SERVPRO First Responder Bowl : NEWS FIRST
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl: Postgame Quotes
Postgame Bowl Quotes – 14th Annual 2023 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl – Dec. 26, 2023
Final Score: Texas State (8-5 overall) 45, Rice (6-7) 21
Coaches Quotes
Texas State head coach GJ Kinne
On how the team came out fast…
“I don’t think our guys had any jitters. We started fast almost every game. We take the ball and go down and score. We played really well at times, but the penalties across both sides, we don’t want to talk about those. There was a lot to clean up but our guys came out and performed really well.”
On the team’s focus to win and not just enjoy being in the game…
“That was the message. Going to a bowl game is great, but winning. That is what matters. Your ring is bigger. You will remember it forever. The game plan, in all three phases was really well put together. To put on a performance like that was pretty cool.”
On the support of the Texas State fan base…
“I am not surprised. The way that we came out it was like a home game. We have a very passionate fan base. I am just proud. When I took the job everyone said it was as sleeping giant, well it is awake. To get a bowl win is huge, I think this is just the beginning.
“I was excited for everyone involved. This is special. You are taking it all in. You will look back to see what we accomplished as a university and celebrate it tonight with those guys after this.”
On the performance of Holloway’s two return interceptions…
“We had all our seniors stand up last night stand up and coaches got to talk about them and all that they have done. To end his college career like that, you can’t talk about a better ending for him.”
On the “big man score” in the third quarter…
“That is something we had dialed up. It is one of those deals where it was the right time and right place. We almost called it on the first drive, and I am glad we didn’t. it is pretty cool to get a touchdown like that.”
On what is next for this team…
“For me on my mind is the conference championship. That is our goal at the start of each season. We were really close this season, but in year one we weren’t just ready for that. This offseason will be big for us. To keep this roster together, it will take everyone. The fans, players, alumni, fan base, boosters, let’s keep these guys here and go do something special next year.”
On the team’s overall play together…
“I really believe it goes to the relationships. These players love each other, these coaches love these players. It is a special group. To come out here and stay in the moment. We’ll be able to look back and see things we can do better, but when you love kids, and they love you, they will go out and play hard for you and that is something that we were able to accomplish this year.”
Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren
Opening statement…
“Congratulations to Texas State. They made a lot more plays than we did today. I am thankful for this bowl game and the way our team was treated. Everyone from the from the bowl staff treated us great.
“As far as the game goes, I am heartbroken for the seniors that will never be able to play college football again. There is a lot of plays that we were capable of making that we didn’t make today. As coaches, we’ll go back to figure out why, well examine everything, including the practice leading up, how I can do better. All of us could have done something better in this game. There are going to be people on that defense that had great games, dominate performances, if you take away the turnovers, you may have a close football game. You can’t take those away.
“I am sad for some of those seniors that built a lot of things and I really wanted them to go out with a win.”
On what gave the team trouble…
“There was a game plan that we thought we had something if they did x that y wouldn’t be open and that didn’t happen. That started off bad offensively. The defense on the first play we overran the play and they hit a big one. We had a substitution error on the touchdown where we didn’t get people on the field. That is on the coaches and ultimately me. We settled in how our communication would work without the headsets.”
On the team’s struggles in the first quarter…
“I really thought that if we could start fast and withstand the storm and get going, we’d be ok. In the second you saw flashes of what I thought would make it a game. I thought we were in a great spot but that didn’t turn out to be after the opening kickoff in the second half.”
On the play of his quarterbacks today…
“It is the toughest position to pay in sports. There are times that the protection could have been better. Things snowballed today. We couldn’t go on to the next play like I thought we could. We got shook. The running game can be your best friend, but we couldn’t get that going. Everyone on offense didn’t play on offense well enough today.”
On changing out quarterback throughout the game…
“I wanted to see if we could get a spark. I thought there were things we could read right they could have been pulled for an explosive play. I put chase in there to see if those things could happen. We didn’t throw it to open guys on third down. We went back to him, but the turnovers continued. I thought we could exhaust everything we had to get things going for these seniors.”
On the message to the seniors…
“I thanked them profusely. Those guys that have stayed and fought have been the constant growth. It is growth this year to jump into a very good conference in the American. But what is not great is wanting more for them and to take a bigger step. I hate that we fell short. If we can go out and do something really cool it is to go win the conference next year, it will be because of those guys that laid the foundation.”
Rice Player Quotes:
RB Dean Connors
What was the shift with the offense?
“Turnovers. You can’t have them.”
DT DeBraylon Carroll
Overall plan coming in:
“I feel like our gameplan coming in was great. We had a few mistakes on our end that led to big plays. After that, we did a good job stopping them.”
Brian Holloway, Texas State linebacker
Were there any jitters?
“Honestly I don’t feel like across the board anyone was nervous. I think everyone felt really prepared. We have great leadership, and we’re not going to let our guys not take the game seriously.”
On the touchdowns
“It’s crazy. I give all the glory to God. I know I wouldn’t be sitting here without him. To be able to do it at SMU, the school where I started, it’s the ultimate full circle story. It’s unbelievable. I’m at a loss for words. It’s crazy.
On the first pick six I was just thinking thanks to God. The second one I hit my knees in the end zone and gave thanks to God. The preparation has been there. We didn’t skip any steps. When you prepare the right way, things tend to go your way.
On bowl prep adjustments after defensive struggles
I wouldn’t say there were too many. Sometimes the ball doesn’t really roll your way. Tonight everyone was just locked in. We had four weeks of preparation. Tonight we went out and executed. Coaches, really the coaching, was amazing. They got us right. They got us ready to go.
On the Nash TD
“I was going crazy. I hope there’s video of me. It was beautiful.”
Nash Jones, Texas State tackle
On the TD
I’ve been waiting forever. We practice it every week. They told me we had a 50 perecent chance of getting it called. I’m glad they called it.”
