Rice Faces Daunting Test at No. 3 Notre Dame as Historic Underdog on National TV

Rice heads to South Bend on Saturday as one of the largest underdogs of the college football season, with oddsmakers listing the Owls at 44½ points against third-ranked Notre Dame. The matchup, set for 2:30 p.m. at Notre Dame Stadium, will air on NBC — part of the network’s long-running package of Fighting Irish football broadcasts.

For second-year Rice coach Scott Abell, the national spotlight is part of the appeal, even if the odds are unforgiving. He noted that players and coaches alike grow up imagining themselves on Notre Dame’s field, calling it a major opportunity for his program regardless of the spread.

Quarterback Jacurri Brown, a UCF transfer who guided the Owls to a 31-3 win over Houston Christian last Saturday, pushed back on the pessimism. He said he has been on the wrong side of expectations before and pledged that his locker room would not concede anything simply because Notre Dame is favored to win.

History offers a sliver of precedent for the underdog. Stanford stunned 41-point favorite USC at home, 24-23, in 2007, and just two seasons ago unranked Northern Illinois knocked off then-No. 5 Notre Dame, a 28.5-point favorite, 16-14 at Notre Dame Stadium.

Still, this Irish team has shown few vulnerabilities so far. Notre Dame opened its season with a 41-13 win over Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, pulling away after halftime. Junior quarterback C.J. Carr — a grandson of former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr and a leading Heisman Trophy contender — completed 19 of 29 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns without an interception in that game.

Abell acknowledged the challenge of facing a Notre Dame defense he described as talented at every level, praising the staff’s work and calling it a significant test for how Rice approaches the game offensively.

NBC, the game’s broadcaster, is a unit of Comcast Corporation (CMCSA). Comcast shares were trading at $25.12, up 0.28% from a previous close of $25.05, with a market capitalization of roughly $92.5 billion. The company operates across connectivity, media, studios, and theme parks, and college football rights remain a core part of its media portfolio.

What to watch

• Whether Rice’s offense, coming off a 31-3 win, can sustain drives against a Notre Dame defense that held Wisconsin to 13 points.
• C.J. Carr’s continued production in the Heisman conversation, beginning with Saturday’s outing.
• NBC’s national broadcast window as a measuring stick for Rice’s exposure under coach Scott Abell.
• Rice’s injury situation, with a key offensive player unavailable for the game.

Source: original release