Bobcats can’t overcome ‘critical mistakes’

SAN MARCOS — Texas State coach Jake Spavital believes the Bobcats are a stronger teamthan they were during his first season last year. Opposing coaches tell him as much during postgame handshakes.

But through the 2020 campaign, all but one of those handshakes has followed a Texas State loss, and Spavital attributed the shortcomings to the team’s penchant for “critical mistakes.”

“We’ve been our own worst enemy, really the entire year,” Spavital said Wednesday. “Everything that we’ve really done is self-inflicted.”

During Texas State’s 38-17 loss to Appalachian State on Saturday at Bobcat Stadium, Spavital saw many of the same characteristics.

The Bobcats (1-8, 1-4 Sun Belt) flashed explosive potential on offense, as quarterback Tyler Vitt connected with Javen Banks for a 75-yard touchdown on the third play from scrimmage. But Texas State also fell victim to backbreaking errors, including an errant pass from Vitt later in the quarter that Appalachian State’s Brendan Harrington returned 49 yards for a touchdown. Spavital said the pick six was the result of a busted route.

“You’re at a point right now like, what are you going to do?” Spavital said. “We have to keep showing up and keep improving and keep getting better. They know that, and their heads are held high, because I told them to go out there and play hard, and they did. They understand we have a long ways to go in terms of consistency.”

Spavital believes a Bobcats’ roster with only14 seniors has the opportunity to continue growing, especially with the NCAA giving every player an extra year of eligibility in response to the pandemic.

But Texas State is just 4-17 under Spavital to this point of his second season, unable to keep pace Saturday with an Appalachian State program that is 18-2 through the same stretch.

Mountaineers quarterback Zac Thomas completed 18 of 27 passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns, and the Appalachian State running game racked up 258 yards on 43 carries.

The challenge was compounded by a slew of Bobcats injuries, Spavital said, particularly on the offensive and defensive lines, as well as at tight end and cornerback.

“We had depth chart changes, and they showed up and practiced and fought,” Spavital said. “They understand once we start getting the football thing cleaned, it’s going to be good. … They are frustrated. We aren’t getting the results that we want. I’m frustrated, too. We have to get up and keep working and driving this thing to where we think we can take it.”

Vitt, a junior and MacArthur grad, made his third start of the year for Texas State and first since Sept. 19, completing 21 of 38 passes for 205 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Jahmyl Jeter paced the Bobcats on the ground with11carries for 135 yards.

Sophomore Brady McBride started the previous five games for Texas State but was benched after throwing five interceptions in his past two outings. For the season, McBride averages 187.5 passing yards per game, racking up nine touchdowns against seven picks.

Through three starts, Vitt has averaged 269 yards per game with eight touchdowns and four interceptions.

“It was good to just give Brady a break,” Spavital said. “You can develop bad habits, so it was a good opportunity for him to step away for this game, and I thought Vitt handled it well and came in and competed all the way to the end.”

The Bobcats were within 14 points of the Mountaineers until the fourth quarter, when Appalachian State began to pull away.

Texas State’s only victory this season was a 38-17 rout of winless ULM on Sept. 19. The year’s first three losses were decided by a touchdown or less against SMU, UTSA and Boston College, but Texas State’s past five defeats — against Troy, South Alabama, BYU, Louisiana and Appalachian State — have been by double-digit margins.

“It’s very frustrating,” cornerback Jarron Morris said. “Like coach said, we have to stay the course and continue to buy in. Once we do that, we’re going to start winning games. We know we’re way better than we were last year.”

Texas State is the only program in college football to play nine games through Saturday, navigating the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic without having any contests canceled or postponed.

Spavital said the Bobcats have gone more than a month since the last positive COVID-19 test within the team.

“They’ve been doing everything right,” Spavital said. “We knew before the season we just have to keep playing as much as we possibly can, and now we’re nine games in, and we have a ton of valuable experience, with the whole team returning next year.”