The Bobcats snapped a 12-game losing streak to Troy last season with a 38-17 victory
Texas State and Troy are heading into this weekend’s matchup at potential turning points in their respective seasons.
For the Trojans, their first conference victory helped remove the sour taste of last season’s loss to in-state rival South Alabama and give them an inside track to improve on their 4-8 record from 2024.
For Texas State, dreams of ending their Sun Belt tenure with a conference title are now a little murkier. The loss to Arkansas State dropped the Bobcats to the bottom of the West Division, with the Red Wolves now holding the tiebreaker.
The Bobcats are looking to right the ship against a Troy team that has historically had their number. Since their first meeting as members of the Southland Conference in 1996, Troy has won 13 of the 15 meetings. However, the Bobcats snapped a 12-game losing streak to Troy last season with a 38-17 victory.
Texas State
Coming off a bye week, Texas State was looking to start off Sun Belt play with a victory over an Arkansas State team that was in a free fall. The script almost wrote itself.
The Red Wolves, however, channeled their inner Robin Hood: Men in Tights with a twist: “Wait a second, I’m not supposed to lose. Let me see the script.”
With the game tied 10-10 going into the fourth quarter, both teams unleased their offensive firepower, trading touchdowns. After Lincoln Pare scored with one minute left, all the Bobcats needed was the extra point and a defensive stand.
TAKE US THRU DEREEEE pic.twitter.com/kMZlJNHPTZ
— Texas State Football (@TXSTATEFOOTBALL) October 4, 2025
That’s when the script went out the window. Tyler Robles missed his first extra point in 21 attempts. The Red Wolves then drove 75 yards in 53 seconds, with quarterback Jaylon Raynor scoring the game-winning touchdown to secure a 31-30 win.
Head coach G.J. Kinne told reporters after the game the loss was on him.
“We got to play better. We got to coach better,” Kinne said. “It stops with me about that end of game sequence.”
Troy
The Trojans are coming off an in-state rivalry game against South Alabama. Troy won the “Battle for the Belt” in overtime, 31-24, with Tae Meadows scoring a three-yard touchdown run on the third play of overtime. The Jaguars ran the ball on every play in the extra period until an incomplete pass on 4th-and-5 from the 9-yard line was broken up by Jordan Stringer to give Troy their 10th win in 14 all-time meetings.
Head coach Gerad Parker said the team stepped up when it mattered most.
“Tonight, in overtime, when the best was required, our defense gave their best and had a huge fourth-down stop,” Parker said. “They got a huge tackle-for-loss in that series, which created the third-and-long. I couldn’t be happier for those guys.”
DJ Epps was pivotal in the win, with the redshirt junior recording his first career touchdown in the third quarter, a score that gave Troy the lead.
“It happened pretty fast; I caught it and saw the lane,” Epps said after the game. “First of all, my teammates blocked really well. I saw the lane and hit it; I ran through contact and dove with the ball. They called it a touchdown, and it was a crazy moment for my first touchdown.
Epps also set career highs with five catches for 59 yards, leading the team in receiving against South Alabama
Defensively, Devin Lafayette had a career-high 19 tackles. He said that while he was surprised by the number, stepping up is part of his responsibility as team captain.
We’re proud to announce Troy’s Devin Lafayette as our Week 6 Defensive Player of the Week! Lafayette recorded a game-high 19 tackles in a 31–24 overtime win over South Alabama.#FriscoBowl | #OneTROY⚔️🏈 | #SunBeltFB pic.twitter.com/Qji1CNUZEj
— Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl (@FriscoBowlGame) October 7, 2025
Troy at Texas State
Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 11 at 8:00 p.m. EST
TV: ESPN+
Radio: KTSW 89.9 (also streaming on the Varsity Network app); Troy broadcast is here.
Click here for information on tickets. Texas State fans can also purchase tickets by contacting the ticket office at (512) 245-2272 in person at the Texas State Athletics Ticket Office. Fans can email the ticket office at gametickets@txstate.edu with any additional questions.
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