Aug. 31, 2006

HOUSTON - After a day filled with pre-game hype, a final practice and a pep rally at Rice Stadium, Todd Graham's Rice Owls have wrapped up their preparations for Saturday's Bayou Bucket battle with the Houston Cougars.

Graham and Cougars head coach Art Briles were among the featured guests at the annual Bayou Bucket Luncheon, held at the Crown Plaza Hotel in downtown Houston. Graham then put his charges through a spirited final workout before joining with members of the student body and the MOB for a pep rally.

While the team will scale back its workload on Friday, members of the Owls equipment staff will be hard at work placing Rice's new logo on the bare silver helmets they have worn all during camp.

"It's always exciting to get the logos on the helmets," Graham said. "These guys have worked hard to earn them. It's a symbol of their effort and the fact that it's time to start playing the games. We let our kids pick the final version that we will use. We wanted them to feel a part of the process. It's the same Owl wings as before, but we used the whole Owl along with the "R". We've worn silver helmets in the past, so going back to them was holding on to a part of our traditions."

When they take the field on Saturday, the new look will be complete as the Owls will don their new uniforms for the first time.

Kickoff for the 30th edition of the Bayou Bucket is set for 8:00 on Saturday. The game will be carried locally on KSEV (700 am) with Matt Musil, Bobby Dixon and Jorge Vargas behind the mikes. It will also be televised on CSTV with Carter Blackburn and Brian Jones on the call.