1949 Rice Owls football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1949

| team = Rice Owls

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Southwest Conference

| short_conf = SWC

| APRank = 5

| record = 10–1

| conf_record = 6–0

| head_coach = Jess Neely

| hc_year = 10th

| captain =

| stadium = Rice Field

| champion = SWC champion
Cotton Bowl Classic champion

| bowl = Cotton Bowl Classic

| bowl_result = W 27–13 vs. North Carolina

}}

The 1949 Rice Owls football team was an American football team that represented Rice University during the 1949 college football season.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/rice/1949-schedule.html|title=1949 Rice Owls Schedule and Results|website=Sports-Reference.com|access-date=August 2, 2018}} The Owls were led by 10th-year head coach Jess Neely and played their home games at Rice Field in Houston, Texas. The team competed as a member of the Southwest Conference, winning the conference with an unbeaten record of 6–0. They ended the regular season with an overall record of 9–1, and were ranked fifth in the final AP Poll. Rice was invited to the 1950 Cotton Bowl Classic, where they defeated Southern Conference champion North Carolina.

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 1949

| poll = AP

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 24

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Clemson

| site_stadium = Rice Field

| site_cityst = Houston, TX

| score = 33–7

| attend =

| source = {{cite news|title=Rice Swats Clemson 33-7|newspaper=The Victoria Advocate|date=September 25, 1949|page=8A|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29953466/rice_swats_clemson_337/|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 1

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| away = y

| opponent = LSU

| site_stadium = Tiger Stadium

| site_cityst = Baton Rouge, LA

| score = 7–14

| attend = 30,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94863547/lsu-upsets-touted-rice-eleven-147/|work=The El Paso Times|title=LSU upsets touted Rice eleven, 14–7|date=October 2, 1949|accessdate=February 13, 2022|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 8

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| opponent = New Mexico

| site_stadium = Rice Field

| site_cityst = Houston, TX

| score = 55–0

| attend = 15,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/longview-news-journal-rice-team-goes-on/168235307/|work=The Longview Sunday News-Journal|title=Rice team goes on rampage to batter New Mexico, 55–0|date=October 9, 1949|accessdate=March 17, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 15

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = SMU

| opprank = 10

| site_stadium = Cotton Bowl

| site_cityst = Dallas, TX

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 41–27

| attend = 72,000

| source = {{cite news|title=Owls' Third-Quarter Spurt Crumbles Ponies, 41-27|newspaper=Fort Worth Star-Telegram|author=Lorin McMullen|date=October 16, 1947|page=II-1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51888743/owls-third-quarter-spurt-crumbles/|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 22

| w/l = w

| away = y

| rank = 9

| opponent = Texas

| opprank = 10

| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Austin, TX

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 17–15

| attend = 60,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123773333/rice-beats-texas-in-final-seconds-with-f/|work=The Shreveport Times|title=Rice beats Texas in final seconds with field goal|date=October 23, 1949|accessdate=April 29, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 29

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| rank = 5

| opponent = Texas Tech

| site_stadium = Rice Field

| site_cityst = Houston, TX

| score = 28–0

| attend = 18,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/tulsa-world-rice-tunes-up-with-280-win/168235443/|work=Tulsa Daily World|title=Rice tunes up with 28–0 win over Texas Tech|date=October 30, 1949|accessdate=March 17, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 5

| w/l = w

| rank = 8

| opponent = Arkansas

| site_stadium = Rice Field

| site_cityst = Houston, TX

| score = 14–0

| attend = 26,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-galveston-daily-news-froggie-willi/168235604/|work=The Galveston Daily News|title='Froggie' Williams leads Rice to 14–0 win over Razorbacks|date=November 6, 1949|accessdate=March 17, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 12

| w/l = w

| rank = 7

| opponent = Texas A&M

| site_stadium = Rice Field

| site_cityst = Houston, TX

| score = 13–0

| attend = 31,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brownsville-herald-aggies-dropped/168235727/|work=The Brownsville Herald|title=Aggies dropped|date=November 13, 1949|accessdate=March 17, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 19

| w/l = w

| away = y

| rank = 6

| opponent = TCU

| site_stadium = Amon G. Carter Stadium

| site_cityst = Fort Worth, TX

| score = 20–14

| attend =

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lubbock-avalanche-journal-rice-squeezes/168235931/|work=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal|title=Rice squeezes past TCU, 20 to 14|date=November 20, 1949|accessdate=March 17, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 26

| w/l = w

| rank = 7

| opponent = Baylor

| opprank = 9

| site_stadium = Rice Field

| site_cityst = Houston, TX

| score = 21–7

| attend = 32,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-spokesman-review-rice-breaks-baylor/168236049/|work=The Spokesman-Review|title=Rice breaks Baylor, 21–7, meets North Carolina in Cotton Bowl clash|date=November 27, 1949|accessdate=March 17, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = {{tooltip|January 2|Monday}}

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| neutral = y

| rank = 5

| opponent = North Carolina

| opprank = 16

| site_stadium = Cotton Bowl

| site_cityst = Dallas, TX

| gamename = Cotton Bowl Classic

| score = 27–13

| attend = 72,347

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-roanoke-times-rice-dumps-tar-heels/168236192/|work=The Roanoke Times|title=Rice dumps Tar Heels|date=January 3, 1950|accessdate=March 17, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}