In a significant season opener, the Rice Owls suffered a disappointing 34-14 loss to the Sam Houston Bearkats, marking only the second win for Sam Houston in 18 meetings between the two teams. The Bearkats took an early lead with a 67-yard touchdown pass from Hunter Watson to Qua'Vez Humphreys and capitalized on a pick-six against Rice's quarterback E.J. Warner to extend their advantage to 17-0. Despite a touchdown pass from Warner to Kobie Campbell, Rice struggled offensively, managing only 274 yards compared to Sam Houston's 407. The defeat signals a challenging start for Rice under head coach Mike Bloomgren, who expressed disappointment in the team's performance. Meanwhile, Sam Houston's victory reflects their improvement after a rough inaugural season in FBS, ending with a strong finish last year. The Owls will need to regroup quickly as they look to bounce back in the coming games.