Vote on confidence on that play
“I do love the fact the coach trusts me enough to call that play, The biggest thing is what led up to the play. It just so happened to be me to get the call. All my o linemen were the ones to say run the play.”
Texas State Turns Over, Rolls Over Rice in SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
DALLAS – Regardless of the outcome, the first-ever bowl appearance by the Texas State Bobcats promised to be memorable.
Winning made it that much sweeter.
Texas State claimed the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl with a 45-21 victory Tuesday night over Rice before a largely-Bobcat crowd of 26,542 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
“This was a great win for the team and Texas State’s first bowl win,” Bobcats coach G.J. Kinne said. “We couldn’t have done this without the hard work of all our players and coaches. I feel like this has been a real landmark season for our team and program, and we could not be happier.”
Texas State (8-5) outlasted the instate Owls – Lone Star State schools had never met before in a First Responder Bowl before – with a balanced attack and opportunistic defense. The Bobcats forced six turnovers and scored on two pick-6 interceptions by Brian Holloway, who transferred from SMU.
Being back on his old field felt good for the senior linebacker and game MVP.
“To be able to do it at SMU, the school where I started, it’s the ultimate full circle story,” Holloway said. “It’s unbelievable. I’m at a loss for words. It’s crazy.”
Bobcats quarterback TJ Finley threw for 152 yards. Running back Jahmyl Jeter rushed for a season-high three touchdowns, tying a season high. Ismail Mahdi ran for 122 yards.
Rice (6-7) capped its second straight bowl campaign with its fifth postseason game in Dallas. The other four being the Cotton Bowl, with the last in 1958.
Down 21-7 in the second quarter, the Owls rallied to tie it before the period was up on scoring runs by Dean Conners. The junior running back finished with 64 yards on the ground.
Rice quarterback AJ Padgett threw for just 85 yards and was intercepted three times. The Owls managed just 197 yards of offense.
“Things snowballed today,” Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren said. “We couldn’t go on to the next play like I thought we could. We got shook. The running game can be your best friend, but we couldn’t get that going. Everyone on offense didn’t play on offense well enough.”
Texas State managed a field goal at the halftime gun to take a 24-21 lead into the locker room. The Bobcats broke the game open with two touchdowns in the third quarter.
Finley engineered a short 30-yard drive that ended with a lateral and 3-yard run by left tackle Nash Jones, who was lined up eligible. Holloway followed with his second pick, taking it 48 yards for a 38-21 lead.
The Bobcats found the end zone twice in the first quarter, capping long drives with touchdown runs by Jeter. The first covered 29 yards for the game’s first score less than two minutes into the game. He added a 1-yard after Rice’s first touchdown.
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Notes: Texas State 45, Rice 21
Postgame Bowl Notes – 14th Annual 2023 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl – Dec. 26, 2023
Final Score: Texas State (8-5 overall) 45, Rice (6-7) 21
General Game Notes:
The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl traditionally has featured high-scoring offense beginning with the Jan. 11, 2011, TicketCity Bowl and a 45-38 Texas Tech win over Northwestern. Some other games totaling 70-plus points in the SPFRB have been Oklahoma State’s 58-14 win over Purdue in 2013 and Washington’s 44-31 victory over Southern Miss in 2015 before a series of late tornadoes struck the DFW area. Army West Point and North Texas also registered 69 combined points in the Black Knights 38-31 overtime triumph over the Mean Green in 2016, Today’s matchup featured Texas collegiate offenses in high octane mode and 66 points.
There now has been a bowl game played (or started) in Dallas for 88 consecutive seasons. The skein opened Jan. 1, 1937, when TCU edged Marquette 16-6 in the inaugural Cotton Bowl Classic at Fair Park Stadium (later renamed Cotton Bowl Stadium). There actually were three other bowl games played on that same site Jan. 2, 1922, with Texas A&M downing 1920s Southern power Centre (Ky.) 22-14, Jan. 1, 1925, as West Virginia Wesleyan edged SMU 9-7 and Jan. 1, 1934, as Arkansas and Centenary (La.) tied 7-7. The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl was a New Year’s Day or Jan. 2 clash in its first four seasons and then switched to December dates for the last nine years. The previous 12 SPFRB contests kicked off at 2 p.m. (CST) or earlier, and this 4:30 p.m. (CST) national airtime is the latest in SPFRB annals and will guarantee that most of the encounter will be played after sunset. All 13 sessions have been televised nationally by ESPNU or the ESPN family of networks.
While it is a rare occurrence and a first for the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, two Texas teams have met in the same bowl contest on various occasions, In the 1937 Sun Bowl at El Paso then-major college power Hardin-Simmons downed Texas School of Mines (later Texas Western and now UTEP) 34-6, and then in the 1965 Sun Bowl Texas Western/UTEP edged TCU 13-12. This is Rice’s first bowl against a Texas opponent in its 14-game postseason history while Texas State joins Jacksonville State and James Madison in playing their first FBS bowl contests in post-2023. Tne Bobcats have played in 11 NCAA FCS and Division II playoff games (DII champions in both 1981 and ’82 under the late coach Jim Wacker) with a composite 8-3 mark but ever had to face a Texas school in those divisional playoffs.
This is the fourth football meeting (first since 1987) between Rice and TSU. They last played in 1986. RU and TSU are the 26th and 27th different teams to play in this Classic. Texas State now leads the series 3-2-0.
This is the 14th annual renewal of the City of Dallas bowl, though the 2018 contest between Boise State and Boston College was halted seven minutes into the first quarter by recurrent severe weather and declared a no-contest – the first and only bowl in 121 years of postseason activity to be cancelled and a no-contest by lengthy severe weather after kickoff.
Rice is now 7-7 in all-time bowl treks (their sixth since the 2012 campaign) while the Bobcats are 1-0 in FBS bowls and 9-3 in total postseason competition in NCAA FCS and Division II.
