RICE PASS OFFENSE vs TEXAS PASS DEFENSE
Rice quarterback J.T. Daniels is a familiar face for Texas fans and he’ll make his third start at DKR, with three different teams. Daniels was a hotshot 5-star recruit but he’s never lived up to expectations at USC, Georgia or West Virginia. Daniels has thrown for nearly 7,000 yards in his career but he’s coming off a year at West Virginia where he finished with a 122.9 QBR. Wide receiver Luke McCaffrey is the name to know in the receiving corps. He’s a Senior Bowl watch list member and led the Owls with 58 receptions last year. Tight end Jack Bradley is a serviceable weapon after catching 28 passes last year.
Edge – Texas ***
RICE RUN OFFENSE vs TEXAS RUN DEFENSE
Juma Otoviano brings a lot of experience to the table as a sixth-year senior. He was fairly productive last year in rushing for 403 yards and averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Dean Connors also brings some experience and he’ll be heavily involved. This isn’t a Rice run game that’s going to be confused with Alabama, but the Owls like to try to be physical in the ground game so it’ll be a good opening test for Texas.
Edge – Texas **
RICE OFFENSIVE LINE vs TEXAS DEFENSIVE LINE
I can’t say I know a ton about Rice’s offensive line, but the Owls do bring some experience at key spots. Left tackle Clay Servin is a redshirt senior who is on the Outland Trophy watchlist. Four of the five offensive line starters are upperclassmen, including a couple grad transfers. Sophomore right tackle Ethan Onianwa (6-6/340) is the best of the bunch. This is a Texas defensive line that had a good fall camp, but it needs to prove it on the field starting on Saturday.
Edge – Texas *
TEXAS PASS OFFENSE vs RICE PASS DEFENSE
Cornerback Jordan Dunbar is the most talented player in the Rice secondary. Opposite him is Sean Fresch, an undersized corner but someone the Rice staff really likes. If Texas can get guys like AD Mitchell and Isaiah Neyor matched up with Fresch, it will play to UT’s advantage. Strong safety Gabe Taylor still new to the game but he finds a way to be around the football (third on the team in tackles last year, 2 INTs including a 91-yard return for a touchdown). The Texas pass game is still a bit of a mystery in terms of Quinn Ewers’s progress and the addition of some new faces at receiver, but this should be an explosive passing offense.
Edge – Texas ****
TEXAS RUN OFFENSE vs RICE RUN DEFENSE
Rice hasn’t fielded very good run defense the past couple years (167 ypg last year and 5.0 ypc) but they do get a healthy defensive tackle De’Braylon Carroll back on the interior of their defensive line so the run defense is expected to be better than last year. The Owls return a ton of experience at linebacker, which may be the strength of defense. Texas’s run game obviously loses some elite talent but the Longhorns have a solid stable of young backs that are ready to prove themselves.
Edge – Texas **
TEXAS OFFENSIVE LINE vs RICE DEFENSIVE LINE
Josh Pearcy at rush end is on the Senior Bowl and Lombardi Award watch lists after recording 6.5 sacks and 10 TFLs last year. Coleman Coco is a grad transfer that was brought in during the spring and he has looked good in fall camp, per reports. Sophomore Blake Boenisch is a player at nose tackle that the Rice staff really likes. Texas still has some questions along the interior of the offensive line, but this should be a solid group overall.
Edge – Texas **
SPECIAL TEAMS
Placekicker Tim Horn takes over the job and is a preseason first-team all-conference selection. Before transferring to Rice, Horn kicked at Washington but was only used on kick-offs so he’s a bit of an unknown in kicking actual field goals. Punter Conor Hunt, another transfer, returns for his senior season after handling the punting duties last year. He finished 91st in punting average last year.
Edge – Texas ***
