Rice Football sent its seniors out on a high-note, sailing past South Florida in the Owls’ most uplifting win of the 2024 season.
Playing together for one last time, Rice Football ended its 2024 campaign victoriously. The typically slow starting squad scored a season-high 35 points against an FBS opponent and racked up a season-best 550 yards while snuffing out the South Florida offense until the game was out of reach. Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:
The offense awakens
The Rice football offense has been an adventure this season for a variety of reasons. Up and down quarterback play, a listless running game and an infuriating number of fruitless redzone possessions has left the Owls wanting on the scoreboard more games than not. Determined to rectify at least some of those frustrations with the scoreboard, the Rice offense brought the fireworks on Saturday afternoon.
Warner got the scoring started with a crisp 31-yard touchdown pass to Drayden Dickmann, his first collegiate touchdown grab. Quinton Jackson followed with a 12-yard run of his own. Then Tim Horn added three more points on a short field, courtesy of a fumble recovery on a short field. And that was all before the first quarter came to a close.
Rice had scored 34 points in the first quarter in seven AAC games this season before Saturday. They had 17 first quarter points against South Florida. After failing to surpass more than 29 points in a game against an FBS opponent this year, Rice dropped 27 points in the first half, highlighted by this gorgeous toss from Warner to Dean Connors which elevated the senior to the program leader for receiving yards by a running back.
What a PERFECT THROW from @RiceFootball QB EJ Warner to Dean Connors who just became the program leader in receiving yards for a running back. pic.twitter.com/0DufPbEsb9
— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) November 30, 2024
It wasn’t just Connors with the big day. Warner delivered a season-best showing, his first 400-yard gain with the Owls. Matt Sykes topped 100 receiving yards for the first time in his career. Thai Bowman scored his first career touchdown. Across the board, this unit was finally clicking.
THAI BOWMAN ON THE BOARD!pic.twitter.com/grUoSzwAcK
— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) November 30, 2024
Had this caliber of offense shown up more frequently this season the year would have gone much differently. There’s no rewriting the past at this point, though. At least fans at Rice Stadium on Saturday were treated to a thrilling sendoff for the Owls’ Seniors.
The defense holds the line
A newfound productive offense combined with the Owls’ typically stout defense proved to be quite a potent combination. Rice allowed USF to march down the field on their first drive, ceding a 10-play 75-yard touchdown drive. USF would register 56 total yards for the rest of the first half. That’s a 7.5-yards-per-play clip followed by a quick drop to 3.1 yards per play.
USF quarterback Bryce Archie was able to complete a good chunk of his passes, connecting on 8-of-13 attempts in the first half, but outside of one long 42-yard completion down the sideline, everything was close to the line of scrimmage and quickly covered up by a swarming Rice secondary. Max Ahoia’s forced fumble was just one instance of a secondary that played with a noticeable level of intensity.
The Bulls would get another sustained scoring drive to start the second half but when it came to mounting sustained scoring drives in the middle of the action they never got into a groove. It seemed like every time they came close, a Rice defender showed up with a big play, including a masterful interception from Gabe Taylor midway through the third quarter.
The day featured two defensive takeaways and three sacks, including Andrew Awe’s first career sack in his final game. It was an emphatic finale for the veteran-led unit which has been the most reliable force on this team all season.
Special teams does just enough
Two missed field goals (from 41 and 39 yards, respectively) and a couple of penalties on kick returns kept it from being a banner day for the Rice football special teams, but the unit certainly held its own on a day when its counterparts on offense and defense delivered impressive performances of their own.
Kicker Tim Horn converted from 25 yards out on two separate occasions, but a kick that ricocheted off the post in the third quarter killed what had been a 100 percent red zone conversion rate on the day to that point, a rate the Owls have only finished with once in an AAC game this season.
Quinton Jackson had an explosive opening kickoff return called back via a block in the back. Then he did it again in the third quarter, with no flags this time. Christian Francisco fielded a low, bouncing kick and took it 45 yards back to USF territory. All told, it was a workable performance from the special teams unit and a decent way to end an up-and-down campaign from that group.
The end of an era
In the whirlwind that has consumed the last week, it’s been hard to fully appreciate how different Rice football is going to look in 2025. The coaching change plays a large role in that upcoming change, but the impact of the outgoing senior class will play a sizable role in those developments, too.
Rice honored those seniors before the game on Saturday, a feat which required half the field to do. So many different players poured four, five and some six years into building this program from the bottom to where it is today. They didn’t fully realize that expected apex, but their contributions were each significant
.@RiceFootball seniors being recognized before kickoff of the regular season finale against South Florida. pic.twitter.com/dUsqAl7IF2
— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) November 30, 2024
That totality sank in earlier this week when I sat down with Gabe Taylor, who fought back tears when asked to describe this game and this moment. “It means everything,” he said. “I would trade them for the world, this family. It’s so genuine. They’re awesome guys… They’re my family forever.”
They didn’t win them all, but after a rocky season, this family went out on a much-deserved high note.
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