Rice football returns home this weekend to take on a dangerous Western Michigan squad. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.
It wasn’t a very pleasant road trip for Rice football, which fell to Notre Dame in Week 2, but the Owls don’t have time to dwell on the defeat much longer with a dangerous Western Michigan squad coming to town this Saturday. The Broncos took care of FCS Monmouth with ease, securing a dominant 49-14 victory before packing their bags for Houston. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and Western Michigan.
Kickoff time | 6:00 PM
Venue | Historic Rice Stadium – Houston, TX
TV | ESPN+ (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)
Gameday cartoon illustrated by Hong Lin Tsai.
Sizing up the Contenders
It remains to be seen just how the College Football Playoff committee will treat Western Michigan’s Week 1 *loss* in the final second to Michigan. No matter the result, though, the Broncos host Boise State next week and have the makings of the MAC’s first legitimate playoff contender… should they stay the course. A non-conference loss this weekend might prove costly to those efforts.
Rice Football Preseason Preview: Get prepared for the season here.
Rice football might not have playoff dreams just yet, but this upcoming game against Western Michigan offers the first right-sized test of talent the Owls have faced this season, after opening the year with a sandwich of an FCS opponent in Week 1 and a national title contender in Week 2. It’s quite possible we learn more about this team in this game than either of the first two games combined.
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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 | Rice leads, 1-0
Last Five | Rice leads, 1-0
Last Meeting | Texas Bowl 2008, Rice won 38-14
Rice Football Stat Notables
Passing | Brown – 11/18 (61.1 percent), 82 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Rushing | Brown – 29 carries, 128 yards (4.5 yds/car) / Byars – 23 carries, 128 yards (5.6 yds/car) / Hardeman – 20 carries, 90 yards (4.5 yds/car), 1 TD / Jackson – 10 carries, 61 yards (6.1 yds/car), 2 TD
Receiving | Jackson – 1 reception, 30 yards (30 yds/rec) / Bruce – 1 reception, 18 yards (18 yds/rec) / Clark – 2 reception, 16 yards (8.0 yds/rec)
Tackles | King – 13/ Brown – 10 / Nwajuaku – 7
Pass Breakups | Benjamin, Amey – 2 / Brown, Akui – 1
Interceptions | Harper – 1
Western Michigan Stat Notables
Passing | Lowry – 29/41 (70.7 percent), 301 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Rushing | Buckley – 29 carries, 90 yards (3.1 yds/car), 3 TD / Lowry – 19 carries, 75 yards (3.9 yds/car)
Receiving | Chenault – 10 receptions, 154 yards (15.4 yds/rec) / Brooks – 4 receptions, 49 yards (12.3 yds/rec), 2 TD / Nelson – 5 receptions, 37 yards (7.4 yds/rec), 1 TD
Tackles | Betts – 15 / Moon – 13 / Moore, Sims – 11
Pass Breakups | Pope – 3 / Eight others tied with 1
Interceptions | Moore – 1
Western Michigan X-Factor | Dictate the Pace
Controlling the clock has been a longstanding priority for Rice football head coach Scott Abell, and while disrupting that priority would have obvious benefits, it’s not the only must-do for the Broncos this weekend. What they’ve done so well thus far goes beyond counting seconds. They’ve controlled the way games have played out by winning on third down — on both sides of the ball.
Western held Michigan to 3-of-10 on third down while converting 8-of-18 themselves. A week later they went 4-of-9 on third down and converted their only fourth down opportunity. Monmouth was able to convert 11-of-22 third down tries, but five of those came in the fourth quarter with their FCS foe trailing by five touchdowns.
Being able to set the terms of the engagement has been incredibly beneficial for Western Michigan so far and represents a direct clash in styles with what Rice wants to do.
Rice X-Factor | No Self-Inflicted Wounds
Like Rice, Western Michigan played one marquee game in the opening weeks of their season. Unlike Rice, they could have (and maybe should have) been credited with a victory. There’s no denying the Broncos’ near-upset of Michigan in Week 1 was an impressive display from the MAC squad, but it’s likewise true that Michigan did themselves no favors along the way.
Michigan turned the ball over twice and committed nine penalties for 80 yards. Until proven otherwise, the four-fumble fiasco Rice football endured against Notre Dame will be treated as the exception, not the rule, but there’s no better time to get back on track than this Saturday.
It’s worth noting, Western Michigan hasn’t been perfect in this area. They’ve fumbled five times this season, but lost none of them. A positive turnover margin and a clean bill on the penalty ledger will give the Owls an even fight against the first team they’ve played this season that is ostensibly on their level of talent. Do better than that, maybe even force a turnover or two, and Rice has all the ingredients of a signature non-conference win.
Injury Report (Subscribers only)
One Final Thing
Common wisdom warns against overreacting to small sample sizes in life, but college football doesn’t offer such a luxury. A 1-1 start has sent Rice football fans through the full gamut of emotions and this next game — the tiebreaker, at least for now — is likely to have an outsized effect on how this young season is perceived.
Ultimately, it’s just one non-conference game against a quality team, but there’s something to be said for how a team responds when they’re thrown to the mat. And make no mistake, the Owls are that team in need of a pick-me-up after how the Notre Dame game transpired.
A win or a loss on Saturday won’t materially impact the Owls’ aspirations of an American Conference Championship, but it would sour the optics of a second season that began with such promise. In more ways than one, Rice football could use a win. And a win like this would be particularly impactful given the journey both teams have taken to this moment.