Rice Owls vs. Houston Cougars Pick & Prediction SEPTEMBER 14th 2024

Preview and Prediction

Houston will attempt to make a mark in the win column as it hosts Rice in a nonconference matchup on Saturday evening.

Houston (0-2) kicked off the season with a 27-7 defeat at home against UNLV and then lost 16-12 at No. 15 Oklahoma last week.

The Cougars outgained the Sooners 318-249 in total yards, with a 260-174 advantage in passing yards, but were unable to score on their final five drives of the game.

However, Houston head coach Willie Fritz noted significant improvement from the previous week.

"I believe we cut our missed tackles in half from Week 1 to Week 2," Fritz stated. "We had seven (against Oklahoma). When you have less than 10 missed tackles in a game, you are playing exceptional defense. You are doing a commendable job in tackling."

Quarterback Donovan Smith of Houston rebounded from a subpar performance against UNLV, completing 24 of 28 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown with one interception.

On the defensive side, the Cougars will continue to rely on linebacker Michael Batton, who recorded nine tackles and two sacks against Oklahoma.

"He is a very enjoyable player to coach," Fritz praised. "He possesses great speed, agility, and movement, and he has a passion for the game. He can close in on opponents and knows when to make a move. He does not hesitate. Once he makes a decision, he acts quickly."

Rice (1-1) is coming off a 69-7 victory at home against Texas Southern after losing its season opener 34-14 to Sam Houston. The point total against Texas Southern was the third highest in school history, and the margin of victory was the second largest.

Dean Connors only needed nine carries to rack up 113 yards and three touchdowns against Texas Southern.

"There are still plays that we need to improve on throughout the game," said Rice safety Tyson Flowers. "There are things that we will discover when we review the film that we need to correct if we want to continue having the type of season that we aspire to have."

PREDICTION

Rice Owls

Houston Cougars

Rice Owls vs. Houston Cougars Recap SEP 14TH 2024

Stacy Sneed rushed for 82 yards on seven carries and a long touchdown and Houston's defense held visiting Rice to 159 total yards in a 33-7 win in the annual Bayou Bucket game on Saturday night.

Re'Shaun Sanford II added 71 rushing yards on 15 carries for the Cougars (1-2), who opened the season with losses to UNLV (27-7) and No. 15 Oklahoma (16-12).

Houston quarterback Donovan Smith completed 12 of 21 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for two scores.

Rice managed just eight first downs and was 0-for-10 on third downs until the final drive of the game, finishing 2 for 13.

The Owls (1-2) beat Houston in double-overtime last season.

Rice quarterback E.J. Warner completed 12 of 21 passes for just 50 yards with an interception.

Sneed scored on a 65-yard touchdown run to give Houston a 7-0 lead with 5:30 left in the first quarter.

Rice went its third straight drive without a first down and Mekhi Mews returned the ensuing punt 75 yards for a touchdown, increasing the lead to 14-0 with 3:49 left in the first quarter.

Stephon Johnson caught a 44-yard touchdown strike from Smith with 7:29 left in the first half, extending the lead to 20-0.

The Cougars were stopped on downs at the Rice 7-yard line late in the third quarter, but Jalen Garner intercepted a Warner pass two plays later and returned it to the 1-yard line. Smith scored one play later to extend the lead to 26-0.

Smith added a 37-yard touchdown run with 7:10 remaining in the game to extend the lead to 33-0.

Rice's Dean Connors scored on a 4-yard run with 1:08 left to prevent the shutout.

After both teams went three-and-out on opening drives, Sanford's 34-yard run on the first play of the second series moved Houston into Rice territory. J'Marion Burnette's 14-yard run pushed the drive into the red zone, but Joseph Kim would miss a 31-yard field goal attempt after a shaky hold.

Rice had three first downs and 59 total yards in the first half, going 0-for-7 on third downs.