Texas State and Marshall will be meeting on the football field for the first time ever on Saturday
In a sentence that only seems to be written when a team has just moved up to the Football Bowl Subdivision, Texas State and Marshall will be meeting on the football field for the first time ever on Saturday.
With no series history to look at, Marshall has a 11-1 record at the FBS level against teams visiting from the Lone Star State. The only loss came in 2020, when they were shut out 20-0 by Rice while both programs were members of Conference USA.
This will be Texas State’s first trip to West Virginia for a football game. The Bobcats have only played one game against a team from the Mountain State — in 2013, when they fell at home to Western Kentucky 38-7 in the Hilltoppers’ final season in the Sun Belt before moving to Conference USA.
Marshall
In a matchup that has been one-sided in Marshall’s favor, the Thundering Herd scored 17 straight points in the second quarter to take control in a 48-24 victory over Old Dominion on Saturday. The win moved Marshall to 3-3 overall and 1-1 in conference play.
“I’m just really, really proud of this football team,” Marshall head coach Tony Gibson said. “It’s been a hard two weeks for coaches, players and my biggest message today was ‘Believe.’ Man, did they play good! They played hard and different guys stepped up at different times all over the field.”
One part of the defensive effort was Boogie Trotter, who scored on a 22-yard interception return in the first quarter to open the scoring. It was one of two turnovers he accounted for, also recovering a fumble in the 2nd quarter that stopped the Monarchs from trying to retake the lead.
“We prepared all during the bye week and all week this week and coach had a great game plan for us,” Trotter said. “I already knew the play that I picked off, I [just] knew that I would get it.”
The pick was Trotter’s fourth of the season and marked Marshall’s second straight game with a pick-six. The result was surprising, considering Old Dominion entered the contest with the top-scoring offense in the Sun Belt. For a program that underwent a major rebuilt in the offseason, Gibson said the win was a much-needed boost.
“Our kids believed in it, kept fighting and that’s what it’s all about,” Gibson said.
Texas State
If the game against Troy last weekend had ended after the first quarter, then the Bobcats would have had plenty to celebrate. Unfortunately for Texas State, the final three quarters had to be played.
The Trojans (4-2, 2-0 SBC) outscored Texas State (3-3, 0-2 SBC) 34-13 to force the game into overtime. The Bobcats had no answer for Troy quarterback Tucker Kilcrease, who went 30-for-39 for 415 yards and five touchdowns. It was Troy’s second victory all-time against Texas State and its first on the road.
It was also the fourth game of the season in which Texas State allowed its opponent to score more than 30 points, going 1-3 in those games.
Head Coach GJ Kinne said the team needs to play more complimentary football.
“We just got to make plays,” Kinne said. “[It’s] just unfortunate we keep getting in those situations where this happens.”
Troy converted three fourth-down attempts, including one early in the fourth quarter that resulted in a 31-yard completion to Tray Taylor. On the same drive, Trae Swartz caught a 2-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-2 to pull the Trojans within five points.
At the halfway point of the season, Kinne said that personnel changes are not in the cards but acknowledged the need for better game planning.
“We got to go out there and execute and we got to make plays,” Kinne said. “There was just a lot of issues [overall]. I definitely think it’s a team loss overall.”
Texas State at Marshall
Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 18 at 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN+
Radio: 88.1 WMUL-FM (Marshall); KTSW 89.9 (Texas State)
Click here for information on tickets. Marshall fans can also contact the ticketing office at (304) 696-4373 or by email at herdtickets@marshall.edu Texas State fans can email the ticket office at gametickets@txstate.edu with any additional questions.
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