1969 Rice Owls football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1969
| team = Rice Owls
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Southwest Conference
| short_conf = SWC
| record = 3–7
| conf_record = 2–5
| head_coach = Bo Hagan
| hc_year = 3rd
| captain =
| stadium = Rice Stadium
}}
{{1969 Southwest Conference football standings}}
The 1969 Rice Owls football team was an American football team that represented Rice University in the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1969 NCAA University Division football season. In its third season under head coach Bo Hagan, the team compiled a 3–7 record (2–5 against SWC opponents), tied for sixth place in the conference, and was outscored by a total of 225 to 168.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/rice/1969-schedule.html|title=1969 Rice Owls Schedule and Results|website=Sports-Reference.com|access-date=May 24, 2020}} The team played its home games at Rice Stadium in Houston.
The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Stahle Vincent with 556 passing yards, tailback Mike Spruill with 440 rushing yards and 48 points scored, and Bob Brown with 375 receiving yards.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/rice/1969.html|title=1969 Rice Owls Statistics|website=Sports-Reference.com|access-date=May 24, 2020}} Vincent was the first African-American to be the starting quarterback for a Southwest Conference football team.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1969
| poll = AP
| attend = y
| source = y
|September 20||VMI
|September 27||LSU
|October 4|at|California
|October 18||SMU|Rice Stadium|Houston, TX (rivalry)|L 14–34|30,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/brownwood-bulletin-doggett-smu-too-much/168916714/|work=Brownwood Bulletin|title=Doggett, SMU too much|date=October 19, 1969|accessdate=March 26, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 25|at|No. 2 Texas|Memorial Stadium|Austin, TX (rivalry)|L 0–31|61,500|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/el-paso-times-texas-longhorns-shut-out-r/123954984/|work=The El Paso Times|title=Texas Longhorns shut out Rice Owls 31–0|date=October 26, 1969|accessdate=May 2, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 1|at|Texas Tech|Jones Stadium|Lubbock, TX|L 14–24|38,500|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-worth-star-telegram-penalty-key-pla/168914687/|work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram|title=Penalty key play as Tech tips Rice|date=November 2, 1969|accessdate=March 26, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 8||No. 4 Arkansas|Rice Stadium|Houston, TX|L 6–30|43,140|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/tulsa-world-porkers-tag-aggies-3513/168913476/|work=Tulsa Daily World|title=Porkers tag Aggies, 35–13|date=November 2, 1969|accessdate=March 26, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 15||Texas A&M|Rice Stadium|Houston, TX|W 7–6|41,000|{{cite news|title=Rice Shocks Aggies|newspaper=The Tyler Courier-Times|date=November 16, 1969|page=II-4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52059109/the-tyler-courier-times/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 22|at|TCU|Amon G. Carter Stadium|Fort Worth, TX|L 17–21|19,786|{{cite news|title=Purples Strike Late to Skin Owls, 21-17|newspaper=Fort Worth Star-Telegram|author=Galyn Wilkins|date=November 23, 1969|page=1B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52058882/purples-strike-late-to-skin-owls-21-17/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 29||Baylor|Rice Stadium|Houston, TX|W 34–6|17,000|{{cite news|title=Owls Massacre Lowly Bears, 34-6|newspaper=Waco Tribune-Herald|date=November 30, 1969|page=1B}}
}}
{{cite web |author= |title=1969–70 NCAA Statistics (Rice) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/teams/174820 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |accessdate=March 26, 2025 }}