Fort Worth, Texas — Texas State closed its season in emphatic fashion Friday, delivering a commanding 41–10 victory over Rice in the Armed Forces Bowl behind a dynamic performance from quarterback Brad Jackson.
Jackson accounted for four total touchdowns, throwing for 173 yards and three scores while adding another on the ground. His efficiency and big-play ability powered the Bobcats (7–6) to a decisive postseason win.
The game began as a defensive battle, but Texas State struck first in the second quarter when Jackson capped a drive with a 6-yard rushing touchdown. The Bobcats carried a slim 10–7 advantage into halftime.
Momentum swung heavily after the break. On Texas State’s opening possession of the third quarter, Jackson unleashed a 69-yard strike to Beau Sparks, igniting an offensive surge. Chris Dawn Jr. followed with touchdown receptions of 12 and 14 yards as the Bobcats steadily pulled away.
The ground game sealed the outcome late. Running back Lincoln Pare ripped through the Rice defense for a 63-yard run up the middle in the fourth quarter, finishing the afternoon with 106 rushing yards on just 11 carries. The performance pushed Pare past the 1,000-yard mark for the season, ending his final year with 1,022 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Kicker Tyler Robles also contributed, converting field goals from 30 and 28 yards to keep points piling up for Texas State.
Rice (5–8) struggled to generate offense throughout the game. The Owls’ lone touchdown came on a short 2-yard pass from quarterback Patrick Crayton Jr. to Aaron Turner. Crayton Jr. completed four passes for 70 yards but was intercepted once as Rice failed to keep pace.
Texas State’s balanced attack and second-half explosion turned a close contest into a rout, giving the Bobcats a strong finish and a bowl victory to cap the season.
