Jackson’s Five TDs Power Texas State Past South Alabama

Quarterback Brad Jackson accounted for 393 yards of total offense and five touchdowns to help Texas State defeat South Alabama 49-26 on Saturday in the Bobcats’ regular-season finale.

Texas State (6-6, 3-5 Sun Belt) scored on its first three possession, including a 48-yard catch by Chris Dawn, Jr. that set up Jackson’s 19-yard touchdown run. Dawn finished with a game-high 154 receiving yards on eight catches.

South Alabama (4-8, 3-5) answered with an eight-play, 75-yard drive capped by a Kentrel Bullock touchdown run, cutting the Texas State lead to 10-7.

Yeahhhh riossss pic.twitter.com/DpwRX92bVj

— Texas State Football (@TXSTATEFOOTBALL) November 29, 2025

Bullock, a senior from Columbia, Mississippi, broke the school’s single-season rushing record with 84-yard on the day. His 1,085 rushing yards surpassed La’Damian Webb’s mark of 1,063 set in 2022. The touchdown was Bullock’s 14th of the season, moving him into second place on the program’s single-season rushing touchdowns list.

After that score, it was all Texas State. The Bobcats put up 32 unanswered points through the first two minutes of the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. South Alabama punted on six drives during that stretch, and Bishop Davenport threw an interception to Jaden Rios in the third quarter.

Yeahhhh riossss pic.twitter.com/DpwRX92bVj

— Texas State Football (@TXSTATEFOOTBALL) November 29, 2025

That turnover set up a 50-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Beau Sparks on the first play of the ensuring drive, extending the Bobcats’ lead to 35-7.

South Alabama outscored Texas State 19-14 in the fourth quarter to make the final margin more respectable.

Texas State also controlled the game on special teams. Jaylen Jenkins returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown after the Jaguars scored their first points in nearly 40 minutes of game time.

Despite allowing 35 points through first three quarters, the Jaguars had two players finish with double-digit tackles. Dalton Hughes and Blayne Myrick each recorded 10.

No Texas State defender had more than six tackles, but the Bobcats made their plays count with eight tackles for loss and two sacks. Tymere Jackson recorded 2.5 of those TFLs.

3 things you never want coming at you:

• Lions
• Bears
• And Tymere Jackson pic.twitter.com/elcblGQEKk

— Texas State Football (@TXSTATEFOOTBALL) November 29, 2025

Texas State narrowly avoided sweating out bowl eligibility. Auburn’s late fumble in the Iron Bowl left exactly 80 bowl-eligible teams for 80 bowl slots.

According to the latest bowl projections by ESPN on Sunday afternoon, both analysts project Texas State to the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl in Dallas against a Big 12 or Mountain West opponent. Official bowl matchups will be announced next Sunday after the College Football Playoff field is revealed.

South Alabama enters the offseason with major decisions ahead of its 2026 opener against Southeastern Louisiana. Will the program give head coach Major Applewhite, now 11-14 through two seasons, another year to reach the eight-win mark? Or will the Jaguars launch their second coaching search in three seasons?