Career Numbers In Sight For The Bobcats

by Caleb-Ryan Davis

Moscow, Idaho – The Texas State Football team, who is 3-7 on the 2015 season, travel to the Kibbie Dome in Moscow Idaho this Saturday to try their hand at defeating the 3-8 Idaho Vandals in what will be the 2nd-to-last game of the year for Dennis Franchione and the Bobcats. Texas State leads the series 4-3 overall, but has won the last 4 consecutive games dating back to September 28th, 1996.

The Idaho Vandals who have given up 3088 yards of rushing on defense this season, is attempting to configure a defense that can hold Texas State running back Robert Lowe, who is now in 4th place on Texas State’s all-time career rushing list. After last week’s dominant game on senior day, the senior has now racked up 3,002 yards in his 4 year tenure on the Bobcat roster. To move into 3rd or even 2nd place in these last two games of his career wouldn’t be impossible for Lowe, as Karrington Bush and Kevin Jurgajtis have 3193 yards, and 3205 yards respectively, but that’s not the only record Lowe is trying to attain this weekend. He stands just 110 yards from reaching 1,000 yards for his second straight season, something a Bobcat hasn’t done since Karrington Bush, who sits in 3rd on the all time career rushing list, accomplished the feat in 2007 and in 2008.

Robert Lowe is not the only Bobcat approaching career numbers however, as Quarterback Tyler Jones, who has had an on and off-season, still has something he can prove and he can do it in record-breaking fashion. Jones sits 3rd among Texas State career passing leaders when it comes to completions, and he is 4th in career passing yards. Bradley George leads both of those categories, and Jones isn’t going to catch him this season, however the QB from Stephenville, who is only a Junior could see his name on the top of at least one list before his tenure is done here in San Marcos. Jones is 16 completions away from 2nd place on the all-time career completions list, however is 801 yards away from 3rd place in career passing yards. With two games left Jones is 33rd in the nation, and 3rd in the Sun Belt Conference in total offense after averaging 260.7 yards per game. The Idaho Vandals are giving up 280.7 yards to teams who run the ball as opposed to just 205.5 passing yards this season, and when you factor in the dual threat running game of Robert Lowe, and Tyler Jones the Bobcat’s offensive strategy this week seems simple: run the ball.

The Bobcats however, have a much different task than the Vandals do on the defensive side of the ball, which is to stop the passing game of Sophomore Quarterback Matt Linehan who sits 2nd in the Sun Belt conference in total offense per game with 288.2 yards per game. Three times in his career has he accomplished more than 30 completions in a game, one of which was on October 4th of 2014 against Texas State in Bobcat Stadium. He’s passed for 2,663 yards this season and has found the end zone as a result 14 times this year.

The game as always can be heard live on KTSW-FM 89.9 or online at KTSW.net. The pregame show will broadcast live from the KTSW Studio at 3:30pm with the kickoff coming at 4:00pm