Texas State fans likely won’t have the same heartbreak that they experienced in 2014.

In head coach GJ Kinne’s first season in San Marcos, Texas State (6-3, 3-2) is bowl eligible for the third time since joining the FBS after a 45-24 win over Georgia Southern (6-3, 3-2). In 2013, the program went in 6-6 and then 7-5 in 2014 but still missed out on its first bowl berth both years due to an overabundance of bowl eligible teams at the time.

That’s unlikely to happen this time around with six bowl games being added to the post-season schedule since 2015. Two of those added bowls (Cure Bowl and Myrtle Beach Bowl) have conference tie-ins to the Sun Belt.

Bobcats quarterback TJ Finley threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns on 25-of-31 and Ismail Mahdi finished with 99 yards on 20 carries with Donerio Davenport adding 77 yards. Georgia Southern quarterback Davis Brin, a Boerne native, was held to his lowest passing total of the season with 195 yards through the air. 

Saturday night was the first time Texas State had beaten Georgia Southern since 2005 in the FCS Playoffs.