UTSA dominates FIU 57-20 in First Responder Bowl

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

DALLAS, TEXAS (December 26, 2025)  The UTSA Roadrunners put on a big show Friday night at the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, beating the Florida International Panthers 57-20 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. UTSA came from behind and scored 38 straight points to take control of the game after FIU jumped out to an early lead.

FIU looked strong early. The Panthers scored first on a touchdown pass from Joe Pesansky and then seemed to take charge when Maguire Anderson returned a punt 97 yards for another score. For a moment, the Game looked like it might be close.

But UTSA answered with a big push. Quarterback Owen McCown started the comeback with a short run by Will Henderson III, then connected with Henderson on a 40-yard touchdown pass to tie the game. After a field goal, McCown threw a 23-yard touchdown to Devin McCuin to give UTSA the lead. Running back A’Marion Peterson added a 10-yard score to put the Roadrunners up 31-14 at halftime.

In the second half, UTSA kept scoring. Henderson scored again on a short run, and McCown added another passing touchdown. Backup players also got in on the scoring action, including Bryson Donnell with a touchdown run. The Roadrunners built a big lead and never looked back.

McCown had a strong night, finishing 18 of 28 for 295 yards and three touchdowns. UTSA’s offense outgained FIU 481 yards to 255 yards, showing its power on both run and pass plays.

The win gives UTSA its seventh straight winning season and third bowl win in a row. For FIU, the season still ended with a 7-6 record, and the bowl appearance marked the Panthers’ first postseason game since 2019.

Texas State overcomes North Texas at SERVPRO First Responder Bowl

Story and photos by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

UNIVERSITY PARK, TEXAS (January 3, 2025)  In an exciting finish, the Texas State Bobcats edged the North Texas Mean Green 30-28 in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on Friday at Gerald J Ford Stadium on the SMU campus. Running back Lincoln Pare led the Bobcats with 143 yards on 21 carries, scoring two touchdowns. His standout moment was a 73-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter, which proved crucial for the team's victory.

Quarterback Jordan McCloud also had a strong performance for Texas State, completing 26 of 35 passes for 307 yards. He threw one touchdown pass to Jaden Williams, who caught eight passes totaling 155 yards. This win marks the Bobcats' second consecutive First Responder Bowl victory, concluding their season with an 8-5 record.

For North Texas, quarterback Drew Mestemaker, a former walk-on, made his first college start. He completed 26 of 41 passes for 393 yards, throwing two touchdowns but also two interceptions. Mestemaker showcased his athleticism with a remarkable 70-yard touchdown run that brought the Mean Green within two points late in the game. Despite his efforts, North Texas was unable to secure the win, finishing their season at 6-7.

The game began with Texas State taking an early lead through a 34-yard field goal by Mason Shipley. North Texas quickly responded with a 46-yard touchdown pass from Mestemaker to Miles Coleman. The teams traded scores throughout the first half, with Texas State holding a narrow 16-14 lead at halftime.

In the second half, the Bobcats extended their lead with a 1-yard touchdown run by Pare. North Texas answered with a 1-yard touchdown run by Mackenzie McGill II, narrowing the gap. However, Pare's explosive 73-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter gave Texas State a 30-21 advantage. Mestemaker's 70-yard touchdown run brought the Mean Green close, but a late interception sealed the victory for the Bobcats.

Texas State and North Texas to meet in SERVPRO First Responder Bowl

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

UNIVERSITY PARK, TEXAS (January 2, 2025) The North Texas Mean Green (6-6) and Texas State Bobcats (7-5) are set to face off in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on Friday, January 3, 2025. The game will kick off at 3 p.m. CT at Gerald J. Ford Stadium and will air on ESPN. 

This matchup marks the second straight year the bowl features two Texas teams. North Texas is making history as the first team to play in the bowl three times. They previously beat UNLV in 2013 (36-14) and lost to Army in 2016 (38-31). Texas State, on the other hand, is playing in the bowl for the second time. They won last year’s game against Rice, 45-21.

The game also marks the 40th meeting between these two schools but the first since 1994. North Texas leads the all-time series 29-7-3. This will be their first matchup as FBS programs.

North Texas, led by second-year coach Eric Morris, averaged 34 points and 488.7 yards per game this season. Quarterback Chandler Morris has thrown for 3,774 yards and 31 touchdowns. The Mean Green are playing in their 15th bowl game (3-11 overall).

Texas State is led by coach GJ Kinne, also in his second season. The Bobcats scored 37.1 points per game and ranked sixth nationally in total offense. Running back Ismail Mahdi is just nine yards away from 1,000 on the season, while quarterback Jordan McCloud has 2,920 passing yards and 29 touchdowns. This is Texas State’s second bowl appearance (1-0 overall).

The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl honors first responders like police officers, firefighters, and EMS workers. The event began in 2010 and has been held at Gerald J. Ford Stadium since 2018. 

