Rice Falls to Texas State, 45-21, in Servpro First Responder Bowl

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at Charlotte

Sep 18

6:30 PM

Charlotte, NC

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2:30 PM

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vs UCONN

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vs Memphis

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vs UAB

Nov 8

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The Lead

Rice totaled just 197 yards and Texas State used a pair of interception returns for touchdowns to win the Servpro First Responder Bowl, 45-21, on Tuesday evening in Dallas.

The Story

The Bobcats opened the game with a touchdown on the first possession. Redshirt junior wide receiver Luke McCaffrey answered with a touchdown reception from redshirt freshman quarterback AJ Padgett to tie the score at 7-7. After a pair of Texas State touchdowns, the Owls again responded as junior running back Dean Connors posted rushing touchdowns of three and 28 yards to again pull Rice even. Texas State kicked a last-second field goal to enter halftime with a 24-21 lead.

In the third quarter, a pair of Rice turnovers allowed the Bobcats to extend their lead to 38-21 entering the final stanza. A total of six turnovers in the second half prevented the Owls from mounting a comeback as the Bobcats tacked on another seven points to secure the 45-21 victory.

Team

Rice fell to 6-7 on the year.
This was the fifth meeting between Rice and Texas State.
Texas State leads the series, 3-2.
This was Rice's 14th bowl game. The Owls fall to 7-7 all-time in bowl games.
Rice won the toss and deferred to the second half.
Rice's 21 first half points are the most in a bowl game since scoring 24 against Western Michigan in the 2008 Texas Bowl.
Rice held the Bobcats to 160 yards below their season average.
The Owls' 29 touchdown passes this year are tied for the second-most in a season. They also had 29 in 2006 and 2007.
Rice's 51 total touchdowns are tied with the 2007 team for the third-most in a season.
Rice's 384 total points this year are fourth-most in a season.

Individual

Captains for today's game were S Chike Anigbogu, WR Luke McCaffrey, LB Josh Pearcy and OL Clay Servin.
Servin set a new Rice record by playing in his 56th career game, breaking the previous record held by Gabe Baker (2010-14) and Shea Baker (2017-22).
S Daveon Hook made his first career start.
QB AJ Padgett was 10-of-21 for 85 yards and a touchdown.
He now has eight touchdowns on the year and 14 in his career.
Padgett's became the second Rice quarterback to start back-to-back bowl games, joining Taylor McHargue, who started the 2012 Armed Forces Bowl and the 2013 Liberty Bowl.
RB Dean Connors led the Owls with 15 carries for 64 yards and two touchdowns.
He now has seven rushing touchdowns on the year.
It is his second game with at least two touchdowns (3 at Tulsa).
Connors is the first Owls with multiple rushing touchdowns in a bowl game since Dicky Meagle had three against Alabama in the 1954 Cotton Bowl.
WR Luke McCaffrey caught three passes for 29 yards and a touchdown.
McCaffrey has now caught a touchdown in eight straight games, the longest streak since Jarett Dillard caught a touchdown in 11 straight games over the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
It is McCaffrey's 13th touchdown reception this year and 19th in his career.
His 19 career touchdowns are the third-most in school history, passing David Houser (1874, 1976-78).
McCaffrey's 13 touchdowns on the year tie James Casey (2008) for the fourth-most in school history.
McCaffrey's now has 70 catches on the year, becoming the fifth player in school history with at least 70 receptions in a season.
TE Elijah Mojarro's 19-yard catch in the first quarter was a season-long.
LB Myron Morrison led the Owls with nine tackles.
CB Tre'shon Devones recorded a career-high eight tackles.
He also had one pass breakup, giving him 11 on the year, the most in a season since Phillip Gaines had 18 in 2012.
Hook had a career-high six tackles.
DT De'Braylon Carroll recorded a sack in the second quarter. He now has 3.5 on the year and seven in his career.
S Tyson Flowers' sack in the third quarter was the first of his career.
DE Van Heitmann recorded his first career tackle for loss in the third quarter.
K Tim Horn converted two PAT's. He now has 46 on the year to tie Clark Fangmeier (2007) for third-place on Rice's season list.

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