Rice Football returns from their second bye week in search of their first win over Middle Tennessee. How to watch, stats to know, x-factor picks for both teams and more.

Rice football makes their first-ever trip to Murfreesboro, TN this weekend in search of their first win over Middle Tennessee and their first win of the 2019 season. The Owls lost a close contest to Marshall in their last game before their Week 10 bye.

Like the Owls, the Blue Raiders also had last weekend off. Prior to that, they’d lost three of their last four conference games, all of which were away from home. Middle Tennessee is a perfect 2-0 in Conference USA home games this season, beating FIU and Marshall by a combined score of 74-30.

Here’s what you need to know about both Middle Tennessee and Rice before their Week 12 game.

Broadcast Info

Kickoff time | 3:30 PM CT
Venu | Floyd Stadium – Murfreesboro, TN
TV | ESPN+ (Streaming [$])
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio Preview

We’ll preview the Middle Tennessee game on Episode 17 of The Roost Podcast which will be released on Thursday. 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

Sitting at 0-9, Rice football has had patches of success but has yet to connect those moments into a full four-quarter performance. Despite their lack of wins, the Owls have been in every game after halftime, often finding themselves in a one-score game in the fourth quarter.

Middle Tennessee hasn’t played many close games. Other than a 33-30 loss to North Texas on October 19, their eight remaining contests have been decided by at least two scores, three wins and four losses.

Rice will hope their experience in close games will give them an edge on the road, should they find themselves in that familiar situation once more. Middle Tennessee will do all they can to avoid a close game entirely.

Series History

All Time | No Previous Meetings
Last Five | N/A
Last Meeting | N/A

Rice Stat Notables

Passing | Stewart – 49/87 (56.3 percent), 538 yards passing, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing | Walter – 112 carries, 509 yards (4.5 yards per carry), 5 TD
Receiving | Trammell – 46 receptions, 559 yards (12.2 yards per reception), 3 TD | Rozner – 39 receptions, 551 yards (14.3 yards per reception, 2 TD
Tackles | Alldredge – 74, Montero – 61, Chamberlain – 53
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Thornton – 5 PBU, Smith 2 – INT

Middle Tennessee Stat Notables

Passing | O’Hara – 152/246 (61.8), 1792 yards passing, 13 TD, 6 INT
Rushing | O’Hara – 137 carries, 757 yards (5.5 yards per carry), 7 TD
Receiving | Pierce – 31 receptions, 414 yards (13.4 yards per reception), 2 TD | Lee – 32 receptions, 281 yards (8.8 yards per reception), 1 TD
Tackles | Moffatt – 74, Blankenship – 58, Thomas – 58
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Patterson – 6 PBU, Moffatt – 3 INT

Middle Tennessee X-Factor | Asher O’Hara

As Middle Tennessee quarterback Asher O’Hara goes, so does Middle Tennessee. The dual-threat quarterback is the entirety of his team’s offense. In the Blue Raiders’ three wins, O’Hara is averaging 330 total yards and three touchdowns per game with one interception across those contests. In their losses, he’s been limited to 256 yards per game and 1.8 touchdowns with five turnovers, almost one per game.

Leading receiver Jarrin Pierce has just 31 receptions on the year. No player, other than O’Hara, has more than 36 carries over the course of the season. 11 different Middle Tennessee have scored this season — a byproduct of a system that feeds off of O’Hara’s ability rather than the skillsets of a select group of playmakers.

O’Hara is going to be leaned on to carry this team for a full 60 minutes. If the Owls can stop him, they’ll stop the Middle Tennessee offense. If they can do that, they’ll have a chance to win.

Rice X-Factor | Finding Explosive Plays

Rice found a spark on offense behind freshman quarterback JoVoni Johnson who left the Owls’ last game early with a lower-body injury. He can play in one more game this year and still retain his redshirt eligibility. Whether it’s Johnson or veteran Tom Stewart at the helm, the Owls must turn that spark into a full-fledged flame.

The Owls have had games where three-and-outs hampered their offense. That wasn’t the case against Marshall. They drove down the field successfully but frequently stalled out, failing to turn first downs into touchdowns.

