# 2025 Texas State Bobcats football team
The 2025 Texas State Bobcats football team represented [Texas State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/texas-state-university) in the [Sun Belt Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/sun-belt-conference)'s West Division during the 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Under head coach G.J. Kinne, in his third season, the Bobcats finished 7-6 overall and 3-5 in conference play, closed the regular season with three straight wins to reach bowl eligibility, and won the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl 41-10 over Rice on January 2, 2026.[1](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/texas-state/2025-schedule.html) • [2](https://txst.com/news/2025/12/7/football-bobcats-to-face-rice-in-lockheed-martin-armed-forces-bowl.aspx) • [3](https://txst.com/news/2025/11/29/football-game-recap-bobcats-gain-bowl-eligibility-with-win-over-south-alabama.aspx)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Final record | 7-6 overall, 3-5 in Sun Belt play; coach G.J. Kinne (7-6)[1](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/texas-state/2025-schedule.html) |
| Scoring | 474 points for (36.5 per game, 12th of 136 FBS teams); 377 against (29.0 per game)[1](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/texas-state/2025-schedule.html) |
| Bowl game | Won Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl 41-10 over Rice, January 2, 2026, at Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth[1](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/texas-state/2025-schedule.html) |
| Bowl streak | Third consecutive bowl appearance and third straight bowl win; the Bobcats are 2-0 in bowls entering the game and 3-0 after it[2](https://txst.com/news/2025/12/7/football-bobcats-to-face-rice-in-lockheed-martin-armed-forces-bowl.aspx) |
| Bowl eligibility | Clinched with a 49-26 win over South Alabama in the regular-season finale, the program's fifth FBS-era bowl-eligible season[3](https://txst.com/news/2025/11/29/football-game-recap-bobcats-gain-bowl-eligibility-with-win-over-south-alabama.aspx) |
| Notable rivalry win | 43-36 at UTSA in the I-35 Showdown, September 6[4](https://txst.com/news/2025/9/7/football-bobcats-take-down-utsa-43-36-in-i-35-showdown.aspx) |
## Coaching staff and context
G.J. Kinne was named the head coach of Texas State football on December 2, 2022, as the 21st head coach in program history, hired a day after his 34th birthday. His first season produced an FBS program-record eight wins and the program's first bowl appearance and win.[5](https://txst.com/staff-directory/gj-kinne/745)
## Season summary
**Strong start.** Texas State opened with a 52-27 home win over Eastern Michigan on August 30, then won the I-35 Showdown at UTSA 43-36 on September 6 to move to 2-0. The UTSA game featured six lead changes, one tie, and 951 yards of total offense; Sparks' 65-yard touchdown reception on the first Texas State play of the fourth quarter gave the Bobcats the lead for good.[6](https://txst.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) • [4](https://txst.com/news/2025/9/7/football-bobcats-take-down-utsa-43-36-in-i-35-showdown.aspx) A 35-3 home win over Nicholls on September 20 made it 3-0.[6](https://txst.com/sports/football/schedule/2025)
**Midseason slide.** The Bobcats then lost five consecutive games: 15-34 at Arizona State on September 13, 30-31 at Arkansas State on October 4, 41-48 in overtime to Troy on [Homecoming](https://www.edgepedia.org/homecoming) (October 11), 37-40 in double overtime at Marshall (October 18), 20-52 to [James Madison](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-madison) on October 28, and 39-42 at Louisiana on November 8. Four of the five losses came by one score or in overtime.[6](https://txst.com/sports/football/schedule/2025)
**Late-season run.** Texas State won its final three regular-season games to finish 6-6 and keep its postseason hopes alive: 41-14 at Southern Miss on November 15, 31-14 at home over ULM on November 22, and 49-26 over South Alabama on Senior Day, November 29.[2](https://txst.com/news/2025/12/7/football-bobcats-to-face-rice-in-lockheed-martin-armed-forces-bowl.aspx) • [6](https://txst.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) In the South Alabama game, [Brad Jackson](https://www.edgepedia.org/brad-jackson-quarterback) accounted for five touchdowns and 393 total yards of offense, and Washington State transfer Jaylen Jenkins returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown that put Texas State up 49-14.[3](https://txst.com/news/2025/11/29/football-game-recap-bobcats-gain-bowl-eligibility-with-win-over-south-alabama.aspx)
## Armed Forces Bowl
Texas State played in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl for the first time, facing Rice of the [American Athletic Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-athletic-conference) on Friday, January 2, 2026, at TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium.[9](https://www.armedforcesbowl.com/new-and-media/instate-foes-rice-and-texas-state-to-meet-in-lockheed-martin-armed-forces-bowl) The game was a rematch of the 2023 First Responder Bowl, which Texas State won 45-21 for the first bowl victory in program history; the Bobcats led the overall series 3-2.[2](https://txst.com/news/2025/12/7/football-bobcats-to-face-rice-in-lockheed-martin-armed-forces-bowl.aspx)
