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Although not a rivalry, the Rice-Navy series is one of the oldest in the AAC. The schools' first meeting in 1951 predates the births of five of the AAC's 14 programs. The schools have met 12 times, but few meetings have had national implications.
Even though Navy lost to Notre Dame by 37, the Midshipmen still have a chance, albeit slim, to make the Playoff. The Midshipmen must win the rest of its games and hope Boise State and UNLV lose at least one more game. Thus, this weekend's Navy-Rice game still has national implications, a rare feat for this old series.
Navy and Rice's second meeting came in a New Year's Bowl. The Midshipmen and Owls both had legendary seasons in 1957. Rice won the Southwest Conference with a 7-3 record and a 5-1 record in the league. The Owls' only conference loss was to Texas, who went 4-1-1 in league play. Their best win of the season came against then-#1 Texas A&M.
The Midshipmen had just as good a season, finishing 8-1-1. Navy only lost to North Carolina and beat Georgia, Notre Dame, and California.
Navy beat Rice 20-7 on New Year's Day 1958, outgaining the Owls 375-301. Rice could not overcome six turnovers and a 13-0 halftime deficit. The Associated Press released its final poll before bowl games until 1965, so Navy's spot at #5 and Rice's #8 ranking remained despite the result.
Thirty-seven years after its last Cotton Bowl and 33 years since its last bowl appearance, Rice found itself in a position to end its drought. The 1994 Southwest Conference five-way tie for first place is one of college football's most fascinating oddities. Despite a heartbreaking loss to Baylor on November 12, where the Owls missed three field goals in a five-point loss, the 4-5 Owls still had a chance to go to the Cotton Bowl. They just needed the following to happen:
This tiebreaker scenario is typical for an NFL Wild Card berth, not a Cotton Bowl appearance. However, this became a moot point after 2-7 Navy beat Rice 29-17. Midshipmen quarterback Jim Kubiak threw for 242 yards and a seven-yard touchdown pass to Matt Scornavacchi. A Ryan Bucchianeri field goal with 25 seconds left gave Navy an insurmountable 10-point lead before a safety on Rice's final drive put them away for good.
Rice did not make a bowl with a 5-6 record that year and would not end its bowl game drought until 2006.
The odds are slim, but this year's Rice-Navy game has the most stakes since the Eisenhower Administration. It is a special milestone for two of the AAC's oldest programs.
