Next up for Rice football: the season opener against Texas Southern. Here’s what Mike Bloomgren had to say about the matchup and a few depth chart notes.
Head coach Mike Bloomgren and a set of players met with the media for their customary weekly availability. They recapped the Sam Houston State loss and looked ahead at their upcoming matchup with Texas Southern.
More: Game Preview: Rice Football vs Texas Southern
We touch on those items, then dig into the Rice football depth chart and what the team looks like heading into the weekend. First, the quotes:
Press Conference Quotes
““Watching the film from Saturday, it’s clear that we got away from who we want to be as a football team. And that happened early often. We were critical of the film. I feel like this team has digested the lessons and we will use this fuel. We will respond.” – Mike Bloomgren on the aftermath from the Sam Houston loss
“My belief has not wavered. I believe in this team in all aspects, from every individual, to every position group, to all three phases, to the guys that are coaching it. I also think I’ve been clear with the coaches and the team that we’re no longer going to talk about who this team can be. Right now we’re going to talk about who we are based on that game and how we go forward, how we get better, because those are the only things within our control. I’ve said it for years. Every good program has their biggest jump from week one to week two. And that’s our challenge is to get better right now and to make that big jump, take full advantage for this opportunity we have to have in front of us. We know we have to be better.” – Mike Bloomgren on the program right now
“My ask right now is for the fans in this program, the people that care about this place to continue to support these kids and to keep coming out. The kids are worthy of their support. I thought we had a great atmosphere in the game Saturday and I thought the only thing that stunk was was our play. So we need that again from our fans.
We’re asking them to come out to Tailgate Owley again to be there to support the guys and welcome them to Rice Stadium when they get off the bus at 4 pm. We need that crowd. We’re going to need these people in the stands, making this a home field advantage again. We’re gonna put on a better show this weekend and we’re working to make sure that’s our reality.” – Mike Bloomgren’s message to the fans
“We got some good pressure, but at the same time, I think we need to take another step, a major step because the run defense was unacceptable. We got to make sure we shut down the run. You can’t win a game if you’re letting up carries like that. We also gotta make sure with our pass rush that we’re keeping the QB in the pocket… Even though we had some nice sacks, good pressure, we gotta make sure we’re limiting that run game.” – Defensive end Charlie Looes on the defensive performance vs Sam Houston
“They got a pretty physical front. The D-linemen are big, strong, they’re pretty explosive, like to penetrate. We just got to focus on our fundamentals and make sure we’re in the best spot to beat it.” – Offensive lineman John Long on the Texas Southern offense
Depth Chart
Depth Chart Notes
There were no changes to the official depth chart this week. Stay tuned to practice notes later in the week for subscribers for the latest on the injury front. There were a few players knocked up during the Sam Houston game and several others who weren’t able to go last week that the Owls hope to have back soon.
