| Game Name: | Texas Bowl |
| Subheader: | 13th Texas Bowl |
| Title Sponsor: | Academy Sports + Outdoors |
| Date Game Played: | December 27 |
| Year Game Played: | 2018 |
| Football Season: | 2018 |
| Stadium: | NRG Stadium |
| City: | Houston, Texas |
| Visitor School: | Baylor University |
| Visitor Name Short: | Baylor |
| Visitor Nickname: | Bears |
| Visitor Record: | 6–6 |
| Visitor Conference: | Big 12 |
| Visitor Coach: | Matt Rhule |
| Visitor 1Q: | 10 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 14 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 14 |
| Home School: | Vanderbilt University |
| Home Name Short: | Vanderbilt |
| Home Nickname: | Commodores |
| Home Record: | 6–6 |
| Home Conference: | SEC |
| Home Coach: | Derek Mason |
| Home 1Q: | 14 |
| Home 2Q: | 7 |
| Home 3Q: | 7 |
| Home 4Q: | 10 |
| Mvp: | Charlie Brewer (QB, Baylor)[1] |
| Odds: | Vanderbilt by 3.5[2] |
| Referee: | Gary Patterson (ACC) |
| Attendance: | 51,104[3] |
| Payout: | 6,300,000 [4] |
| Us Network: | ESPN & ESPN Radio |
| Us Announcers: | Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic (ESPN) Bill Rosinski, David Norrie and Ian Fitzsimmons (ESPN Radio) |
| Intl Network: | ESPN Deportes |
The 2018 Texas Bowl was a college football bowl game that was played on December 27, 2018, with kickoff at 9:00 p.m. EST.[5] It was the 13th edition of the Texas Bowl, and was one of the 2018–19 bowl games concluding the 2018 FBS football season. Sponsored by the Academy Sports + Outdoors sporting goods company, the game was officially known as the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl.
The 2018 Texas Bowl featured the Baylor Bears of the Big 12 Conference and the Vanderbilt Commodores of the Southeastern Conference. Both teams had a 6–6 record coming in to the game, making the Texas Bowl the only bowl game of the season without a team with a winning record.[6] Despite featuring a pair of .500 teams, fans were treated to one of the highest-scoring games of the bowl season that included five touchdown plays of 50 yards or more, and more than 1,200 yards (combined) of total offense.[7]
The matchup of Baylor from the Big 12 Conference and Vanderbilt from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) was announced on December 2.[8] The teams had previously met twice, with Baylor winning both games, played in 1953 and 1954.[8]
See also: 2018 Baylor Bears football team and 2018 Big 12 Conference football season. Baylor received and accepted a bid to the Texas Bowl on December 2.[8] The Bears entered the bowl with a 6–6 record (4–5 in conference).
See also: 2018 Vanderbilt Commodores football team and 2018 Southeastern Conference football season. Vanderbilt received and accepted a bid to the Texas Bowl on December 2.[8] The Commodores entered the bowl with a 6–6 record (3–5 in conference).