2023 First Responder Bowl

Last updated

2023 Servpro First Responder Bowl
14th First Responder Bowl
1234Total
Texas State141014745
Rice7140021
DateDecember 26, 2023
Season 2023
Stadium Gerald J. Ford Stadium
Location University Park, Texas
MVPBrian Holloway (LB, Texas State) [1]
Favorite Texas State by 4.5 [2]
Referee Ed Ardito (CUSA) [3]
Attendance26,542 [4]
United States TV coverage
Network ESPN
Announcers Dave Neal (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analyst), and Morgan Uber (sideline)
International TV coverage
Network ESPN Deportes
First Responder Bowl
 < 2022   2024 > 

The 2023 First Responder Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 26, 2023, at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas. The 14th annual First Responder Bowl featured the Texas State Bobcats of the Sun Belt Conference and the Rice Owls of the American Athletic Conference (The American). The game began at approximately 4:30 p.m. CST and was aired on ESPN. It was one of the 2023–24 bowl games concluding the 2023 FBS football season. Sponsored by cleanup and restoration company Servpro, the game was officially known as the Servpro First Responder Bowl.

Contents

Teams

The game featured the Texas State Bobcats of the Sun Belt Conference and the Rice Owls of the American Athletic Conference (The American).

This was the fifth meeting between Texas State and Rice; the series was tied at 2–2 entering the game. [5] This was the first appearance in a First Responder Bowl for both teams.

Texas State Bobcats

The Bobcats entered the game with a 7–5 record (4–4 in the Sun Belt), tied for second place in their conference's West Division. After starting their season with four wins in their first five games, the Bobcats lost four of their final seven games.

This was the first bowl game in the football program history of Texas State. [6]

Rice Owls

The Owls entered the game with a 6–6 record (4–4 in The American), tied for fifth place in the conference. After starting their season 4–3, the Owls had a three game losing streak, then won their final two games to become bowl eligible.

JT Daniels began the season as Rice's starting quarterback, but left the Owls' week nine game against SMU on November 1 with a concussion after taking a shot to the helmet in the second quarter. [7] A month later, on December 1, Daniels announced that he would be retiring from football due to the multiple concussions he sustained during his career. [8] [9] [10]

Game summary

2023 Servpro First Responder Bowl
Period1234Total
Texas State141014745
Rice7140021

at Gerald J. Ford StadiumDallas, Texas

  • Date: Tuesday, December 26, 2023
  • Game time: 4:30 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 55 °F (13 °C) • Wind: 11 mph (18 km/h) SW
  • Game attendance: 26,542
  • Referee: Ed Ardito
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Neal (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analyst), and Morgan Uber (sideline)
  • Box score
Game information
First Quarter
  • (13:25) TXST – Jahmyl Jeter 29 yard run, Mason Shipley kick (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 1:35; Texas State 7–0)
  • (6:54) RICE – Luke McCaffrey 7 yard pass from A. J. Padgett, Tim Horn kick (Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, 3:38; Tied 7–7)
  • (3:22) TXST – Jahmyl Jeter 1 yard run, Mason Shipley kick (Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 3:32; Texas State 14–0)
Second Quarter
  • (14:36) TXST – Brian Holloway 36 yard interception return, Mason Shipley kick (Texas State 21–7)
  • (6:07) RICE – Dean Connors 3 yard run, Tim Horn kick (Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 5:47; Texas State 21–14)
  • (3:40) RICE – Dean Connors 28 yard run, Tim Horn kick (Drive: 3 plays, 58 yards, 1:24; Tied 21–21)
  • (0:00) TXST – Mason Shipley 31 yard field goal (Drive: 15 plays, 61 yards, 3:40; Texas State 24–21)
Third Quarter
  • (9:57) TXST – Nash Jones 3 yard run, Mason Shipley kick (Drive: 10 plays, 30 yards, 5:03; Texas State 31–21)
  • (8:16) TXST – Brian Holloway 48 yard interception return, Mason Shipley kick (Texas State 38–21)
Fourth Quarter
  • (2:01) TXST – Jahmyl Jeter 1 yard run, Mason Shipley kick (Drive: 3 plays, 38 yards, 1:14; Texas State 45–21)
StatisticsTXSTRICE
First downs1518
Plays–yards71–30057–197
Rushes–yards42–14831–82
Passing yards152112
Passing: comp–att–int15–29–013–26–5
Time of possession28:4528:31
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Texas StatePassing T. J. Finley 15/29, 152 yards
Rushing Ismail Mahdi 24 carries, 122 yards
ReceivingAshtyn Hawkins3 receptions, 55 yards
RicePassingA. J. Padgett10/21, 85 yards, TD, 3 INT
RushingDean Connors15 carries, 64 yards, 2 TD
ReceivingElijah Mojarro3 receptions, 35 yards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas State Bobcats football</span> Football program at Texas State University

