Texas at Rice NCAA Football Picks & Predictions 9/14/2019

Saturday, September 14, 2019

NRG Stadium

Sam Ehlinger and the Texas Longhorns head to NRG Stadium on Saturday where they'll meet the Rice Owls. The spread on this game has Texas as 28.5-point favorites. The O/U is set at 55.5. The Longhorns are 1-1-0 ATS and 2-0-0 when betting on the total. The Owls are 1-1-0 when wagering on the over/under and 1-0-1 against the spread.

Key Texas Longhorns Injuries

09/02/19 RB Jordan Whittington Hernia is out indefinitely
08/29/19 TE Rob Cummins Knee is out indefinitely
08/27/19 WR Joshua Moore Suspension is out indefinitely
08/23/19 TE Cade Brewer Concussion is out indefinitely
08/23/19 RB Daniel Young Ankle is out indefinitely
08/10/19 RB Kirk Johnson Shoulder is out indefinitely

Key Rice Owls Injuries

09/08/19 LB Treshawn Chamberlain Undisclosed is questionable Saturday vs Texas
09/08/19 QB Wiley Green Head injured last game, is questionable Saturday vs Texas

The last time they took the field, the Texas Longhorns took on the LSU Tigers and added a loss to their record by a score of 45-38. Sam Ehlinger paced the team in rushing in the game. He broke a long run for 17 yards and he notched 1 TD for the game. He scurried for 60 yards by way of 19 carries which meant he averaged 3.2 yards per carry. Devin Duvernay was the receiving yardage leader by racking up 154 yards on 12 catches. He averaged 12.8 yards per reception in the game. Leading the way at QB for the Longhorns was Sam Ehlinger who went 31/47 with 401 yards passing and threw 4 TD's. He ended the game without an interception. The Texas Longhorns ended up rushing 37 times and totaled 121 yards which gave them an average of 3.3 yards per rushing attempt. In all, they finished with a total of 85 plays which added up to 530 yards. For the game, the Longhorns totaled 30 first downs and they totaled 6 penalties for 50 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. When it comes to their defensive performance, Texas gave up 31 completions on 39 throws totaling 471 yards, and a completion percentage of 79.5%. On the ground, the Longhorns gave up 102 yards on 29 tries which gave them an average of 3.5 yards per attempt allowed. For this contest, they allowed 573 yards and forced 1 takeaway.

The Longhorns step onto the field holding a record of 1-1 this year. They are one of top scoring teams in the nation averaging 41.5 points per game, putting them 28th in the country. As a team, they are averaging 137 yards on the ground per game which is 9th in the Big 12 Conference. For total yards, they are currently ranked 6th in the conference and 29th in the country with 984 yards. The Longhorns have one of the average defenses in the nation, giving up 29.5 points per contest ranking them 10th in the Big 12. In discussing yards rushing, Texas is giving up 87.5 yards per contest putting them 2nd in the Big 12 Conference and 28th in college football. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 3.2 yards per carry putting them 4th in the conference and 37th in the country overall. Overall, they have allowed 175 rushing yards through 2 games. When it comes to yards through the air, the Longhorns have conceded 710 yards. Teams are completing 71% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 8.7 yards per try.

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The last time they took the field, the Rice Owls played the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and left there with a loss by a score of 41-21. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Owls was Tom Stewart who went 19/30 with 185 yards passing and tossed 1 TD. He finished the game without throwing an interception. Aston Walter led the team in rushing for that game. He had a long run of 9 yards and he tallied 1 TD for the game. He ran for 29 yards by way of 8 carries which gave him an average of 3.6 yards per run. Brad Rozner led the team in receiving yardage by earning 103 yards on 6 receptions. He notched an average of 17.2 yards per reception for that game. The Rice Owls ran the ball 37 times and earned 67 yards which gave them an average of 1.8 yards per rushing attempt. For the game, they totaled 72 plays which gave them a total of 321 yards. For the contest, the Owls had a total of 20 1st downs and they totaled 2 penalties for 12 yards telling us that they had a strong outing in terms of discipline. When it comes to their defensive performance, Rice allowed 21 catches on 27 attempts totaling 312 yards, and a completion percentage of 77.8%. For the game, they allowed 513 yards and earned 0 takeaways. On the ground, the Owls allowed 201 yards on 35 runs which gave the opponent an average of 5.7 yards per run allowed.

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The Owls come into this matchup with a record of 0-2. In discussing the offensive production, the Owls have one of the most lackluster offenses in the nation. Rice is having a year to forget in the ground game by averaging 124 yards on the ground per game, ranking them 102nd in college football. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 248 yards rushing through 2 contests, so they'll need to look to improve on these numbers if they want to compete with the better teams in the nation. The Owls average 282 yards per contest overall ranking them 121st in D-1 and 12th in the conference. The Owls are giving up 27.5 points per game which puts them at 6th in C-USA and 84th in D-1. When it comes to points allowed, they have given up 55 points in total. In terms of rushing yards, they are allowing 216 yards per game ranking them 119th in college football and 10th in Conference USA. For the 2019 season, they have allowed 432 yards rushing and 3 rushing touchdowns. Their passing defense is one of the elite groups in the nation. They are giving up 182.5 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Owls currently sit at 4th in the conference.

Who will win tonight's Longhorns/Owls college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Longhorns -28.5

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