Texas State won 41-10 to finish 7-6. Brad Jackson opened the scoring with a 6-yard rush in the second quarter and the Bobcats led 10-7 at halftime. Lincoln Pare rushed for 106 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown, closing his final season with 1,128 rushing yards.[8](https://txst.com/news/2026/1/2/football-game-recap-bobcats-defeat-rice-in-lockheed-martin-arms-forces-bowl.aspx) A Bobcat defender recorded 3.0 tackles for loss, only the second to reach that mark in a Texas State bowl game (after Ben Bell's 3.0 in 2023), and the 11 yards tied a program bowl best.[8](https://txst.com/news/2026/1/2/football-game-recap-bobcats-defeat-rice-in-lockheed-martin-arms-forces-bowl.aspx)
## Schedule and results
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30 | Eastern Michigan | San Marcos (UFCU Stadium) | W, 52-27[6](https://txst.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) |
| Sep 6 | at UTSA (I-35 Showdown) | San Antonio (Alamodome) | W, 43-36[6](https://txst.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) |
| Sep 13 | at Arizona State | Tempe (Mountain America Stadium) | L, 15-34[6](https://txst.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) |
| Sep 20 | Nicholls (Battle for the Paddle) | San Marcos | W, 35-3[6](https://txst.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) |
| Oct 4 | at Arkansas State | Jonesboro, Ark. | L, 30-31[6](https://txst.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) |
| Oct 11 | Troy (Homecoming) | San Marcos | L, 41-48 OT[6](https://txst.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) |
| Oct 18 | at Marshall | Huntington, W.V. | L, 37-40 2OT[6](https://txst.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) |
| Oct 28 | James Madison | San Marcos | L, 20-52[6](https://txst.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) |
| Nov 8 | at Louisiana | Lafayette, La. | L, 39-42[6](https://txst.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) |
| Nov 15 | at Southern Miss | Hattiesburg, Miss. | W, 41-14[6](https://txst.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) |
| Nov 22 | ULM (Community Day) | San Marcos | W, 31-14[6](https://txst.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) |
| Nov 29 | South Alabama (Senior Day) | San Marcos | W, 49-26[6](https://txst.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) |
| Jan 2, 2026 | Rice (Armed Forces Bowl) | Fort Worth (Amon G. Carter Stadium) | W, 41-10[6](https://txst.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) |
## References
1. [2025 Texas State Bobcats Schedule and Results, Sports-Reference](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/texas-state/2025-schedule.html)
2. [Bobcats to Face Rice in Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, Texas State Athletics](https://txst.com/news/2025/12/7/football-bobcats-to-face-rice-in-lockheed-martin-armed-forces-bowl.aspx)
3. [Game Recap: Bobcats Gain Bowl Eligibility with Win over South Alabama, Texas State Athletics](https://txst.com/news/2025/11/29/football-game-recap-bobcats-gain-bowl-eligibility-with-win-over-south-alabama.aspx)
4. [Game Recap: Bobcats Take Down UTSA, 43-36, in I-35 Showdown, Texas State Athletics](https://txst.com/news/2025/9/7/football-bobcats-take-down-utsa-43-36-in-i-35-showdown.aspx)
5. [GJ Kinne - Head Coach, Texas State Athletics Staff Directory](https://txst.com/staff-directory/gj-kinne/745)
6. [2025 Football Schedule, Texas State Athletics](https://txst.com/sports/football/schedule/2025)
7. [2025 Summer Magazine Ultimate Preview: Texas State Bobcats, Dave Campbell's Texas Football](https://www.texasfootball.com/articles/article/default.aspx?url=2025%2F08%2F08%2F2025-summer-magazine-ultimate-preview-texas-state-bobcats)
8. [Game Recap: Bobcats Defeat Rice in Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, Texas State Athletics](https://txst.com/news/2026/1/2/football-game-recap-bobcats-defeat-rice-in-lockheed-martin-arms-forces-bowl.aspx)
9. [Instate Foes Rice and Texas State to Meet in Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl](https://www.armedforcesbowl.com/new-and-media/instate-foes-rice-and-texas-state-to-meet-in-lockheed-martin-armed-forces-bowl)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Seasons and editions › College soccer seasons*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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