Rice at UTEP preview Bret Bloomquist, Wochit
Rice brings typically good special teams to the Sun Bowl on Saturday to face UTEP, led by punter Chris Barnes, who is second in Conference USA in punting at 44.9 yards per game.
As a team, their net punting is 41.1 yards, which is third in C-USA.
UTEP has attained some consistency in special teams the past two weeks but still has only one big play all year, a 100-yard kick return from Duron Lowe against North Texas. Stealing points on special teams would be the Miners' best shot at a victory against Rice, but the Owls usually don't beat themselves in the kicking game.