Owls Close Houston Doubleheader by Hosting TSU

Game #3
Who: Rice (1-1, 0-0 AAC) vs. Texas Southern (0-2, 0-0 SWAC)
When: Saturday 6:00 p.m. CT
Where: Houston, Texas
Stadium: Rice Stadium
Television ESPN+ Richard Cross (PXP); Taylor McHargue (Analyst)
Where to Find the Game: Watch
Rice Radio: JP Heath (play-by-play), Nate Griffin (analyst), Jason Metko (sidelines)
Audio Streaming: RiceOwls.com, Rice Game Day App, Varsity Network
Live Stats: Sidearm.com
Digital Game Program: Game 3 Rice vs Texas Southern
Series Information: Rice leads 1-0

Full Game Notes

Series Notes

This will be the second meeting between the two schools in football and Rice's fourth meeting with a team from the SWAC.
Rice won the initial meeting with TSU 48-34 in 2021 and has faced Prairie View A&M twice, defeating the Panthers 65-44 on Homecoming in 2016 and 31-28 in 2018.
The win in 2018 came in Dunlevie Family Head Football Coach Mike Bloomgren's debut.
Texas Southern is the sixth current FCS school to face the Owls. Rice is a combined 25-1 vs. Texas FCS teams (Sam Houston State; 16-1; Lamar, 4-0; Prairie View; Stephen F. Austin, 2-0 and Texas Southern 1-0).
This will be the second time Rice has faced two teams from the city of Houston in the same season. The Owls split games with TSU and Houston in 2021 but played a road game at Texas between the two contests.
Rice is 0-6 all-time on September 16, most recently falling at Houston 38-3 in 2017 in the first game played in the city after Hurricane Harvey.

Owls Host TSU to Close Houston Doubleheader
Fresh on the heels of capturing the Bayou Bucket for the first time since 2010, Rice will close out a doubleheader of games against local schools by hosting Texas Southern at Rice Stadium on Saturday. This is the first time Rice has hosted local schools in consecutive games. The Owls hosted Houston and Texas Southern in consecutive home games in 2021 with a trip to Austin to face Texas in the middle. The Owls' first two home opponents this season will chalk up less than 15 miles in round-trip travel for the game. Rice will be looking to open its home season at 2-0 for the second consecutive season. The Owls won their first three home contests last season. Rice is 4-1 in September games at home since 2021.

Last Week: Epic Battle Brings the Bucket Back to South Main
Rice opened its 2023 home schedule by outlasting Houston 43-41 in the 42nd Bayou Bucket Sponsored by H-E-B. JT Daniels tied a career-high with 401 yards passing while true freshman running back Daelen Alexander scored three touchdowns and added the decisive two-point conversion, setting a school record by scoring 14 points in overtime. With the win, Rice improved to 41-32-1 in home openers since Rice Stadium opened in 1950 and 70-41-1 overall in home openers while Mike Bloomgren evened his record to 3-3 in home openers.
Also of note, the win...

Snapped a 17-game losing streak to Power Five programs (Kansas 23-14 in 2013).

Was the Owls' first OT win at home since defeating Nevada 33-30 in 2001, snapping a five-game home losing streak, and their first in OT vs. in a non-conference game since defeating Houston 30-27 in 2000 at Rice Stadium.

The 15 total points in overtime were a school record, along with Alexander's 14 points.

The 43 points were the most the Owls have scored against a Big XII team and the most vs. a Power Five team since the term was adopted.

Improved the Owls' record on the NFL Network to 3-0 (2008 Texas Bowl, vs. North Texas 2019).

Fast Out of the Gate
Rice has scored on each of its first possessions this season and has forced a turnover on each of the first two opponents' possessions. The Owls stopped Texas on fourth down to open the game on September 2 in Austin and then kicked a field goal to take a 3-0 lead. Rice drove to a touchdown against Houston after taking the opening kickoff and then Tre'Shon Devones intercepted a deflected pass on the Cougars' first drive to set up Rice's second touchdown.

Putting on the Pressure
Rice has been credited with three sacks in each of the first two games along with 14 tackles for loss. Against a Texas offensive line that returned all five starters and allowed only eight sacks last season, De'Braylon Carroll was credited for 1.5 sacks, and his solo sack against Outland and Lombardi Award Watch list member LT Kelvin Banks, Jr. was only the second he's allowed in his career. Coleman Coco had a career-high two sacks vs. Houston and leads the team with 2.5 this year. Redshirt freshman Demone Green leads the Owls with three TFL, all of them against Houston. Four of his seven career tackles in four games have resulted in losses, including a pair of sacks. Coco was credited with five of the Owls' 11 total pressures vs.Houston and his six hurries on the season lead the Owls.

Closing in on 1K
Luke McCaffrey has 844 yards in 13 games as a wide receiver at Rice and needs 154 yards to tie the fewest games in school history needed to reach 1,000 yards. David Houser topped 1,000 yards in his 14th career game thanks to a 196-yard effort at Florida in 1976.

Up Next
Rice make's its AAC debut next Saturday in Tampa, Florida when the Owls face USF. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m (central) with national coverage by ESPNU.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results