Rare matchups between teams that are either meeting for the first time or haven’t played each other in years tend to be highlights on the college football bowl slate every year. But the LendingTree Bowl will be an exception this season as Southern Miss and Rice square off for the ninth straight season in a battle between former Conference USA foes.
Southern Miss joined the Sun Belt this season, and it seemed like that would discontinue the series. But with Rice eligible for a bowl at 5-7 because of its high Academic Progress Rating, the former league rivals will get a chance to settle the score. Their all-time series is tied at 6-6 with every meeting transpiring between 2007 and 2021.
Fittingly for a series that is deadlocked with no scheduled continuation in sight, this will mark the first-ever meeting between the teams on a neutral field. That means the ground should be even as try and break the tie in the all-time series.
Returning to bowl eligibility marks a breakthrough for both programs as the Golden Eagles make their first bowl appearance since 2019. It will be Rice’s first bowl since 2014, and though the Owls finished below .500 in the regular season, a postseason game affords them a chance to reach six wins for the first time since 2014.
How to watch LendingTree Bowl live
Date: Saturday, Dec. 17 | Time: 5:45 p.m. ET
Location: Hancock Whitney Stadium — Mobile, Alabama
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Southern Miss vs. Rice: Need to know
Slowing Gore: One of the keys to slowing downs Southern Miss is bottling up Frank Gore Jr. The junior running back and son of former longtime NFL running back Frank Gore is a multi-talented back who has even played quarterback in emergency situations during his career. With the Golden Eagles needing a victory get bowl eligible in the regular season finale at Louisiana-Monroe, Gore ran for a career-high 199 yards and a touchdown while catching two passes and completing another. His 33-yard touchdown run with 7:32 remaining made the score 20-10 and gave Southern Miss the insurance it needed to escape with a win. Gore is over 1,000 yards rushing this season is the key to the Southern Miss offense.
McCaffrey back: Rice star receiver Luke McCaffrey is on track to be back for the game after missing the final three games of the regular season with an ankle injury. The son of former Denver Broncos star receiver Ed McCaffrey…
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