Game Notes: Texas State 42 - Baylor 31

On Texas State’s first drive, QB TJ Finley threw a perfect throw that bounced right off of his WR’s chest. A couple of plays later, they punt to Baylor. Baylor’s WR had the same opportunity except he did not miss, and Baylor picked up a huge gain. The Texas State defense held strong in the goal-to-go situation and forced Baylor to kick a FG, which they made.

Finley is working this offense very smoothly and calmly for an up-tempo offense. He marches the Bobcats right down the field for a touchdown to take the lead 7-3. The Texas State pass rush made things difficult on Shapen, and Baylor is forced to punt with 5:25 left in the 1Q.

TJ Finley shows his first mistake in the pocket as he is caught between running and throwing the ball. A Baylor defender knocks the ball loose for a turnover. Baylor gets the ball back, and one thing is clear: this Texas State defense is relentless rushing the passer. It has definitely led to multiple false starts by the Baylor offensive line. Baylor still makes a FG to cut it to 7-6 Texas State.

A couple of plays after the kickoff, Texas State rips off a touchdown right up the gut for a 65-yard touchdown by Ismail Mahdi from Murphy, Texas. Baylor continues to have difficulty with the Texas State pass rush.

Finley has a rocket for an arm and is so calm in the pocket. So far, it has been very impressive. Wow, the third touchdown of the game Finley escapes the pocket, throws off of one foot, and the wide receiver gets up for the catch. The way Finley is playing is no fluke.

Shapen and the Bears march right down the field to answer the Bobcats to make it 21-13 Bobcats. The middle of the Baylor defense has been very vulnerable, and Texas State continues to take advantage. Texas State continues to pick apart the Baylor defense as they tack another TD on the board making it 28-13 with 48 seconds left in the first half. Baylor misses a FG before halftime.

Shapen and the Bears waste no time as it only took three plays until they scored through the air making the game 28-21 Bobcats. The Bobcats get the ball back, and what an incredible throw and catch from Texas State. TJ Finley then ran the ball into the end zone. He and the offense are playing without fear, and the defense tends to take that same approach.

At the 10-minute mark of the third quarter, QB Shapen is noticeably limping and has a giant wrap on his left leg. Texas State gets the ball back but fumbles it on a botched snap, and Baylor takes over in Texas State territory. This is the first drive from backup sophomore QB Sawyer Robertson from Lubbock, Texas. He shows off his arm getting the ball downfield inside the 5-yard line. Baylor runs a reverse pass that saw Robertson wide open but a poor pass from the TE sails over his head, and Baylor settles for another FG. The worst part is, the TE could have easily run into the end zone.

This Texas State offensive line is just a brick wall against the Baylor defensive line. TJ Finley flicks the ball into the end zone for another six points to make the game 42-24 Texas State with 13:52 seconds left. Shapen comes back into the game and is still noticeably limping with his giant brace. Shapen manages a touchdown to get the game to 42-31 Texas State with 8:52 left in the game.

Shapen is still in the game and can barely move. I would go ahead and say it is malpractice to have him in this game at this point when QB Sawyer Robertson showed he was more than capable of leading the offense. The game is still in reach for Baylor, but it is just ridiculous to have him in the game. They finally take him out of the game with six minutes left, and Robertson immediately completes a pass for 20 yards. He gets it inside the 10-yard line and throws a ball the only place he could; it goes off the WRs hands and is intercepted by Texas State. The Bobcats ice the game.

What We Learned:

These Texas State Bobcats can play, and they do it with no fear. TJ Finley looks calm, cool, and collected in the pocket, dropping bombs by just flicking his wrist. Finley looks like David Garrard, Ben Roethlisberger, and Byron Leftwich in the pocket. The Bobcats have speed and an offensive line to protect Finley. The wide receivers can also get up and make plays. On the defensive side of the ball, the Bobcats fly around and create plenty of issues with their pass rush and stunts. They also did not miss any opportunities to force turnovers. This defensive line will give UTSA trouble on Saturday like UofH did. Texas State also has a better offense than Houston. UTSA will need to do a complete 180-degree turn against Texas State on Saturday. The Bobcats wear sideline shirts that read ‘Take Back Texas,’ and GJ Kinne has his team on the right track. I will also say that Baylor did a number on the Texas State defense as well: 8/18 (44%) on third down and 416 passing yards (524 total yards).

Baylor, on the other hand, played a terrible game on defense. They were dominated through the air by Texas State. The big plays killed Baylor. They could not stop the run up the middle either. Quite frankly, Baylor could not do anything right on defense. What were Utah’s strengths against Florida? Moving the ball through the air. This could be an issue for Baylor come Saturday, and I am not sure they can fix it within a week. The Baylor passing game looked great, and it did not necessarily matter which quarterback was in the game. Baylor’s terrible red zone possessions really led to their loss along with the turnovers. The offense looks promising except for the offensive line. It could be a real issue. We have to wait and see if this was a one-time thing for the Baylor defense or what to expect for the entire season. I do expect them to play better against Utah because it would be difficult to play any worse.

DDSN Player of the Game:

Texas State sophomore QB TJ Finley went 22/30 for 298 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions, one fumble, and a 96.2 QBR.