TXST Release:
DALLAS, Texas – A season full of history and records ended with a victory in a place Texas State football had never been: in a bowl game.
Texas State forced a season-high seven turnovers – including two interceptions returned touchdowns by linebacker Brian Holloway – and Jahmyl Jeter scored three rushing touchdowns to lift the Bobcats to a 45-21 win over Rice in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on Tuesday.
The Bobcats (8-5) set a new FBS program record for wins in a season by registering their sixth double-digit victory of the year.
Texas State, which was playing in its first ever FBS bowl game, limited Rice to 197 yards of offense. Holloway, Shawn Holton, Kaleb Ford-Dement and Bobby Crosby all had interceptions to give the Bobcats their most interceptions ever in an FBS game and one shy of the program’s overall record.
Holloway, who became the first Bobcat to ever return two interceptions for a touchdown in a single game, was named the bowl MVP in a stadium he once called home as an SMU Mustang.
Texas State’s defense forced five turnovers and six total punts – along with four three-and-outs – in Rice’s 14 total drives. The Bobcats grabbed the two other takeaways on fumbles on a pooch kick and a muffed punt.
While Holloway had six tackles to go his two interceptions, the Texas State defense was also powered by Ben Bell, who had two sacks and three tackles for loss among his eight stops. Bell finished the season with 10.0 sacks, which are the most by a Bobcat since 2011.
In his final game as a Bobcat, Jeter had a career-high three rushing touchdowns on eight carries. The redshirt senior scored on a 29-yard rush – his longest run of the season – on Texas State’s opening drive of the game and then helped the Bobcats go up 14-7 with a one-yard rush with 3:22 to go in the first quarter.
After Holloway’s first pick-six made it 21-7 Texas State early in the second quarter, Rice tied it up at 21-21 with rushing touchdowns by Dean Connors on back-to-back drives.
The Bobcats, though, carried a 24-21 lead into halftime thanks to a 31-yard field goal by Mason Shipley as time expired in the first half. Shipley set the program’s record for field goals made in a season (15) with the successful try.
The field goal by Shipley ignited a stretch of 24 unanswered points by Texas State to end the game. Offensive lineman Nash Jones scored a three-yard rushing touchdown with a pass backwards by TJ Finley early in the third quarter to help give Texas State a 31-21 advantage with 9:57 to go in the third.
Holloway added his second pick-six on the following Rice drive to make it 38-21 halfway through the third quarter. Jeter capped the scoring with his third rushing touchdown and the Bobcats’ fourth rushing score with a one-yard punch-in with 2:01 remaining in the game.
As Texas State shut out Rice in the second half, the defense held the Owls to 52 total yards in the final 30 minutes of the game.
Stats To Know
Holloway was the first Bobcat to have two interceptions in a game since Kordell Rodgers in 2018 at Rutgers.
The Bobcats set the bowl record for most interceptions in a game with five.
The 197 yards allowed were the fewest surrendered by Texas State since September 2022 against Houston Christian (142).
Ismail Mahdi finished with 122 rushing yards on 24 carries. It was the All-American’s fourth 100-yard game of the season.
Texas State improved to 3-2 all-time against Rice. It was the first meeting between the two teams since 1987.
Announced attendance was 26,542, which set the bowl game attendance record for Ford Stadium. It was also the highest attendance at any game at Ford Stadium in 2023.
Texas State’s Standout Performers
- RB Jahmyl Jeter: 8 att, 36 yds, 3 TD
- LB Brian Holloway: 6 tackles, 2 INT, 2 TD
- DE Ben Bell: 8 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 3.0 TFLs
- S Shawn Holton: 9 tackles, INT
- RB Ismail Mahdi: 24 att, 122 yds
- WR Ashtyn Hawkins: 3 rec, 55 yds
- WR Kole Wilson: 5 rec, 50 yds
Up Next
Texas State opens the 2024 season with a home matchup against Lamar on Aug. 31 at Bobcat Stadium (249 days away).
