Texas State makes bowl debut in First Responder Bowl. Rice seeks 1st winning season since 2014

Mon, Dec 25, 2023
NCAAF News (AP)

First Responder Bowl: Texas State (7-5, Sun Belt) vs. Rice (6-6, American Athletic), Dec. 26, 5:30 p.m. EST (ESPN)

Line: Texas State by 5 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Series record: Tied 2-2.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

Other news

As starter in the Cotton Bowl, QB Devin Brown gets a chance to show he can be No. 1 for Ohio State

Air Force grounds out 31-21 win over No. 24 James Madison in the Armed Forces Bowl

Florida State has sued the ACC, setting the stage for a fight to leave over revenue concerns

Texas State is playing in its first bowl game since moving up to the FBS level in 2012. The Bobcats are guaranteed only their second winning record in that span - they finished 7-5 in 2014, but didn't get a bowl invitation that season. Rice has to win for its first winning season since 2014. The Owls are in a bowl for the second year in a row, but lost the LendingTree Bowl for a 5-8 record.

KEY MATCHUP

Texas State's versatile offense against Rice defense. Led by running back Ismail Mahdi (1,209 yards rushing, 10 TDs) and quarterback T.J. Finley (3,287 yards passing with 24 TDs), the Bobcats are 10th nationally with 470.8 total yards per game and have had three 50-point games The Owls allow 370.1 total yards per game, which ranks 55th.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Texas State: Senior linebacker Brian Holloway has a team-leading 98 tackles, with a school-record 16 tackles for losses since becoming an FBS team. He also has two interceptions. He had 15 tackles in the regular-season finale against South Alabama.

Rice: Junior receiver Luke McCaffrey, who began his college career as a quarterback at Nebraska, had a career-high 12 catches for 141 yards in the regular-season finale. He has 68 catches for 963 yards and 12 touchdowns, with scores in each of the last seven games.

FACTS & FIGURES

QB JT Daniels, who transferred to Rice for his final season after previously playing at Southern Cal, Georgia and West Virginia, threw for 2,443 yards and 21 touchdowns while starting nine games for the Owls. His last game was Nov. 4 against SMU, and Daniels told ESPN that he was advised to medically retire from football after multiple concussions. ... In Texas State's 52-44 win over South Alabama to end the regular season, the Bobcats got touchdowns from their offense, defense and special teams for the first time since 2012. ... Rice senior left tackle Clay Servin' is set to play in his school-record 56th career game. ... Texas State's defense has 34 sacks, its most since 1997.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on AP Top 25 football throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football