The Texas State Bobcats (1-2) made their way up I-35 to Waco where they went head-to-head with the Baylor Bears (2-1) on Saturday. 

The defending Big 12 champions were coming off a tough overtime loss at BYU last week, compared to the Bobcats, who were coming into the game on a winning high after beating Florida International.

SHAKY DEFENSE

A shaky defense maimed Texas State’s play-making abilities all afternoon. Texas State quarterback Layne Hatcher can connect well with his receivers - the FIU game showed us that - but a lack of that cutthroat defense seen last game wasn’t displayed. 

The Texas State defense also struggled to shut down a fast Baylor offense. Bobcats head coach Jake Spavital said Baylor made them earn a lot of things on defense in the first half and that they came out fighting.

But with 4:42 remaining in the third quarter, holes in the defense allowed Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen to make a long touchdown pass to wide receiver Gavin Holmes to put the game out of reach for Texas State. 

The Bears easily scored again early in the fourth after running back Richard Reese rushed into the endzone for a 52-yard touchdown, which increased Baylor’s lead to 34-7.

“We ended up having some personnel issues in the back end,” Spavital said, referring to injuries sustained by safeties Tory Spears and Chris Mills. “At the end of the day, we gotta keep working on ourselves and showing back up.”

PROTECTING THE QB

Not only did shutting down a quick Baylor offense prove to be challenging for Texas State, but so did protecting its own quarterback. 

Hatcher was sacked twice and put under constant pressure throughout the afternoon.

Texas State continues to have problems converting on third and fourth. 

SIGNS OF PROGRESS

Although the Bobcats struggled to make significant gains down the field, they still showed signs of progress against a highly competitive team.

One such play that showed Texas State’s fight was when Hatcher connected on a 12-yard touchdown with Ashtyn Hawkins late in the first half. 

“I thought Layne played pretty well — he was putting the ball in play, he was operating, he was checking, he was pretty accurate in this game,” Spavital said. 

It wasn’t all bad for the Bobcats’ defense either. Inside linebacker Sione Tupou intercepted a pass in the third and Safety Peyton Tuggle also recovered a fumble. 

Cornerback Kordell Rodgers and safety Levi Bell were the Bobcats' lead tacklers with 7 tackles each. 

GAME BALL

This one undoubtedly goes to Hawkins who set a Texas State program record with 13 receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown.

“He’s just a dynamic kid,” Spavital said. “He’s got great ball skills and a great awareness of when he’s about to get hit and he can protect himself in certain situations.”