Extended Possession of Bayou Bucket on the Line Saturday

Game #2
Who: Rice (1-0) vs. Houston (1-0)
When: Saturday, 6:00 p.m. CT
Where: Houston, Texas
Stadium: Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium
Television ESPN + Kyle Youmans (Play by Play), Dave Steckel (Analyst), Maria Trivelpiece (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: Sidearm
Digital Game Program: Game 2 Houston
Series Information: Houston leads 34-12

2025 Rice Football Fact Book
Full Game Notes
What's New at Rice Stadium in 2025
Series Notes

This is the 47th meeting between Rice and Houston, the 44th to decide possession of the Bayou Bucket.
This is the last currently scheduled game in the series between the two closest FBS football programs by location.
Rice is 12-34 in the series and is looking to win it in consecutive games at Rice Stadium for only the second time in history. Rice took possession of The Bucket in 2008 at Rice Stadium and then regained it at home in 2010.
The series began at Rice Stadium in 1971 and returned in 1972. After moving to the Astrodome in 1973, it returned to Rice Stadium for the first battle for the Bayou Bucket in 1974.
Rice is 6-16 against Houston at Rice Stadium.
The series began with a pair of meetings at Rice Stadium in 1971 & 1972.
From 1978 through 2003 the series alternated between home stadiums. Rice's home game in 2004 was moved to Reliant (now NRG) Stadium, and the series returned there in 2012 &13. The 2021 game at TDECU Stadium was canceled due to COVID-19.
Rice is 6-12 when meeting the Cougars in a non-conference game, 4-16 while members of the Southwest Conference, and 2-6 as members of C-USA.

One Debut Down, Two More This Week
Dunlevie Family Head Football Coach Scott Abell became the 11th head coach at Rice to win his debut game with the Owls' 14-12 win at Louisiana last Saturday, and Rice improved to a 58-54-2 record all-time in season openers while winning a season-opener on the road for just the eighth time ( 8-25-1). This week, Abell makes his home debut as well as his debut in the Bayou Bucket series against Houston. Rice head coaches are 6-7 in their Rice Stadium debuts including wins by Jess Neely (1950, 27-7 vs. Santa Clara in Rice Stadium's first game), Bo Hagan (1967, 21-7 vs. Navy), Al Conover (1972, 14-13 vs. Houston), Homer Rice (1977, 43-22 vs. Utah), Watson Brown (1984, 36-19 vs. Lamar) and Mike Bloomgren (2018, 31-28 vs. Prairie View). Abell will be looking to become the fourth Rice head coach to defeat Houston in his first appearance (Conover in 1972, Jerry Berndt in 1986, and Ken Hatfield in 1994).

Openers

Rice is 69-42-1 all-time in home openers (officially, there were no home games in 1912) and 41-33-1 in the first game at Rice Stadium since it opened in 1950.
The win last Saturday at Louisiana was the Owls' first on the road to open a season since 2004, when they defeated Houston 10-7 at NRG Stadium, and the first on an opposing campus since 2001, when they defeated Houston 21-14. In each case, Rice returned home the following week and won its home opener (41-29 over Hawai'i in 2004 and 15-13 over Duke in 2001).
The last Rice head coach to open his Rice career with consecutive wins was Al Conover, who defeated Houston 14-13 in 1972 and followed that up the following week with a 29-10 win over Clemson at Rice Stadium.

Of Note

The 12 points allowed by the Owls at Louisiana were the fewest by an opponent in a season opener since giving up seven to Houston in 2004.
Rice held Louisiana to a 35.7 completion percentage, which ranks third in the nation after the opening weekend and is the lowest completion percentage by an opponent since Tulsa completed 34.8% against the Owls in 2012 (8/23).
The Owls held Louisiana to 88 yards passing and 239 total yards, the lowest totals for a road opponent since Charlotte in 2023 (74/158).
Rice rushed for 206 yards and threw for 45 against the Ragin Cajuns, the last time the Owls had more yards rushing than passing on the road was in a 28-7 win at Charlotte in 2023 (240/140).

Up Next
Rice remains at home next week, welcoming Prairie View to Rice Stadium on September 13 at 6 p.m.

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