SAN MARCOS — Texas State football and Nicholls State are facing off Saturday in the renewal of the Battle for the Paddle. The rivalry began in the 1980s, and their upcoming game will be the 32nd iteration.
Texas State is coming off a humbling 34-15 loss to Arizona State, which might be the best opponent it faces all season. Nicholls State is a step down in competition, and Bobcats head coach GJ Kinne said Tuesday he’s expecting Texas State to dominate.
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“There’s no excuse why we shouldn’t,” Kinne said.
The coach’s statement isn’t a refrain on the Colonels, whom he praised as a “good team.” Nicholls State lost to West Georgia last week, but in Week 2 it dominated Incarnate Word in its opener and was competitive with Troy, another Sun Belt opponent. Rather, Kinne said he wants his team to execute so well every Saturday that the opposing team feels that the Bobcats are unstoppable.
Overall, Texas State did not play badly in its first loss. But it’s the details within the plays that led to the Bobcats’ defeat, Kinne said: a lack of ball security, missed assignments and even some poor play calls, by Kinne’s own admission. On quarterback Brad Jackson’s botched snap in the fourth quarter, the coach took some blame, saying they hadn’t practiced the play enough.
MORE TEXAS STATE FOOTBALL: Brad Jackson shows his inexperience in Week 3 loss
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In response to the disappointment, Kinne said the team practiced Tuesday with anger in its chest. Texas State will look to respond against Nicholls State with relentless, purposeful passion.
“You’ve got to be smart and you’ve got to be disciplined. It’s not always about effort. There are a lot of things that go into playing football,” Kinne said.
Texas State defensive ends DonTerry Russell (15) and Kalil Alexander (2) talk between plays during the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Texas State defense takes accountability
On that note, defensive coordinator Dexter McCoil told the defensive line that they’d have opportunities to feast against Arizona State. And while defensive ends Kalil Alexander and Kenard Snyder collected sacks, the group left meat on the bone.
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The Bobcats created 25 total pressure against the Sun Devils. However, quarterback Sam Leavitt proved slippery at times, turning dangerous situations into explosive plays. And while Alexander gave credit to Arizona State, he emphasized the importance of capitalizing on the opportunities given to them.
“We have to be out there. We have to over-communicate; we have to know our assignment. We have to go make those plays,” he said.
Through three weeks, the Texas State defense has no takeaways. Snyder mentioned their analysts have marked the stat, saying they can’t go four games without a turnover.
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At practice, Snyder said the linemen are telling themselves “strip-sack fumble” every time they reach the scout team quarterback. The group is trying to create the vision of getting that turnover in the game.
Meanwhile, the Bobcats are allowing 211 yards per game on the ground, 12th-worst in the Sun Belt. A large part of their poor performance can be attributed to two 75-yard touchdown runs given up the past two weeks.. Without those plays, Texas State has allowed 4.47 yards per carry against UTSA and Arizona State combined.
The problem, of course, is that Texas State did allow those explosive scores. Alexander said the problem can be traced back to the small details, as Kinne mentioned.
Texas State tight end Blake Smith (6) celebrates a touchdown by receiver Beau Sparks (11) during the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Texas State receiver Beau Sparks (11) catches a pass for a touchdown during the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Texas State quarterback Holden Geriner (13) kneels in the endzone ahead of the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Texas State quarterback Brad Jackson (8) runs the ball during the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Texas State Univeristy president Kelly Damphouse leads the team onto the field ahead of the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Texas State running back Lincoln Pare (7) celebrates a touchdown during the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Texas State running back Lincoln Pare (7) runs the ball during the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Eastern Michigan running back Tavierre Dunlap (8) is stopped during the game against Texas State at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Eastern Michigan defensive back Jesse Vasquez (12) breaks up a pass to Texas State receiver Kylen Evans (2) during the game at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Texas State quarterback Brad Jackson (8) snaps the ball during the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Texas State runnung back Greg Burrell (9) celebrates a touchdown during the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Texas State fan Clayton Geis cheers during the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Texas State head coach GJ Kinne walks the field ahead of the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Texas State receiver Beau Sparks (11) celebrates a touchdown during the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Texas State defensive end Kalil Alexander (2) hypes up the crowd during the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Texas State fans cheer during the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Texas State receiver Beau Sparks (11) celebrates a touchdown during the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Texas State receiver Beau Sparks (11) runs the ball during the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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From left, Texas State fans Emily Garcia, Kyndal Martin and Sabrina Nodler cheer during the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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Texas State running back Lincoln Pare (7) dives for a first down during the game against Eastern Michigan at Texas State University on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
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“It’s always just one misfit. Like, we hammer the run, hammer the run, hammer the run and then it’s one small detail,” Alexander said. “Every time someone has an explosive play on us, they’re not touched. It’s not a lack of effort or anything, it’s just a lack of detail.”
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But if everyone performs to the height of their potential, Alexander believes they’ll be OK.
“It’s just people doing their individual jobs and bringing it all together,” Alexander said.
Texas State injury note
Texas State tight end Blake Smith will be out against Nicholls State along with defensive backs Trez Moore and Amarion Atwood. Kinne did not provide a timeline for the return of any player. As noted previously, defensive end Jo’Laison Landry will miss the rest of the season.
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