Western Michigan makes retrun to Dallas-area for SERVPRO First Responder Bowl

By Chris Price
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

DALLAS, TEXAS (December 30, 2019) Western Michigan will face the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the 2019 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on Monday, December 30, 2019. The game is scheduled for an 11:30 a.m. CT kickoff at SMU's Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. 

They are playing in their third consecutive bowl game and 10th in program history. They are 1-8 all-time in bowl season, the lone win coming over Middle Tennessee State in 2015; a 45-31 win. Bronco junior linebacker Treshaun Hayward was named to the Sportine News All-American team,  in addition to receiving the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year with 132 tackles, fifth most in the nation. 

The Broncos (7-5, 5-3 MAC) is playing in the Dallas area for the second time since the 2016 season. They played Wisconsin in the 2017 Goodyear Cotton Bowl, played in Arlington’s AT&T Stadium, falling by the score of 24-16. 

The offense is paced by 2019 MAC Offensive Player of the Year running back LeVante Bellamy. A Doak Walker Award semifinalist, the senior leads the nation with 23 rushing touchdowns and is tenth in the country with 1,412 yards rushing. 

Senior quarterback Jon Wassink was the recipient of the Wuerffel Trophy, presented by the Chickfil-A Foundation. The award is the premier award for community service is presented annually to the FBS player best combining exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.

Western Kentucky makes first bowl trip to Texas for SERVPRO First Responder Bowl

By Chris Price
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

DALLAS, TEXAS (December 30, 2019) The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are headed to Dallas, Texas to face the Western Michigan Broncos in the 2019 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on December 30, 2019 at SMU's Gerald J Ford Stadium.

The Hilltoppers are making their sixth bowl appearance since 2012 after it’s 2012 Little Caesars Bowl appearance ended a drought dating back to 1975, which they lost in the NCAA Division II National Championship Game. WKU is 7-4 all-time in bowl games and 3-2 in the FBS era. 

Tyson Helton, in his first season as a head coach, was named the C-USA Coach of the Year. With a win, Helton would help the program earn its ninth win of the year to equal the total of 2017 and 2018 wins combined. Helton joins his father, Kim Helton, as the only father-son duo to be named Coach of the Year in the C-USA’s 25-year history in any sport. 

Junior defensive end DeAngelo Malone was named the 2019 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. Malone racked up 21.0 tackles for loss (11th in the nation) with 11.5 sacks. Malone averages 7.5 total tackles per game. 

Senior quarterback Ty Storey earned the 2019 C-USA Newcomer of the Year honor after tossing 12 touchdowns, 2,209 yards and just five interceptions. Topping his former squad Arkansas in November, he was 22-of-32 on the way to being named the Manning Award National Quarterback of the Week, a first in program history.

Western Kentucky, Western Michigan to meet in SERVPRO First Responder Bowl

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

DALLAS, TEXAS (December 29, 2019) On Monday, December 30, the final football game of the decade at SMU's Gerald J. Ford Stadium (shown left) will see the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky University. (8-4, 6-2 C-USA) facing off the Broncos of Western Michigan (7-5, 5-3 MAC) in the 2019 Servpro Frist Responder Bowl. 

This the first First Responder Bowl to be played at SMU's stadium. The previous nine contests were all contested at Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas. It is not the first bowl game ever played in Ford Stadium, however. The 2010 and 2011 Armed Forces Bowl games were played at SMU while renovations to TCU’s Amon G. Carter Stadium were made. The 2018 contest, scheduled between Boston College and Boise State, was cancelled due to weather. It is believed to be the first bowl game cancelled after kickoff.

WKU and Western Michigan are meeting for the first time since 1947. The programs have met 15 times prior, with Western Michigan leading the all-time series 11-3-1.  Neither team has ever played in the city of Dallas prior to the bowl. Western Michigan did play in the 2017 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The Broncos were selected as an at-large as the highest ranked College Football Playoff (CFP) Group of Five team. Western Michigan dropped a 24-16 decision to Wisconsin in that contest.

This is the third time that Western Michigan has played a bowl game in the state of Texas. In addition to earning a trip to the 2017 Cotton Bowl, where the team lost 24-16 to Wisconsin, the Broncos also played in the Texas Bowl in Houston in 2008. WMU lost 38-14, to hometown Rice in that contest. In all, Western Michigan is 1-8 all time in bowl games

This marks WKU’s first bowl game played in the state of Texas. The Hilltoppers are 3-2 in its previous five all-time bowl appearances since joining the FBS ranks in 2009.

The WKU Hilltoppers and Western Michigan Broncos have played 15 times previously, and Western Michigan leads the series 11-3-1. The teams have not played in 72 years, however, as all 15 games were played between 1923-47. Ironically, WMU athletic teams were once known as the Hilltoppers, a reference to the school’s location on top of Prospect Hill, but changed their nickname in 1939 to the Broncos to avoid confusion with teams of other schools such as WKU.

This is the latest date that the SERVPRO First Responder game has been played since the 2013 contest was played between North Texas and UNLV on Jan. 1, 2014. All 10 games have been played between Dec. 26 and Jan. 2.

Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN.