Texas State Win Program's First Bowl Game, Down Rice In First Responder Bowl

In significant bowl appearances for both schools, the Rice Owls and the Texas State Bobcats went head-to-head in Tuesday's Servpro First Responder in Dallas.

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In significant bowl appearances for both schools, the Rice Owls and the Texas State Bobcats went head-to-head in Tuesday's Servpro First Responder in Dallas. Texas State were making their first bowl appearance at the FBS level. The Owls were seeking their first bowl win since 2014.

Ultimately, it;s the Bobcats who will take a 45-21 victory back to San Marcos. 

After a contract extension earlier this month, head coach G.J. Kinne has now won eight games with Texas State. That's the same amount that Texas State won in 2021 and 2022 combined. 

These were the performances that stood out on the historic day for Kinne's program.

Jeter's Nose For The End Zone

Senior running back Jahmyl Jeter turned in the best performance of his college career in the win. Carter rushed eight times for 36 yards and three touchdowns on the day. Ismail Mahdi was the Bobcats' leading rusher with 24 carries for 122 yards.

Nice first impression for @TXSTATEFOOTBALL !
First-ever bowl game.
Opening drive.
29 yard TD run by Jahmyl Jeter to give the Bobcats a 7-0 lead over Rice less than a minute and a half in!@FRBowl 📺: ESPN #EatEmUp pic.twitter.com/MX53utVgsi

— Dennis de la Pena (@dennisonfox7) December 26, 2023

Five Interceptions For Bobcats' D

Linebacker Brian Holloway led the way for Texas State defensively on Tuesday, picking off two passes and taking both back for touchdowns. Bobby Crosby, Shawn Holton, and Kaleb Ford-Dement all also picked off one pass each. 

The Bobcat defense also recovered two fumbles, bringing their total turnovers forced for the day to seven - their most in a game since the move to FBS.

TJ Finley Caps An Excellent Year

After two SEC stops, Bobcats' quarterback TJ Finley seemed to look more capable than he ever has in college as a member of the Bobcats this season. Tuesday was the latest example of that. 

Finley was under some heavy pressure from the Rice defense, but responded well. Despite being hurried six times and sacked twice, Finley finished with 15 completions on 29 attempts for 152 yards. He finishes the season with 3439 passing yards this season. Three different receivers averaged more than 9.5 yards per catch in the bowl win.