47 meetings spanning 55 years — defined by a three-foot tall trophy composed of a brass bucket and a wooden pedestal. The final chapter has been written… for now.
The crosstown rivalry between Houston and Rice — the second-closest pairing of FBS schools in proximity to each other — unofficially concluded Saturday night at Rice Stadium, as no future meetings are slated between the longtime opponents. Just like Cincinnati vs. Miami (OH) or Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State, the Bayou Bucket is yet another
regional rivalry victimized by the modern 2020s wave of conference realignment.
The final Bayou Bucket meeting was unique for several reasons. For one, it was the first-ever Houston vs. Rice matchup where both teams entered undefeated, excluding season openers. Perhaps even more bizarre of a statistic — it was the first meeting to feature a player that suited up on both sides of the rivalry.
Running back Dean Connors participated in the 2022-24 Bayou Buckets with the Rice Owls, and the 2024 installment was supposed to be his final encounter with the Houston Cougars. But after qualifying for an extra year of eligibility due to the Diego Pavia ruling (which granted another year to former JUCO players), Connors utilized that extra year to suit up for Houston.
On Saturday, Connors exchanged his blue for red in his fourth Bayou Bucket, and it was a career-defining performance for the Owl-turned-Cougar. Connors recorded 132 rushing yards — the second-most of his career — on his former team. He raced for a 54-yard touchdown 40 seconds prior to halftime to hand Houston its first points of the game. Then he put on the finishing touches to the final Bayou Bucket, scampering 42 yards to an all-familiar Rice Stadium end zone for his second touchdown of the night.
“You try to approach the game the same each week,” Connors said. “Same preparation. Same everything. The (Rice) student section was (sarcastically) cheering me on, so it gave some extra motivation.”
While Rice saw a coaching change this offseason switching to Scott Abell, one key staff member from the prior regime returned. Former linebackers coach John Kay was prevented to defensive coordinator. On Saturday, Kay unleashed a similar set of players that used to counter Connors in practice to attempt to stifle the running back in a real game. Connors enjoyed the unique experience of a proverbial chess match against a coach and teammates he had great familiarity with.
“Coach Kay put his own wrinkles in (Rice’s defense),” Connors said. “Even though it’s the same guys and same scheme, it was interesting to prepare for, because who knows what they’re going to throw in there? It was cool to see Peyton Stevenson playing that nickel spot, Michael Daley and Chris Clark-Jolivet and Blake (Boenisch) — those are all great players. Kudos to them.”
When a sea of red and white gathered at midfield after postgame handshakes were exchanged, the entire Houston team turned its attention to Connors. Players stemming from all position groups were yelling, “Give it to Dean!” or chanting his name the instant wide receiver Stephon Johnson received the trophy from a representative from the Touchdown Club of Houston.
“I know this was a huge game for (Connors), and he did a super job in preparation all week,” Fritz said. “He’s a very humble man and didn’t want to be the center of attention. Obviously he came in and played his tail off. He did a great job. He’s probably gonna be one of our MVPs.”
Although there were some choice chants from the Rice student section, it is all love for Connors — who plans to return to Rice for the second semester to complete his degree. Although the running back wanted nothing more than to claim the Bayou Bucket for Houston, he is now one of Rice’s most fervent supporters for the remainder of the year.
“I was glad this game was early on in the season,” Connors said. “I want to root for those guys as the years goes on. A lot of history there, a lot of guys I’m gonna have in my wedding and I’m gonna be at their wedding, and stuff like that. But I’m a Cougar and it was great to get that Bucket.”
Nobody is more qualified to speak about the meaning of the rivalry than a player who saw both the Cougar and Owl perspectives. Connors — a two-time recipient of the trophy (2023 Rice, 2025 Houston) — is saddened by the Bayou Bucket’s absence from future schedules, and he hopes the series between the schools resumes in the foreseeable future.
“Those games are awesome — look at that game. It was tight throughout, all the way deep into the third,” Connors said. “And 2023, if you’re a college football fan that was an awesome game to watch too. I’d love to see these teams keep playing. When I’m 50 years old, I’ve gotta root for the Coogs, right? But I’ll see both sides, and it’ll be really cool.”
