Top 10 reasons SMU will beat Rice Saturday afternoon:
10. Rice attendance will make Mustangs feel like the home team
9. Owls' defense felt ready for run-based SMU offense after practicing against run-based Rice offense. Bartel throws for 320 yards and three more touchdowns
8. Rice defensive end Brandon Green makes Judson Davis look like Forrest Gregg
7. Projected rainy weather slows Rice option attack; Keylon Kincade again runs wild, scoring twice and cracking 1,000-yard plateau
6. Rice head coach Ken Hatfield confuses players by referring to Mustangs as "McCoys"
5. Houston-area Mustangs (Leroy Price, Ashton Nixon, Chris Godfrey, Earl Morris, Brian Bischoff, Trent Hrncir and Brad Kieschnick) have the games of their lives in front of friends and family.
4. Pre-game meal? Owl soufflé.
3. Ken Hatfield reminds anyone who will listen that he's fifth among Div. I-A coaches with 157 career wins; doesn't realize that beating Tulsa every year doesn't count and mistakenly thinks he's in the same class as the four D-I coaches (Joe Paterno, Bobby Bowden, Lou Holtz and Jackie Sherrill) with more victories.
2. Rice defensive coordinator takes one look at Richard Bartel and mutters "Damn, that Romo kid is getting taller. Hasn't he graduated yet?"
And the #1 reason SMU will beat Rice Saturday afternoon:
1. Rice's option offense loses precision when MOB (Marching Owl Band) takes over coaching at practice.