Oct 103 min read

UTSA Continues Owl Hunt: Roadrunners Look to Top Rice

UTSA | EJ Warner | Rice Owls QB #13 — © Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The UTSA Roadrunners (2-3, 0-1 American Athletic Conference) will face the Rice Owls (1-4, 0-2) at 7:00 p.m. EST on Oct. 12 at Rice Stadium in Houston. Both teams are coming off bye weeks and seeking their first AAC wins. UTSA aims to rebound from a 30-20 loss at East Carolina (3-3, 1-1), while Rice looks to recover from a 21-20 home loss to Charlotte (3-3, 2-0). Can UTSA notch another win in their second of four matchups against teams with "Owl" nicknames, or will Rice secure its second victory of the season?

The Stakes

With a losing record, Coach Jeff Traylor's Roadrunners must start stacking wins to reach at least seven victories in their 2024 campaign. Before facing Memphis (4-1, 0-1) on Nov. 2, UTSA’s next three opponents, including Rice, have a combined record of 5-11. The Roadrunners have a great opportunity to string together three wins—starting with Rice—to improve to 5-3 heading into the Memphis game.

Jeff Traylor | UTSA Coach — © Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

In his seventh season, Coach Mike Bloomgren has yet to achieve a winning record at Rice. While a winning season may already be out of reach in 2024, the Owls must beat UTSA to improve to 2-4 and keep hopes of a 7-5 season alive. Rice's next four opponents have a combined record of 17-5, so a loss to UTSA could leave them staring at a 1-9 record.

Key Players: UTSA Roadrunners

RB Brandon High

High brings a new dimension to UTSA's running game with his speed and ability to hit the edge. He’s gained 125 of his 203 rushing yards this season off-tackle, including a 66-yard TD run against ECU. Although he left that game injured after the TD, UTSA will likely give him 35 to 40 snaps against Rice if he’s available to play.

CB Zah Frazier

Frazier is coming off his best game of the season against ECU, in which he was targeted 9 times but allowed only 3 completions for 53 yards. More impressively, he recorded 2 interceptions, nearly matching the catches made by the receivers he covered. With Rice’s tendency to turn the ball over, Frazier should have opportunities to add to his interception total.

Key Players: Rice Owls

QB EJ Warner

Warner, the Temple transfer and son of NFL Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, has thrown more INTs (6) than TDs (5) in his last four games. With UTSA ranked second in the AAC in rushing defense (106 yards per game), Rice will rely on Warner to move the offense through the air while hoping he can limit the turnovers. He needs to improve his mid-range passing (10-19 yards), where he’s completed just 42.2 percent of his throws and thrown 3 interceptions.

Edge Josh Pearcy

In his weekly press conference, Coach Traylor referred to Pearcy as a "train wrecker" on the Owls' defense. Pearcy has recorded 22 tackles, including 5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks this season. UTSA needs to account for him on every play, especially after QB Owen McCown struggled under pressure in their last game against ECU.

Josh Pearcy | Rice Edge — © Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Trends to Watch

The Roadrunners face Rice for the 12th time, tying North Texas (4-1, 1-0) as UTSA's most-played opponent. The Roadrunners lead the series 8-3, as they have won the last eight games.

Game Prediction

UTSA enters the game as a 6-point favorite (per Action Network), primarily due to their overall talent advantage over Rice. Expect the Roadrunners to neutralize Rice’s pass rush, which leads the AAC with 18 sacks, by relying on a strong running game and quick passes to pull away for the victory in the fourth quarter.

Prediction: UTSA 28, Rice 20.