Rice football is off the bye, readying to host UConn this week in the Owls’ final non-conference game. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.
Rice football returns to the gridiron this Saturday for an extended stretch of home games following a much-needed bye week on bye after a one-sided rout at the hands of UTSA. UConn faired much better in their last two weekends, taking their bye week two weeks ago while Rice was in San Antonio before knocking off Boston College on Saturday. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and UConn.
Kickoff time | 2:00 PM CT
Venue | Rice Stadium – Houston, TX
TV | ESPN+ (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)
Sizing up the Contenders
UConn will almost assuredly reach bowl eligibility with five wins so far and games remaining against UAB and Florida Atlantic after their game at Rice. The question now is how high can the Huskies climb? If things break the right way, this team could win nine games for a second consecutive season. That would likely require a win in Houston, though.
As for Rice football, they have bowl aspirations of their own, which took a hit with a three-game skid going into the bye week and games still remaining against conference heavyweights like Memphis, North Texas and South Florida.
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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 | UConn leads, 2-0
Last Five | UConn leads, 2-0
Last Meeting | Away 2024, UConn won 17-10
Rice Football Stat Notables
Passing | Jenkins – 60/89 (67.4 percent), 553 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing | Jackson – 96 carries, 487 yards (5.1 yards per carry), 3 TD / Jenkins – 80 carries, 275 yards (3.4 yards per carry) – 4 TD / Alexander – 63 carries, 370 yards (5.9 yards per carry), 3 TD
Receiving | Dickmann – 24 receptions, 262 yards (10.9 yds/rec), 3 TD / Turner – 21 receptions, 136 yards (6.5 yds/rec) / Walker – 6 receptions, 49 yards (8.2 yds/rec)
Tackles | Awe – 53 / Morris – 45 / Williams – 37
Pass Breakups | Crump – 6 / Williams – 5 / Porter – 4
Interceptions | Kane, Stevenson, Wyatt – 1
UConn Stat Notables
Passing | Fagnano – 154/226 (63.4 percent), 1918 yards, 15 TD, 0 INT
Rushing | Edwards – 113 carries, 694 yards (6.10 yds/car), 7 TD / Brown – 16 carries, 159 yards (9.9 yds/car)
Receiving | Bell – 58 receptions, 687 yards (11.9 yds/rec), 7 TD / Neider – 14 receptions, 254 yards (18.1 yds/rec), 1 TD / Murphy – 18 receptions, 228 yards (12.7 yds/rec), 3 TD
Tackles | Bryun – 61 / Diomande – 55 / Chadwick – 37
Pass Breakups | Brinson – 6 / Mills – 4 / Molette, Pringle – 3
Interceptions | Five tied with one apiece
UConn X-Factor | Offset the Owls’ Attack
Given the productivity of the UConn offense, Rice will be doing all it can to find success of its own when they have the ball and keep it out of the Huskies’ hands. Questions in the Owls’ secondary and uncertainty at quarterback are already going to make things difficult for Rice. UConn can multiply those woes by frustrating the Rice offense with negative plays and excellent third down defense.
UConn ranks 14th in the nation in third down defense, allowing just 30.1 percent conversions. Top-flight pressure has contributed to that. Only 17 schools in the nation average more than UConn’s seven tackles for loss per contest. The Huskies’ formula has been consistent and it’s worked. All they need to do is replicate it in Houston.
Rice X-Factor | Corner Room Chaos
Rice football ranks third in the American Conference and top 50 nationally in passing defense. They’ve gotten to that mark with a makeshift safety room, which finally appears to be nearing full strength at the midpoint of the season. However, in reaching those marks the Owls have had the luxury of trusting the same two starting corners for the long haul.
Khary Crump is not with the program right now after he was indefinitely suspended following an altercation with officials last week. Omari Porter was briefly sent to the bench against UTSA for Lavonte Johnson. That tandem will now be asked to UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano, who is one of only two quarterbacks in the nation with 10 or more touchdown passes and no interceptions.
If Rice can hold up on the outside and control the UConn passing attack, they’ll have a very good chance to win this game, but that’s something that certainly would have seemed much easier before their last game in the Alamodome.
Injury Report (Subscribers only)
One Final Thing
The 2024 Rice football team, which struggled to such a degree that Mike Bloomgren was fired, never lost more than three consecutive games. There was a stretch when the Owls lost five of six contests, but a win over UTSA in Houston was sandwiched between those losses to steal some fleeting hope. That’s really what’s at stake for Rice this coming weekend.
No, Abell isn’t getting fired, nor is his vision for the program in doubt in any material capacity. But hope? That’s in low supply around South Main right now and could use a boost. A boost that could come in the form of a skid-stopping win at home.
More than anything, fans want to see progress, something that has seemed largely evasive over their losing streak. They want to see a team that is getting better, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, where Abell has honed his craft for decades. And while he’s at it, getting back to .500 before a brutal closing schedule would certainly be a nice way to come out of the off week.
