The Rice Owls are looking to cap off one of their best seasons in program history after winning their first outright conference title in 56 years. They have a real shot to finish the year on a high note as they face the struggling Mississippi State Bulldogs. Despite being an SEC powerhouse, their 6-6 record could work against them in the Liberty Bowl.
Rice has the momentum heading into their first Liberty bowl game. They won nine of their last 10 games to win the USA conference title. They have only earned 10 wins twice in program history and will be seeking a school-best 11 wins on Tuesday. On the other side, the Bulldogs finished the year in disappointing fashion and are in need of a final win to possibly save jobs.
The Bulldogs barely made it to a postseason game this year. They won their final two games to get into their fourth-consecutive bowl appearance, but key losses in their conference ruined their chances of feeling good about the year. Mississippi State does have the momentum. Their defense held opponents to just 15.7 points per game in the final three matchups including in-state rivals, Mississippi.
The real issue for the Bulldogs is their quarterback play. Dan Prescott could get the go. He is the team's leading rusher with with 751 yards, but his passing game is not up to par, averaging just 165.7 yards a game after injuring his throwing arm. He sat out two weeks, but returned in the season finale. Tyler Russell is out for the remainder of the year, meaning Damian Williams will be the other option if Prescott gets hurt.
The Owls enter with one of the top rushing attacks, averaging 240.2 yards on the ground as senior Charles Ross put up 1,252 yards in the regular season. He become the first Rice player to top 1,000 yards since Trevor Cobb in 1992. Tat could come in handy against the struggling run defense of the Bulldogs.
Mississippi State might be from the powerhouse SEC conference, but they are far from the favorite in Liberty Bowl. The Rice Owls are coming off one of the best seasons in program history as the team looks to win their first appearance in Memphis.
