When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Rice Stadium
TV: None
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Radio: 94.1 FM
Records: Rice 1-8, 1-4 Conference USA; Southern Miss. 5-4, 3-2.
Series history: Rice leads 4-3.
Key players: Rice - QB Miklo Smalls, RB Austin Walter, LB Emmanuel Ellerbee; Southern Miss - QB Keon Howard, RB Ito Smith, DB Kelsey Douglas.
Who has the edge
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Offense - Southern Mississippi. The Golden Eagles are a top-50 passing offense (252.2) with 10 more passing TDs than Rice. Howard is 96-of-170 passing for 1,199 yards, eight TDs and five INTs. The Owls have 26 turnovers, which is second worst in the FBS. And with only six turnovers gained they have the worst turnover margin (minus-2.33). The Owls rank 126th in scoring (14.0). Walter supplied 122 total yards and a 70-yard rushing TD last week. He leads the team with 286 yards on 49 rushes.
Defense – Southern Mississippi. The Owls are 94th in total defense (427.8) and 116th in scoring defense (36.9). Opposing QBs are completing nearly 70 percent (69.4) of their passes with only two INTs, and Rice's opponents have 31 TDs in 40 red-zone trips (77.5 percent) and convert on third down 50 percent of the time (53-of-107). Southern Miss opponents are 43-of-137 on third downs (31.4). DB Tarvarius Moore leads the team with 55 tackles. He also has two INTs.
Special teams – Even. The Owls didn't attempt a field goal in the last four games. They have only three makes in four tries this season. But P Jack Fox is averaging 43.4 yards per punt, which is better than the Golden Eagles' 40.1, and Austin Trammell is a capable kick returner, averaging 9.1 yards on seven punt returns and 21.4 on 10 kickoff returns. Southern Miss K Parker Shaunfield is 8-for-8 in his past four outings.
Notable: The Owls won four of five meetings between 2007 and 2014, including 41-23 in 2014 in Hattiesburg, Miss. But the Golden Eagles took the last two, winning 66-10 two years ago in Houston and 44-28 last season at home. Rice led 7-3 early but trailed 34-14 entering the fourth. The Eagles sacked QB Tyler Stehling seven times, while their QB, Nick Mullens, threw for 591 yards and four TDs.
About Rice: The Owls outgained UAB 463-439, and they both averaged 6.7 yards per carry, but UAB rolled 52-21 after jumping out 42-7 by halftime, largely because the Owls had three turnovers and forced none. Smalls replaced Glaessmann and finally got them going in the second half, rushing for one touchdown and finding Aaron Cephus for another in the fourth, but it was too little, too late for the Owls to avoid their seventh straight loss.
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About Southern Miss: The Golden Eagles opened C-USA play on a three-game winning streak, beating UTSA (31-29), UTEP (24-0) and Louisiana Tech (34-27, 2OT). Now they've lost two straight, following a setback against UAB (30-12) with a 24-10 loss at Tennessee. The Eagles held the Vols to 210 total yards and 2-of-13 on third downs, but Howard lost two fumbles in the third, setting up two short touchdown drives.