The Texas State Bobcats football program Texas State University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. They play in the Sun Belt Conference. The program began in 1904 and has an overall winning record. The program has a total of 14 conference titles, nine of them being outright conference titles. Home games are played at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Responder Bowl</span> College football bowl game

The First Responder Bowl is an NCAA post-season college football bowl game played annually in the Dallas, Texas, area. The bowl was first held on January 1, 2011, and since 2014 has been contested in late December. The bowl was held at the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park in Dallas through the 2018 game. Since the Cotton Bowl was being used for the 2020 NHL Winter Classic and was not available, the 2019 edition of the bowl was played at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the campus of Southern Methodist University (SMU) in nearby University Park, Texas. The stadium has since become the permanent home of the game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frisco Bowl</span> Annual college football postseason game

The Frisco Bowl is an annual National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sanctioned post-season Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football bowl game played in Frisco, Texas, since December 2017. The bowl has a tie-in with the American Athletic Conference, and chooses another team at-large.

The 2018 Frisco Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 19, 2018, with kickoff scheduled for 8:00 p.m. EST. It was the second edition of the Frisco Bowl, and one of the 2018–19 bowl games concluding the 2018 FBS football season. Sponsored by Destination XL Group, a retailer of men's big and tall apparel, the game was officially known as the DXL Frisco Bowl. In the game, the Ohio Bobcats shut out the San Diego State Aztecs, 27–0.

The 2019 Camellia Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 21, 2019, with kickoff at 5:30 p.m. EST on ESPN. It was the 6th edition of the Camellia Bowl, and one of the 2019–20 bowl games concluding the 2019 FBS football season. For 2019, the Camellia Bowl did not have a corporate naming sponsor.

The 2019 First Responder Bowl was a college football bowl game played December 30, 2019, with kickoff at 12:30 p.m. EST on ESPN. It was the 10th edition of the First Responder Bowl, and was one of the 2019–20 bowl games concluding the 2019 FBS football season. Sponsored by fire and water cleanup and restoration company Servpro, the game was officially known as the Servpro First Responder Bowl.

The 2020 LendingTree Bowl was a college football bowl game that was played on December 26, 2020, with kickoff at 3:30 p.m. EST on ESPN. It was the 22nd edition of the LendingTree Bowl, and was one of the 2020–21 bowl games concluding the 2020 FBS football season. Online lending marketplace LendingTree was the game's title sponsor. It was also the final LendingTree Bowl played at Ladd-Peebles Stadium before the game moved to Hancock Whitney Stadium the following season.

The 2020 New Orleans Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 23, 2020, with kickoff at for 3:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. It was the 20th edition of the New Orleans Bowl, and was one of the 2020–21 bowl games concluding the 2020 FBS football season. Sponsored by freight shipping company R+L Carriers, the game was officially known as the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.

The 2020 First Responder Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 26, 2020, with kickoff at 3:30 p.m. EST on ABC. It was the 11th edition of the First Responder Bowl, and was one of the 2020–21 bowl games concluding the 2020 FBS football season. Sponsored by fire and water cleanup and restoration company Servpro, the game was officially known as the Servpro First Responder Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Montgomery Bowl</span> Postseason college football bowl game

The 2020 Montgomery Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 23, 2020, at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. The game was broadcast on ESPN, with kickoff at 7:00 p.m. EST. It was the inaugural, and potentially only, edition of the Montgomery Bowl. It was one of two bowl games, along with the Camellia Bowl, that were played at the Cramton Bowl following the 2020 FBS football season.

The 2021 New Orleans Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 18, 2021, with kickoff at 9:15 p.m. EST and broadcast on ESPN. It was the 21st edition of the New Orleans Bowl, and was one of the 2021–22 bowl games concluding the 2021 FBS football season. Sponsored by freight shipping company R+L Carriers, the game was officially known as the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.

The 2021 Camellia Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 25, 2021, at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. The eighth edition of the Camellia Bowl, the game featured the Georgia State Panthers of the Sun Belt Conference and the Ball State Cardinals of the Mid-American Conference. The game began at 1:30 p.m. CST and aired on ESPN. It was one of the 2021–22 bowl games concluding the 2021 FBS football season. Sponsored by tax preparation software company TaxAct, the game was known as the TaxAct Camellia Bowl.

