Two former Conference USA opponents met on an annual basis from 1996 to 2013. Now as simultaneous members of the American Athletic Conference for the first time, the Rice Owls (3-3, 1-1 AAC) and Tulsa Golden Hurricane (3-3, 1-1 AAC) renew their series Thursday night at Chapman Stadium.
Both programs share incredibly similar positions at this point in the season. They share identical .500 conference records and identical .500 overall records. Both are fresh off a bye week, spending extra time marinating in an excruciating loss from Week 6. Tulsa dropped a road matchup at Florida Atlantic, 20-17, to watch its unblemished AAC record get spoiled in monsoon conditions.