Following a 41-12 victory over Florida International University in its home opener, the Bobcats (1-1) will look to carry their positive momentum into Waco as they prepare to play the No. 17 Baylor Bears (1-1) at 11 a.m. on Saturday in Waco at McLane Stadium.
Last year, these two teams met in San Marcos to open their respective 2021 seasons. The contest was a close one with the Bobcats holding a 10-7 lead late in the second quarter. Ultimately, Texas State fell short and the game ended in a 29-20 victory for the Bears.
Despite that history, head coach Jake Spavital is preparing his team just like he would for any other game.
“I know coach Aranda, I know how coach Roberts is,” Spavital said at a press conference. “They approach every game the same, we approach every game the same. That’s kinda that coaching cliche, ‘one game at a time’… I promise you they’re treating this game like any other.”
For Texas State, the Baylor Bears profile as the only ranked team on the Bobcat’s schedule this season. With Spavital owning an 0-4 record against ranked opponents during his tenure as head coach, a win would could signal a breakthrough for this program. 
Senior cornerback Kordell Rodgers echoed his coach’s sentiments about the upcoming match-up, as Rodgers is just trying to control what he can.
“Same thing coach [Spavital] been preaching since the spring, we just gotta worry about ourselves, it’s not really about the other team, it’s about us,” Rodgers said in a press conference. “We got to minimize our mistakes, capitalize when we can, we can be our own worst enemy and we know that.”
Coach Aranda might be sending the same message to his squad after their 26-20 overtime loss to Brigham-Young University. In that game, Baylor committed 14 penalties that cost them a total of 117 yards. The Bears are likely to tighten things up this week and Spavital knows just how good they can be when that happens for the Bears. 
“I think they’re very sound in what they do and they contest every single thing, there’s no one ever running open on these guys,” Spavital said. “I think it’s one of the hardest schemes I’ve ever had to go up against because it all comes down to winning one-on-one battles.” 
Kick-off is set for 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17 at McLane Stadium in Waco. The game will air on FS1.