Rice football hosts Memphis on Halloween in a nationally televised matchup. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.
Both Rice football and Memphis posted thrilling come-from-behind wins in their most recent games. The Owls rallied to defeat UConn in double overtime, while the Tigers scored 17 unanswered fourth quarter points to beat South Florida. Now they square off in Houston on Halloween night. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and Memphis.
Kickoff time | 6:00 PM CT
Venue | Rice Stadium – Houston, TX
TV | ESPN2 (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)
Sizing up the Contenders
A week removed from a head-scratching loss at UAB, Memphis kept its American Conference championship hopes alive with a gutsy home win over South Florida. The Tigers aren’t out of the woods, yet, though. Every win counts and they need another over the Owls if they want to play for that conference title.
Rice football is equally invested in the outcome of this one, with a potential bowl bid hanging in the balance. Knocking off Memphis would put the Owls one win away from a postseason trip in head coach Scott Abell’s debut season.
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Last Time Out
Make sure you check out The Roost Podcast every week this season as we review the Owls’ most recent game, breaking down the key moments, decisions and their impact on the outlook of the program moving forward.
Series History
All Time | Memphis leads, 3-2
Last Five | Memphis leads, 3-2
Last Meeting | Away 2024, Memphis won 27-20
Rice Football Stat Notables
Passing | Jenkins – 77/111 (69.4 percent), 744 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT
Rushing | Jackson – 117 carries, 655 yards (5.6 yards per carry), 6 TD / Jenkins – 97 carries, 332 yards (3.4 yards per carry) – 4 TD / Alexander – 68 carries, 379 yards (5.6 yards per carry), 3 TD
Receiving | Dickmann – 28 receptions, 292 yards (10.4 yds/rec), 3 TD / Turner – 28 receptions, 185 yards (6.6 yds/rec)
Tackles | Awe – 59 / Morris – 52 / Williams – 45
Pass Breakups | Crump (Suspended) – 6 / Williams – 5 / Porter – 4
Interceptions | Kane, Stevenson, Wyatt – 1
Memphis Stat Notables
Passing | Lewis – 141/208 (67.8 percent), 1644 yards, 10 TD, 4 INT
Rushing | Smith – 85 carries, 515 yards (6.10 yds/car), 6 TD / Lewis – 97 carries, 470 yards (4.80 yds/car)
Receiving | Braham Jr. – 36 receptions, 566 yards (15.7 yds/rec), 7 TD / Hawkins – 24 receptions, 431 yards (18.0 yds/rec) / Bussey – 16 receptions, 201 yards (12.6 yds/rec)
Tackles | Brumfield – 54 / Watts – 49 / Wilson – 48
Pass Breakups | Bracy – 7/ Cooper – 5 / Wilson, Jordan – 4
Interceptions | Wilson, Ward – 2 / Seven tied with one apiece
Memphis X-Factor | Win Third Down on Defense
In their most recent games, the Memphis defense has struggled mightily to get off the field. They allowed UAB to convert 9-of-13 on third down and USF to convert 12-of-18. Rice wants nothing more than to control the pace of this game and grind out drives, keeping an explosive Memphis offense off the field to prevent Lewis and company from making game-changing plays.
The more direct path to prevent the Owls from controlling the game script is to force Rice into third-and-long situations and avoid extended drives. Rice has proven they’re at their best offensively when they’re able to possess the football and stack play after play of incremental gains. Memphis can’t allow Rice to dictate the pace.
Rice X-Factor | Stay Balanced
Coming into this past weekend, Memphis boasted the best rush defense in the American Conference, technically. The Tigers had shut down some largely unimpressive rushing offenses before they were roughed up on the ground by UAB (219 yards, 1 touchdown) and run through by South Florida (295 yards, 3 touchdowns).
This is a defense that has been susceptible through the air and while the Owls might be tempted to air it out against a secondary that has been up and down, there’s enough proof that the run game can work against the Tigers.
Rice quarterback Chase Jenkins threw for a career high 191 yards against UConn, but that probably doesn’t happen without a career day from Quinton Jackson, who had a career-best 168 yards on the ground to keep the offense on schedule. Running the ball keeps this offense moving.
Injury Report (Subscribers only)
One Final Thing
Oddsmakers pegged Rice football as a 3.5 win team coming into the season. The Owls have surpassed those expectations with four games still to play. And while the journey has been bumpy, the results don’t feel fluky. This is a young team, visibly growing as the year progresses. The future is bright, but if you’ve heard a single sound bit from Abell, he has no intentions of punting on the 2025 season as they lay the foundation for that eventual success.
During the offseason, we posited on The Roost Podcast that the unique scheme would give the Owls a shot to upset a conference frontrunner. That hasn’t happened yet, but Rice played Navy within one score and just topped a UConn team that checks in at No. 59 nationally in Bill Connelly’s SP+ metrics. Memphis sits at No. 31, much better than the Huskies, but not infallible; just ask UAB.
Add in a short week and getting to play at home, and you’ve got the ingredients for an eventful night on South Main. Perhaps things get a little spooky for the visitors. The Rice football team that took the field this past Saturday looked more than capable of putting a scare into just about anyone in this echelon of the sport.
