Spotlight on Texas State

Three programs made the move to FBS this season. Masschusetts, now in the MAC, opened with a 37-0 loss at Connecticut. South Alabama (Sun Belt), which has been playing only since 2009, fell at home by two on a late field goal to Texas-San Antonio. UTSA, coached by the same Larry Coker who took Miami to a national title a decade ago, didn't play its first game until a year ago. And then there was Texas State, which has been around for more than a century and won the Southland title in 2008. The Bobcats, who are part of the WAC, won at Houston, 30-13.

Located in San Marcos, TSU (with an enrollment of more than 20,000) is the fifth-largest university in Lone Star country. The Bobcats are coached by Dennis Franchione. Surely, you remember him. He was the head guy here in 1990 and '91 before going New Mexico, which got him to TCU (where he had LaDainian Tomlinson), Alabama and Texas A&M. He took over last year, after being out of the game since 2007, and went 6-6 (one more win than the season before). He has 16 starters back.

Houston, playing its first regular-season game for Tony Levine, was favored by five touchdowns. The Bobcats, who last beat an FBS team in 2000 (Louisiana-Monroe), became only the seventh underdog of 34 points or more to win since 1980. And the only one to win by more than a TD. Shades of Temple-Virginia Tech in 1998.

So where do you go from there? Well, this week they host Texas Tech, which beat them, 50-10, in last year's opener. The Bobcats have won their last 16 home openers. This one is expected to be a sellout (30,000).

"We were just trying to go out and earn our respect from everyone," said senior running back Marcus Curry, who scored three touchdowns. "We just got to do what we got to do."

-Mike Kern