Catharsis
Look: if you dive too deep into the details about this Texas State victory over New Mexico State, you’re going to come up disappointed. New Mexico State is an objectively bad team that arguably outplayed the Bobcats for the majority of this contest. There were moments of brilliance on defense, especially in the fourth quarter when the defense held strong against a New Mexico State surge, but nobody is going to mistake this for a masterpiece. But for a program that’s in the position it’s in, wins are a bit hard to come by, and Texas State shouldn’t apologize for not scoring enough style points. This is a cathartic win for a Bobcats’ team that’s come painfully close in recent weeks, and they have every reason to celebrate this one.

The Willie Jones Show
If you didn’t know who Texas State’s most reliable and explosive playmaker was before tonight, you certainly do now. Willie Jones III put on a show in this one, and the numbers only tell part of the tale (though they’re quite good — 223 total yards, 3 total touchdowns). More importantly, Jones came up aces whenever the Bobcats found themselves in a hole, converting third-and-long on seemingly every series. There’s plenty of room for growth, most notably as a passer, but as Jones goes, so go the Bobcats. On this night, he went toward victory, and the his squad followed.

Throwbacks forever
It was homecoming for Texas State, and the Bobcats sported sublime throwback uniforms harkening to the halcyon days of Southwest Texas. They looked sharp, and nobody can deny that the Bobcats played with an extra bit of swagger with the SWT emblazoned across their chest. It would be silly to suggest that Texas State should stick with the throwback uniforms year round, but science suggests a correlation between those beauties and an inspired performance from the Bobcats.