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SAN MARCOS — Following a bye week, Texas State football had ample time to dwell on its frustrating 31-29 loss to San Diego State. Questions lingered about how a team once 2-3 and picked third in the preseason Pac-12 poll could keep suffering such dramatic defeats.
On Thursday night, the Bobcats answered emphatically. Their offense set a program record with 716 total yards in a 66-27 dismantling of Colorado State. The stunning statistics not only highlighted Colorado State's struggles but also showed how Texas State met the expectations head coach GJ Kinne placed on his team before the game.
"Put a lot of pressure on the coaches this week," Kinne said. "Put a lot of pressure on the players."
Colorado State (2-4, 0-2) entered as an unbalanced squad. Its defense ranks statistically worst in the Pac-12, while its offense averages 35.7 points per game, the third-best mark in the conference.
For all the preseason excitement surrounding Texas State's inaugural Pac-12 season, the agonizing loss to SDSU and a bitter defeat to UTSA had drained the program's momentum. Negative sentiment swirled among fans: Would the team start 0-2 in its new conference? Why can't Texas State win in October? Is this team only good on paper?
But pressure can create opportunities for growth. After Texas State opened with a three-and-out, it rattled off four consecutive touchdown drives, a stark contrast to the complacency it showed in the second half against SDSU.
The Rams had scored in the first quarter of every game this season. The Bobcats defense held them to four punts and a turnover on downs to start the evening.
"For our guys to respond the way they did … we got a disciplined team. A mature team," Kinne said.
Things briefly slipped in the second quarter. A muffed punt allowed Colorado State to score a touchdown, and quarterback K'saan Farrar found a rhythm. The Rams went toe-to-toe with the Bobcats, entering halftime trailing 45-21.
Colorado State received the ball to start the second half and sliced through the defense on a 37-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Terrence Smith Jr. Texas State (3-3, 1-1) had not responded well to adversity against SDSU, which is why everything fell apart in one quarter. This time, quarterback Brad Jackson kept things rolling and applied pressure again with his third touchdown run of the night.
"During that loss, we learned that in the midst of kind of that back-and-forth … we got to be willing to put out the fire," Jackson said.
With Jackson and running back Torrance Burgess Jr. continuing to roll, the defense regained its footing. Colorado State did not score for the rest of the game, and the fourth quarter was more of a formality than anything.
Kinne is far from satisfied. Texas State is being outscored 58-34 in third quarters in 2026 despite leading at halftime in every game after Week 1, and Kinne was not pleased with the opening sequence out of halftime.
"We did everything we could," Kinne said. "We're playing music. We're giving out 'win one for the Gipper' speeches. We're doing everything that we can do at halftime, so we've got to find a way."
The Bobcats aren't perfect, and the toughest tests are yet to come. After hosting Utah State next Saturday, Texas State goes on the road to face two potential College Football Playoff contenders: Boise State and Oregon State. The teams are a combined 9-3 and 4-0 in conference play. The pressure will be sky-high for both matchups.
But again, it's a chance for Texas State to show it's better than its record would suggest.
"If we play the way we know how to play? We're a tough out," Kinne said.
Originally reported by yahoo.