Polarizing former Auburn football QB TJ Finley continued his dominance under center for Texas State on September 16 with a second 250+-yard, three-touchdown, zero-interception outing for the Bobcats against Jackson State.
Finley, whose presence coincided with a three-game losing streak to end the 2021 season — which was certainly not all on him considering the Tigers’ offensive line weaknesses at that point — and was under center during the Bryan Harsin era’s lowest point (among many low points) against Penn State in the 2022 season’s third week, has finally found a home in which he can flourish.
Because LSU wasn’t it either given his 5:5 TD-INT ratio and career-low QB rating during a dysfunctional year (2020) for the entire country, but particularly in Baton Rouge with Ed Orgeron giving up the standard the program had during its 2019 title run in favor of letting his personal life seep into the Bayou Bengals’ practices.
Former Auburn football QB TJ Finley had a historic performance for Texas State vs Jackson State
Per the Associated Press, Finley’s performance in Week 3 against Deion Sanders’ old school, Jackson State, was historic on several levels for Texas State.
“Texas State’s 77 points were its most since it registered a program-record 78 against Meridian College in 1920 and its 684 total yards were also its most since it had a program-record 696 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in 2014,” the AP staff relayed.
Of note, Finley doubled his touchdown total from his entire pre-Texas State career with a pair of tuddys against JSU. He now has three rushing TDs on the season. Finley had one touchdown each year at LSU in 2020, and on the Plains in 2021 and 2022. However, it should be noted that Finley’s single-season high in starts was five in 2020 during the pandemic-stricken half-baked campaign.
The flowers need to be as loud as the disrespect was. Finley is balling out with the Bobcats and has finally found the right fit.