UConn Football vs. Rice: TV info, by the numbers, what to watch out for

START: 3:30 p.m

TV: CBS Sports Network

ANNOUNCER: Jordan Kent (play-by-play), Logan Ryan (color analyst), Keiana Martin (sideline)

RADIO: UConn IMG Radio Network; Varsity Network App; 97.9 Fox Sports, WGCH 1490 AM, WAVZ 1300 AM, WILI 1400 AM and 95.3 FM, WICH 1310 AM and 94.5 FM; Sirius/XM Online Streaming, XM 383 (UConn)

ANNOUNCER: Mike Crispino (play-by-play), Wayne Norman (color analyst), Adam Giardino (sideline)

RECORDS: UConn (4-3), Rice (2-5)

LAST WEEK: UConn fell to Wake Forest 23-20;

POINT DISTRIBUTION: UConn -6.5 (odds via DraftKings)

O/U: 47

HISTORY OF THE SERIES: This is only the second time the Huskies and Owls have faced off, with UConn picking up a road win last season.

DEPTH MAP: UConn; rice

PRE-MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE(S): UConn head coach Jim Mora; Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren

WEATHER FORECAST: East Hartford, CT

Fun with numbers

7: This will be the seventh time UConn has faced an American opponent since its elimination. They are 3-3 overall and 2-0 (FAU, Temple) this season with one more coming after this game against UAB.

3: This will be the third team the Huskies play under the Owls nickname. FAU and Temple are also the owls.

326.4: The Rice defense ranks 35th with 326.4 yards per game.

1: Cam Chadwick had his first career interception in the loss to Wake Forest, while Louis Hansen caught his first career touchdown in that game.

169.3: The Owls are allowing just 169.3 passing yards per game, which is 17th in the FBS.

11: UConn placekicker Chris Freeman has made 11 straight field goals after missing his first three earlier in the season.

22: Rice has 22 sacks of opposing quarterbacks, which ranks them 11th in the FBS.

.71: The Huskies have allowed just 0.71 sacks per game, tied for seventh best in FBS.

1573: Rice QB EJ Warner, son of Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, has rushed for 1,573 yards, ranking 43rd in the FBS.

9: UConn linebacker Jayden McDonald is averaging nine tackles per game, which ranks 23rd nationally.

What you should pay attention to

How do they recover?

UConn proved to be a resilient team last season, enduring an 0-5 start and showing signs of hope with a win over Rice. This year, the Huskies lost close games at Duke and at home to Wake Forest, but the other games delivered either a bang or an entertaining finish.

UConn’s path to a bowl game is clear if it gets back on track. They need to shake off last week’s narrow loss, even if it ended in a controversial no-call, and realize that there are still many big wins at stake this season. If they can beat two of Rice, Georgia State, UAB and UMass, this season will be a success.

Run game is missing

UConn desperately needs to get the running game going. Injuries on the offensive line don’t help, but the Huskies have enough good blockers and a number of capable defenders that they shouldn’t average less than three yards per carry, as they have the last two games.

Rice’s pass defense is stronger than the rush defense by success rate, but the Owls defense is a strong unit overall. If UConn wants to win, it will likely require a big effort in the backfield.

Let Evers cook

Nick Evers gets a chance to start his second straight game. He has some clear opportunities for improvement, but also showed why the coaching staff has shown confidence in him. He has skills worth developing and a few growing pains are okay if they still manage to play better and get a successful result for this season.

Cut this man some slack. He is starting in his first season and has already had to miss the team twice due to injury. He also faced the toughest teams in the UConn program, including Maryland, Duke and Wake Forest. Evers needs to find a way to keep running but take fewer hits. Head coach Jim Mora has said he doesn’t like jumping, so they need to find something that works or think about lightening Evers’ workload carrying the ball.