Texas State is attempting to join Jacksonville State and UTSA as teams winning their initial FBS bowl skirmishes in the post-2023 season. Jacksonville State (34-31 overtime winner over Louisiana in overtime at the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl) and UTSA (35-17 victor over Marshall in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas) each notched their first-ever bowl verdicts in the Dec. 16-19 time period. The Bobcats and Jacksonville State now become the all-time bowl winning percentage leaders at 1.000 (1-0 marks after their first bowl treks) along with Idaho, which was 3-0 in bowls before moving back to NCAA FCS prior to the 2023 season.
The Bobcats are the second Sun Belt Conference school to compete in the SPFRB after Louisiana downed UTSA (then competing in Conference USA and now a member of the American) 31-24 in 2018. The Owls follow American Athletic Conference representative Memphis as the second team from that loop’s current membership to play in this classic. Memphis topped Utah State 38-10 last year to get the American off to a 1-0 start.
While the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl has its first all-Texas field this year, there have been six different universities from the Lone Star State competing here since 2011, beginning with Texas Tech in the first clash with Northwestern. North Texas is the only repeat performer with two trips in 2014 and ’16 while bordering states Oklahoma and Louisiana have been represented on three occasions. Rice and TSU are the first Texas schools to come to Dallas since UTSA in 2020.
This is the longest contest in SERVPRO First Responder Bowl annals at four hours on the nose (3:36 p.m.-8:36 p.m.). That tops the 3:42 first bowl game time of contest between Texas Tech (45) and Northwestern (38).
The 2011 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl (then the Ticket City Bowl) featured a current U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (Rep.-Ala.) who is undefeated in head coaching assignments at this bowl after leading Texas Tech to a 45-38 win over Northwestern. Sen. Tuberville was a head coach for 21 seasons at Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech, and Cincinnati before entering politics and had a 159-99 overall record with 13 bowl visits and a 7-6 postseason worksheet.
The 2023 SPFRB has highlighted a bowl-most seven appearances and four victories by Conference USA members. Pac-12 members also sports a perfect, 2-0 mark with Washington’s win over Southern Miss in 2015 and Utah’s triumph over West Virginia in 2017. The previous two bowls before 2023 sported ACC (Louisville) vs. MWC (Air Force) and American (Memphis) vs. MWC (Utah State). This is the first extravaganza with American (Rice) and Sun Belt (Texas State) opponents. The Big Ten Conference continues to seek its first win in the First Responder Bowl after sending four representative to the first five classics.
Records By Conference Appearances by season
Games W-L Pct.
Pac-12 2 2-0 1.000 2015-17
Sun Belt 2 2-0 1.000 2020-23
Independent 1 1-0 1.000 2016
C-USA 7 4-3 .571 2011-13-14-15-16-19-20
Big 12 3 2-1 .667 2010-12-17
The American 2 1-1 .500 2022-23
Mountain West 3 1-2 .333 2013-18-21
MAC 1 0-1 .000 2019
ACC 2 0-1 .000 2018-21
Big Ten 4 0-4 .000 2010-11-12-14
SPFRB Team Records (2010-23)
Most points scored (one team) 58, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue 2013
Most points scored (losing team) 38, Northwestern vs. Texas Tech, 2011
Most points scored (both teams) 83, Texas Tech vs. Northwestern, 2011
Fewest Points Allowed 10, Memphis vs. Utah State, 2022
Largest margin of victory 44, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue, 2013
Total yards 600, Houston vs. Penn State (532 pass, 68 rush), 2012
Rushing yards 480, Army vs. North Texas, 2016
Passing yards 532, Houston vs. Penn State, 2012
First downs 34, Texas Tech vs. Northwestern, 2011
Fewest total yards allowed 153, Utah vs. West Virginia, 2017
Fewest rushing yards allowed 22, Washington vs. Southern Miss, 2015
Fewest passing yards allowed 53, North Texas vs. Army, 2016
Individual Records
Total offense 542, Case Keenum (Houston) (532 pass, 10 rush), 2012
All-purpose yards 228 Patrick Edwards (Houston), 2012
Total Touchdowns 4, Myles Gaskin (Washington), 2015
Rushing yards 181, Myles Gaskin (Washington), 2015
Rushing touchdowns 4, Myles Gaskin (Washington), 2015
Passing yards 532, Case Keenum (Houston), 2012
Passing touchdowns 4, Taylor Potts (Texas Tech), 2011
Receiving yards 228, Patrick Edwards (Houston) , 2012
Receiving touchdowns 3 times, most recent: Eddie Lewis (Memphis), 2022
Total Tackles 15, shared by: Quentin Davie (Northwestern), 2011; Jeremy Timpf (Army), 2016
Sacks 4.5, Houston Bates (Louisiana Tech), Dec. 2014
Interceptions 2, 4 times, Nick Saenz (Houston), 2012; Julian Blackmon (Utah), 2017; Sylonta Oliver (Memphis), 2022; Brian Holloway (Texas State), 2023 – record two returns for TDs
Longest Plays
Touchdown run 86 yds., shared by: Eric Stephens (Texas Tech), 2011; Myles Gaskin (Washington), 2015
Touchdown pass 80 yds., Cody Sokol to Kenneth Dixon (Louisiana Tech), Dec. 2014
Kickoff return 49 yds., Marcus Sullivan (UNLV), 2014
Punt return 64 yds., Josh Stewart (Oklahoma State), 2013
Interception return 69 yds., Kareem Ali (Western Michigan), 2019
Fumble return 37 yds., Daytawion Lowe (Oklahoma State), 2013
Punt 65 yds., Quinn Sharp (Oklahoma State), 2013
Field goal 53 yds., Conner Coles (Utah State), 2022
Rice Notes:
Rice is closing in on 500 all-time football victories at 492-652-32 (.431) since 1912 when the school was named Rice Institute and open initially to only males from Harris County (Houston) Texas. The Owls are 104th in NCAA FBS history in total wins and 89th in bowl appearances with 14. Rice also has been one of the most well-travelled universities in terms of conference membership from the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1912-14), Southwest Conference (1915-96), Western Athletic (1996-2004), Conference USA (2005-22), and the American since July 2023. The Owls have captured or tied for eight loop championships since the 1934 SWC crown, a 9-1-1 record and fifth place nationally under the Dickinson Rating System.
Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren is 22-46 in his sixth season with the Owls and is the first head coach with RU to garner back-to-back bowl invitations since David Bailiff in 2012 and ’13. NFF College Hall of Fame coach Jess Neely is the only other Rice taskmasters to guide the Owls to consecutive bowl berths after the 1960 and ’61 seasons before he left for his alma mater Vanderbilt to save Commodores athletics in 1966. Bloomgren is 0-2 in bowls, and he came to the Houston university after assistant coaching stints at Alabama and Stanford, among others.
Current teams from the American are 331-374-7 against all current Sun Belt Conference members while the Owls are 15-21-0 against Sun Belt foes with the most meetings against Southern Miss at 13 (6-7-0). Rice’s latest test against a SBC opponent was Southern Miss, incidentally, in a 38-24 loss in the 2022 Lending Tree Bowl.
The Owls are coming off having eight players honored by Phil Steele Magazine’s All-American Athletic Conference teams with Luke McCaffrey as a first-teamer along with third team sections Dean Connors, De'Braylon Carroll, Josh Pearcy and Gabriel Taylor and fourth unit choices Tre'shon Devones, Brant Banks and Clay Servin were named to the fourth team. McCaffrey, younger brother of Stanford All-America RB and NFL star Christian McCaffrey, was consensus All-AAC in ’23.
There are 18 Dallas-Fort Worth area student-athletes on Rice’s bowl roster, and the Owls are no strangers to Ford Stadium or Dallas with seven appearances at this facility since 2001 (most recently in 2011). The Owls and SMU first played in Dallas as members of the Southwest Conference in 1920.
Rice offensive lineman Craig Servin of Richard Pearce HS is playing in a school-record 56th career game this evening.
Texas State Notes:
Coach G.J. Kinne of TSU is 20-7 overall in his second season as a college head coach and 8-5 with the Bobcats. He went 12-2 last year as head coach at Incarnate Word and took the Cardinals into the NCAA FCS quarterfinals. Kinne is no stranger to Ford Stadium as an assistant coach for SMU’s 2017 Frisco Bowl team under then-head coach Sonny Dykes and as a standout quarterback at Tulsa from 2008-11.
Texas State, a longtime power in the Lone Star, Gulf Star and Southland Conferences in NCAA Division II and FCS, joined the Sun Belt in 2013 after being an independent FBS member in 2011 and playing in the Western Athletic Conference in 2012. TSU is 534-499-25 (.517) in varsity competition over 125 seasons from 1919-2023 and has 12 conference football titles in three different circuits. The Bobcats are 81st among FBS universities in winning percentage and 95th in terms of historical victories.
TSU is 11-47-2 against current members of American with its most recent meeting vs. neighboring UTSA in a 20-13 loss on Sept. 9 this year.
The Bobcats opened the 2023 season with a convincing 42-31 triumph over 2021 Big 12 Conference champ Baylor in Waco and now have played nine of their 13 games inside the state of Texas. TSU also downed a South Alabama squad that walloped Oklahoma State 33-7 on the road and downed Eastern Michigan 59-10 in last week’s 68 Ventures Mobile Bowl with a 52-44 win at San Marcos on Nov. 25.
Texas State entered today’s tussle as the No. 23 team nationally in passing offense with 272-of-400 attempts, just nine interceptions, 3,370 passing yards, 24 TDs, and 280.8 passing yards per game. TSU also started Dec. 26 at No. 10 in total offense with 470.8 yards per game and 53 TDs from scrimmage.
Bobcats LB Brian Holloway made his third interception of the year count for a pick six from 36 yards in the second quarter. It was the Bobcats first interception return for a TD this year and seventh pickoff. The first six were returned for a combined 20 yards for TSU defenders. In the third quarter Holloway set a SPFRB record with a second pick six(his fourth pass pilfer of the year to lead TSU) from 48 yards to give him 84 yards on the two runbacks for TDs. The NCAA bowl record for interception returns for a TD was by Jim Dooley of Miami (Fla.) vs. Clemson in the Gator Bowl and Manuel Aja of Arizona State in 1950 vs. Xavier (Ohio).
TSU set a school record for all games with two pick sixes. Texas State also had two later interceptions to break the previous SPFRB team record of three set on two other occasions – most recently by Memphis against Utah State in 2022.
Texas State also gained a SPFRB-record six turnovers (five interceptions, one fumble) tonight for another SPFRB team-tying record. Oklahoma State forced five TOs against Purdue in 2013. The five pickoffs also represent a SERVPRO FRB team mark for one game.
The Bobcats broke the SPFRB record for penalty yards set by Illinois with 68 in 2014 against Louisiana Tech. TSU ended with a bowl-high 126 yards on 11 assessments. They were assessed 73 yards on six flags late in the first half to top the previous mark.
Today’s attendance was 26,542 – the top attendance for the SPFRB since it moved to Ford Stadium in 2019. It also was the highest turnout for a college game at Ford Stadium in 2023. The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl record for all sites is 48,313 when Oklahoma State downed Purdue Jan. 1, 2013, at historic Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas.
Quick Quotes From Winning Head Coach G.J. Kinne of Texas State: “This was a great win for the team and Texas State’s first bowl win. We couldn’t have done this without the hard work of all our players and coaches. I feel like this has been a real landmark season for our team and program, and we could not be happier.”
