Rice football returns from the bye this week to take on UTSA. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.
Both teams in this matchup have had two weeks to stew on disappointing results. Rice football lost a one-point game to Charlotte at home in their last contest before the break. UTSA didn’t fair much better, falling to ECU 30-20 on the road. Neither wants to add another loss to their respective ledger. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and UTSA.
Kickoff time | 6:00 PM CT
Venue | Rice Stadium – Houston, TX
TV | ESPN+ (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)
Audio / Visual Preview
We’ll preview Rice football vs UTSA on this week’s episode of the Blue and Gray Preview Show, kicking off live on Wednesday 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.
Sizing up the contenders
Rice football is in danger of being eliminated from bowl eligibility soon and doesn’t have much wiggle room to spare. Their next loss would be their fifth and half the season is still in the balance. On the other hand, a win over UTSA would be big for head coach Mike Bloomgren who has yet to beat the Roadrunners in his tenure on South Main.
Meanwhile UTSA sits in an intriguing lurch. They’ve taken a step back without quarterback Frank Harris at the helm, which can be forgiven, if not excused entirely. Yet that fan base and that program has no intentions of letting that skid turn into a slide. Getting back in the win column against Rice would alleviate some of those concerns that a free fall could be imminent.
Series History
All Time | UTSA leads, 8-3
Last Five | UTSA leads, 5-0
Last Meeting | Away 2023, UTSA won 34-14
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Rice Football Stat Notables
Passing | Warner – 108/177 (61.0 percent), 955 yards, 7 TD, 6 INT
Rushing | Connors – 55 carries, 369 yards (6.7 yards per carry), 5 TD / Atkins – 24 carries, 158 yards (6.6 yards per carry), 2 TD
Receiving | Sykes – 24 receptions, 306 yards (12.8 yds/rec), 2 TD / Groen – 12 receptions, 94 yards (7.8 yds/rec) / Connors – 28 receptions, 126 yards (4.5 yds/rec)
Tackles | Morris – 24, Taylor/Tita – 23, Hook/Looes/Pearcy – 22
Pass Breakups | Fresech – 4, Six others tied with 1
Interceptions | Flowers/Williams/Mutombo – 1
UTSA Stat Notables
Passing | McCown – 101/164 (61.6 percent), 1054 yards, 7 TD, 2 INT
Rushing | Henry – 40 carries, 194 yards (4.9 yards per carry), 1 TD / Barnes – 39 carries, 143 yards (3.7 yards per carry)
Receiving | McCuin – 30 receptions, 196 yards (6.5 yds/rec) / McCoy – 15 receptions, 306 yards (20.4 yds/rec), 2 TD / Carpenter – 13 receptions, 137 yards (10.5 yds/rec)
Tackles | Davison – 25, French – 24, Randle – 23
Pass Breakups | Davison/French/Randle/Pewee- 2
Interceptions | Frazier – 2, Pewee/Morris – 1
UTSA X-Factor | Extend drives
The Roadrunners have struggled mightily on third down this season and it’s significantly impacted their offensive production. They enter this game converting 33.7 percent of their third down opportunities, 12th in the AAC. In 2023, UTSA led the league in third down conversion rate. They led C-USA in 2022 and were second in the league in 2021. This has traditionally been an efficient team on those money downs and they’re just not getting it done right now.
The rest of the UTSA offense has been sturdy, but when a team can’t sustain drives, it takes away scoring opportunities and that’s a large part of what has slowed the Roadrunners’ attack this year. If they can find a way to get a few more key conversions the offensive output will pick up, putting more pressure on the Rice defense and allowing their own defense to catch a breather.
Rice X-Factor | Take the ball away
Rice football is 12th in the AAC in takeaways with three. They’ve only forced one turnover against an FBS opponent this season. Turnovers are the great equalizer in this sport. A blowout can become a closer game with a few fortunate bounces and a close game can be swung in your favor if the takeaways materialize at the right points. Rice hasn’t gotten those turnovers and the results haven’t been kind.
In the Charlotte game Rice registered its first FBS takeaway and was nearly able to put the game out of reach soon afterward with the added momentum boost. That’s the formula this team needs to figure out moving forward. If they’re not going to play lights out defense or be perfect on offense, extra opportunities are crucial. A turnover provides just that and it does so at the expense of the other team.
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One Final Thing
Rice has already lost their must-win games to this point, making every game feel like a must-win game from this point forward. Bloomgren needs every evidence possible the program is moving in the right direction and a first time win over UTSA — even if it’s not the full-strength UTSA program of years past — would count as a positive step.
If there’s any solace, it’s that those inside the walls of the Brian Patterson Center haven’t lost faith. They still believe they have the tools and talents to get this train back on its tracks.
“It’s going to turn at some point. I hope it turns faster, sooner rather than later,” offensive coordinator Marques Tuiasosopo told The Roost this past week. “It’d be nice to get some guys back, that always changes things up too, but you gotta play the hand you’re dealt.”
It’s been a rough hand so far. Here’s to hoping for a more fortunate hand this time around. There were moments against Charlotte when this team felt like it was moving in the right direction. They desperately need to find a way to recreate those hopes and sustain them for a full four quarters.
