Rice @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 16, 2010 ) Houston 31, Rice 34

THE STORY: No. 18 Houston enters this battle for the Bayou Bucket a perfect 7-0 and looking to equal the best start in program history. The Cougars’ spread passing attack is clicking once again, as they’ve scored at least 35 points in every game and 49 or more in the last four contests. The road team only has to travel 6.1 miles in this inner-city rivalry, but Rice’s last trip to Robertson Stadium in 2009 didn’t go so well. The Owls were pummeled 73-14, giving up the third-most points in school history and most since a 77-0 loss to LSU in 1977.
Houston leads the all-time series 26-11, dating back to 1971, including a 5-1 mark at Robertson Stadium.

TV: FSN LINE: Houston -27

ABOUT RICE (2-5, 1-3 Conference USA): The Owls are in search of their first winning season since 2008, but they haven’t gotten off to a great start in conference play. In last weekend’s 38-20 home loss to Tulsa, Rice committed four turnovers and was outgained by 120 yards. The Owls, who had to face one of the nation’s toughest non-conference schedules, rank 115th nationally in total defense, giving up 472 yards per game, and their 96th-ranked pass defense isn’t a good matchup for Houston’s fast-paced attack.

ABOUT HOUSTON (7-0, 3-0 Conference USA): In the Cougars’ 63-28 pounding of Marshall last weekend, quarterback Case Keenum won his 19th straight home game. He’s tossed 66 touchdowns to only nine interceptions during that stretch. He spread the ball around beautifully against the Thundering Herd, throwing touchdowns to five different players. Houston enters this game with the nation’s top-ranked offense, averaging an astounding 606 yards. Keenum — recently named a Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist, given annually to college football’s best quarterback — is the national leader in total offense at 389 yards per game.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The home team has won the last four in this series, including Rice’s 34-31 upset victory last season.

2. Houston has more wins against Rice (26) than any other school in its 66-year history.

3. This is one of two FBS rivalries featuring teams located in the same city (USC-UCLA is the other), and this game will be played in the Texans’ Reliant Stadium in 2012 and 2013.

PREDICTION: Houston 56, Rice 20. The Owls won’t be able to slow down Keenum and the Cougars, and this one could be over by halftime.