San Marcos, Tx

Sept. 1, 2024

Bobcats Open Up UCFC Stadium with 34-27 Win Over Lamar

After their first bowl game appearance and win in program history, there was perhaps even more pomp and circumstance at the Bobcat’s newly named UFCU Stadium ahead of week one’s matchup with The Lamar Cardinals.

Former players, recruits from basketball and football in attendance; the sidelines were also littered with boosters, student workers and tons of photographers hoping to capture some Bobcat magic in their hearts and lenses, respectively.

Lamar came into the matchup, as Pat McAfee would put it, Yuge Dawgs.

And just like it was supposed to happen, Jordan McCloud, the reigning Sun Belt Player of The Year, took the field and commanded the offense, finding the endzone twice.

Add a two-point conversion into the mix and the script is in. Texas State is set to have a dominant performance.

At the end of the first quarter, though, Texas State Head Coach G.J. Kinne substituted R.J. Martinez into the game over Jordan McCloud.

Not necessarily a surprise, in the weekly press conference leading up to game one, Kinne had said Martinez would see the field.

Two drives and two no-scores for the Bobcats would see Martinez relegated to the bench and McCloud back onto the field with a game to manage.

One of those possessions, slightly out of his control, a 44-yard field goal attempt that was no good.

At the half, the Bobcats were leading 18-0 after Mason Shipley converted a field goal.

The Cardinals would eventually find the endzone for the first time in the third. The Bobcats would take the field again, drive down the field, but settle for a field goal.

All night, the so-called, “Super Cat Spread Offense” seemed to have a hitch in it’s giddy-up.

In the media availability leading up to week one, Kinne had been very transparent about the number of players set to play. So, seeing different packages and personnel groups being worked in and out throughout the course of the game was also truly not a surprise when it happened in real life.

Even still, Texas State was not scoring like crazy.

At the end of the third, Lamar had managed to put another three points on the board, Texas State was held to 21 to make the score 21-10.

Making quick work of the Bobcat stall out, the Cardinals would drive down and put up another 7 points after a 47-yard pass from quarterback Robert Coleman. Score now 21-17, Texas State leading.

Relatively quiet until this point, Joey Hobert cemented himself as the best athlete on the field with the most acrobatic catch and score I have ever seen.

And then, as if that first score wasn’t enough, he did it again, this time hurdling a Cardinal on his way into the endzone. After the game when asked how many times he had done that before in-game, he would respond “zero times.”

Score now 34-17, Texas State now looking like the team we saw in some of the best moments from last year.

Exactly seven plays from scrimmage later, the Cardinals would find the endzone again off of the back of a short pass made by Coleman to make the score 34-24 Texas State.

The game was the first true test for newly minted Defensive Coordinator Dexter McCoil who only four years ago was still playing professional football

One takeaway from week one: Excellent Defensive line play and less-than-stellar secondary play kept the Cardinals in business all day long, not to mention more than 150 yards in penalties.

A three-and-out from the Bobcats would give the Cardinals back the ball and settle for a field goal after seven plays. Score now 34-27.

Lamar ended up getting the ball back after an onside kick attempt at the end of the game. Six plays later, the Bobcats finally come out on top with maybe some more drama than was expected in their week one debut of their 2024 campaign.

Looking ahead to week two, and a rivalry week like no other, The UTSA Roadrunners are set to come to UFCU stadium to defend their current perfect record against the ‘Cats.

The Roadrunners put away the Kennesaw State Owls in week one at The Alamodome with a final score of 28-16. Both teams are expected to do a lot more in week two. This is far from just a “whatever non-conference matchup” for both teams.

But it’s also a balancing act.

In the week three slot, the Roadrunners are set to play Texas and the Bobcats have a Thursday night primetime slot with The Arizona State Sun Devils. How much will each squad choose to show out and show up is the true question in week two ahead of two matchups that will test both teams down the stretch.