Charlotte 49ers at Rice Owls: Gameday
Charlotte (2-9, 0-7) at Rice (4-7, 2-5)
3:30 p.m., Rice Stadium, Houston
TV: WCCB (Charlotte cable channel 11, digital channel 1212)
Radio: WFNZ, 610. Pregame show at 2:30 p.m.
SCOUTING RICE
It’s anyone’s guess what the Owls’ mindset will be Saturday. After three straight bowl appearances, Rice saw its postseason hopes end with a 34-24 loss last Saturday to Texas San Antonio. Coach David Bailiff says, “All you can do at this point is play for pride. You have to keep working.” … Senior quarterback Driphus Jackson has thrown for 2,226 yards this season, with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. He has seven completions of 50 yards or more – potential trouble for a 49ers team that has been susceptible to the big play … Rice’s defense has allowed 30 or more points in seven of its 11 games, and the Owls are near the bottom of Conference USA in rushing defense. That could be good news for a 49ers team that runs the ball well.
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Rice quarterback Driphus Jackson against 49ers’ secondary. Charlotte has surrendered big plays frequently this season. If the 49ers’ secondary can keep Rice from breaking long-yardage plays, Charlotte could stick with the Owls in its bid to post its first Conference USA victory.
OBSERVATIONS
▪ Three 49ers senior starters will make their final appearances Saturday. They are receiver Richard Murphy, offensive lineman Danny Book and linebacker Caleb Clayton-Molby.
▪ A seeming contradiction – Rice is 12th in Football Bowl Subdivision in time of possession, averaging 33:02 a game, but the Owls have scored six of their 39 touchdowns on drives of 45 seconds or less.
▪ Playing at Rice in November and December has been a losing proposition the past seven years for opponents. The Owls have lost once in their past 16 homes games after Nov. 1 – a 65-10 drubbing Nov. 14 by Southern Mississippi.
▪ Rice has never lost to a team from North Carolina, although there’s a limited sample size of games. The Owls beat North Carolina 27-13 in the 1950 Cotton Bowl, tied Wake Forest 17-17 in 1989 and beat the Deacons 33-17 a year later.
BY THE NUMBERS
14.5 Number of tackles for loss this season by Charlotte nose tackle Larry Ogunjobi. That is No. 1 in Conference USA.
29 Number of games won by Rice’s senior class the past four seasons. The Owls are 29-23 in that time span, and if they win Saturday their senior class will match the school record for most victories over four years.
34 Number of starts for 49ers offensive lineman Danny Book, assuming he starts Saturday as expected. Book, of Hickory Ridge High in Cabarrus County, has started every game since Charlotte launched its program in 2012. So has redshirt junior nose tackle Larry Ogunjobi.
Steve Lyttle
This story was originally published November 27, 2015 at 5:41 PM with the headline "Charlotte 49ers at Rice Owls: Gameday."