Texas State Football Defense Shows Promise Despite Loss to Arizona State | Bobcats Breakdown (2025)

Texas State football came up short Saturday night, falling to Arizona State 34-15. There was some thought that the Bobcats could play spoiler after narrowly losing to the Sun Devils in 2024, but they were unable to come back after falling into a 20-3 deficit by halftime.

"When you play a really good team like that on the road, we've got to start faster," Texas State head coach GJ Kinne said in the post-game Zoom.

Texas State will return to San Marcos next week to face Nicholls. Here are some takeaways from the Bobcats' loss.

QB Brad Jackson takes his lumps

Jackson finally looked his age Saturday. Arizona State got to him early, sacking him on the first two drives and forcing a fumble on the second. There were a few times he looked surprised by the speed of the ASU linebackers as they caught him trying to scramble to the edge. On a critical fourth down in the fourth quarter, he dropped a snap while under center, ruining the play.

But credit to Jackson — he showed improvement in the second half. After completing 9 of 16 passes for 71 yards in the first, he came out of halftime and threw for 113 yards and a touchdown on 16-of-20 passing. He adjusted and made things work against a defense determined to limit explosive plays.

Jackson went 7-for-9 on Texas State's offensive drive following the botched snap, ending on a 3-yard touchdown throw to wide receiver Kylen Evans.

"I think we settled down and got a better feel for what they were doing on defense," Kinne said. "What Brad was seeing, what Brad wasn't seeing."

Some positives from the Bobcats defense

Texas State's defense had a difficult time coralling Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt, who turned a few near-sacks into huge plays. That included an incredible jumping throw to wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, who hurdled a Bobcats defender for the touchdown.

But Texas State was getting pressure on Leavitt. Defensive ends Kalil Alexander and DonTerry Russell both got home while linebacker Treylin Payne added another sack. The much-anticipated pass rush hadn't shown up against Eastern Michigan or UTSA, but its performance Saturday bodes well for the future.

Meanwhile, the Bobcats' run defense held up decently well. Minus the 75-yard touchdown run by Raleek Brown, Texas State held the Arizona State rushing attack to 177 yards on 4.6 yards per carry. Of course, the Bobcats can't retroactively wipe Brown's run off the stat sheet. But the rest of the numbers suggest that the Sun Devils were not ripping off chunk gains.

Some health concerns for Texas State

Though Kinne isn't into excuses, he said various injuries to the team made the preparation for the game difficult.

"For the lack of healthy bodies, it was hard for us to practice like we need to," he said.

The coach did not delve into specifics. But he said a few players played through the pain Saturday, while others were unable to go. Defensive end Jo'Laison Landry has been out for two weeks after suffering an injury against Eastern Michigan. Fellow end Tymere Jackson briefly left the UTSA game before returning to play against the Sun Devils. Defensive back Trez Moore has not made an appearance this season. Right guard Tellek Lockette played despite leaving the UTSA game and not reentering.

Add another to the list after two Arizona State defenders sandwiched tight end Blake Smith in the third quarter, prompting him to leave the field gingerly and not return. Kinne provided no update on his status after the game.

"Hopefully, we'll be healthy enough to practice like we need to on Tuesday," Kinne said.