Texas State was upset by former rival Sam Houston State 40-39 Saturday in the H-Town Showdown at NRG Stadium in Houston. Here are three takeaways from the game:
Bobcat penalties:
Texas State averages 83 yards in penalties per game, leading the Sun Belt Conference. The penalties continued Saturday against Sam Houston. The Bobcats had 11 penalties for 88 yards, one of the many miscues leading to the Bearkats’ 22-point comeback victory.
The Bobcats totaled 16 penalties for 156 yards in the season opener in Texas State’s 34-27 victory against the Lamar Cardinals. The Maroon and Gold lowered this number against UTSA in the 49-10 win with only three penalties for 19 yards but saw the numbers spike against Arizona State with 69 yards of penalties. Head Coach G.J. Kinne said the discipline of the team needed to improve.
“It’s just frustrating when you lose a game like that. We played well at times. Just penalties and turnovers are going to get you,” Kinne said. “We have to come together, coach better and have to be more disciplined. That is the bottom line. We have to be more disciplined if you’re going to win the games.”
Fourth down conversions:
The Bobcats were 2-4 on fourth-down conversions. The two failed conversions proved costly to the Bobcats’ lead, with the Bearkats scoring due to both failed attempts. One came on a fourth and one on the Bobcat’s 24-yard line that the Bearkats stopped and turned into a score late in the third quarter, lowering the Maroon and Gold lead to five, at the time the smallest margin Texas State had all game.
The identity of going for it on fourth-down is familiar to the former Tulsa quarterback. In Kinnes’ first year as coach for Texas State, he led the Sun Belt in attempts with 32 and a conversion percentage of 65.6, but a new season brings new challenges. The Bobcats currently lead the Sun Belt again in attempts with 12 but rank just ninth, with a 50% success rate.
Ben Bell’s absence:
Senior defensive end Ben Bell was inactive in Saturday’s game against the Sam Houston Bearkats. The Cedar Park native wore street clothes with his jersey on and did not see the field.
The Bobcats’ defensive line walked into NRG Stadium with 15 sacks, leading the Sun Belt. Bell, the Bobcats sack leader, has 3.5 this year. The Bobcats got to redshirt quarterback senior Hunter Watson three times, but the Bearkats quickly adjusted, combining for 298 rushing yards and five total touchdowns on the ground. Watson was responsible for 105 yards and two scores of his own, eclipsing the entire Bobcat offense’s mere’ 91 yards on the ground.
Bell has been at defensive end but has been moved around in various positions depending on the game situation. With Bell sidelined, the Bearkats had one less game wrecker to worry about and ran the ball effectively against the Bobcats.