2023-24 Bowl Schedules, Results, Attendance – 44 Bowls (Attendance to be noted; All television tentative airtimes EST) – Results and Schedule (ESPN telecasts unless noted) – As of early Dec. 26, 2023 – Through 19 Bowls
Saturday, Dec. 16 – Myrtle Beach, Ohio 41, Georgia Southern 21, 8,059
Cricket Celebration, Florida A&M 30, Howard 26, 41,108
R+L Carriers New Orleans, Jacksonville State 34, Louisiana 31 (OT), 14,485
Avocados From Mexico Cure, Appalachian State 13, Miami (Ohio) 9, 11,121
Isleta New Mexico, Fresno State 37, New Mexico State 10, 30,822
Starco Brands LA Bowl, UCLA 35, Boise State 22, 32,780
Radiance Technologies Independence, Texas Tech 34, California 14, 33,071
Monday, Dec. 18
Famous Toastery, WKU 38, Old Dominion 35 (OT), 5,632
Tuesday, Dec. 19
Scooter’s Coffee Frisco, UTSA 35, Marshall 17, 11,215
Thursday, Dec. 21
RoofClaim.com Boca Raton, USF 45, Syracuse 0, 20,711
Friday, Dec. 22
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla, Georgia Tech 30, UCF 17, 30,281
Saturday, Dec. 23
Birmingham, Duke 17, Troy 10, 20,023
Camellia, Northern Illinois 21, Arkansas State 19, 11,310
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces, Air Force 31, James Madison 21, 30,828
Famous Idaho Potato, Georgia State 45, Utah State 22, 12,168
68 Ventures Mobile, South Alabama 59, Eastern Michigan 10, 20,926
SRS Distribution Las Vegas, Northwestern 14, Utah 7, 20,897
EasyPost Hawai'i, Coastal Carolina 24, San Jose State 14, 7,089
Tuesday, Dec. 26
Quick Lane, Minnesota 30, Bowling Green 24, 28,521
SERVPRO First Responder, Texas State 45, Rice 21, 26,542
To come later Tuesday: ]
Guaranteed Rate, Kansas vs. UNLV, 9 p.m., Chase Field, Phoenix, Ariz.
Wednesday, Dec. 27
Military, Tulane vs. Virginia Tech, 2 p.m., Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Md.
Duke's Mayo, North Carolina vs. West Virginia, 5:30 p.m., Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
DIRECTV Holiday Bowl, Louisville vs. USC, 8 p.m., FOX, Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
TaxAct Texas, Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M, 9 p.m., NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
Thursday, December 28, 2023
Wasabi Fenway, Boston College vs. SMU, 11 a.m., Fenway Park, Boston, Mass.
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe, Miami (Fla.) vs. Rutgers, 2:15 p.m., Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.
Pop-Tarts, Kansas State vs. NC State, 5:45 PM, Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
Valero Alamo, Arizona vs. Oklahoma, 9:15 p.m., Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
Friday, December 29, 2023
TaxSlayer Gator, Clemson vs. Kentucky, noon, EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, Fla.
Tony the Tiger Sun, Notre Dame vs. Oregon State, 2 p.m., CBS, Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas
AutoZone Liberty, Iowa State vs. Memphis, 3:30 p.m., Simmons Bank Liberty Bowl Stadium, Memphis, Tenn.
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Missouri vs. Ohio State, 8 p.m., AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Saturday, Dec. 30
Chick-Fil-A Peach, Ole Miss vs. Penn State, noon, Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
TransPerfect Music City, Auburn vs. Maryland, 2 p.m., ABC, Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.
Capital One Orange Bowl, Florida State vs. Georgia, 4 p.m., Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Lakes, Fla.
Barstool Sports Arizona, Toledo vs. Wyoming, 4:30 p.m., Barstool.com, Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Ariz.
Monday, Jan. 1, 2024
ReliaQuest, LSU vs. Wisconsin, noon, ESPN2, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Liberty vs. Oregon, 1 p.m., State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Cheez-It Citrus, Iowa vs. Tennessee, 2 p.m., ABC, Campus World Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
Rose Bowl presented by Prudential, CFP semifinal, Alabama vs. Michigan, Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, Calif., 5 p.m.
Allstate Sugar, CFP semifinal, Texas vs. Washington, Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, La., 8:45 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 8
CFP Championship, NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas, 7:30 p.m.
Conference Records in 2023-24 Bowls (Through early Dec. 26) – 19 Bowls
AAC 2-1
ACC 2-1
Big Ten 2-0
Big 12 1-1
CUSA 2-1
Independents 0-0
MAC 2-3
MWC 2-3
Pac-12 1-2
SEC 0-0
Sun Belt 5-7
Competing Conference Teams: AAC – 6; ACC – 11; Big 12 – 9; Big Ten – 9; CUSA – 4; Ind. – 1; MAC – 6; MWC – 7; Pac-12 – 8; SEC – 9; Sun Belt – 12.
-Firstresponderbowl.com-
Texas State and Rice Set for Battle as Big as Texas
You could say the 2023 First Responder Bowl is fixin’ to be a rootin’-tootin’ time in Dallas.
For the first time in the game’s 14 editions, two in-state schools will face off in a true Texas Showdown when Texas State (7-5, 4-4 Sun Belt) and Rice (6-6, 4-4 American Athletic) meet a few hours past high noon (4:30 p.m.) on Dec. 26.
It was welcome news for a bowl that has been blessed with some tight ballgames (three of the last four have been decided by a touchdown or less), but with a Christmas-time wish for two regional teams whose fan bases could easily travel around the holiday.
Right out of the shoot, ticket sales were hotter than a billy goat in a pepper patch. And fans have good reason to feel giddy. The Bobcats are making their first-ever bowl appearance, while the Owls are playing in a bowl game in back-to-back years for just the third time in more than a century of football.
Rookie head coach G.J. Kinne led Texas State to its first-ever win over a Power 5 Conference team in the season opener, a 42-31 win at Baylor, en route to tying the school record for wins in a season as an FBS school.
“We’re really ecstatic, staying in Texas and getting to play an in-state team,” Kinne said. “There’s a little extra juice any time you get to play an in-state team. I think Bobcat Nation is excited, and I really believe it’ll be a packed stadium. It’s an exciting time and our guys are fired up.”
