Head Coach GJ Kinne Postgame
Lincoln Pare & Jordan McCloud Postgame
DALLAS (AP) — Jordan McCloud threw for 307 yards and a touchdown, Lincoln Pare ran for a 73-yard touchdown with 2:25 remaining in the fourth quarter and Texas State held off North Texas 30-28 on Friday night in the First Responder Bowl.
Texas State (8-5) head coach GJ Kinne secured eight wins in back-to-back seasons for a head coach at TXST for the first time since 1981-82. North Texas (6-7) was seeking its first bowl win since the 2014 Heart of Dallas Bowl.
Pare carried 21 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns. His first score, from 1-yard out, capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive that took nearly seven minutes to give Texas State a 23-14 lead midway through the third quarter.
Neither team scored again until Makenzie McGill's short TD run got North Texas within 23-21 with 3:20 left. Two plays later, Pare raced for his long score and Texas State made the extra point for a nine-point lead.
North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker answered with a 70-yard run with 1:49 left to get within two points again. The Mean Green got the ball back with 40 seconds left at their 8-yard line. But Texas State defensive end Kalil Alexander made a sack on first down to work down the clock and linebacker Treylin Payne sealed it with an interception over the middle.
Mestemaker, who was making his first career start, finished with 393 yards passing and two touchdowns with two interceptions for North Texas. It was the most passing yards in a bowl game in program history. He also carried nine times for 55 yards and a touchdown.
Mestemaker started in place of Chandler Morris, who threw for 3,774 yards and 31 touchdowns with 12 interceptions this season before transferring to Virginia. Mestemaker, a freshman, matched his season passing total of 69 yards on North Texas' only scoring drive in the first quarter.
Texas State Postgame Notes – January 3, 2025
Texas State 30 (8-5, 5-3 SBC), North Texas 28 (6-7, 3-5 AAC)
Attendance: 28,725 (FR Bowl record at Ford Stadium, 6th highest all-time for bowl)
Gerald J. Ford Stadium | Dallas, Texas
Captains: Nash Jones, Tory Spears, Jordan McCloud, Joey Hobert, Mason Shipley
Series vs. North Texas 8-29-3
Head Coach GJ Kinne
Career Record: 28-12
Career FBS Record: 16-10
Record at TXST: 16-10
- The Bobcats win their second consecutive bowl game after winning the 2023 First Responder Bowl over Rice
- First team to play in and win two consecutive First Responder Bowls
- TXST is 2-0 all-time in bowl games
- Texas State wins 8 games for the second straight season, tying the FBS program record
- GJ Kinne has back-to-back 8-win seasons, first coach since Jim Wacker 1981(13)-82(14)
Team Stats
SCORING OFFENSE, TXST'S FBS HISTORY (Top seasons since 2012)
Rk Year Points Games
1. 2023 477 13
2. 2024 475 13
3. 2014 406 12
4. 2012 343 12
5. 2020 332 12
TOTAL OFFENSE, TXST'S FBS HISTORY (Top seasons since 2012)
Rk Year Total Yards Games
1 2024 6,200 13
2. 2023 5,961 13
3. 2014 5,573 12
4. 2015 5,000 12
5. 2012 4,557 12
MOST PASSING YARDS, TXST HISTORY (Most passing yards in a season, overall history)
Rk Year Passing Yds Games
1. 2023 3,522 13
2. 2008 3,499 13
3 2024 3,493 13
4. 2009 3,178 11
5. 2003 3,129 12
MOST TEAM RUSHING YARDS IN A SEASON (Texas State's FBS history)
Rk Year Rushing Yds Attempts
1. 2014 2,862 538
2 2024 2,707 528
3. 2023 2,439 529
4. 2015 2,248 470
5. 2012 2,152 413
Fast Start
The Bobcats outscored their opponents 161- 62 in the first quarter of games this season and 277-175 through the first half in 2024. TXST has also held 5 opponents (Lamar, Sam Houston, Troy, ULM & Southern Miss) scoreless in the first quarter and 2 in the first half (Lamar & ULM).
Total Offense
TXST finished 2024 with 8 games of 450+ yards of total offense
450+ in 2024
Lamar | 486
UTSA | 504
Troy | 467
Arkansas State | 591
Southern Miss | 703 PROGRAM RECORD
Georgia State | 459
South Alabama | 530
North Texas | 508
Individual Stats
Jordan McCloud | QB
Passing: 26-35, 307 yards, 1TD
- 37 single-season TDs responsible for (30 pass, 7 rush) – PROGRAM RECORD
- 30 passing TDs – extends TXST single-season record (T8 for career)
- 6th 300-yard passing game in 2024
- Single-season numbers | TXST ranking
- 390 attempts | 5th
- 273 completions | 3rd
- 3,227 passing yards | 2nd
- 30 passing TDs | 1st
- 37 TDs responsible for | 1st
- 70.0 Completion % | 1st
Career active numbers
TD passes | 88
Total TDs responsible for | 108
Passing Yards | 10,135
Total Offense | 11,121
Completions | 846
Lincoln Pare | RB
21-143 yards, 2 TD
4-32 rushing
First Responder Bowl MVP
- 2nd 100-yard game in 2024 (season high – was 109 vs UTSA 9.7)
- Single-season numbers | TXST ranking
Joey Hobert | WR
Receiving: 4-19 yards receiving
- 35 straight games dating back to Dec. 31, 2021
- Single-season numbers | TXST ranking
- 70 receptions | 4th (76 in 2023 – 2nd)
- 8 receiving TDs | T5th (8 in 2023)
Jaden Williams | WR
Receiving: 8-155 yards receiving, 1 TD
- Career high receiving yards (was 133 vs Sam Houston 9.28)
- Career long reception (70 yards)
- Second career game with 100+ yards receiving (both at TXST)
- Single-season numbers | TXST ranking
- 57 receptions | 12th
- 807 receiving yards | 10th
- 7 receiving TDs | T10th
Mason Shipley | K
3-3 FG, 3-3 PAT
- 3 made FG tied the SPFRB record
- Single-season numbers | TXST ranking
- 15 FGM | T1st (also had 15 in 2023)
- 53 PATs made | 4th (holds record with 58 in 2023)
- 60-yard FG (9.28 vs SHSU) | 1st
- 100 points | 5th (103 in 2023 – 2nd)
Jordan Polk | CB
9 tkls, 2.0-19 tfl, 1.0-15 sack, FF
- 2nd highest single-game tackle total in 2023 (11 vs UTSA 9.28)
- 2.0 TFL – season high (19 yards also season high)
- 1.0 sacks – ties season high (15 yards season high)
- 4th FF in 2024 (team best)
Mannie Nunnery | LB
INT
- Second career INT
- 16-yard INT return
