TEXAS — A college football season unlike any other that’s ever been played starts in Texas this weekend.

“We are just ready to play on Saturday, ready to get out there and perform,” said Texas State University receiver Jeremiah Haydel. “It’s been a long time coming and we can’t wait.”

The first game in the state will be played Saturday at 3:30 p.m. when Texas State hosts Southern Methodist University.

“At the end of the day, I think these kids are just so excited to play,” said Texas State offensive coordinator Jacob Peeler.

Throughout the past few months, there has been a lot of concern if college football would happen this fall because of the pandemic. While plenty of conferences have pushed their season to later in the year or even next year, Texas State and SMU are moving forward with trying to play as much of a full season as possible.

“Guys just wanted to play,” said Haydel. “We were hoping we would have a season.”

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It will be a season that looks very different off the field. For Saturday’s game, Texas State will not allow tailgating around the stadium. They will also only allow 25 percent capacity at the stadium, which means about 7,500 tickets are available to fans. For those who do come to the game, they will be required to wear face masks and social distance while in the stands.

“It’s going to be different but at the end of the day, it’s a football game and we’re out here to play football,” said Haydel.

One positive side effect from the changes is that this game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. In fact, it will be the only college football game in the country being played at the 3:30 p.m. time slot.

“That’s something that these kids have dreamed about,” said Peeler. “It’ll be fun to see them respond and get out here and play at home.”

Texas State enters year two with Jake Spavital as the head coach. The Bobcats went 3-9 last year, with one of those losses coming against the SMU team 47-17. The Mustangs went 10-3 in 2019 and are one of the favorites this season in the AAC. They are led by senior quarterback and former Longhorn Shane Buechele.