Texas State scored 36.0 points per game (tied for 16th nationally) and averaged a whopping 471.8 yards per contest, the 10th-highest total in the nation. Quarterback TJ Finley, an SEC transfer who played at both LSU and Auburn, threw for 3,287 yards and 24 touchdowns and also added five rushing scores in his first season in San Marcos.
Defensively, the Bobcats surrendered 33.8 points and 414.3 yards per game. In all, seven Bobcats were named first- or second-team All-Sun Belt, a conference that produced a national-best 12 bowl teams.
Rice won its last two games, defeating Charlotte and Florida Atlantic, to become bowl eligible under sixth-year coach Mike Bloomgren. The Owls’ season also included a thrilling 43-41 double-overtime win over crosstown rival Houston. Two of Rice’s losses came to teams that have been ranked in the top 25, Tulane (by two) and SMU (by five).
“Our players cannot wait to get to Dallas,” Bloomgren said. “They came to work every day over the last year with the mindset to not only return to a bowl, but to come home as champions. That determination drove them to close the season with wins in our last two games to earn this opportunity and I know will continue to as we prepare for Texas State.”
On the defensive side, the Owls allowed 26.7 points and 370.1 yards per outing. Offensively, Rice averaged 30.3 points and 376.8 yards per game.
Luke McCaffrey needs 37 receiving yards in the bowl game to reach 1,000 for the season. The first-team All-American Athletic Conference wideout has 12 touchdown catches (tied for seventh nationally) and 68 total receptions on the year.
This is the fifth meeting between the schools and the first since 1987. Both teams are stocked with Lone Star State talent and will be looking for braggin’ rights. It should be a real humdinger.
Bo's Bits: Blasts from the Past: SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
By Bo Carter, National Football Foundation
Just when you thought he might be in retirement, record-setting Houston Cougars quarterback Case Keenum was literally back in the saddle for the NFL’s Houston Texans victories in the last two weekends.
Who can forget his showing in the 2012 Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl (predecessor to the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl)? Keenum obliterated Big Ten Conference power Penn State for still-standing FRB records of 532 passing yards (45-of-69 with three touchdowns), 542 total offense yards and 76 total plays from scrimmage. It was a simply marvelous mastery of the Nittany Lions in a 30-14 Cougars triumph that cool afternoon Jan. 2, 2012.
Incidentally, all those Keenum numbers remain as single-game records for venerable Cotton Bowl Stadium, where nearly 500 all-time college games have been played since it opened in 1930 – 93 years ago.
And those are just some of the accomplishments and game-breaking players in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl since its inception on Jan. 1, 2011. The inaugural Ticket City Bowl (predecessor to the Heart of Dallas Bowl) kept the longstanding New Year’s Day tradition at Cotton Bowl Stadium alive when Texas Tech of the Big 12, defeated Northwestern of the Big Ten, 45-36.
Though the bowl switched venues to scenic Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the SMU campus in 2019, there have been no less memorable games and nationally-known individuals besides Keenum performing at peak levels.
Take for example, 2011 game MVP and Texas Tech QB Taylor Potts, who passed for an impressive 369 yards, connecting on 43-of-56 attempts, and three TDs to pace the Red Raiders past Northwestern.
Three years later, Louisiana Tech LB Houston Bates (a future NFL player) harassed, tackled and generally caused mayhem as his Bulldogs topped Illinois of the Big Ten, 35-18. His 4.5 sacks nabbed him game MVP laurels.
And in 2013 Oklahoma State QB Clint Chelf (MVP) and his backup and current Oklahoma State offensive coordinator J.W. Walsh combined for five TD passes as the Cowboys outlasted Purdue, 58-14.
In recent years, Louisiana star and future NFL San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell had a field day as MVP for the Cajuns as they edged UTSA, 31-24, for the 2020 bowl trophy. All-American Athletic Conference QB Seth Henigan of nearby Denton, Texas, made Denton County residents and Memphis Tigers fan proud as he passed for 284 yards and three TDs on 20-of-29 tries to help Memphis blast Utah State, 38-10, in last year’s contest.
Yes, fans will have a chance to see many of this week’s SERVPRO First Responder Bowl participants and their relatives (Rice’s standout receiver Luke McCaffrey is the younger brother of former Stanford and current NFL San Francisco 49ers ace RB Christian McCaffrey) play on NFL Sundays or other levels of football after what promises to be one of the more intriguing tussles among the post-2023 season between the Owls and Bobcats.
For additional information, pregame pageantry and ticket purchases, please access Firstresponderbowl.com.
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Bo’s Bits: Rice, Texas State Not Strangers to Postseason Activity
By Bo Carter, National Football Foundation
Though this is just the fifth all-time meeting (series is tied 2-2 and last played in 1987) of Rice and Texas State and their first ever in postseason play, the two schools are far from novices when it comes to competing in specialty contests.
The Owls are making their 14th bowl appearance since the 1938 Cotton Bowl Classic and 28-14 win over Colorado and 1937 Heisman Trophy winner Byron “Whizzer” White. RU also is a frequent participant in Dallas-Fort Worth area postseason meets as this is their sixth bowl in the Metroplex. The most recent visit to this area resulted in a 33-14 victory over Air Force in the 2012 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl at Amon Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.
The Bobcats also are familiar with action following their regularly-scheduled contests from their days in NCAA Division II and FCS.
Beginning in 1981 under venerable head coach Jim Wacker, whose memorial service was held on the TSU campus in 2003, the Bobcats roared to consecutive DII titles and a 7-1 postseason worksheet. Then known as Southwest Texas State, the squad topped perennial power North Dakota State (where Wacker also served as head coach from 1976-78 before moving to San Marcos) 42-13 for the school’s first NCAA championship that December. A year later, Wacker and the Bobcats thumped UC Davis 34-9 for a second NCAA crown.
