Rice football returns home this week to host the Bayou Bucket matchup against rival Houston. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

Following a tough loss to Texas, Rice football looks to rebound against another familiar foe from the Lone Star State. They’ll face Houston this week, hosting the Bayou Bucket matchup after playing across town a year ago. The Cougars are coming off a narrow victory over UTSA, edging the Roadrunners by a field goal. Here’s everything you need to know about this week’s matchup between Rice and Houston.

Kickoff time | 6:00 PM CT
Venue | Historic Rice Stadium – Houston, Texas
TV | NFL Network (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs Houston on this week’s episode of the Blue and Gray Preview Show, streaming live on Wednesday at Noon on the Rice Athletics YouTube channel. Look for a recap of the game on the site afterward as well as on The Roost Podcast, which should be released early next week. Find us on the podcast page or wherever you like to listen to podcasts. (And consider leaving us a 5-star review while you’re at it.)

Sizing up the contenders

Houston bought itself some breathing room with a season-opening win over UTSA, but expectations remain high for Dana Holgerson and company in their first year as members of the Big 12. They play their first league game the week following the Bayou Bucket against TCU, but they can’t afford to look ahead quite yet.

As for Rice football, avoiding a 0-2 start is paramount. Losing to Texas is forgivable, dropping another game in a row to Houston would be disappointing and amp up the pressure for the rest of the way. This would be a big one for the Owls if they can find a way to bring home the victory.

Series History

All Time | Houston leads, 33-11
Last Five | Houston leads, 5-0
Last Meeting | Away 2022, Houston won 34-27

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Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Daniels – 14/26 (53.8 percent), 149 yards, 1 TD, 2INT
Rushing | Connors – 8 carries, 23 yards (3.5 yards per carry), 0 TD / Otoviano – 6 carries, 1 yards (0.2 yards per carry), 0 TD
Receiving | McCaffrey – 2 receptions, 22 yards (11.0 yds/rec), 1 TDs / Groen – 4 receptions, 28 yards (7.0 yds/rec), 0 TD
Tackles | Fresch, Wyatt – 8 / Morrison – 7 / Devones, M. Williams – 6
Pass Breakups | Jean – 2 / Fresch – 1 / Narcisse – 1
Interceptions | n/a

Houston Stat Notables

Passing | Smith – 22/34 (64.7 percent), 233 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Rushing | Smith – 13 carries, 31 yards (2.4 yards per carry), 0 TD / Mathis – 8 carries, 38 yards (4.8 ypc), 0 TD
Receiving | Brown – 6 receptions, 106 yards (17.7 yards per reception), 0 TD / Manjack – 6 receptions, 67 yards (11.2 yds/rec), 1 TD
Tackles | Robinson – 6 / Haulcy, Hogan – 5 / Seven tied with four
Pass Breakups | Hamilton, Ugwoegbu – 1
Interceptions | Fleming – 2 / Payne – 1

Houston X-Factor | Keep the ball in front of you

There have been 126 FBS teams to play at least one game so far this season. Houston has allowed more plays on defense of 10 or more yards than all but 16 of those teams. Exclude the teams that played in Week 0 and have two games to reach that total and the tally is down to eight squads more prone to allowing a chunk play on defense than the Cougars.

Now, some of that is to be expected when you play Frank Harris and what is expected to be a potent UTSA offense. Nevertheless, the results are the continuation of a trend that dates back into last season. The Cougars were the 10th worst defense nationally in that metric a year ago. They give up big gains.

The Rice offense struggled against Texas. Even if they have their hands full up front against Houston, a leaky defense can help overcome any size advantages the Cougars have up front. It’s crucial Houston finds a way to keep the ball in front of them and make opposing offenses earn every yard. If they don’t it’s unlikely they’ll be holding many teams to 14 points again any time soon.

Rice X-Factor | Win the line of scrimmage

Proving the offensive struggles were a fluke last week against Texas has to be at the top of the Owls’ to-do list for this game. For one, the proof of concept in an offense that found success throughout camp would be huge for this team’s psyche, but even more than that, they’re going to need points to beat Houston.

Getting those points has to start in the trenches. The Rice defensive line held its own against Texas. The offensive line did not. Both sides of the ball should have more manageable opportunities this week and allow Rice to play a more balanced version of football than they were able to on opening weekend.

In this matchup last season, Rice was able to go toe-to-toe with Houston and present themselves as equals for nearly the entirety of four quarters. For a team moving up in conference affiliation with a roster full of talent, another such performance is a must. Winning up front will allow Rice to run the ball and dictate how this game is played. If they can do that, they’ll be in the driver’s seat.

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One Final Thing

Rice football narrowly missed an upset in this game a year ago, and the 2023 version of the Cougars doesn’t have Clayton Tune, Tank Dell or Derek Parish. It’s still a very talented football team, but it’s not one that should be in an entirely different weight class like the squad the Owls faced in their opening game. And technically, a win this weekend would be the Owls’ first Power 5 victory under Bloomgren.

Quarterback JT Daniels shared some perspective following Saturday’s defeat. “As much as we would have wanted a different outcome I think there’s a ton to learn from and this doesn’t kill your season,” he said. He spoke of the teams’ aspirations in the AAC and the Owls’ intentions to compete for the league title.

Houston isn’t in the AAC anymore, but this game could very well serve to set the tone for the Owls’ season moving forward.

And with realignment swirling, this game is the final scheduled contest between these two crosstown rivals as things currently stand. In the event future meetings aren’t forthcoming — that’ll be a hot-button topic this week, I’m sure — It sure would be nice to go out on top.

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