The biggest game in the world of sports is about to take the stage as millions of viewers count down the days and try not to overindulge on media coverage during the two weeks of wait.

An atmosphere can take a football game and make even more enjoyable. What makes the Super Bowl the Super Bowl is the atmosphere. The constant analysis the event receives for two weeks leading up to Sunday and the natural prestige between the opposing teams adds to the hype.

The students, fans and faculty at Texas State deserve a better atmosphere at their football games. They deserve to leave a game satisfied, win or lose. They hope to have a fun and enjoyable time. They should want and desire to stay through the fourth quarter.

JB: Considering the leap to the FBS and playing new programs, many of which Texas State had not seen, were expectations met in 2012? Which ones were not, if any?

DF: For our first year in FBS, we were able to get four wins—we played a tough schedule with six bowl-qualified teams.

JB: When you look back on the season, what were the bright moments, negative moments, if any?

DF: Bright: win at UH, four wins, opening of stadium, winning first WAC conference game. Negative: all losses are tough.

JB: Coaches are not perfect by any means. Were there any games last season that, in hindsight, you wish you could have done something differently to change the outcome?

DF: We came up short in five games that were close, and there are always going to be things you would like to change.

A teenager can only steal cash out of their parent’s billfold for so long before getting caught. Students can only text so many times in class before a professor calls them out on it. A person can get away with eating junk food until the day it catches up to them.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me seven seasons in a row, we have issues. Coach Doug Davalos is in his seventh season with the Bobcats and is piling on to what could be his worst season yet. Davalos took over a dismal program in 2006 and made it less horrible, but the most successful season he has had was going 16-16 in 2010.

His team is 4-14 with nine straight losses and has dropped 14 of their last 16 contests. They are winless in conference play and on the road. Their last two losses were by 17 points. The Bobcats are last in the conference in four categories, eighth or worse in 13 categories.

For a team that went 4-8, a C+ would be a very generous grade. However, considering this season was the first for Texas State in the FBS, there is a curve.

Texas State accomplished feats no other Bobcat team has, and that is a great success. The Bobcats were able to secure their first FBS victory in the opening game of the season at the University of Houston. They also won their first and last games in the WAC against the University of Idaho and New Mexico State University by a combined score of 104-35.

In what has been a step forward for the Texas State football program, the first and last season in the WAC will be critiqued after the season finale this Saturday.

Texas State will take the field for the last time this season to battle it out with New Mexico State. The Bobcats have a record of 3-8 after last week’s loss to UTSA.

The Bobcats (3-8) have lost five games in a row with the deficits ranging from seven to 31 points. A win against New Mexico State University would send the seniors off with a refreshing memory of their last game at Bobcat Stadium. A loss could have lingering effects of a six-game skid starting the 2013 season in their new home, the Sun Belt conference.

The Bobcats found themselves chasing the Roadrunners’ from the opening kickoff to the final minutes of a 38-31 loss to the University of Texas-San Antonio, dropping their fifth straight game.

Brandon Smith, freshman wide receiver, is tackled Nov. 26 by the Roadrunner defense at the Alamodome. Texas State was defeated 38-31.

Midway through the first quarter in front of 39,032 fans at the Alamodome, up 3-0, UTSA punt returner Kenny Harrison got the Roadrunners going. Harrison returned a 59-yard punt by kicker Will Johnson and ran 79 yards untouched, right through the middle of the Bobcats’ coverage team. The move pushed UTSA’s early edge to a 10-0 lead. UTSA never trailed.

The first ever meeting between Texas State and the University of Texas-San Antonio was controlled by the Roadrunners, but the Bobcats were able to attempt a deciding onside kick late in the fourth.

UTSA held a 31-14 lead in the third quarter after prying the football out of senior quarterback Shaun Rutherford’s hands on the second play of the second half. The Bobcats bounced back from one of their two turnovers on the afternoon with an interception of their own as Jamie Clavell-Head stepped in front of a screen and intercepted an Eric Soza pass.

The interception led to a 23-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Will Johnson on the ensuing drive for the Bobcats, cutting the lead down to 31-17. Two plays later, senior cornerback Darryl Morris intercepted another Soza pass. The Bobcats worked down field and scored a touchdown on sophomore running back Terrence Franks’ six yard rush, making the score 31-24.

The Midshipmen used 407 rushing yards, giving carries to seven different ball carriers to tire the Bobcat’s defense and ultimately win the game 21-10.

After Navy nearly fumbled away their punt returned, yet recovered, the Midshipmen ran the ball six times for 73 yards on a scoring drive ending with a 15 yard rushing touchdown by Noah Copeland. The sixth ranked rushing unit in the nation held true to their play calling preferences by calling up the run for the majority of the game.

Texas State punted for their second time on the following drive and was able to hold Navy, giving them a chance to tie it up. Texas State drove the ball 47 yards before being stopped right inside the opponent’s territory. The Bobcats turned the ball over on downs four times in the entire game, including a drive occurring on the Navy three yard line.

It is not all that surprising the United States Naval Academy is among the most disciplined in college football.

Navy is currently tied for second in the country in fewest penalties per game, 3.4. It is third in fewest penalty yards per game, 26.6. The Midshipmen have finished atop college football in at least one of those standings every year dating back to 2009.

“Navy has been good for many years,” said Coach Dennis Franchione. “They play with such discipline, pride, heart and execution. They play with (a physical) option game and they challenge us to go from playing Louisiana Tech last week to playing the spread option this week.”

The Bobcats will travel to Annapolis, Md. to face the Navy Midshipmen for the first time in the teams’ history. Both are moving on from losses. Texas State is coming off a game where it committed 13 penalties for a total of 125 yards.

I have never been a fan of moral victories. Calling for a moral victory is like wearing ducky-floaties in the pool to prevent you from drowning or riding a bicycle with training wheels to keep you from falling. It’s like crying over spilled milk or listening to Creed over Aerosmith.

Moral victories attempt to steal the joy from winning and rid the lessons learned from a loss.

Moral victories are reserved for losers.

Moral victories don’t count.

The Bobcats lost to Louisiana Tech University Saturday night 62-55 in what can and should be described as the most entertaining game in Texas State history. The game produced more than 100 points, 1,200 yards, 170 plays, 11 lead changes—all this in the duration of
four hours.