Rice at Houston Week 3 College Football Matchup Rice at Houston Matchup - Week 3
Sun, Sep 15 2024 · Week 3 · 🏟 John O'Quinn Field at TDECU Stadium Houston, TX · Turf · 40,000 cap
Away
7 33
Final
Home
📊 Punt & Rally Projection
Rice
19
HOU -3.5
Houston
24
P&R Line Houston -5.5
P&R Total O/U 43
Confidence 86 High
Vegas Houston -3.5 · O/U 43.5
Matchup Prediction
Toss-up — no clear edge
Neither metric shows a meaningful pre-game edge in this matchup.
Momentum Control
58.4%
Lean
Game Control
75.9%
Rice wins
Solid
Vegas Spread
Houston -3.5
O/U 43.5
ESPN Bet
Advanced Stats
PPA + Success Rate agree → Rice · 73.9% ATS historically
↓ See full breakdown
Rice 2024 Schedule
Rice's 2024 Schedule
DateMatchupSpreadTotalResultO/UCover
Sat 8/31Rice vs Sam Houston-9.5L14–3449.0L14–34UN
Sat 9/7Rice vs Texas Southern-30.0W69–752.5W69–7OY
Sat 9/14Rice at Houston+3.5L7–3343.5L7–33UN
Sat 9/21Rice at Army+7.0L14–3744.0L14–37ON
Sat 9/28Rice vs Charlotte-4.0L20–2148.0L20–21UN
— Bye Week —
Sat 10/12Rice vs UTSA+3.5W29–2751.0W29–27OY
Sat 10/19Rice at Tulane+21.5L10–2453.5L10–24UY
Sat 10/26Rice at UConn+6.5L10–1747.0L10–17UN
Sat 11/2Rice vs Navy+12.5W24–1049.0W24–10UY
Fri 11/8Rice at Memphis+7.5L20–2750.5L20–27UY
— Bye Week —
Sat 11/23Rice at UAB-7.0L14–4052.0L14–40ON
Sat 11/30Rice vs South Florida+5.5W35–2853.5W35–28OY
Houston 2024 Schedule
Houston's 2024 Schedule
DateMatchupSpreadTotalResultO/UCover
Sat 8/31Houston vs UNLV-3.0L7–2756.0L7–27UN
Sat 9/7Houston at Oklahoma+27.5L12–1648.5L12–16UY
Sat 9/14Houston vs Rice-3.5W33–743.5W33–7UY
Sat 9/21Houston at Cincinnati+4.0L0–3447.5L0–34UN
Sat 9/28Houston vs Iowa State+16.0L0–2043.0L0–20UN
Fri 10/4Houston at TCU+16.5W30–1952.0W30–19UY
— Bye Week —
Sat 10/19Houston vs Kansas+4.5L14–4245.5L14–42ON
Sat 10/26Houston vs Utah+4.5W17–1436.0W17–14UY
Sat 11/2Houston vs Kansas State+12.5W24–1946.5W24–19UY
— Bye Week —
Fri 11/15Houston at Arizona+1.0L3–2746.5L3–27UN
Sat 11/23Houston vs Baylor+7.0L10–2051.0L10–20UN
Sat 11/30Houston at BYU+9.5L18–3039.5L18–30ON
Advanced Stats
Advanced Analytics Matchup
Matchup-adjusted (offense vs opponent defense) · 2024 season
Rice PPA Edge
Agreement Signals — When All Metrics Agree
Elite · 83.1% ATS
PPA + PPO + SR + Havoc
Split
Metrics disagree
Elite · 82.4% ATS
PPA + PPO + Havoc
Split
Metrics disagree
Elite · 73.9% ATS
PPA + Success Rate
Both Agree
→ Rice
Individual Factors — Ranked by Predictive Strength
PPA Overall
Points added per play · Elite predictor
Rice #126
+0.186
Houston #133
+0.153
Rice Edge
PPA Passing
Pass efficiency edge · Strong predictor
Rice #121
+0.340
Houston #131
+0.178
Rice Edge
Havoc Total
Def. disruption rate · Strong predictor
Rice #55
0.169
Houston #46
0.175
TFLs, sacks, PBUs, forced fumbles — higher is better
Houston Edge
Points Per Opp
Drive-finishing edge · Strong predictor
Rice #119
+6.783
Houston #134
+6.297
Rice Edge
Success Rate
Play consistency edge · Solid predictor
Rice #127
+0.751
Houston #129
+0.723
Rice Edge
Field Position
Avg start (lower=better) · Solid predictor
Rice #11
67.4
Houston #101
72.3
Avg yards from own endzone to average start — lower is better · longer bar = better field position
Rice Edge
Advanced stats sourced from CFBD · 2024 season · Edges are matchup-adjusted (offense vs opponent defense)
Power Ratings
Team Power Ratings
Overall · Offense · Defense ratings · Updated as season progresses
Houston Rated Higher
Overall Power Rating
Rice
-17.1
Houston
8.3
Offense Rating
Rice
6.4
Houston
19.8
Defense Rating (lower = better defense)
Rice
23.5
Houston
11.5
Power ratings updated throughout the season as results accumulate
Momentum Control (CSS)
Consecutive Scoring Sequences Who builds scoring momentum?
Avg sequences created per game
Rice #91
0.00
Houston #122
0.00
Avg sequences allowed per game (lower is better)
Rice #7
0.00
Houston #36
0.00
Rice +0.00
CSS Edge (season-to-date)
Teams with this edge win 58.4% of games historically
Based on 2 games this season
Game Control (GC)
Win Probability Dominance Who controls games start to finish? Rice Edge
Avg GC score per game (offense)
Rice #1
47.4
Houston #1
10.5
Avg GC score allowed per game (lower is better)
Rice #83
47.3
Houston #125
75.0
Rice +36.9
GC Edge (season-to-date)
Teams with this edge win 75.9% of games historically
Based on 2 games this season
Spread Context
ATS Historical Context
Based on 2021–2025 backtest · FBS vs FBS · Regular season

