2025 Season Preview #5: Rice
Rice the University by the Numbers:
- Location: Houston, TX
- Distance from UConn: 1,776 miles
- Stadium: Rice Stadium
- Field Type: Turf
- Capacity: 47,000 (65th nationally)
- Enrollment: 3,992 (135th nationally)
- 2024 Record: 4-8 (3-5 AAC)
- Last Bowl: 2023 First Responder Bowl (45-21 L Texas State)
- All-Time Bowl Record: 7-7
- 2024 Attendance: 18,143 (103rd nationally)
- All-Time Series: 2-0 UConn
- Last Meeting: 2024 at UConn
- Returning Starters: 7 (3 offense, 4 defense)
- Returning Lettermen: 36
2025 Schedule:
- 8/30 at Louisiana
- 9/6 Houston
- 9/13 Prairie View A&M
- 9/18 at Charlotte (Thu)
- 9/27 at Navy
- 10/4 FAU
- 10/18 at UTSA
- 10/25 UConn
- 10/31 Memphis (Fri)
- 11/8 UAB
- 11/22 North Texas
- 11/29 at USF
Last Time Here: 2023 - UConn 38-31 W
Last Meeting: 2024 - UConn 17-10 W
2024 Rice the football team by the Numbers:
- Offensive yards per game: 352.9 (97th nationally)
- Passing yards per game: 239.0 (51st)
- Rushing yards per game: 113.9 (113th)
- Points per game: 22.2 (112th)
- 3rd Down Efficiency: 35.2% (114th)
- 4th Down Efficiency: 35.0% (127th)
- Interceptions-Yards-TD: 8-72-1
- Fumbles: Number-Lost: 19-9
- Red Zone Success: 65.9% (132nd)
- Defensive Yards Allowed per Game: 334.4 (35th)
- Passing Yards Allowed per Game: 173.8 (8th)
- Rushing Yards Allowed per Game: 160.6 (84th)
- Points Allowed per Game: 25.4 (72nd)
- 3rd Down Efficiency: 38.1% (58th)
- 4th Down Efficiency: 52.6% (66th)
- Red Zone Success Allowed: 86.7% (95th)
PFF Predictions:
- Wins: 5.5
- Chance to Make Bowl: 48%
- SoS: 100th
- Chance to Win AAC: 3%
- Chance to Make CFP: <1%
Last Time Here: 2023 UConn 38-31 W
Last time in Houston, UConn was coming off a brutal home loss to Utah State, where they blew a 17 point 2nd quarter lead, and had a potential game-tying XP blocked with :40 left. Still winless and games looming with BC, Tennessee, and JMU, opportunities to get that first win running out. Rice entered at 3-2 with former five-star QB JT Daniels manning the helm. A three-and-out and a shanked punt gave UConn great field position on their first drive in Rice territory, but a missed FG ended that drive. Rice would then put up 14 quick points to lead 14-0 at the end of one. The Huskies were struggling to move the ball with three drives of 17, 9, and 25 yards. They’d get a huge break when Pryce Yates sacked Daniels, who fumbled at the two yard, and was recovered by Jelani Stafford, who put it in the end zone two plays later to get on the board. The XP was blocked, evoking bad memories of the week prior.
On the ensuing drive, Daniels’ lateral throw hit the ground, and the Owls, thinking the play was dead, left the ball for Jackson Mitchell to scoop up and return for a TD. Replay showed a lateral pass clear as day, and this game was tied. UConn finally put up a solid offensive drive, a seven play, 67 yard drive, which ended in a Ta’Quan Roberson 41 yard TD pass to Cam Ross, and the Huskies headed into the half with a 20-14 lead. UConn got the ball to start the second half, but were forced to punt, which ended up being fortuitous, as the return was muffed, and Chris Hudson recovered at the Rice 41. Victor Rosa carried the team down to the goal line, but it was Stafford again who would get the TD, and a 28-14 lead.
