The 2023 First Responder Bowl features the 7-5 Texas State Bobcats against the 6-6 Rice Owls. Here is the 2023 First Responder Bowl Preview.
Texas State Bobcats (7-5)
Texas State won seven games to make their first bowl game as a member of the FBS. They defeated two bowl-eligible teams: Georgia Southern and South Alabama. All five of their losses came to teams that qualified for bowl games.
The Bobcats score 36 points per game, ranking 17th in the country. They pass for 280.8 yards (ranked 23rd) and rush for 190.3 yards per game (ranked 23rd).
T.J. Finley has spent time at LSU and Auburn, but this season has played quarterback for Texas State. He has passed for 3,287 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions on 68.6 percent completion. Four pass catchers have at least 250 receiving yards on the season. Joey Hobert, Ashtyn Hawkins and Kole Wilson have all contributed a lot with 847, 819 and 697 receiving yards respectively.
Two running backs have done most of the damage on the ground this season. Ismail Mahdi leads the team with 1,209 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Donerio Davenport has backed him up with 458 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, they allow 33.8 points per game, ranking them 115th in the country. They give up 156.8 rushing yards (ranked 78th) and 257.5 passing yards per game (ranked 117th). Brian Holloway leads the team with 99 total tackles. Ben Bell has a team-high eight sacks. Kaleb Ford-Dement has impressed with seven passes defended and two interceptions.
Rice Owls (6-6)
Rice won six games to make their second-straight bowl game. They didn’t defeat a team that qualified for a bowl game. Their lone loss to a team that didn’t make a bowl game was to UConn.
The Owls score 30.3 points per game, ranking them 49th in the FBS. They pass for 264.2 yards (ranked 39th) and rush for 112.6 yards per game (ranked 114th).
JT Daniels started at quarterback for Rice this season, but has medically retired. That means AJ Padgett will likely take the reins of the offense after passing for 636 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions on 63.5 percent completion. Six pass-catchers have at least 200 receiving yards on the season. Their top receiver is Luke McCaffrey, brother of Christian, who has 68 receptions for 963 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Two running backs have received most of the work out of the backfield for Rice as well. Dean Connors leads the team with 707 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Juma Otaviano is his backup with 312 yards and four touchdowns.
The Owls’ defense gives up 26.7 points per game, ranking them 66th in the country. They allow 135.5 rushing yards (ranked 69th) and 216.6 passing yards per game (ranked 53rd). Plae Wyatt has the team-high with 75 tackles. Coleman Coco has four sacks to lead the team. Tre’Shon Devones has 10 passes defended and two interceptions as a playmaker in the secondary.
Prediction
Texas State has a high-powered offense and Finley can put up points on Rice’s defense. He can do enough to win and cover the spread.
Texas State Bobcats 35 Rice Owls 27
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