The 2021 First Responder Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 28, 2021, with kickoff at 3:15 p.m. EST and televised on ESPN. It was the 12th edition of the First Responder Bowl, and was one of the 2021–22 bowl games concluding the 2021 FBS football season. Sponsored by fire and water cleanup and restoration company Servpro, the game was officially known as the Servpro First Responder Bowl.

The 2022 Rice Owls football team represented Rice University as a member of Conference USA (C-USA) during the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by head coach Mike Bloomgren, who was coaching his fifth season with the team. The Owls played their home games at the Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas.

The 2022 LendingTree Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 17, 2022, at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. The 24th annual LendingTree Bowl, the game featured Southern Miss from the Sun Belt Conference and Rice from Conference USA (C-USA). The game began at 4:50 p.m. CST and aired on ESPN. It was one of the 2022–23 bowl games concluding the 2022 FBS football season. The game's title sponsor was online lending marketplace LendingTree.

The 2022 First Responder Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 27, 2022, at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas. The 13th annual First Responder Bowl, the game featured Memphis of the American Athletic Conference and Utah State of the Mountain West Conference. The game began at 2:20 p.m. CST and was aired on ESPN. It was one of the 2022–23 bowl games concluding the 2022 FBS football season. Sponsored by cleanup and restoration company Servpro, the game was officially known as the Servpro First Responder Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Texas State Bobcats football team</span> American college football season

The 2023 Texas State Bobcats football team represented Texas State University as a member of the Sun Belt Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by first-year head coach G. J. Kinne and played their home games at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos, Texas.

The 2023 Frisco Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 19, 2023, at Toyota Stadium located in Frisco, Texas. The sixth annual Frisco Bowl featured the UTSA Roadrunners from the American Athletic Conference and the Marshall Thundering Herd from the Sun Belt Conference. The game began at approximately 8:00 p.m. CST and was aired on ESPN. The Frisco Bowl was one of the 2023–24 bowl games concluding the 2023 FBS football season. The game was sponsored by coffeehouse chain Scooter's Coffee and was officially known as the Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl.

The 2023 Birmingham Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 23, 2023, at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama. The 17th annual Birmingham Bowl featured the Troy Trojans from the Sun Belt Conference and the Duke Blue Devils from the Atlantic Coast Conference. The game began at approximately 11:00 a.m. CST and was aired on ABC. The Birmingham Bowl was one of the 2023–24 bowl games concluding the 2023 FBS football season. The game was sponsored by gas station chain 76 and was officially known as the 76 Birmingham Bowl.

The 2023 Camellia Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 23, 2023, at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. The 10th annual Camellia Bowl featured the Arkansas State Red Wolves from the Sun Belt Conference and the Northern Illinois Huskies from the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The game began at approximately 11:00 a.m. CST and was aired on ESPN. The Camellia Bowl was one of the 2023–24 bowl games concluding the 2023 FBS football season. Camellia is the state flower of Alabama.

References

  1. @JacobHRichman (December 26, 2023). "And Brian Holloway is indeed the MVP of the First Responder Bowl" (Tweet). Retrieved December 26, 2023 via Twitter.
  2. Parks, James (December 11, 2023). "College football bowl schedule, game odds, point spreads for 2023-24". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  3. Austro, Ben (December 3, 2023). "2023-24 bowl officiating assignments". footballzebras.com. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  4. @FRBowl (December 26, 2023). "26,542 is the attendance @frbowl Highest for the bowl game since it's been played at SMU" (Tweet). Retrieved December 26, 2023 via Twitter.
  5. "Winsipedia – Texas State Bobcats vs. Rice Owls". Winsipedia.com. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  6. Gates, Billy (December 3, 2023). "Texas State selected to play in SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, 1st bowl game in program history". KXAN-TV . Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  7. Dean, Richard (November 1, 2023). "Rice falls short against SMU, lose QB JT Daniels to injury" . Houston Chronicle . Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  8. "Rice QB JT Daniels to medically retire from football". 247Sports.com. December 1, 2023.
  9. "Ex-USC, Georgia QB JT Daniels Retires from Football Due to Concussion History". Syndication.BleacherReport.com. December 1, 2023.
  10. "BREAKING: Former Bulldogs Quarterback JT Daniels Medically Retires From Football". SI.com. December 1, 2023.