Texas State football grades: Defense earns top mark after stifling Oregon State's attack
Texas State football dismantled Oregon State Saturday night, leaping a game over the .500 mark with a 42-21 win. The Beavers were competitive in losses to Fresno State, Houston and Texas Tech, falling by 16, 13 and 11 points, respectively. However, they had no answer for Texas State, which controlled the game’s flow and didn’t allow Oregon State a spark of hope throughout the contest.
The Bobcats have three games left: two home games against Fresno State and Washington State and a flex matchup. A Pac-12 championship game berth is well within reach if they can maintain their level for the next month. Here are the grades from Texas State’s win.
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Offense: A-
Texas State turned the ball over twice; running back Davian Jackson fumbled and quarterback Brad Jackson threw an interception. Otherwise, the Bobcats overwhelmed a Beavers defense that couldn’t match their physicality.
Texas State recorded 600 yards and held the ball for 11 more minutes than Oregon State. The offensive line paved huge gaps for running back Torrance Burgess Jr., who ran for 196 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. Davian Jackson added 107 yards and three touchdowns on 19 rushes. The pass protection once again held up. The only Oregon State sack came when Brad Jackson ran into edge Takari Hickle while trying to escape the pocket.
Jackson threw for 214 yards, a touchdown and an interception on 16-of-20 passing. The threat of his running backs amplified Jackson’s own athleticism, as he also ran for 87 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Zechariah Sample continues to grow in the offense, catching three passes for 95 yards and a touchdown.
Defense: A
Looking purely at the statistics, this kind of performance from defensive coordinator Will Windham‘s unit seems absurd. The Bobcats held arguably the nation’s top air attack to 267 passing yards. Biletnikoff Award candidate Jesse Legree caught eight passes for 99 yards and no touchdowns, only the second time this year he’s been held out of the end zone.
Oregon State running AJ Newberry averaged 4.6 yards per carry, down from his season average of 6.2. Bobcats defensive back Jayden Bradley had his best game of the season, collecting six tackles, an interception and a pass breakup.
The defense might’ve found something after reinserting defensive back Chase Davis, who had five solo tackles, into the lineup. Safety Ryan Nolan returned and defensive back Craig Royal Jr. made an unbelievable juggling interception to cap off a strong night for the secondary. Edge rusher TJ Burkhalter continues to flash, earning his first full sack of the season.
OMG😱 https://t.co/Y7zwznwrl1
– Texas State Football (@TXSTATEFOOTBALL) November 8, 2026
Special teams: B-
Punter Tom Flintoff continues to stack solid games; he averaged 43.5 yards on two attempts. Kicker Jacob Bonilla’s lone field goal attempt was blocked, as the protection unit failed to account for a defender. The Beavers nearly recovered a fourth-quarter onside kick after a chaotic scrum that including the ball ricocheting off players and landing out of bounds.
Coaching: A
Texas State head coach GJ Kinne and offensive coordinator Landon Keopple were in their bag Saturday. Texas State averaged 7.2 yards per play and converted 10 of 16 third downs. Windham’s pressure packages had Atkinson scrambling in the second half. The Beavers had their worst statistical offensive performance of the season, with two of their touchdowns coming after the Bobcats were leading 42-7. Kinne kept his team steady despite an emotional loss to Boise State, and Texas State responded with its best game of the season.
This article originally published at Texas State football grades: Defense earns top mark after stifling Oregon State’s attack.
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