Rice Faces Prime Time Battle with Memphis

Game #10
Who: Rice (3-6/2-3) vs. Memphis (7-2/3-2)
When: Friday 8:00 p.m. CT
Where: Memphis, Tennessee
Stadium: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium
Television: ESPN 2 Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), Paul Carcaterras (sidelines).
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: Statbroadcast
Digital Game Program: Game 10 Memphis
Series Information: Tied 4-4

Full Game Notes
Series Notes

This will be the fifth meeting between the two schools and the third at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
The schools have split the four games and the first two in Memphis.
Memphis took the first meeting with a 38-35 win at Reliant Stadium in 2007.
One year later, Rice stunned the Tigers with a comeback 42-35 win at the Liberty Bowl in 2008. The winning points came on freshman Chris Jammer's 69-yard interception return with 11 seconds remaining, capping an effort that saw the Owls score 22 points in the final 6:28 of the game to pick up the win. James Casey set a school record with 208 yards receiving to spark the comeback.
Rice won its second straight over Memphis with a 28-6 win at Rice Stadium in 2011 while Memphis took a 14-10 win in the most recent game in Memphis in 2012.
Rice is one of five AAC schools to have played in Memphis both against the Tigers and in the Liberty Bowl game (Army, ECU, Navy & Tulsa)… The Owls lost to Mississippi State 44-7 in the 2013 AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
Memphis QB Seth Henigan and Rice LB D.J. Arkansas were starters on Denton Ryan's 5A Division I state champions in 2020 and runners-up in 2019.

Looking at the Schedule

Rice's 2024 opponents have posted a combined 61-42 (.592) record this season... They were a combined 68-80 (.459) in 2023.
The combined league mark of the Owls 2024 AAC opponents is 25-15 (.625) compared with 35-29 (.547) last year. They have the top four in the current standings (Army, Navy, Tulane, and Memphis) on the schedule this year.
Six of Owls' 2024 opponents have qualified for bowl berths (Army, Memphis, Navy, Sam Houston, Tulane, UConn).

Talking Defense

Rice is second in the AAC in total defense, allowing 317. 1 yards per game and 4.8 yards per play which would be the lowest season averages for the Owls since they allowed 313.7 per game and 4.79 per play in 1994.
The Owls are second in the AAC in pass defense (159.2 per game) and are holding opposing quarterbacks to a 54.1 completion percentage this season, their lowest since allowing 51.7 in 2013.
Navy was held 127 yards under its rushing average and to just 3.5 yard per carry (came into the game averaging 5.87).
Rice held Tulane to 133 yards under its season average for total offense, while on the ground, Rice held the Green Wave to less than four yards a carry, and 60 yards under their season average (154).
Army was averaging 6.6 YPC but gained only 5.1 vs. Rice.
The Owls are allowing 1.33 rushing TDs this season, their lowest average since they 1.27 in 2002 (14 in 11 games).
Rice has allowed 18 plays from scrimmage of 30 or more yards this year compared with 32 in the last three seasons.
Opponents are averaging 23.3 points this season, the lowest average since 1998 (23.3).

Catching On
Dean Connors leads FBS running backs with 49 receptions this season. His four receptions against Navy moved him into second all-time at Rice for receptions by running backs with 100 and within one of Earl Cooper's school record of 101. Connors is the first Owl RB to have more than 40 receptions in consecutive seasons and the third to have at least 1,500 yards rushing and 750 yards receiving. He topped 100 yards receiving for the first time in his career vs. UTSA and is 123 yards from Trevor Cobb's career record for receiving yards by a running back (892).
Up Next
The Owls will be off next Saturday and return to action on November 23 when they wrap up the 2024 road schedule with a game at UAB. The home schedule concludes on November 30 when they welcome USF for the Bulls' first appearance at Rice Stadium.

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Dean Connors

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