Texas State set to open 2021 season with historic matchup

Staff Reports

SAN MARCOS — Head coach Jake Spavital and his 2021 Texas State football team will begin the latest edition of Bobcat football with a matchup against the Baylor Bears on Saturday, Sept. 4 inside Bobcat Stadium at 6 p.m. CT.

Brant Freeman and Keith Moreland will call the game’s action on ESPN+. Koral Riggs will serve as the program’s sideline reporter throughout the day. Clint Shields and Geff Gandy return as the “Voices of Bobcat Football” as the duo will describe the game on KTSW (89.9 FM in San Marcos) and The Varsity Network app.

LOOKING AT THE BOBCATS        

Sophomore Brady McBride is expected to take the field first at the quarterback position for Spavital’s offense. In nine games last season, McBride completed 173-of-282 passes (61.35 percent) for 1,925 yards and 17 touchdowns. All of which were team-highs for the Bobcats. Over his last three appearances of the 2020 season, The Coppell High School product completed 59-of-84 passes (70.2 percent) for 800 yards, eight touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Joining McBride as an expected starter for Saturday’s game are two Canadians in Kyle Hergel (RG) and Liam Dobson (RT). Hergel, a native of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, transferred to Texas State following a two-year stay at North Dakota, where he was named the 2019 FCS Independent Newcomer of the Year. Dobson, who born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, moved to San Marcos following an All-American career at the University of Maine, where he picked up at least one postseason honor his final two seasons.

Entering the 2021 season, senior wide receiver Marcell Barbee will be one of just three returning student-athletes who caught double-digit touchdowns. Only BYU tight end Isaac Rex (12) and Memphis wide receiver Calvin Austin III (11) hauled in more touchdowns than Barbee throughout the 2020 season.

SCOUTING THE BEARS

Baylor is expected to start fourth-year junior Gerry Bohanon at quarterback for Saturday’s game. The former nationally-ranked dual-threat quarterback out of Earle (Earle, Ark.) High School will become just the fifth Baylor quarterback since 2000 to mark his first career start in a season opener. For his prep career, Bohanon, an Elite 11 selection, threw for 11,362 yards and 142 touchdowns, while also rushing for 5,925 yards and 70 touchdowns.

In 2020, Baylor allowed opponents to rush for 1,624 yards and 20 touchdowns on 366 attempts (4.4 average per rush, 180.4 average per game). In comparison, the Bears rushed for only 813 yards and eight touchdowns on 298 attempts (2.7 average per rush, 90.3 average per game).

Following the conclusion of the 2020 season, Baylor football head coach Dave Aranda made some changes to his coaching staff. Aranda, who is entering his second season at the helm of the Bears, brought in a new offensive coordinator, Jeff Grimes, as well as a new offensive line coach, Eric Mateos, and wide receiver coach, Chansi Stuckey.

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday’s game will mark the first time in series history the two teams have played football each against other in San Marcos. It will also mark the first football game between Baylor and Texas State since the Bobcats moved up to the NCAA Division I FBS ranks.

In the last meeting, Baylor held on for a 34-27 win in Waco on Sept. 15, 2007. Texas State scored a 26-yard touchdown pass with 1:10 left in the game to make it a one-possession game, but the Bears recovered the ensuing onside kick to close out the contest.

This weekend’s contest will mark just the second time Texas State has played a home game against a Big XII Conference school after hosting Texas Tech on Sept. 8, 2012.