Rice scored on the very next drive, and Joe McFadden would boot a 47 yard FG, and it was 31-21 in the fourth quarter. Daniels would hit Luke McCafferey for a 30 yard TD, and the lead was cut to 31-28 with 6:56 remaining. When it appeared the Huskies would try to eat some clock, luck shone on the Huskies for what seemed like the first time all season, as Roberson hit Justin Joly on a simple slant, but Joly was able to break the arm tackles and went 50 more yards for the TD, extending the lead to ten. Daniels would be intercepted by Chris Shearin on the next drive, and then ate two minutes off the clock. Rice would kick a FG, but UConn recovered the onside kick, and kneeled it out to end it, earning their first win of the 2023 season. It would be their last for more than a month, until they won their last two games against Sacred Heart and UMass.
Last Meeting: 2024 UConn (17-10 W)
For a while in this game, it looked like UConn might’ve needed four turnovers like in 2023 to win this one, if for nothing else, their inability to move the ball. Luckily, Rice couldn’t move the ball either, resulting in a game only the truest of the football fans could enjoy. The Huskies punted nine times, the Owls 11, giving both teams some attention on ESPN, but not the positive kind. Nick Evers was sacked and fumbled at the UConn 25, and Rice recovered, leading to a FG. That FG would be all the scoring in the first half, as Rice led 3-0 at the break. Chris Freeman missesd a 53 yard FG, and Evers was picked off by Gabriel Taylor. Other than that, all the other drives were punts.
Three more punts between the teams opened the second half, until Durell Robinson broke off a 68 yard TD run to get UConn on the board and a 7-3 lead. Five more punts later, Cam Edwards added a four yard TD after Evers hit Louis Hansen for 17 and Skyler Bell for 34. Freeman would add a 30 yard FG, and the fans were feeling okay, until Quinton Jackson returned the kickoff 100 yards for the TD, cutting the lead to seven with 3:28 left. The Huskies ran off nearly three minutes of clock before, you guessed it, punting, but QB Drew Devillier was sacked by Yates back to their own 3, then could not get the necessary 97 yard TD with two seconds remaining, and the Huskies had the win. It was ugly, and was not evoking any confidence in QB Evers.
2025 Rice:
There will be many changes with this year’s Owls team, starting with new HC Scott Abell. Abell was a bit of an outside-the-box hire, coming from FCS Davidson in the Pioneer League, a league that does not award athletic scholarships. Prior to Abell’s arrival, Davidson had ten consecutive losing seasons, which was reversed by Abell, who had winning seasons in all seven years there. What stood out about Davidson under Abell was the run game. The Wildcats averaged 315 yards per game on the ground, leading the nation. It’ll be a big change from the pro-style offense Rice had been running to Abell’s spread offense, but the Owls are hoping the change goes smoothly and see success if year one.
Gone is QB EJ Warner, who didn’t quite live up to the hype after coming from Temple. Warner threw for 2,710 yards, 17 TDs, but 13 INTs. Sophomore Chase Jenkins should be the starter, despite Devillier returning, as Jenkins has the mobility required for the new offense. In two years for the Owls, Jenkins has thrown for 100 yards, and 84 rushing yards. There is very little experience, but given the complete change in offensive philosophy, that could very well be a positive this season.
Leading rusher Dean Connors is gone, but second and third leading rusher, Quinton Jackson and Taji Atkins, do return. Jackson averaged 5.7 ypc on 48 carries, and Atkins had 6.6 ypc on 24 carries, so they have big play potential. Changes in the offensive scheme will have slotbacks, who will be a hybrid RB/WR. For how often they will run, I’ll include them here. One of the slotbacks UConn fans should know well, is Aaron Turner, who is now at Rice after a stop at Cincinnati. Turner had 759 receiving yards in two seasons at UConn, but just 174 in two seasons for the Bearcats. He was featured heavily in the screen game for the Huskies. At the other slotback spot, Drayden Dickmann should start after playing in all 12 games last year as a redshirt freshman, catching ten passes for 80 yards. This will be the group to watch; if they can get the run game going the way Abell wants, they’ll be a tough out each week.
