Texas State redshirt senior quarterback Jordan McCloud’s 252 passing yards and four touchdowns propelled Texas State over Troy University 38-17 Thursday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Troy, Alabama.
The win marks Texas State’s first Sun Belt Conference win this season.
McCloud’s 20-29 night for 252 yards and four touchdowns would be too much for a Troy team struggling to avoid penalties, leading to the Bobcat’s first win against the Trojans since 1997.
The Bobcats’ hot start began after McCloud ripped off a 22-yard rush, setting up junior running back Ismail Mahdi for the game’s first touchdown. McCloud found success on the ground with 72 yards and a rushing touchdown while adding three through the air.
Senior wide receiver Jayden Williams was one of three receivers who caught touchdown passes from McCloud in the first half. Junior and senior wide receivers Kole Wilson and Joey Hobert both pulled in touchdown receptions respectfully.
Troy continued to play catchup due to offensive turnovers and 52 yards of defensive penalties, allowing the Bobcats to extend drives and produce off-second chances.
The Trojan’s two fumbles in the first half stalled potential scoring drives. The second came in the red zone inside the two-minute mark after Trojan quarterback Tucker Kilcrease delivered a 30-yard strike to wide receiver Peyton Higgins that was punched out by redshirt senior defensive back Jordan Polk. The Bobcats recovered, holding their 28-10 lead into halftime.
The second half would continue to be dominated by the Maroon and Gold as Troy could not find an answer to stop the Bobcat defensive line that got to the Kilcrease six times. McCloud continued his day on the ground after a 42-yard rushing touchdown, extending the Bobcats lead 38-10 midway through the third quarter.
The Bobcat defense held Troy to only seven points in the second half.
With the win, the Bobcats improve to 3-2 on the season and 1-0 in the Sun Belt and will attempt to continue the momentum against the Arkansas State Red Wolves next week.
Kickoff between Texas State and Arkansas State is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at Jim Wacker Field at UFCU Stadium. The game will be available on ESPN+.
