It’s been a good start for head coach Scott Abell in his first season at Rice. The Owls are 3-1 for the first time since 2001. The last Rice coach to begin 3-1 in his first season before Abell was Bo Hogan in 1967.
Is it enough to be a contender in the American Conference?
We’ll know more after this week when Rice visits Navy, considered among the top teams in the American.
Rice has won two in a row since suffering a 35-9 home loss to Houston.
The Owls are 1-0 in the American following last week’s 28-17 win at Charlotte.
While the optimism for Rice is warranted at this stage, facing Navy will really define whether the Owls have turned the corner after a 4-8 season. Rice’s last winning season was in 2014 when the Owls went 8-5 while competing in Conference USA.
Navy is coming off a bye week. Its most recent win was a 42-23 victory at Tulsa on Sept. 13. All Tulsa did after that was beat Oklahoma State in Stillwater for the first time since 1951.
Navy will be a major test to see if Rice warrants being considered one of the top teams in the American.
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How to Watch Rice-Navy
The Rice at Navy game will be on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on CBSSN.
Rice-Navy Betting Odds
Navy is a 14.5-point college football betting favorite via BetMGM. The Over/Under is 44.5.
Rice-Navy Records
Rice (3-1, 1-0 American Conference)
Navy (3-0, 2-0)
Rice-Navy Coaches
Rice: Scott Abell (3-1, overall 89-54)
Navy: Brian Newberry (18-10)
Rice-Navy Last Meeting
Nov. 2, 2024, Rice won 24-10 at home.
Rice-Navy Preview
For Rice
Daelen Alexander rushed for 73 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries to lead the Owls in their win over Charlotte. Rice rushed for 255 yards. The Owls are 14th in the nation in rushing and third in the American, averaging 246.2 yards per game. Alexander is second on the team in rushing with 222 yards rushing and two touchdowns. The leading rusher is Quinton Jackson, who has gained 292 yards and two scores.
This is not an explosive offense. The Owls are 13th in the American in scoring, averaging 22.3 points per game. Rice has only attempted 53 passes in those four games, which is 12th in the American. Quarterback Chase Jenkins has completed 72.2% of his 48 passes for 269 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
But Rice has been consistent, having scored in nine consecutive quarters.
The Owls have been strong defensively. They are fifth in the American in scoring defense, allowing 20.3 points per contest. Rice also leads the American with 14 sacks. Defensive end Michael Daley leads the Owls with four sacks.
For Navy
As well as Rice has done running the ball, Navy is at another level with its triple option attack. The Midshipmen lead the nation in rushing yards per game (375.3). In three games, Navy has rushed for 15 touchdowns and is averaging 6.2 yards per carry.
Quarterback Blake Horvath has rushed for 245 yards and three touchdowns. Teams can’t sleep on Horvath’s passing, either. He has completed 18 of 25 passes for 328 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Navy’s leading rusher is Alex Tecza, who has rushed for 272 yards and four touchdowns.
Slot Eli Heidenreich has rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns while catching 10 passes for 126 yards and one score.
Navy is second in the American in scoring (44 PPG) and third in scoring defense, allowing 18 points per game.
Defensive tackle Landon Robinson is a returning first-team All-American Conference selection. He has 19 tackles and a team-high 3.5 sacks.
Besides beating Tulsa, the other American Conference win was 38-24 at home against UAB.
Rice-Navy Prediction
I like Navy laying the points. The Midshipmen have a running game that, as the statistics show, is difficult to stop. And if needed, Horvath can beat teams through the air.
Navy also has the revenge factor. Last season, the Midshipmen were 5-1 entering their game against Rice, which was 2-6. Navy was coming off a 51-14 loss against Notre Dame the previous week. The Midshipmen didn’t immediately recover from the loss to the Fighting Irish and lost to Rice.
This year there is no similar circumstance. Navy should be well rested after last week’s bye.
There is still some skepticism as to whether Rice will be among the elite teams in the American, and the Owls could use that to their advantage, saying that nobody believes in them yet.
If Rice pulls off the upset, that may all change. But for now, I believe Navy appears more polished and appears to have the type of team that will seriously contend for a berth in the American Conference Championship.
