Friday night lights shine bright in Houston as Rice hosts No. 25 Memphis at Rice Stadium in a matchup packed with history and high expectations. This marks the Owls’ second home game against a ranked conference opponent in the past three years, following a narrow 30-28 loss to No. 22 Tulane in 2023.
Memphis enters with momentum after a thrilling comeback win over No. 18 South Florida, continuing its streak of scoring at least 20 points in 48 consecutive contests, the longest active run in the nation. Rice’s modified option offense could concern Tigers fans after last year’s struggles against Navy; it’s less explosive but still tricky to defend on a short week.
Memphis vs. Rice Details
- Date: Friday, October 31, 2025
- Game time: 6:00 p.m. CT
- Location: Rice Stadium, Houston, TX
- Predicted Weather at Kick: 69 degrees
- How to watch: ESPN2
Memphis vs. Rice State Head-to-Head Record
Rice and Memphis renew their series for the sixth time, with the Tigers holding a narrow 3-2 edge after last year’s 27-20 win in Memphis. That victory marked their second straight in the matchup, both coming at home. The two teams haven’t met at Rice Stadium since 2011, when the Owls dominated 28-6, which remains the largest margin of victory in the series.
But in Brendon Lewis, the Tigers trust.
Historically, this rivalry has been tight, with four of five meetings decided by one score, including Rice’s dramatic 42-35 comeback win in 2008, punctuated by a 69-yard pick-six from freshman Chris Jammer.
Memphis vs. Rice Grades
Below are the PFSN team and positional grades for the highest-ranked players set to be featured in Fresno State vs. Colorado State.
- Memphis (77.4, C+)
- Rice (68.4, D+)
- Memphis (73.1, C)
- Rice (71.8, C-)
- Memphis (78.6, C+)
- Rice (67.9, D+)
- Â Brendon Lewis, Memphis (76.1, C)
- Chase Jenkins, Rice (71.4, C-)
PFSN College RBi
- Greg Desrosiers, Memphis (70.5, C-)
- Quinton Jackson, Rice (72.3, C-)
PFSN College WRi
- Cortez Braham Jr., Memphis (78.8, C+)
- Drayden Dickmann, Rice (77.0, C)
PFSN College TEiÂ
- Christian Ross, Memphis (72.9, C-)
- James Falk, Rice (75.8, C)
PFSN College EDGEi
- Everett Roussaw Jr., Memphis (72.4, C-)
- Tony Anyanwu, Rice (78.9, C+)
PFSN College DTi
- Jalen Bell, Memphis (71.8, C-)
- Aquantis Clemmons, Rice (67.3, D+)
PFSN College LBi
- Sam Brumfield, Memphis (70.3, C-)
- Ty Morris, Rice (73.2, C)
PFSN College CBi
- Jaidyn Denis, Memphis (78.4, C+)
- Khary Crump, Rice (79.7, C+)
PFSN College SAFi
- Kamari Wilson, Memphis (81.1, B-)
- Jack Kane, Rice (76.4, C)
Memphis vs. Rice Prediction
Memphis enters Friday night’s matchup as the more complete team and should control the line of scrimmage against Rice’s tricky option attack. The Tigers have proven they can win in multiple ways, and their defense’s knack for forcing turnovers could be the difference against a disciplined Owls offense.
Rice will lean on the legs of Quinton Jackson and dual-threat quarterback Chase Jenkins to stay competitive. Still, Memphis’ talent and depth, led by Lewis and an offense eager to reestablish the run, should ultimately prove too much. Expect the Tigers to pull away late and maintain their momentum.
Prediction: Memphis 28, Rice 14