At receiver, six of the seven leading receivers from last season are gone. Returning is Braylen Walker, who caught 22 balls for 264 yards and a TD. Rawson MacNeill returns after missing 2024 due to injury. He’s had 379 yards in two seasons so far for the Owls. At TE, Micah Barrett should start after playing sparingly over the past two years. He’s made five starts, but has just 31 receiving yards. Davidson averaged 13.8 passes thrown last season, so this won’t be a strictly run offense, so the Huskies secondary will need to be aware of these guys.
Offensive line will also need to acclimate to the changes, and the Owls will be breaking in a bunch of new linemen. C David Stickle returns after starting all 12 games last year, after playing in 14 games over four years at Florida State. RG John Long, who played in eight games last year, starting three, should be the full-time starter this season, opposite Patrick Valent, who played in five games last year as a redshirt freshman. At tackle, Luke Needham should start on the right side, playing in four games last season, and at left tackle, Luke Miller should start after playing in four games as a true freshman.
Defensively, four starters return, including DT Blake Boenisch, who had 41 tackles, and 3.5 TFLs a year ago. They do lose their top three on the DL, and will rely on DE Joseph Mutombo, NT Elroyal Morris, and RUSH Michael Daley to replace them. Mutombo has played in 13 games over two seasons, totaling 12 tackles, while Morris has played in 15 with 17 tackles. Daley joins this year from BYU, where he played in 15 games over four seasons, with 14 tackles, but 5.5 TFLs. The unit should take a step back after getting 33 sacks last year.
Linebacker should be the strength of the defense, as leading Ty Morris returns, as does third-leading tackler Andrew Awe, and Plae Wyatt, who was lost to the season to injury after one game. Morris made just four starts, but played in all 12 games, and had 56 tackles and four sacks. Awe made ten starts with 52 tackles. In 2023, Wyatt was the top tackler for Rice with 81 tackles. They helped lead the defense to its lowest yards per game allowed in the last seven years with 335, and will be counted on again this season.
In the secondary, all four starters depart, requiring the Owls to start over. FS Daevon Cook does return after starting five games, and was the fifth leading tackler with 49. After that, lots of new faces, including Stanford CB Omari Porter (30 tackles over five years), Houston Christian CB Khary Crump, formerly of Arizona and Michigan State (12 starts. 40 tackles, 16 passes defended last year), and SS Marcus Williams, who made one start last year and had four tackles. Pass defense was a strength last year, as the Owls allowed just 174 yards per game through the air, and 55.4% completion rate. I would expect those numbers to increase this season.
Special Teams is in good shape, as the starting punter returns, as does the top kick and punt returners. At kicker, Chase Allen jouns from UTSA, and Alabama before that. Allen played in 19 games over two years for the Roadrunners, was 18-24 on FGs with a long of 53, and did not miss an XP (60-60). P Alex Bacchetta returns after punting 50 times for a net of 37.1 yards per punt, downing 11 inside the 20. Slotback Tyson Thompson should handle punt returns again, after returning 21 punts for 173 yards. At kick return, Quinton Jackson returns after returning 22 kicks for 589 yards and a TD, the 100 yard TD at UConn last year.
Prediction:
It is never easy traversing the country midseason, just ask Rice if they enjoyed it last season. This is life as an independent for UConn, and have several players used to it at this point. Rice will be coming off a bye after playing seven straight to start, and should allow Rice to install some new concepts on offense. It will be a challenge, especially with the heavy run, and returning LBs. I think the UConn OL will have the upper hand on the Rice DL, and Joe Fagnano will manage to get what he needs from the secondary, and UConn wins a tough one.
UConn 23 Rice 17