Owl fans and alumni showed up in full force Dec. 26 to cheer on the Rice football team as it squared off with Texas State University in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl in Dallas.
The pregame events began with a fan social event Christmas night and culminated with a game day tailgate outside of SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium, where former and current Owls gathered to show support and mingle.
“For so long, Rice has been fighting to get back to the postseason, and for this to be so close to home for a lot of people, it’s great,” said Taylor McHargue ’13, Rice football alum. “These are the opportunities where I get to see a lot of old teammates that are here. That’s what it’s all about. It’s what makes bowl season so special.”
“There’s so much excitement right now around Rice Athletics,” said Ryan Hall, associate athletic director of development at Rice. “When you look at that social event and see how many people are there on Christmas evening, that just goes to show how excited people are.”
