The 2026 Armed Forces Bowl features the 5-7 Rice Owls and the 6-6 Texas State Bobcats. Here is the 2026 Armed Forces Bowl Preview.
Rice won five games this season, but were able to get to a bowl game when qualified teams opted out. The Owls defeated two bowl-elgibile teams this season: Louisiana and UConn. Their only loss to a team that didn’t make a bowl game was to Florida Atlantic.
The Owls score 19.8 points per game, ranking 117th in the country. They pass for 97.9 yards (ranked 133rd) and rush for 213.3 yards (ranked 14th) per game.
Chase Jenkins has been the starting quarterback for the Owls. He has passed for 1,025 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions on 69.2 percent completion. Two players have over 300 receiving yards on the year for the Owls. Aaron Turner leads the team with 374 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Drayden Dickman has been solid as well with 37 catches for 323 yards and three touchdowns, but he’s in the transfer portal.
Five players have over 200 rushing yards on the season for the Owls. Quinton Jackson leads the team in rushing with 811 yards and six touchdowns. Jenkins, Dalen Alexander and D’Andre Hardeman have all played well with 531, 392 and 319 rushing yards apiece. Alexander is in the transfer portal.
Defensively, the Owls allow 32.25 points, ranking 118th in the FBS. They give up 157.2 rushing yards (ranked 79th) and 243.8 passing yards (ranked 109th) per game. Andre Awe leads the team with 100 total tackles. Tony Anyanwu paces the team with five sacks. Omari Porter has made plays on the ball with eight passes defended.
The Bobcats won six games to make their third straight bowl game. They defeated two bowl-eligible teams this season: UTSA and Southern Miss. Their one loss to a team who didn’t make a bowl game was to Marshal.
Texas State scores 36.1 points per game, ranking 14th in the country. They pass for 255.3 yards (ranked 36th) and rush for 220.5 yards (ranked 11th) per game.
Beau Jackson has been the quarterback for the Bobcats this season. He has passed for 3,050 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions on 71.3 percent completion. Four players have at least 200 receiving yards on the season. Beau Sparks leads the team with 80 catches for 1,113 yards and nine touchdowns. Chris Dawn Jr. has also been impressive with 54 catches for 931 yards and two touchdowns.
Three players have done the majority of the work for the Bobcats this season. Lincoln Pare has been the leading rusher with 1,022 yards and 11 touchdowns. Jackson has rushed for 692 yards and 16 touchdowns this season.
The Bobcats’ defense concedes 30.58 points per game, ranking 111th in the nation. They allow 170.1 rushing yards (ranked 94th) and 228.4 passing yards (ranked 87th) per game. Treylin Payne leads the team with 102 total tackles. Kalil Alexander paces the team with four sacks. Jaden Rios has impressed in the secondary with four passes defended and three interceptions on the year.
Texas State has a good offense that can outscore Rice in this game with a balanced attack. The Owls should be able to keep it close because of the lackluster Texas State defense.
Texas State Bobcats 42 Rice Owls 34
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