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Texas State defense has started hot, too: Bobcats are on pace to shatter school sack mark

keff ciardello
·3 min read
Linebacker Ben Bell is one of a handful of Bobcats defenders who have excelled early this season. The front seven have eight sacks through two games, and Bell is coming off a six-tackle, two-sack performance last week against UTSA.
Linebacker Ben Bell is one of a handful of Bobcats defenders who have excelled early this season. The front seven have eight sacks through two games, and Bell is coming off a six-tackle, two-sack performance last week against UTSA.

SAN MARCOS — With 27 sacks last season, the Texas State defense had the second-most sacks it has had at the FBS level after the 28 registered in 2012.

A system change with new coaches and the departure of key contributors Levi Bell (five sacks), Nelson Mbanasor (six) and Nico Ezidore (three) haven’t slowed down a front seven that has eight sacks through two games. After playing two of the toughest opponents on its schedule, Baylor (a 42-31 win) and UTSA (a 20-13 loss), Texas State is on pace for 48 through 12 games.

“That’s who we are,” Bobcats defensive end Chance Main said. “We’re an attack-style defense, and we’ve got some dogs on our defense, man. We’ve got some guys that are tougher than all get-out and are going to want to get back there.

“That’s exciting to play on a team like that and having other guys like, ‘Hey, I’m going to race you back there, brother. I’m going to get back there before you.’ To have that type of competition on the same side of the ball — that’s just a little bit of a flash of what we can do these first two games. That’s exciting for me because I can see the potential in this team and also this defense in particular.”

Former Colorado defensive end Chance Main transferred to Texas State this season and has quickly made an impact on the Bobcats. In his first significant playing time, he had nine tackles and a quarterback hit in last week's loss to UTSA.
Former Colorado defensive end Chance Main transferred to Texas State this season and has quickly made an impact on the Bobcats. In his first significant playing time, he had nine tackles and a quarterback hit in last week's loss to UTSA.

Texas State added 10 transfers and junior college defensive linemen in the offseason, including two additions in fall camp with Baylor defensive end Victor Obi and Main. While Obi arrived at the beginning of August, Main showed up two weeks before the season opener. He didn’t need long to acclimate, registering nine tackles and a quarterback hit in his first extended action against UTSA.

“I just wanted to earn the trust of these coaches and teammates because I haven’t really been able to do that with the quick turnaround and everything and how I got here,” Main said. “That was something I didn’t want to slack on. I wanted to give it my all because I know the guys on this team are, so I have to as well.”

Returning defensive linemen such as Ben Bell (six tackles and two sacks against UTSA) and Jordan Revels (eight tackles and a TFL against UTSA) have contributed, but the revamped defense has been propelled primarily by transfers who were attracted to a defense that allows them to get after the quarterback.

“A lot of programs don’t really let their D-lines play free, so it’s a little different here,” defensive tackle Tavian Coleman said. “We like to get vertical and cause chaos in the backfield to get them in second-and-backed-up, and then third-and-long. Make it harder to convert.”

Coleman transferred from Utah State under former defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda, now the safeties coach for the Cleveland Browns. Banda and Texas State defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke worked under then-Miami Hurricanes coach Manny Diaz, where they both learned the attack-style, 4-2-5 man coverage defense the Bobcats now use.

Coleman has three tackles for loss and a sack after starting in the first two games.

Volleyball: Texas State (6-3) is playing one last tournament on the road before it begins Sun Belt play, the Jayhawk Invitational hosted by Kansas. The Bobcats opened with a 3-2 win over New Hampshire on Friday morning before playing Bellamine on Friday night. Texas State will finish with Kansas on Saturday before returning to host its first conference foe, Louisiana-Monroe, on Thursday.

Soccer: The Bobcats (5-3) will defend their three-match winning streak against Louisiana at home Sunday in their Sun Belt opener. Texas State will then visit Arkansas State on Thursday.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas State football is on pace to break school's FBS sack record