Explosive plays are the missing part of that equation. Rice has proven their ability to generate first downs, but collecting them in bunches is much more challenging of a proposition than stringing a few together with a big play to link them together. Johnson and Juma Otoviano gave this offense a fresh feel. If they can take the next step, and someone else can join in, the Owls could complement a stingy defense with points.

Injury Report

The bye week came at a good time for Rice football on the injury front. Anthony Ekpe, Andrew Bird and Brian Chaffin all could return to action this week. All three have progressed from where they were last week. In addition to the quarterbacks, those three will be names to watch during the weekend.

Need More?

The Roost’s 2019 Rice Football Season Preview has four pages dedicated to every opponent the Owls face. There are depth chart, important new arrivals and depth chart breakdowns for each foe. Better yet, it’s not just speculation, each profile was created with insight from local experts who cover those teams day in and day out. Pick up your copy today and get four pages and more than 1,000 words on every foe.

Pick ‘Em Contest

If you haven’t yet, make sure you submit your entry for The Roost’s weekly pick’em challenge. Choose an answer to each of the six questions below and submit them on the forum thread to enter.

1. How many combined touchdown passes will be thrown (both teams)?
   Over 3.5 / Under 3.5
2. Which team converts more third downs?
   Rice (or tie) / MTSU
3. Which team has more time of possession?
   Rice / MTSU (or tie)
4. How many passes will Rice quarterbacks complete?
   Over 15.5 / Under 15.5
5. Which total is higher?
   Number of Rice first downs / Number of Blaze Alldredge tackles (or tie)
6. Who wins?
   Rice / MTSU

One Final Thing

In many ways, the Middle Tennessee matchup is a favorable one for Rice. Their strength on defense pitted against a potent offense will be the most intriguing battle, but it’s what happens on the other side of the ball that might win this game.

The Middle Tennessee defense has talent, but hasn’t been able to turn their collection of playmakers into a consistent unit. If Rice football is going to turn things around, this is a unit that doesn’t appear to be as daunting as some of the other defensive fronts they’ve faced yet this season.

Combing both facets of their game — a strong defense with a growing offense — could give the Owls a dose of energy headed into the home stretch. They could use the jolt.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Rice Football hosts Marshall on Homecoming weekend in search of the Owls first win. How to watch, stats to know, x-factor picks for both teams and more.

Both Marshall and Rice football experienced momentum-swinging moments in the fourth quarter of their most recent games. The Thundering Herd’s memories of Week 9 proved much more satisfying than the Owls.

Marshall watched a 17-point over Western Kentucky turn into a deadlocked 23-23 game in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Not long after, a 53-yard field goal from Justin Rohrwasser sailed through the pipes to give Marshall the win.

Rice was on the other side of the final results. A fourth quarter interception snuffed out what might have been the game-tying touchdown drive as the Owls fell at home. With Homecoming weekend at hand, Rice hopes to crack the win column for the first time this season on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know about both Marshall and Rice before their Week 10 battle.

Broadcast Info

Kickoff time | 2:30 PM CT
Venu | Rice Stadium – Houston, Tx
TV | Stadium on Facebook (Streaming)
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio Preview

We’ll preview the Marshall game on Episode 15 of The Roost Podcast which will be released on Wednesday. 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

Rice has been handed their own ultimatum by head coach Mike Bloomgren. The offense has struggled mightily, having its upside muted by costly turnovers in crucial moments. To use his own words, “something will change.”

Marshall won’t be looking to make any sizable changes, rather the Thundering Herd need to focus on showing consistent effort on both sides of the ball for four quarters. It’s been a mixed bag for this squad, who’s good and bad sides can vary, not just from game to game, but quarter to quarter.

