Overview
- Kickoff is 1:00 p.m. ET at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth on ESPN.
- Texas State enters on a three-game win streak behind freshman quarterback Brad Jackson and 1,000-yard rusher Lincoln Pare.
- Rice leans on an option-heavy, run-first scheme under first-year coach Scott Abell, with Lucas Scheerhorn or Patrick Crayton Jr. expected to take snaps.
- DraftKings lists Texas State at roughly -16.5, with betting and model projections pointing to a higher-scoring game.
- This is a rematch of the 2023 First Responder Bowl, which Texas State won 45-21.