Mentor Traylor, Student Kinne set to meet in Alamo City

Published 5:15 pm Thursday, September 7, 2023

One of the most anticipated matchups of the early part of the football season is Saturday’s Texas at Alabama contest.

But for me, I will be focused on San Antonio.

There Jeff Traylor’s UTSA Roadrunners will play G.J. Kinne’s Texas State Bobcats.

Let’s just call it the Gilmer Bowl, but in San Antonio.

Both Traylor and Kinne have ties to the Buckeyes.

Traylor is like a father to Kinne and Kinne is like another son to Traylor.

It’s like Obi-Wan Kenobi to his young jedi, Luke Skywalker.

Their relationship dates back to 2005. It was a tumultuous year for young Kinne.

He was the quarterback for the Canton Eagles, where his father was coach.

In the spring, an upset football parent walked into the Canton field house and shot his father, Gary Joe Kinne, the former Baylor University star linebacker.

It was an event that made news across the nation.

Luckily, Coach Kinne survived and was at 13 of the 14 games the following season with the Eagles.

With his strong arm and leadership qualities, G.J. led Canton to a 12-2 record, including a victory over Traylor’s Gilmer Buckeyes in the area round of the playoffs.

“G.J. was spectacular,” Traylor recalled this week. “We couldn’t stop him.”

In the 61-58 Eagles win, Kinne threw for 430 yards and seven touchdown passes.

“It was a fun game, a high-scoring game,” said Kinne, who was a junior at the time.

The next season, Traylor would become Kinne’s coach.

G.J.’s father got a job as an assistant coach at Baylor and his mom was teaching in Gilmer. So he moved to Gilmer.

Kinne threw for 3,216 yards and 47 touchdowns that season under Traylor. He also rushed for 400 yards and 11 touchdowns.

But their relationship didn’t end there.

Traylor has given G.J. advice from when he decided to transfer from Texas to Tulsa to the New York Jets and then in the coaching ranks.

The two actually coached together at SMU and Arkansas under Chad Morris at both stops.

Now, Traylor is head coach of the UTSA Roadrunners and G.J. is the head coach of Texas State.

Traylor’s coaching prowess has already rubbed off as Kinne’s Bobcats pulled off one of the shockers last week, this side of Fort Worth and Durham, North Carolina.

Texas State walked into McLane Stadium and not just beat Baylor, but the Bobcats manhandled the Bears. The San Marcos school left Waco with its first victory over a Power Five school, 42-31.

Now, he gets to take on his friend and mentor Traylor on Saturday in the Alamodome (2:30 p.m., TV: ESPN+).

“Everyone knows how much respect I have for Coach Traylor,” Kinne said. “I wouldn’t be in this position today without his help, his guidance, his mentorship.

“Obviously, it’s going to be unique. It’s about the kids. I’m not playing. I’m not throwing any passes — I wish I could. He’s not catching — he was a tight end — any passes.”

Traylor knows Kinne’s Bobcats will be ready on Saturday.

“I promise you G.J. Kinne was raised the same way — he expects to win every game,” Traylor said. “They just didn’t beat Baylor, they sacked them around.

“G.J. has done a fantastic job. He has rejuvenated a place that deserves to be rejuvenated. … I have mixed emotions (about game, facing Kinne). I’m very happy and proud of him, but at the same time they are right down the street.”

The I-35 Rivalry has both San cities excited.

Needless to say it will be emotional for both coaches.

The two talk every week, but decided just to text this week.

In fact, G.J. sent Traylor a photo of his double-meat Whataburger he was about to eat on Monday.

“I’m sitting here eating a salad and G.J. has that big old Whataburger,” Traylor said.

G.J. said, “Coach Traylor is eating salad, worrying about his salad dressing.”

It will be fun to see the two talk after the Gilmer Bowl.