LAST YEAR

This will be Rice's season opener, but the Owls are coming off a 2-10 season, including a 2-6 mark in Conference USA.

CENTRAL TEXAS PIPELINE

There are nine area players on Rice's roster: linebacker Justin Allen (Cedar Park), offensive lineman Kody Emmert (Liberty Hill), punt returner Andy Erickson (Lake Travis), tight end Trevor Gillette (Lake Travis), tight end Brent Hotard (Round Rock), quarterback Taylor McHargue (Vista Ridge), receiver Donte Moore (Manor), running back Tyler Smith (Cedar Park) and receiver Drew Travis (Pflugerville).

TAKE FIVE

• Rice's best player, defensive lineman Scott Solomon, won't play. He broke his foot during summer workouts and is lost for the season. He was an all-conference player in 2009.
  
  
• The Owls may have finished toward the bottom of Conference USA last year, but they've got some talent on the roster. Fanuzzi (Alabama), running back Sam McGuffie (Michigan), quarterback Taylor Cook (Miami) and linebacker Kyle Prater (LSU) all were good enough to sign with major programs before transferring to Rice. And another, linebacker Justin Allen, was a two-year starter at Idaho.
  

Texas wants to run the ball. Rice did a fairly good job against the run in 2009; the Owls held opposing runners to a 4.7 average, the best mark since 2004.

Rice's head coach is David Bailiff. You may remember him as the former Texas State coach who led the Bobcats to the Division I-AA semifinals in 2005. Bailiff is 36-37 in his four seasons at Rice.

There are some Texas and Rice connections. Both of safety Travis Bradshaw's parents were Longhorns athletes; his father Freddy was a defensive back from 1976-78 and his mother Leslie (Gardell) swam for Texas at the same time. Vance McDonald's father, Bret, was a linebacker at Texas from 1979-81. Offensive lineman Clay Hebert's uncle, Bruce Hebert, was an All-Southwest Conference player for Texas in 1974. And cornerback Chris Jammer's uncle is Quentin Jammer, Texas' All-American defensive back from 1997-2001. Another legacy of note is receiver Klein Kubiak, whose father Gary — the Houston Texans' head coach — was Texas A&M's quarterback.

THREE TO WATCH

• Nick Fanuzzi, QB: The Longhorns recruited him out of high school, but he originally signed with Alabama before transferring to Rice in 2008. He passed for nearly 1,600 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, completing 60 percent of his throws. He became Rice's second quarterback to top 60 percent for a season.
  
  
• Tyler Smith, RB: The junior from Cedar Park is a smooth runner who can catch the ball out of the backfield. Look for Texas linebackers to key on him. He closed out his sophomore season with a pair of 100-yard games, including 127 vs. UTEP.
  
  
• Andy Erickson, PR: The freshman from Lake Travis was last season's Central Texas player of the year, with 2,730 all-purpose yards. Coaches love his speed and big-play ability, which is why they're entrusting the newcomer with punt return responsibilities. He's the Owls' only true freshman listed as a starter.