Texas State Bobcats Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players
Texas State Bobcats Preview 2022: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Texas State season with what you need to know and keys to the season.
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Texas State Bobcats Preview
Head Coach: Jake Spavital, 3rd year at Texas State, 9-27
2021 Preview: Overall: 4-8, Conference: 3-5
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Texas State Top 10 Players | Texas State Schedule
Texas State Bobcats Preview 2022
Head coach Jake Spavial is doing the right things in the modern age of college football.
He was ahead of the game in all but blowing off normal recruiting and building things up through the transfer portal. His offense is fun and fast, his defense aggressive, and …
It’s not working yet. However, after five wins in his first two years, the four wins last year really did mark a step forward. In the new and improved Sun Belt it’ll be even more of a fight, but now he’s got experience and depth to go alone with the new parts through the portal.
There’s more talent than before, the schedule is full of winnable games, and there’s a real shot this season to push for the first winning season since 2014 and the program’s first bowl game ever.
Texas State Bobcats Preview 2022: Offense
The offense goes fast, likes to wing it around, and has an Air Raid style that tries to keep defenses on their heels. There’s one big problem – it isn’t working well enough to control games. The passing attack averaged just 194 yards per game, there were too many turnovers, and it was a struggle to move the chains. However, it’s an attack loaded with veterans and should be sharper if …
The quarterback play has to be sharper. With leading passer Brady McBride off to Appalachian State, it starts with the addition of Layne Hatcher from Arkansas State, Dillon Markiewicz is coming in from Syracuse to give it a shot, and former NC State transfer Ty Evans is there.
The receiving corps is full of producers. Javen Banks led the team with 553 yards and five scores, Marcell Barbee led the team with 40 catches and five touchdowns, and most of the other top targets are back along with a slew of receivers from the transfer portal highlighted by Demarcus Gregory from USF.
Can the experienced offensive line keep defenses out of the backfield? OT Dalton Cooper is one of the best in the Sun Belt, and there’s decent size at the other four spots.
The running game averaged 149 yards per game, and it gets back leading rusher Calvin Hill, who ran for 696 yards and averaged over five yards per carry. 6-0, 225-pound Jahmyl Jeter led the team with eight scores and was second with 384 yards.
Texas State Bobcats Preview 2022: Defense
The defense struggled to come up with big plays. It was the worst in the Sun Belt at generating sacks and pressure, it allowed 430 yards and 33 points per game, and it was mostly awful against the run.
The 18 sacks weren’t enough, but most of the production returns. Issiah Nixon led the team with four sacks, but he’s likely going to be a key backup at linebacker.
Second-leading tackler Sione Tupou is back on the outside after making 75 stops, and 6-2, 225-pound London Harris should do more in the middle after making 33 tackles on the outside.
The defensive front has decent bulk. 315-pound Gjemar Daniels will play a bigger role somewhere inside, and 300-pound Samuel Obiang will be more of a factor on the nose. Now the pass rush has to come from the end, and that starts with 280-pound Nico Ezidore being more disruptive.
The Bobcats only came up with three interceptions, and losing star tacklers and playmaker Zion Childress to Kentucky hurts, but Kordell Rodgers broke up seven passes from his corner spot, and veteran DeJordan Mask is a decent tackler.
Texas State Bobcats: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats NEXT
Texas State Bobcats: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats
Texas State Bobcats: Key To The 2022 Offense
The passing game has to be more efficient.
That’s where Layne Hatcher is coming in to take over the quarterback gig.
The Texas State offense needs to complete about 65% of its throws to keep things moving – it hit just 58% last year – there have to be more big plays, the pass protection has to be better, and the interceptions have to stop.
To be fair, the picks came in bunches early – nine of the 12 came in three games over the first half of the year – but that came at a cost. There weren’t as many downfield plays and there weren’t as many chances taken.
The offense has to open up, it has to be more effective, and again, the passing game that moves so fast has to be more efficient.
Texas State Bobcats: Key To The 2022 Defense
There has to be more of a steady pass rush.
It’s been a massive problem for years. Texas State last averaged over two sacks a game back in 2014, and it hasn’t been close to that since.
The 18 sacks – 1.5 per game – last year actually represented one of the best years in a while for the pass rush, and good things happened when it work.
Ten of the 18 came in two games against ULM and Arkansas State, and Texas State won both of them. Throw in the two in the loss to Eastern Michigan, and six sacks came in nine games.
Texas State Bobcats: Key Player To The 2022 Season
DT Samuel Obiang, Sr.
Can he gum up the works?
The Canadian from Ottawa started out in the JUCO ranks in Oklahoma, and then became a part of the Texas State defensive front. He made 17 tackles in his first year, and last year he was hurt for a bulk of the season and made 16 stops.
He’s a decent interior pass rusher in his limited role so far, but his job will be to grow into an anchor who can help the run defense be a wee bit better.
Texas State Bobcats: Key Transfer
QB Layne Hatcher, Jr.
Or Syracuse QB transfer Dillon Markiewicz. The Bobcats have to find a good, steady quarterback who can keep everything moving, and that’s Hatcher.
He was part of a rotation at Arkansas State, but he still threw for 7,427 yards and 65 touchdowns with 25 picks in his three seasons, and he ran for two scores. He’s got the big arm to stretch the field more.
Texas State Key Game To The 2022 Season
at James Madison, Oct. 1
Can the Bobcats pull off a road win in the Sun Belt early on? Realistically, at best they should start the season 2-2. James Madison is the new guy in the FBS, but the former FCS program is a star that should shine right away.
Win, and it’s a good win for Texas State. Lose, and there’s a problem with Appalachian State, at Troy, and Southern Miss to follow.
Texas State Bobcats: 2021 Fun Stats
– Field Goals: Texas State 15-of-18 – Opponents 15-of-26
– Time of Possession: Opponents 31:45 – Texas State 28:15
– 3rd Quarter Scoring: Opponents 110 – Texas State 58
Texas State Bobcats Season Prediction, What Will Happen NEXT
Texas State Bobcats Season Prediction, What Will Happen
The four wins of last year actually represented a step forward.
The program hadn’t won more than three games since 2014, it’s been a struggle just to be competitive, and it’s been a rough run to come up with a whole lot of breaks along the way.
But there were signs last year of improvement even with the losing record.
The Bobcats pushed Baylor, lost in a good fight against Troy, and it only got obliterated by Eastern Michigan and Louisiana. Now with a better team with stronger skill parts and more experience, shooting for six wins and bowl eligibility isn’t crazy.
Set The Texas State Bobcats Regular Season Win Total At … 5
Dealing with Appalachian State and Louisiana is tough, but both games are at home. At Baylor is the only seemingly sure-thing loss, with even the opener at Nevada potentially gettable if everything goes right.
FIU, Houston Baptist, at James Madison, Southern Miss, at ULM, at South Alabama, Arkansas State. Those seven games are 50/50 battles the Bobcats need to own – they have to at least win four of them, more like five.
Do that, pull off an upset or two, and there’s a real shot at six wins.