CSS and GC disagree on this matchup. When the metrics split, historical cover rates are essentially random — treat this as a coin flip against the spread.

ATS data is informational only. Past cover rates do not guarantee future results.

Coaching Matchup
Rice
Mike Bloomgren #1
22–46 (32%) · Yr 7 at school
OC Marques Tuiasosopo Yr 3 #1
DC Brian Smith Yr 3 #1
Staff Rating
0.00 #1
Houston
Willie Fritz #1
0–0 (0%) · Yr 1 at school
OC Kevin Barbay Yr 1 #1
DC Shiel Wood Yr 1 #1
Staff Rating
0.00 #1
About these metrics
Advanced Stats shows matchup-adjusted factor edges (offense vs opponent defense). Combination signals — when PPA, PPO, Success Rate, and Havoc all point the same direction — have historically predicted the SU winner in 95–97% of games and the ATS winner in 82–83% of games (2021–2025, FBS vs FBS, regular season).
Impact: Advanced Stats are the best performance based metric used to predict the outcome of games.

Momentum Control (CSS) measures consecutive scoring sequences — when a team scores, holds the opponent scoreless, then scores again. Teams entering a game with a CSS edge of +1.0 or more have won 71–78% of games historically (2021–2025, FBS vs FBS).
Impact: Momentum Control is a great measure for predicting game outcome but NOT an ATS advantage, data shows this is already considered when lines are set.

Game Control (GC) measures win probability dominance — how thoroughly a team controlled the game from start to finish. Teams with a GC edge of +12 or more have won 67–76% of games historically. When both metrics agree, combined confidence is higher. When they split, treat as a lean at best.
Impact: Game Control is another great measure for predicting game outcome but NOT an ATS advantage, data shows this is already considered when lines are set.

Power Ratings are a custom-built composite of a Teams Talent, Experience & Production, Coaching & Performance Metrics. These are updated constantly with roster changes, performance once the games start for the 2026 season, injuries the team is dealing with and scheduling situations.
Impact: There are a wide range of power ratings available, we think ours is the best, you can decide for yourself