Jordan Burgess/University of Houston Athletics
The University of Houston’s Dean Connors runs the football during a game against Stephen F. Austin on Aug. 28, 2025, at TDECU Stadium.
The football teams at the University of Houston and Rice face other Saturday night in the 47th edition of the Bayou Bucket Classic, which will then be on hiatus.
For the Cougars’ fifth-year senior running back, Dean Connors, the 6 p.m. game at Rice Stadium is about more than just a trophy. It’s also a homecoming.
After spending the last three years as a cornerstone of the Owls’ offense, racking up 22 touchdowns and more than 2,500 total yards, Connors transferred to UH, about 5 miles away. So this Saturday, he’ll suit up for the Bayou Bucket game not in blue and gray, but in scarlet and white.
“Some of my best friends are on that [Rice] team still. This summer I was in a wedding with a couple of them,” Connors said this week. “Those are guys that I am going to talk to for the rest of my life, that made me who I am today.
“For 60 minutes,” he added, “I’ve got to put that aside and play football.”
As a player for Rice, Connors went 1-2 against UH. He helped the Owls win 43-41 in double overtime in 2023 before the Cougars won 33-7 last year, with Connors scoring his team’s lone touchdown. UH has won eight of the last nine matchups between the schools and leads the all-time series 34-12.
Saturday’s rivalry game could be the last for a while as the Cougars and Owls have no additional matchups on their schedules.
The teams’ coaches — first-year Rice head coach Scott Abell and second-year UH head man Willie Fritz — are eager to make their mark on the storied rivalry.
“I’m going be grateful that I’m a part of this rivalry and I had this opportunity this year and, you know, we’ll see what the future holds for both programs,” Abell said.
As for taking on Connors, Abell said there is no bad blood between Rice and its former star.
Dean Connors
“This is not Rice against Dean Connors,” Abell said. “This is Rice and Houston are playing Saturday night.”
Connors echoed the sentiment. After bonding with his former teammates over early morning weightlifting sessions, team meals and upset victories, he emphasized that their new rivalry would stay between the lines.
“We talk. But we’re not talking much this week on both sides,” he said. “We’re both respecting the game, respecting game plans, making sure that we’re competing at the end of the day. But once it’s over I can’t wait to say hi to those guys.”