Texas State Rolls Past Colorado State, 66–27, in Pac-12 Home Opener
SAN MARCOS, Texas — Texas State’s first Pac-12 home game quickly turned into a celebration for the Bobcats.
Texas State scored three touchdowns in the opening quarter and piled up 508 rushing yards Wednesday night, overwhelming Colorado State 66–27 before an announced crowd of 16,229 at UFCU Stadium.
Running back Torrance Burgess Jr. powered the Bobcats’ offense, rushing 24 times for 224 yards and four touchdowns, including a 51-yard scoring run in the first quarter. Texas State averaged 9.1 yards per rushing attempt and finished with 503 net rushing yards after losses.
The Bobcats broke open the game early.
After the teams exchanged punts on their opening possessions, Texas State drove 69 yards for the game’s first touchdown, with Burgess scoring from 2 yards out. He struck again less than three minutes later, breaking free for a 51-yard touchdown that pushed the lead to 14–0.
Quarterback Brad Jackson added a 4-yard touchdown run with 2:51 remaining in the opening quarter, giving Texas State a 21–0 advantage.
Jackson scored again early in the second before Colorado State finally answered. The Rams found some offensive rhythm during a high-scoring second quarter, putting up 21 points, but Texas State continued answering each push.
Jackson connected with Ty Stamey for a 22-yard touchdown, Burgess added his third rushing score, and Jacob Bonilla kicked a 23-yard field goal as time expired to send the Bobcats into halftime with a 45–21 lead.
Colorado State opened the second half with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Ksaan Farrar to Terrence Smith, cutting the margin to 45–27.
That would be the Rams’ final score.
Texas State responded with three consecutive touchdowns. Jackson scored his third rushing touchdown of the night from 3 yards out, Jaylen Jenkins added a 1-yard score, and Burgess closed the scoring with a 19-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.
Neither team scored in the fourth.
Jackson finished 14-of-19 passing for 213 yards and a touchdown while adding 181 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries. Combined with Burgess, the two accounted for 405 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns.
Colorado State quarterback Ksaan Farrar completed 26 of 41 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns. The Rams finished with 437 yards of offense but were repeatedly forced to chase a Texas State offense that scored on nine possessions.
The victory moved Texas State to 3–3 overall and 1–1 in Pac-12 play, while Colorado State fell to 2–4 overall and 0–2 in conference play.
For Texas State, the result also marked a milestone at home. Playing before more than 16,000 fans in San Marcos, the Bobcats’ first Pac-12 home appearance ended with 66 points and one of their most dominant offensive performances of the season.