Head coach John O’Hara replaced the Bobcats precedent-setting mentor before the 1983 campaign when Wacker left to become head coach at TCU, and Texas State fell to Central State (Ohio) in the opening round of the DII playoffs 24-16 to post a 6-1 mark in its first seven outings in post-campaigns.
By the time that multi-university head coach Dennis Franchione took over the program in 1990 and ’91, the Bobcats just missed bids to the NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) tournament and set the stage for the move by TSU to NCAA FBS in the Western Athletic Conference in 2021 and the current landing point Sun Belt Conference in 2023.
The avalanche of a record 12 members of the SBC in post-2023 bowls includes the Bobcats who will appear in their first FBS clash on Dec. 26.
Now the experienced Rice program will be hoping that planning and preparations for holiday bowls can pay dividends in 2023 against a Texas State 11 that is ready, willing and able to take on a program from the Power Six American Athletic Conference later this month.
The Owls have played in seven of their 14 bowl skirmishes since the 2008 season (beginning with the Texas Bowl and a 38-14 victory over Western Michigan in Houston under head coach Bailiff.
Interestingly, Bailiff (who took the Owls program to the second-most bowl treks in school history behind NFF College Football Hall of Fame head coach Jess Neely with six) came to the Owls program after guiding Texas State to the 2005 NCAA I-AA semifinals and an 11-3 mark in 2005 during the midst of his 2004-06 tenure in San Marcos.
This game could be nicknamed the “Bailiff Bowl” (he was at Rice from 2007-17) and is now back at Texas State as a special assistant to the head coach. Bailiff graduated from Texas State and is a member of the school’s Hall of Honor. The veteran coach with deep Texas ties held the Texas A&M-Commerce football reins from 2019-22.
With these multiple connections and a composite 14-8 record in all postseason divisions by the two schools, the 2023 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl appears to have the makings of another history-maker in this 14-year progress of games with 80-plus points, one overtime tussle, a weathered-out no contest, multiple future NFL standouts, and coaches with solid pedigrees at dozens of football powers.
For additional information, pregame pageantry and ticket purchases, please access Firstresponderbowl.com.
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Bo's Bits: The “Ties to Texas Are Upon Them” in 2023 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
By Bo Carter, National Football Foundation
Yes, the “Ties to Texas Are Upon Them” (with apologies to the Texas Longhorns and “The Eyes of Texas”) as Rice and Texas State prepare for the 14th Annual SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on Dec. 26 at Ford Stadium in Dallas.
No less than 59 Texas residents are listed on the Owls 106-man roster to finish the regular season, and the Bobcats line their 115-man roster with 96 youngsters claiming Texas homes. Both primary players’ groups feature dozens of high school phenoms returning to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to compete where several played in postseason playoffs or specialty games such as the Tom Landy Classics, Herbstreit Series and other contests against nationally-ranked prep powers. Many played high school specialty matches at friendly Ford Stadium on the SMU campus.
Some of the better known DFW area standouts for the Owls are CB Tre’shon Devones of Duncanville, LB DJ Arkansas of Denton, DL Joseph Motumbo of Keller, CB Mo Bility of Dallas, QB AJ Padgett of Frisco, RB Quinton Jackson of Fort Worth, WR Landon Ransom-Goelz of Trophy Club, RB Juma Otoviano of Arlington, CB Jeremiah Williams of Dallas, LB Andrew Awe of Mansfield, S Tyson Flowers of Fort Worth, S Plae Wyatt of McKinney and DL De’Braylon Carroll of Duncanville.
Among the Metroplex standouts listed for the Sun Belt Conference-contending Bobcats are WR Ashtyn Hawkins of DeSoto, safety Darius Jackson of Red Oak, RB Donerio Davenport of Mansfield, QB CJ Rogers of Argyle, CB John Blunt Jr. of Arlington, WR Chris Dawn Jr. of Dallas, WR Julian Ortega-Jones of Fort Worth, WR Drew Donley of Frisco, WR Dylan Rhodes of McKinney, S Kaleb Culp of Dallas, CB Amarion Atwood of Mesquite, RB Ismail Mahdi of Murphy, and S Shawn Holton of Fort Worth.
Obviously, Houston-based Rice draws dozens of potential standouts from the talent-laden Bayou City proper and its suburbs, and the San Marcos-area Texas State squad does not have to look far for prospective football talent in the Southwest portion of Texas as their primary talent bases.
Interested Rice quarterback great and longtime Goodyear Cotton Bowl board member Bruce Gadd of Richardson, National Football Foundation chief operating officer and All-Southwest Conference nose guard Matthew Sign of Arlington (now a Plano resident) and several other DFW area leaders cut their football teeth with the Owls and have been pleased with their rejuvenation.
Add to that, Texas State head coach GJ Kinne starred as a high school quarterback in East Texas and later at Texas and Tulsa before gaining a solid array of experience. He has been an assistant coach at SMU (he was acting offensive coordinator for the 2017 Frisco Bowl under then-Mustangs head coach Sonny Dykes – now at TCU), at Arkansas, with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, at Hawai’I and at UCF. He then was head coach at FCS power Incarnate Word in San Antonio (finished with a 12-2 record and made the NCAA semifinals in 2022) before taking the reins at Texas State prior to the ’23 campaign. He did all of this by the age of 35 (which he turned on Dec. 2).
That recruiting savvy and knowledge of all areas of football in Texas cemented Kinne’s solid reputation and has led to even more sterling commitments for the 2024 Bobcats.
It is apparent that these Texas born and bred college football programs will supply an afternoon of true, bulldogging, roping, and maybe even calfing displays on the gridiron at Ford Stadium where the student-athletes have displayed their wares and where the coaching staffs have ample experience and much Lone Star pride on the line.
For ticketing and additional information, please access Firstresponderbowl.com.
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Bo's Bits: SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Features All-Texas Competitors for First Time
By Bo Carter, National Football Foundation
It’s a first in the 14-year history of the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl – two teams from Deep in the Heart of Texas are meeting as Rice of the American Athletic Conference tangles with Texas State of the Sun Belt Conference, which features a league-record 12 teams competing in post-2023 extravaganzas.
