BOONE, N.C. — App State is on the road again, heading back to the Central time zone for a second straight weekend.
The Mountaineers (4-1, 2-0 Sun Belt) take on Texas State (1-7, 1-3) on Saturday in San Marcos, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET — or 2 p.m. at Bobcat Stadium — with the game available on ESPN+.
One of two teams without a Sun Belt loss, App State prevailed at ULM last Saturday to improve its FBS-level record to 45-7 against teams from the same league (the fourth-best mark in the country since the 2014 transition) and extend its road winning streak in conference play to seven games (tied for No. 4 nationally).
This will be App State's third-ever game in Texas — the Mountaineers secured victories in visits to San Marcos in 2018 and 2017. This year's Texas State team, led by second-year head coach Jake Spavital, recorded its lone win at ULM (38-17) but has notable single-digit losses to SMU (31-24) and Boston College (24-21). Last weekend, the Bobcats led 21-14 in the second quarter of a 44-34 loss to Louisiana.
"If you watch the tape from this year and compare it to last year's, it's night and day," App State head coach
Shawn Clark said. "They're playing more physical on both sides of the football. They're running the ball more than they have in the past, and I think that's a tribute to their coaching staff."
Texas State's offense has been relatively balanced, as starting quarterback Brady McBride (a Memphis transfer) averages 187.5 passing yards a game with early totals of nine touchdowns and seven interceptions. Marcell Barbee has scored seven touchdowns on his 21 catches, while the run game has received solid production from 200-pound back Brock Sturges (467 yards with five TDs) and 5-7 Calvin Hill (392 yards with three scores). They are both averaging 5.0 yards per carry.
App State's defense has limited opposing teams to 3.6 yards per rush, and the Mountaineers rank among the national leaders in several pass defense categories. They lead the country at 7.8 passes defended per game and are tied for eighth place with eight picks, including an FBS co-leading three picks from safety
Ryan Huff. All three of Huff's interceptions have occurred on the road.
Up front, the Mountaineers have amassed 12 sacks in the last three games, highlighted by 2.5 in the last two games from outside linebacker
Tim Frizzell and a sack in three straight games from inside linebacker
Trey Cobb.
"It's always hard to win on the road, especially in the Sun Belt," Cobb said. "Texas State is a very good football team, so we don't take anybody lightly."
App State's special teams had its best showing of the season at ULM, creating some shorter fields for the offense and longer fields for ULM.
Malik Williams returned a punt 23 yards in Monroe, and
Steven Jones downed
Xavier Subotsch's only punt at the 1.
The Mountaineers took advantage of field position and forced turnovers in building a 31-7 lead early in the fourth quarter. App State ranks fourth among FBS teams that have played at least three games with 288.2 rushing yards per contest, an average helped by consecutive wins with 305, 404 and 328 yards on the ground.
Zac Thomas completed passes to seven different receivers in the league opener and six receivers last weekend.
Through eight games, Texas State has allowed 299.8 passing yards and 181.5 rushing yards per game. Nico Ezidore and Gavin Graham lead the Bobcats lead the team with 8.0 tackles per loss apiece.
