Texas State Bobcats earn their first victory on the road in the I-35 rivalry vs UTSA
The I-35 Showdown lived up to the hype Saturday as wide receiver Beau Sparks continued his offensive surge, hauling in a 65-yard touchdown reception with 10 minutes remaining to lift Texas state over UTSA, 43-36, at the Alamodome.
The Bobcats are off to a 2-0 start for the second consecutive season–their first back-to-back 2-0 starts since 1983-84, all while the program transitions to Division I-AA (now FCS).
Texas State opened the game with a three-and-out but quickly made an impact by blocking a punt into the back of the end zone for a safety–the only score of the first quarter. It marked the Bobcats’ first safety since September 19, 2015, against Southern Miss. The following possession for the Bobcats ended with an interception.
In the second quarter, the Bobcats capped a 10-play, 95-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run by Lincoln Pare, who finished with a team-high 71 rushing yards. It was Texas State’s first 90-plus-yard scoring drive since a 93-yard march against Arkansas State last season.
Bring it home 7 🏡 pic.twitter.com/QKqRcE22mV
— Texas State Football (@TXSTATEFOOTBALL) September 6, 2025
Texas State led 19-14 at halftime, but both offenses came alive in the second half. UTSA (0-2) piled up 297 yards after the break. Despite allowing 8.2 yards per rush, the Bobcats’ defense held strong on third downs, stopping the Roadrunners on five of their six second-half attempts.
At half. pic.twitter.com/JbKCql0Ig6
— Texas State Football (@TXSTATEFOOTBALL) September 6, 2025
The third quarter featured four lead changes in a back-and-forth battle.
UTSA tied the game at 36 with 10:22 left on a 30-yard touchdown run by Robert Henry. Just eight seconds later, Texas State quarterback Brad Jackson connected with Sparks on a deep ball for the game-winning score. Sparks finished with a team-high 155 receiving yards–his third career 100-yard game and second of the season.
Jackson completed 12 of 20 passes for 286 yards. Chris Dawn Jr. added 109 receiving yards on two catches–his second career 100-yard performance, both coming against UTSA.
Texas State had three players record 100-plus all-purpose yards. Running back Jaylen Jenkins led the team with 173, including a career-high 121 yards on kickoff returns.
Defensively, junior Ryan Nolan led the Bobcats with 11 tackles. Texas State tallied seven tackles for loss, with Kalil Alexander contributing a team-high 1.5.
Both teams played relatively clean game, with neither accumulating more than 60 penalty yards. Despite allowing just 12 completions, the UTSA defense struggled to contain explosive plays, giving up an average of 23.8 yards per completion.
Texas State wraps up its three-game road trip to start the season with a visit to Tempe, Arizona, where it will face Arizona State. The Bobcats are seeking just their second-ever win over a Power Four opponent. This is the second-ever matchup between these two programs; the Sun Devils edged Texas State, 31-28, last season.
About The Author
