE

• Through the air, the home team was led by junior quarterback Kellen Mond. He amassed 194 yards on 19-of-27 passing attempts with three touchdowns and one interception. Mond added 25 yards rushing on five carries and one score on the ground. Conversely, junior quarterback Gresch Jensen completed 20-of-31 passes for 160 yards and one touchdown in relief of sophomore starting QB Tyler Vitt. The duo combined to toss four interceptions.
• A&M was led in rushing by sophomore tailback Jashaun Corbin with 103 yards on 22 carries and one score. Freshman running back Isaiah Spiller also topped the 100-yard plateau with 106 yards on seven carries. The Aggies outgained the Bobcats 246-8 on the ground.
• Junior wide receivers Quartney Davis and Jhamon Ausbon combined to real in 12 targets for 160 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Senior slot receiver Hutch White paced the Bobcat aerial attack with seven catches for 60 yards.
• Much of the success of the home team came via favorable field position. The Aggies had an average starting position of their own 44-yard line, while Texas State averaged the 20-yard line as the starting point offensively.

KEY MOMENTS

• Texas A&M struck first. Mond completed a 21-yard strike on a deep dig route by Davis for the opening score of the game. The Aggies jumped out to a 7-0 lead with 7:44 remaining in the first quarter.
• TAMU added three scores from inside the five-yard line in the first half to carry a 28-0 lead into the break. Corbin found paydirt twice, once via a one-yard touchdown plunge and another on a three-yard reception. In between the two Corbin scores, Mond snuck the ball inside the pylon to score on a read option play.
• Texas State found the scoreboard late in the fourth quarter. Jensen led an 11-play, 84-yard drive that culminated in a 27-yard fade ball to sophomore wide receiver Trevis Graham, Jr. The score brought the game to the final tally of 41-7.

NOTABLES

• Senior linebacker Bryan London II tallied his first career interception at the goal line with 8:10 remaining in the third quarter. The Converse, Texas, native corralled the pick with one hand and returned the ball 13 yards.
• Junior offensive lineman Eddie Rivas, sophomore offensive lineman Tanner King, sophomore tight end Hunter Hebert, sophomore defensive lineman Nico Ezidore, and senior safety Jalen Smith all made their first career starts in a Texas State uniform.
• The called attendance of 98,016 marked the largest crowd Texas State football has played in front of in program history. The previous high-water mark was 80,917 on Sept. 5, 2015 at No. 10 Florida State, a team also coach by head coach Jimbo Fisher.
• The loss dropped Texas State to 7-1 all-time in season openers on Thursday night. TXST falls to 0-3 against TAMU.
• Texas A&M improved to 12-0 against in-state opponents since joining the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in 2012.

QUOTES FROM THE SIDELINE

• “I think overall where we are at, our defense played extremely well,” head coach Jake Spavital said. “We have still got a long way to go offensively. We have got to figure out our quarterback situation.”

UP NEXT

• Texas State will return to San Marcos for the 2019 home opener against Wyoming. Kick time is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Sept. 7 at Bobcat Stadium. The game will air live on ESPN+.

Bobcats Travel To Face I-35 Rival UTSA Friday; Host Teal Match Sunday Night

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The second weekend of the season saw the Texas State soccer hit travel down I-35 to take on rival UTSA on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Park West Athletic Complex.

The team will return home to host its 4th Annual Teal Match on Sunday at the Bobcat Soccer Complex against Houston Baptist with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.

Live stats will be available for both matches with a video stream available for Friday’s contest in San Antonio. Admission to all home matches is free.

Last Time Out

The Bobcats defeated both Incarnate Word and Prairie View A&M by scores of 1-0. Bailey Peschel netted the long goal in the season opener against the Cardinals and Genesis Turman found the back of the net against the Panthers. Kaylee Davis concluded the weekend with a team-high 10 shot attempts.

In between the posts, Heather Martin started both contests while needing to make just one save. Kathryn Budde recorded three stops over the two contests.

Defensive POTW

Turman was honored as the Sun Belt Conference’s Defensive Player of the Week after helping TXST record two shutouts opening weekend. It is just the second time the Bobcats opened the season by shutting out its first two opponents with the first being in 2016. Turman and the backline limited PVAMU and UIW to 14 combined shots and five shots on goal. The Allen, Texas native is the first non-goalkeeper for the Texas State to bring home the weekly award since joining the conference.

National Recognition

At the beginning of August, Davis was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. The award is given to the most outstanding male and female soccer player each year. The Allen, Texas native is the first Texas State player ever to be selected to the watch list and first women’s Sun Belt honoree since 2011. She was also ranked No. 88 on Top Drawer Soccer’s Preseason National Top 100 that was released on Aug. 21.

Scouting UTSA

The Roadrunners enter Friday’s match 1-0 on the season after defeating Louisiana 3-0 in the opening contest of the Cardinal Classic in Beaumont, Texas. Their second match of the tournament against Oklahoma State was canceled at halftime with the scored tied 1-1 because of severe storms in the area.

Scoring a goal apiece has been Lexi Bolton and Katieann Lochte. The team’s third goal against the Ragin’ Cajuns was an own goal. Isa Hernandez was credited with the squad’s lone assist of the young season.

Jill Schneider played all 90 minutes against UL and made two saves.

UTSA outshot the Cajuns 15-3 and held a 9-2 advantage in shots on goal.

All-Time vs. Roadrunners

Texas State holds a slim 4-3-2 edge in the all-time series over UTSA. The Bobcats won last year’s meeting 1-0 behind Davis’ goal with 2:29 left on the clock.

When playing in San Antonio, the series is tied 1-1-2. The last meeting in the Alamo City was on Oct. 28, 2012 when both programs were members of the WAC. TXST won the contest 1-0 in double overtime on a goal by Kelsie Townsend.

Scouting Houston Baptist

The Huskies head into the weekend with a 1-0 record after beating PVAMU 5-0 last Thursday at home. Prior to facing Texas State, HBU travels up to Denton, Texas for a Friday night match against North Texas.

Avery Cortez recorded a hat-trick, the first by a Husky since 2008, in the season opener and added an assist to be named the Southland Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week. Also finding the back of the net was Noor Abukishk and Xya Baldera. Brining home SLC Defensive Player of the Week honors was Megan Rickert after helping hold the Panthers to seven shots and zero corner kicks.

Ashtyn Franks started and played the first 68 minutes in goal while making three saves. Karla Ramirez recorded one stop in the final 22 minutes of the contest.

All-Time vs. Huskies

Texas State is 4-0-1 all-time against HBU. The teams were scheduled to play last year in Houston but the match was cancelled because of poor field conditions because of consistent, heavy rain in the area that week.

When playing the Huskies at home, the Bobcats are 3-0 with the last meeting coming on Sept. 23, 2011 that ended 2-1.