Saturday, September 4
Fayetteville, AR
1 p.m.
Rice University
at
Arkansas
Photo by: Maria Lysaker | Rice Athletics
Familiar Foe Opens 110th Season
9/3/2021 7:53:00 PM | Football
Rice at Arkansas 1 p.m. SEC Network +
Game #1
What: Rice (0-0/0-0) @Arkansas (0-0/0-0)
When: Saturday, September 4
Where: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Stadium: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium (76,000)
Television: SEC Network+ /ESPN + (Mike Couzens, Play-By-Play Dustin Fox, Analyst Tera Talmadge, Reporter)
Where to Find the Game: SEC Network+ /ESPN +
Rice Radio: JP Heath (play-by-play), Nate Griffin (analyst) David Pillen (sidelines)
Audio Streaming: Rice mobile (App Store / Google Play). Subscribers of the previous version of the app will be able to upgrade to the new version using the same links. The game will also be available on RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: Arkansas leads 35-29-3 (21-12 at home, 12-9 at Fayetteville)
Series Notes
Saturday's game at Arkansas opens the 110th season of football for Rice. The Owls own a 57-50-2 record all-time in season openers but have dropped 10 of its last 12. This is the 37th time that Rice will open the season on the road. The Owls are 6-30 when opening the season away from Rice Stadium and have dropped their last eight since defeating Houston in the 2004 Bayou Bucket at NRG Stadium.
WITH A WIN...
The 2021 slate for Rice features eight teams who accepted bowl bids in 2020 (four each at home and on the road), a pair of road games against foes from the Owls Southwest Conference days (Arkansas and Texas) and two home games against opponents who are located less than five miles from Rice Stadium (Houston and Texas Southern). The Owls meeting with TSU will be the first between the schools, while the game at Arkansas will be the 68th all-time, but the first meeting since 1991. The game with Texas will be the 95th between the schools, the most games by Rice vs. any opponent.
SHORT HOPS
Rice will host a pair of home games that will hardly be road trips for the opposition. They will host Houston in the 40th Bayou Bucket on September 11 and two weeks later will welcome Texas Southern to Rice Stadium for the first game between the schools. Both schools are located less than four miles from Rice Stadium.
HAPPY TO FLY
Rice has won its last four road games that required the Owls to fly to the location. They defeated Southern Miss and Marshall last season and picked up road wins at Middle Tennessee and UTEP to close out 2019.
OWLS IN 2020
What: Rice (0-0/0-0) @Arkansas (0-0/0-0)
When: Saturday, September 4
Where: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Stadium: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium (76,000)
Television: SEC Network+ /ESPN + (Mike Couzens, Play-By-Play Dustin Fox, Analyst Tera Talmadge, Reporter)
Where to Find the Game: SEC Network+ /ESPN +
Rice Radio: JP Heath (play-by-play), Nate Griffin (analyst) David Pillen (sidelines)
Audio Streaming: Rice mobile (App Store / Google Play). Subscribers of the previous version of the app will be able to upgrade to the new version using the same links. The game will also be available on RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: Arkansas leads 35-29-3 (21-12 at home, 12-9 at Fayetteville)
Series Notes
- This is the earliest the two schools have met in football. The series was primarily contested in November (57 games). The earliest previous meeting was on 10/11/58 in Fayetteville (24-0 Arkansas).
- The Razorbacks blanked Rice 20-0 in Little Rock in the most recent meeting between the two schools (11/23/1991) in their final game as members of the Southwest Conference.
- Rice's last win in the series was in 1990 (19-11 in Little Rock) as Trevor Cobb rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown to become the first Owl to top 1,000 yards rushing in a season.
- Rice was undefeated in the first 15 meetings between the schools in Houston, posting a 12-0-3 record at Rice Field, while Arkansas won 14 of 19 played at Rice Stadium.
- Rice won the first two at Rice Stadium before the Razorbacks broke through with a 10-0 shutout in 1955, the first time the Owls were blanked in their new stadium.
Saturday's game at Arkansas opens the 110th season of football for Rice. The Owls own a 57-50-2 record all-time in season openers but have dropped 10 of its last 12. This is the 37th time that Rice will open the season on the road. The Owls are 6-30 when opening the season away from Rice Stadium and have dropped their last eight since defeating Houston in the 2004 Bayou Bucket at NRG Stadium.
WITH A WIN...
- Rice would open its season with a win for the first time since 2018 (Prairie View 31-28) , for the first time over a BCS team since 2008 (SMU) and for the first time on the road since 2004 (Houston at NRG Stadium).
- The Owls would snap a 11-game losing streak to the SEC overall (last win, 17-7 over LSU at Rice Stadium in 1980) and an 11-game road losing streak to SEC opponents (last win, 10-0 over Florida at the Orange Bowl in 1960).
- Dunlevie Family Head Football Coach Mike Bloomgren would even his record in season-openers to 2-2.
The 2021 slate for Rice features eight teams who accepted bowl bids in 2020 (four each at home and on the road), a pair of road games against foes from the Owls Southwest Conference days (Arkansas and Texas) and two home games against opponents who are located less than five miles from Rice Stadium (Houston and Texas Southern). The Owls meeting with TSU will be the first between the schools, while the game at Arkansas will be the 68th all-time, but the first meeting since 1991. The game with Texas will be the 95th between the schools, the most games by Rice vs. any opponent.
SHORT HOPS
Rice will host a pair of home games that will hardly be road trips for the opposition. They will host Houston in the 40th Bayou Bucket on September 11 and two weeks later will welcome Texas Southern to Rice Stadium for the first game between the schools. Both schools are located less than four miles from Rice Stadium.
HAPPY TO FLY
Rice has won its last four road games that required the Owls to fly to the location. They defeated Southern Miss and Marshall last season and picked up road wins at Middle Tennessee and UTEP to close out 2019.
OWLS IN 2020
- Ranked third in total defense in C-USA (341.6 per game), their best finish since joining the league in 2005.
- Their 341.2 yards per game average ranked 26th nationally and was the Owls lowest mark since 1999 (338.6).
- The average per game has dropped from 446.1 in 2018 to 380.3 in 2019 and 341.2 last season.
- Ranked fourth in C-USA and 40th nationally in rushing defense (140.8 yards per game). • Conference ranking was their best since finishing third in 2013 and national ranking was their best since finishing 40th in 1999.
- Ranked third in C-USA and 12th nationally allowing just 18.9 points per game.
- It's the lowest seasonal average since the 1994 Owls allowed 18. 5 points (203 in 11 games).
- Led the nation for the second consecutive year in fewest penalty yards per game (23.8; 17 for 119 yards). Over the past two years, they have averaged 26.2 penalty yards per game (61 for 445 yards).
- Shutout all five opponents in the first quarter in 2021, outscoring the opposition 29-0 and have not allowed an offensive score in the first quarter in their last 150:59 minutes. The last offensive score came at UTSA in the seventh game of 2019.
- Have not allowed an opponent to score in its first possession of the game in the last 14 games since Texas at NRG Stadium in 2019.
- Rice's shutout of 15th ranked Marshall was the first win over a ranked team since 1997, the first over a ranked team on the road since 1991, the first shutout of a ranked team since 1960 and the first shutout in the history of Marshall's Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
WBB: Rice vs. Marshall Postgame Presser
Wednesday, March 09
VB: Rice-Texas Postgame Presser
Saturday, December 04
VB: Rice-San Diego Postgame Presser
Thursday, December 02