There also is the familiarity factor as student-athletes from both teams have competed against one another – some since the junior high football ranks – and both university and “Texas pride” play major roles.
Rice (6-6 overall) was predicted to finish as far down as 12th or 13th in preseason polls in the rejuvenated AAC but used early “statement” victories – a 43-41 double-overtime comeback win over crosstown rival and Big 12 foe Houston for the coveted Bayou Bucket trophy among them – and a clutch sixth win (24-21) over Florida Atlantic on Nov. 25 to certify bowl eligibility. Those displays earned the Owls a trip to their 14th bowl game (7-6 record) that began with downing Colorado in the 1938 Cotton Bowl in Dallas as a member of the grand, old Southwest Conference.
Texas State scored a signature 42-31 win at 2021 Big 12 Conference champ Baylor to set off an explosion on offense that scored 77 points against Jackson State and put up 50 markers versus Sun Belt member Southern Miss to jump out to a 4-1 start.
From there, the road to the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on Dec. 26 at 4:30 p.m. (CST) has been a bit treacherous and interesting at times for both teams, but rewarding at the end of 12 regular-outing skirmishes.
For example, the Rice preseason selection turned into a tie for fourth place with traditional contenders Navy and USF in the AAC at 4-4, behind eventual champ SMU, runner-up Tulane and third-place UTSA, a group that combined for 30 overall triumphs and contended until the final weekend for New Year’s Six bowl berths.
The story was similar for the university based in San Marcos (7-5 this season), as Texas State posted a second-place finish in the Sun Belt’s West Division behind circuit champion Troy. Upstart James Madison closed at 11-1 for the full season and drew a bid to the nearby Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Dec. 23 in Fort Worth.
Both teams have their share of explosive performers such as Rice wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, the younger brother of Stanford and NFL San Francisco 49ers all-world performer Christian McCaffrey, with 68 receptions for 963 yards and 12 TDs to lead the Owls. Well-traveled quarterback JT Daniels started his career at USC, played for Georgia’s 2020 squad and ’21 College Football Playoff title team before moving to West Virginia in 2022 as a junior. He was 181-of-287 passing for 2,443 yards and 21 touchdowns despite missing three contests with injuries. On Dec. 1, Daniels announced that he is medically retiring from football.
The Bobcats have one of the nation’s top rushers in Ismail Mahdi (from nearby Plano East HS) with 1,209 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. He finished the regular season as the only FBS player with over 2,000 all-purpose yards. Veteran quarterback TJ Finley started at SEC contenders LSU and Auburn before transferring to TSU in ’23, where he put up 264-of-385 passing statistics with 3,287 yards and 24 aerial TDs. At 6-7, 255 pounds, the able signal caller is one of the most physically imposing passers and runners nationally.
Fans can expect their share of passing displays, long scoring jaunts and some Texas-style big hits defensively in this series renewal, which originated with a Rice win in 1920 and is tied at two games apiece prior to their fifth confab.
For tickets, the exciting Bowl Tailgate Party on bowl day and related game activities, please visit firstresponderbowl.com.
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2023 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl to feature Texas State and Rice
DALLAS, Texas (Dec. 3, 2023) – The Texas State Bobcats (7-5, 4-4 Sun Belt) and Rice Owls (6-6, 4-4 American Athletic) have officially accepted invitations to play in the 2023 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. It will be the fifth meeting between the two schools and the first since 1987.
This marks the first appearance in the First Responder Bowl for both teams. It is the first-ever bowl game for the Bobcats, while Rice is 7-6 in previous postseason games. The 14th edition of the bowl game will be played Tuesday, Dec. 26, at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. (CT) on ESPN and simulcast on ESPN+. It is the first time that two schools in the state of Texas have faced each other in the bowl’s history.
“We’re extremely excited to have two in-state schools, Rice and Texas State, playing in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl,” Executive Director Brant Ringler said. “We are eager to host the Owls and Bobcats and look forward to having their fan bases join us in Dallas as we honor our first responders.”
First-year head coach G.J. Kinne led Texas State to its first-ever win over a Power 5 Conference team in the season opener, a 42-31 win at Baylor. Texas State scored 36.0 points per game and averaged 471.8 yards per contest. Defensively, the Bobcats surrendered 33.8 points and 414.3 yards per game. Seven Bobcats were named first- or second-team All-Sun Belt.
The Owls are playing in a bowl game for the second straight year under sixth-year coach Mike Bloomgren. Rice, which closed the regular season with back-to-back wins, had five players collect American Athletic Conference honors. Offensively, Rice averaged 30.3 points and 376.8 yards per game. On the defensive side, the Owls allowed 26.7 points and 370.1 yards per outing.
First played following the 2010 season, the annual bowl game in Dallas began honoring first responders for the 2014 game. First responders include police officers, firefighters, EMS workers, correctional officers, search and rescue, dispatchers, security guards, federal agents, border patrol agents and military personnel who have specialized training and are the first to arrive and provide assistance at the scene of an emergency.
In 2018, the game was officially renamed the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl to reflect the efforts to show appreciation to first responders. Tickets for first responders are underwritten by corporate partners.
Schools that have competed in the First Responder Bowl, which was previously known as the TicketCity Bowl and the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl, include: Air Force, Army West Point, Boise State, Boston College, Houston, Illinois, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, Memphis, North Texas, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Purdue, Southern Miss, Texas Tech, UNLV, Utah, Utah State, UTSA, Washington, West Virginia, Western Michigan and Western Kentucky. Three of the last four games have been decided by a touchdown or less, including two games determined on the final play.
The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl is one of 17 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events. For additional information about the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, please visit FirstResponderBowl.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter.
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2023, the 33-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, nine college basketball events, a college softball event and the inaugural Band of the Year National Championship, in addition to a new a college gymnastics event coming in 2024. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, while reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram or YouTube pages.
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