Series History

All Time | Marshall leads 4-2
Last Five | Marshall leads 3-2
Last Meeting | Away 2014, Marshall won 41-14

Rice Stat Notables

Passing | Stewart – 48/78 (61.5 percent), 532 yards passing, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing | Walter – 110 carries, 504 yards (4.6 yards per carry), 5 TD
Receiving | Rozner – 37 receptions, 524 yards (14.2 yards per reception), 2 TD | Trammell – 42 receptions, 524 yards (12.5 yards per reception), 2 TD
Tackles | Alldredge – 66, Montero – 50, Chamberlain – 46
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Thornton – 5 PBU, Smith – 2 INT

Marshall Stat Notables

Passing | Green – 134/228 (58.8), 1607 yards passing, 11 TD, 6 INT
Rushing | Knox – 137 carries, 803 yards (5.9 yards per carry), 7 TD
Receiving | Levias – 32 receptions, 346 yards (10.8 yards per reception), 3 TD
Tackles | Cobb – 70, Beckett – 69, Johnson – 51
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Jackson – 4 PBU, 5 tied with 1 INT

Marshall X-Factor | Quarterback Isaiah Green

It might be overly simplistic, but in many ways, Marshall goes the way of their quarterback Isaiah Green. When the sophomore signal caller is playing well, the offense moves and the Thundering Herd stay in games. When he’s not having a good day, the team hasn’t proven they have the resiliency to find other ways to score.

In Marshall’s five wins, Green has a 62.7 completion percentage, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. That’s a stark difference from his 52.3 percent completion percentage, one touchdown and four interceptions in Marshall’s three losses.

Getting his feet wet last season was important, but Green is still a young quarterback. And as Rice fans know all too well, young quarterbacks can be prone to mistakes. How locked in Green is against the Owls will go a long way to determining whether or not the Marshall offense is going to be able to find its rhythm.

Rice X-Factor | Turnovers

The losses against Southern Miss, UTSA and Louisiana Tech can be traced directly back to turnovers. In each of those games Rice had possession inside the redzone in a one-score game and left with no points. The Owls haven’t had field goal woes since senior Chris Barnes was inserted to handle the kicking duties. Self-inflicted wounds have been the problem.

Points have come at a premium in the past several weeks. Every scoring opportunity that ends without anything on the scoreboard is a massive blow to the team’s chances. Eliminating turnovers won’t guarantee victory, but it will give a significant boost to an offense that isn’t operating with much margin for error right now.

If the Rice defense can come away with some of their own — safety Naeem Smith has a takeaway in consecutive contests — a source of consternation could be a bright spot in the team’s first win.

Injury Report

The Owls have gotten more and more beat up as the season has progressed. Quarterback Tom Stewart’s back injury came as a complete surprise late Friday before the Southern Miss game. Center Brian Chaffin, Linebacker Anthony Ekpe, corner Andrew Bird and running back Aston Walter are a few names we’ll be watching closely this week.

Need More?

The Roost’s 2019 Rice Football Season Preview has four pages dedicated to every opponent the Owls face. There are depth chart, important new arrivals and depth chart breakdowns for each foe. Better yet, it’s not just speculation, each profile was created with insight from local experts who cover those teams day in and day out. Pick up your copy today and get four pages and more than 1,000 words on every foe.

Pick ‘Em Contest

If you haven’t yet, make sure you submit your entry for The Roost’s weekly pick’em challenge. Choose an answer to each of the six questions below and submit them on the forum thread to enter.

1. How many points will Rice score?
   Over 16.5 / Under 16.5
2. Will Rice convert more than 40 percent of their third down attempts?
   Yes / No
3. Which Rice running back has the longest run from scrimmage?
   Otoviano / Booker / Walter / Other
4. Will both teams intercept a pass?
   Yes / No
5. Who leads at halftime?
   Rice / Marshall
6. Who wins?
   Rice / Marshall

One Final Thing

Rice football will utilize the bye week following the Marshall game to reassess and retool. Any and all recipes for improved offensive production will be installed during that time, but there’s still one more game to play before that break.

No matter the team or the odds, Rice has proven they’re adept enough on the defensive side of the ball to play Marshall tight well into the fourth quarter. If history is any indication, the Owls could very well find themselves in a similar situation on Saturday.

Like the previous several contests, this is a winnable game. What Rice does with this opportunity will go a long way to determining how drastic an overhaul is needed on offense and which pieces the team can build upon going forward. From the offensive line, to the quarterbacks and everything in between, Saturday will be an important test for the unit as a whole.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

• Rice Baseball 2025: MLB Owls Update – September 9
• Rice Football 2025: PVAMU presser quotes and depth chart
• Rice Football 2025: NFL Owls Week 1 Roundup
• The Roost Podcast | Ep 211 – 2025 Rice Football falls to Houston