 are traveling to Conway, South Carolina to take on the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (6-3) at Brooks Stadium.){kind=link}
This weekend, the Texas State Bobcats (6-3, 3-2 Sun Belt) will be traveling to Conway, South Carolina to take on the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (6-3, 4-2) at Brooks Stadium.
Make no mistake about it, at 9 -0, James Madison rules the Sun Belt Eastern Conference. Coastal Carolina, at 6 -3, is second. The matchup between these two schools will be the key game for Coastal Carolina on November 25th.
Coastal Carolina must get by Texas State first. That is why this Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. kickoff at Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C. is so important. It is a must win game for Coastal Carolina if they hope to stay within striking distance of James Madison.
About Texas State
In their last game against Georgia Southern, Texas State secured their sixth win of the regular season with a final score of 45-24. Quarterback TJ Finley had an impressive performance, throwing for 301 yards and multiple touchdowns. Texas State will have some players missing from their lineup: Texas State will be without OL Nash Jones, while RB Calvin Hill’s availability is uncertain.
The Texas State Bobcats rank 18th nationally with an average of 36.2 points per game, and their total offense of 484.8 yards per game is the 9th best. Their ground game is especially impressive, averaging 200.9 yards rushing (16th in the nation). Through the air, Texas State gains an average of 283.9 yards per game (23rd). Quarterback TJ Finley boasts a strong performance with 2,504 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. Leading the way for Texas State’s ground attack is Ismail Mahdi with 953 yards rushing and eight touchdowns. Meanwhile, Joey Hobert leads home receivers with a total of 64 receptions for 804 yards and seven touchdowns.
As a team, Texas State allows 28.2 points a game, ranking 89th in the nation. It allows 148.8 yards rushing and 258.1 yards passing, giving it 406.9 yards per game, ranked 98th in the nation. With 72 tackles and two interceptions, linebacker Brian Holloway leads Texas State’s defense. Ben Bell leads the team in quarterback sacks with 7.0. Texas State has intercepted five passes and made 26 quarterback sacks.
COASTAL CAROLINA AND THE QUARTERBACK THING
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers earned their sixth victory in a close game against Old Dominion last Saturday, ending with a score of 28-24. Coastal Carolina pulled off a remarkable comeback to pull out that win. Quarterback Ethan Vasko led the Chanticleers to victory with 350 total yards and two touchdowns.
Reports are that Vasko is the likely starter this Saturday. He runs the ball as well as he passes it. Many compare his skills to those of Sun Belt standout Grayson McCall.
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers will not have WR Tyson Mobley and may also be without QB Grayson McCall and QB Jarrett Guest due to injuries.
In the Chants’ losses this season, they have been competitive on defense, and their stats show their improvement. In 2022, they gave up 32 points a game. In 2023, they’re allowing 23.6 points per game. CCU also has the best red zone defense in the Sun Belt.
Scoring early and often will be key for Coastal Carolina University this Saturday.