Texas State (1-4, 1-1 in conference) was unable to secure its first-ever road victory against the Troy Trojans (2-1, 1-0), losing 17-37 on Oct. 10 in Troy, Alabama.
Unlike previous weeks, Texas State was not able to match its opponent’s offensive success, totaling 254 yards offense compared to Troy’s 488. Texas State struggled to generate big plays on first and second down, putting themselves in long third-down situations.
The Bobcats’ first drive of the game ended in a 38-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Seth Keller, putting the team up 3-0. In its next drive, Troy set itself up for a field goal attempt of its own, missed from 42 yards out by junior kicker/punter Evan Legassey.
Troy’s first touchdown of the game came in the first quarter when sophomore quarterback Gunnar Watson connected with senior wide receiver Reggie Todd on a 30-yard pass. Legassey’s extra point attempt was blocked. 
Troy began to pull away from the Bobcats in the second quarter with two touchdown throws from Watson. The first was a 19-yard pass to Todd. The second touchdown went to senior wide receiver Kaylon Geiger, off a 38-yard throw.
The score pushed Troy’s lead up to 23-3 before halftime.
Texas State’s first touchdown came in the third quarter at the 7:31 mark when sophomore quarterback Brady McBride threw to sophomore tight end Blake Aragon for a 4-yard touchdown, cutting the Bobcats’ deficit to 13.
The Bobcats’ momentum was stopped by Troy senior defensive end John Hines Jr., who recovered a fumble by McBride. Getting the ball back on offense, Watson connected with senior wide receiver Tray Eafford to push the Trojans’ lead to 29-10 with 6:12 left in the third, followed by a successful extra point attempt by Legassey. 
Texas State’s next two series ended in punts. Troy’s next touchdown came in the fourth quarter when redshirt senior running back B.J. Smith ran 2 yards into the endzone. 
The Bobcats were able to tack more points on the board, with 38 seconds left in the game, when sophomore running back Jahmyl Jeter ran for a 6-yard touchdown. 
Texas State had seven different rushers, tallying up 161 yards on the ground. McBride threw 15 for 28, 93 yards and a touchdown. 
Watson threw for four touchdowns and 338 yards on 46 attempts.
“There were too many mistakes and a lot of things that went wrong,” Texas State Head Coach Jake Spavital said. “As the head coach, I’ll take ownership of it, and I’ll point the finger at myself.”
“We have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot, and it starts with me,” Spavital said. “We have to get back to work and prepare for a good South Alabama team next week.”
Despite the loss, Spavital said he is confident about the Bobcats’ capabilities moving forward.
“We have to find a way to get back healthy and find a way to put these kids in better situations upfront,” Spavital said. “Once we go from there, I still believe we can make a run at this deal. I think our kids are playing extremely hard and fought all the way until the end.”
Texas State will return to Alabama Oct. 17 to face Sun Belt opponent South Alabama. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Texas State was unable to secure its first-ever victory against the Troy Trojans. The team was unable able to secure its first-ever road victory against the Trojans. Texas State defeated Troy once in 1997, at home. We deeply apologize for this error.