UTSA vs. Rice football: Preview, scouting report, betting info and prediction

Trying his best to block out social media during the season, UTSA coach Jeff Traylor said he learned about the favorites in the American Conference from a question he was asked during a radio interview.

After the first month of the season, the race for the American championship is considered as wide open as any in the country.

Big-budget programs South Florida and Memphis look to be the class of the league, but neither has been dominant enough to stand as a runaway favorite. After that, the Roadrunners’ odds are as strong as any other contender.

Preseason favorite Navy has already taken two league losses, while Army is also 1-1 in the conference. Florida Atlantic, East Carolina, Tulsa and North Texas have all shown flashes, but all four still have a lot to prove.

While the Roadrunners have a realistic path to a title push, Traylor and UTSA’s players said all the right things this week, keeping the focus on a matchup with Rice at 6 p.m. Saturday in Houston rather than looking ahead to projections.

“I pretty much don’t look at all that stuff, because I really don’t care,” defensive lineman Jeremiah Bailey said. “If you show up and win all 12 games, the rankings will take care of themselves. So, me, personally, I don’t really feed into all of that stuff, because I know what we’ve got in this room. I’m just confident in that.”

READ MORE: How LSU transfer Joel Rogers found his fit with UTSA

Traylor said he could sense that the start of conference play led to an uptick in energy during practice this week, but he added that the Roadrunners still have plenty of work to do, continuing to sort through personnel to ensure “we’re playing the right guys at the right time.”

Regardless of what league the next opponent comes from, most of the focus remains internal.

“It doesn’t make a difference. Next game, just focus on what we’re trying to be,” UTSA safety Joel Rogers said. “We set the standard in the triangle, stopping the run is a big thing for us. That’s the main thing that we’ve been trying to get done.”

UTSA Roadrunners tight end Isaiah Butler-Tanner (86) reacts after a field goal during the fourth quarter against the Colorado State Rams in San Antonio, Texas, Saturday, Sept., 26, 2026. (Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News)

UTSA at Rice

When:

6 p.m. Saturday

Where:

First Community Stadium (formerly Rice Stadium), Houston

TV:

ESPN+

Radio: 760 AM

All-time series: UTSA leads 9-4

Last meeting:

UTSA 61, Rice 13 on Oct. 11, 2025, in San Antonio

UTSA at Rice betting info

Spread:

UTSA -12.5

Over/under:

55.5

What to know about Rice

Last game: Lost 38-24 at Fresno State on Sept. 26

Players to watch:

Rice’s success will hinge on 6-foot-4, 227-pound senior quarterback Jacurri Brown, who through four games has 322 passing yards with three touchdowns and 399 rushing yards with a pair of scores.

“I don’t know if we can get this guy down. Nobody hardly does,” Traylor said. “He’s one of those guys where we’re going to be frustrated, and y’all are going to be like, ‘Did y’all work on tackling this week?’ He is uniquely talented.”

When UTSA has the ball

The Roadrunners are preparing for a struggling Owls defense to present multiple looks, coverages and alignments under defensive coordinator Jon Kay, a former North Shore coach and one of Traylor’s longtime friends.

“He mixes it up and does a good job,” Traylor said. “His kids will play their tails off for him.”

UTSA vs. Rice: 5 key players to watch in American Conference opener

When Rice has the ball

Rice uses a triple-option attack similar to Army but out of a shotgun set, running the ball on 75% of plays and ranking eighth in the country in rushing at 268.9 yards per game. UTSA’s defense has struggled against the run this season, allowing 213.3 yards per game to rank 133rd in the FBS. The Roadrunners believe those struggles are tied to individual breakdowns rather than structural issues, but the ability to remain sound on assignments will be especially tested against the Owls.

“Discipline,” Rogers said. “Everybody has to be doing their job, and everybody has to be on the same page. “

Key matchup

UTSA vs. Looking ahead

After UTSA’s win against Colorado State last week, Traylor spoke about the potential excitement and turnout to the Alamodome for Thursday’s matchup against unbeaten USF, provided the Roadrunners can get past Rice. Keeping the players focused on the more immediate goal could be a challenge, especially with UTSA announcing Friday that SportsCenter will be in San Antonio ahead of the game with South Florida.

Prediction

UTSA 38, Rice 17

Traylor has typically had Rice’s number through his tenure at UTSA, posting four victories with an average margin of 36.8 points. The lone loss, a 29-27 heartbreaker during the Roadrunners’ last visit to Houston in 2024, is enough to keep the team on guard and avoid an upset.

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This article originally published at UTSA vs. Rice football: Preview, scouting report, betting info and prediction.

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