Note: This story is featured in the 2026 edition of Dave Campbell's Texas Football's Summer Magazine, which you can order here.

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BEHIND ENEMY LINES  

“At first, I wasn’t sure about the (Abell) hire. He was an outsider without any FBS experience and this funky offense that not many people know about. But the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. Rice probably needed to go off the board and do something out of the box. He’s a sharp guy.”  

“I just don’t know what the ceiling is at Rice. Can they have success like Army and Navy? You’d think the academics could become a strength now in the G6 because everywhere has all this turnover but I imagine most players at Rice are there as much for the degree as the football. Maybe that means they’ll have less turnover on the roster over the years.”  

“The defense needs to be better. The offense likely improves because they’ve run (Abell’s) system for a full year now, but defense is mostly about dudes and I’m not sure they have enough of them.”  

SCHEDULE AND PREDICTIONS  

Sept. 5 Houston Christian W 

Sept. 12 at Notre Dame L 

Sept. 19 Western Michigan W  

Sept. 26 at Fresno State L 

Oct. 3 UTSA W 

Oct. 10 at East Carolina  L 

Oct. 17 Tulsa W 

Oct. 24 at FAU W 

Oct. 31 IDLE 

Nov. 7 at North Texas L 

Nov. 14 Tulane L 

Nov. 19 at Temple  L 

Nov. 28 Army  L 

Record: 5-7 (3-5) 

BIGGEST GAME – Oct. 3 vs. UTSA  

The Owls can earn a signature win and start the American Conference schedule with a bang if they can upset UTSA. The Roadrunners are 3-10 on the road since the start of 2024 and one of those losses was to the Owls. Rice lost this matchup by 48 last year in San Antonio.    

TRAP GAME – Oct. 17 vs. Tulsa   

Tulsa went 1-7 in the American Conference last year and missed a bowl game. These two teams didn’t play in 2025 and this could be one of the few times that the Owls are favored in American Conference game. This contest is sandwiched between trips to East Carolina and FAU.  

UPSET ALERT – Nov. 22 vs. North Texas   

Most of the toughest conference games on the schedule for Rice in 2026 are at home, including UTSA, Tulane, and Army. North Texas and new head coach Neal Brown visit Historic Rice Stadium in late November and it’ll be the Mean Green’s second road trip in a row.  

BEST CASE/WORST CASE 

Best Case: 8-4  

Scott Abell’s option attack is weaponized with fresh portal additions, such as QB Jacurri Brown, and another offseason of practice for the players returning. Jon Kay’s defense takes a big step forward because of improved secondary play and the Owls flirt with contention in a wide-open American Conference.   

Worst Case: 3-9  

A brutal non-conference schedule leaves the Owls at 1-3 entering an American Conference slate that includes home games against UTSA, Tulane, and Army alongside road trips to East Carolina and North Texas. The portal additions don’t materialize on either side of the ball and the Owls suffer a sophomore slump under Abell.  

2025 RESULTS 

Aug. 30 at Louisiana W 14-12  

Sept. 6 Houston L 35-9 
Sept. 13 Prairie View A&M W 38-17 

Sept. 18 at Charlotte W 28-17 

Sept. 27 at Navy L 21-13 

Oct. 4 FAU L 27-21 

Oct. 11 at UTSA L 61-13 

Oct. 25 UConn W 37-34 (2OT) 

Oct. 31 Memphis L 38-14 

Nov. 8 UAB W 24-17 

Nov. 22 North Texas L 56-24 

Nov. 29 at USF L 52-3 

Jan. 2 Texas State (Armed Forces Bowl) L 41-10 

Record: 5-8 (2-6)