RICE VS. TEXAS-EL PASO
Records: Rice 0-1, UTEP 0-1.
Series history: Rice leads 12-6
Key players: Rice — QB Sam Glaesmann, RB Samuel Stewart, FS J.T. Ibe; UTEP — QB Ryan Metz, RB Walter Dawn Jr., LB Emmanuel Ellerbee
Who has the edge:
Offense – Rice. The Owls didn’t score until garbage time in their Aug. 26 opener in Sydney, when Crosby product Austin Walter ran 23 yards for a touchdown, cutting Stanford’s advantage to 55-7 with 6:19 remaining. But the Owls managed 241 total yards and Stewart showed playmaking promise, averaging 4.7 yards on 15 carries and hauling in three passes for 41 yards. The Miners scored in the first quarter, but then Oklahoma completely shut them down, holding them to 167 total yards, including only 73 on the ground.
Defense – Even. Judging by one game against a top-tier opponent, neither team plans to play much defense. Stanford piled up 27 first downs and 656 yards, averaging 9.0 yards per play and 8.0 yards per rush, and didn’t commit a turnover. The Miners defense didn’t supply a turnover either, instead helping Oklahoma to 676 yard and 35 first downs. Rice allowed 37.3 points and 504.5 yards per game last season. UTEP’s opponents averaged 34.9 points and 419.3 yards a year ago.
Special teams – Even. Neither team attempted a field goal in their openers, but they punted plenty, and the Owls proved their prowess, with Jack Fox averaging a healthy 48.1 yards on seven punts. Two of those went for touchbacks and three sailed at least 50 yards. But Miners P Alan Luna was solid, too, averaging 44 yards on eight punts. He dropped three inside the 20 and sent one sailing 52 yards.
Notable: The Owls won eight of the past nine meetings with UTEP, including the last two in Houston, 45-7 in 2013 and 31-13 in 2014. They met every year from 1999 to 2014 before putting their series on hiatus the past two seasons. … The Owls’ international debut
didn’t go according to plan, suffering a disastrous loss in Australia while their families dealt with a far more real disaster created by Hurricane Harvey back home.
About Rice: Stewart showed flashes of what he can do and Ellerbee recorded double-digit tackles for the eighth time in 12 games, but not much else went right in the second annual Sydney Cup, leaving the Owls (0-1) searching for answers heading into a much more winnable game against UTEP. Glaesmann, a redshirt freshman, completed 7 of 18 passes for 69 yards, one
interception and no TDs in his first start.
About UTEP: New Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley didn’t encounter any of the issues faced by his counterparts at Texas and Baylor in their debuts, rolling over UTEP (0-1) behind three different QBs who combined for 496 passing yards. The Miners are trying to put together their first winning season since 2014, but the lopsided loss in their opener doesn’t bode well for their chances, and they’ve lost four straight games to the Owls.