The First Responder Bowl will feature Texas State and Rice staying in their home state to compete for the title this year. Texas State was given a bowl berth with their 7-5 record, while Rice snuck in with a win in their last game of the season to go 6-6. In this article, we will explain how you can watch that game.
When and where is the First Responder Bowl?
The First Responder Bowl is at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas. The stadium is the home of the SMU Football team. The game between Texas State and Rice will start at 5:30 PM ET on Tuesday, December 26th.
How to watch Texas State vs. Rice
You can watch the First Responder Bowl on ESPN, and it will be available via live stream with fuboTV.
Date: Tuesday, December 26th | Time: 5:30 PM ET
Location: Gerald J. Ford Stadium — Dallas, Texas
TV channel: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)
Odds: Texas State -5.5 | O/U 59.5
Texas State storylines
North Texas is playing in their first-ever bowl game since moving to FBS in 2012. The closest they came was in 2014 when they finished with a 7-5 record but weren't chosen for a bowl. First-year coach GJ Kinne was given a contract extension on Thursday, turning the team around with an up-tempo offense and an aggressive defense. The team has failed to win more than four games since 2014. Kinne got the job after leading Incarnate Word to the FCS semifinals. He was tasked with mentoring former Auburn quarterback TJ Finley, who led the Bulldogs' offense to 36 points per game, 3,287 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
Their passing game isn't the only strength of the offense. Ismail Mahdi rushed for 1,209 yards and ten touchdowns, averaging 6.1 yards per carry.
Rice Storylines
Rice will have AJ Padgett starting at quarterback for the second straight bowl game. He was the backup behind JT Daniels for most of the season until Daniels medically retired due to repeated concussions. Rice had a 4-6 record after a three-game losing streak but won back-to-back games against Charlotte and Florida Atlantic to earn the bowl bid. Padgett went 24 of 37 for 255 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Florida Atlantic. He has been performing well this year, throwing for 636 yards on 61 of 96 attempts for seven touchdowns and three interceptions.
Dean Connors had 1,102 yards from scrimmage, including 707 on the ground. Padgett will be looking for Luke McCaffrey downfield, as he caught 68 passes for 963 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Rice showed glimpses of being a top contender, beating Houston 43-41 in overtime on September 9th and barely losing to then-No.22 Tulane 30-28. Padgett being their new quarterback sets the team back, as Daniels was their quarterback in those contests.
First Responder Bowl history
It is Texas State and Rice's first time playing in the First Responder Bowl. Since its inception in 2010, the bowl has had 27 different schools appear over its 14-year history. North Texas is the only team to participate more than once.
The First Responder Bowl is known for having close, entertaining games. Three of the last four games have been decided by a touchdown or less, while two came down to the final play. Western Kentucky defeated Western Michigan with a no-time remaining field goal in 2019, and Army West Point defeated North Texas with a walk-off touchdown in overtime in 2016.
This will be the first time two schools from the state of Texas face off in the First Responder Bowl. Texas Tech, Houston, North Texas (2 times), and UTSA are the previous schools to participate. Texas teams are 3-2 all-time.
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