50 years ago on Sept. 14, 1974, the Houston Cougars shut out the Rice Owls in the inaugural Bayou Bucket.
On Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, Houston claimed its first win of the season similarly, dominating Rice with a commanding 33-7 victory, befittingly returning the Bayou Bucket to the red and white.
The Cougars entered the field with a point to prove and held a grudge dating back to their last showdown with the Owls, which Houston lost 43-41 in a double-overtime thriller.
During practice this week, Fritz showed his team a video of Rice celebrating with the trophy last year.