HOUSTON-NAVY
The Cougars host the Midshipmen in their home finale.
Records: Rice 1-10, 1-6 Conference USA; North Texas 8-3, 6-1.
Series history: Rice leads 4-3. Key players: Rice — QB Miklo Smalls, RB Nahshon Ellerbe, LB Emmanuel Ellerbee; North Texas — QB Mason Fine, RB Jeffery Wilson, S Kishawn McClain.
Who has the edge
Offense — North Texas. The Mean Green are 15th nationally in scoring (38.2). They’re second in Conference USA, trailing only Florida Atlantic (40.5). They’re also first in total yards (477.4) and second in passing (293.8) in conference. Wilson leads the team with 1,215 yards, which is second in C-USA, and 16 TDs on 188 rushes (6.5 yards per carry).
Defense — Even. The Mean Green aren’t very good against the run, giving up 204.5 rushing yards per game. That’s No. 109 nationally, and even Rice is better than that. But the Owls allow 429.7 total yards per game, which is 97th, and they’re last in the FBS with five takeaways all season. LB E.J. Ejiya leads North Texas with 81 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Special teams — Even. North Texas has an edge in the kicking game. K Trevor Moore is 15-of-17 this season. He converted his last four FG attempts, including one from 39 yards last week. Rice kickers are a combined 3-of-5. The Owls attempted a field goal for the first time in six games last week, and Will Harrison’s 25-yard attempted was blocked. However, the Mean Green have allowed three return TDs (two on kickoffs).
Notable: The Owls won in 2014 and 2015. They racked up 562 total yards and won 38-24 two years ago in Denton. But the Owls fell 42-35 in two overtimes last season in Houston after tying the game 28-28 with 2:34 left in regulation on RB Darik Dillard’s 1-yard run and QB Tyler Stehling’s two-point pass.
About Rice: The Owls were thwarted again last week, with Old Dominion stealing a 24-21 win on QB Steven Williams’ 6-yard scoring run with 37 seconds left in the game. They rushed for 241 yards, but Smalls, who ran for 84 yards and one score, was just 8-of-12 passing for 90 yards with an INT, sending the Owls to their ninth straight loss. About North Texas: The Mean Green are on a four-game winning streak after edging Army 52-49 in a shootout. Fine threw for 386 yards and four TDs, and guided a game-winning FG drive with 5 seconds left, and Wilson rushed for two scores in the win. Fine has a single-season school-record 3,198 yards, with 26 TDs, on 248of-388 passing (63.9 completion percentage).