Next up for Rice football, a road game at UTSA. Here’s what head coach Scott Abell had to say about the matchup and a few depth chart notes.
Head coach Scott Abell and a set of players met with the media for their customary weekly availability. They recapped the FAU Navy game and looked ahead at their upcoming matchup with UTSA.
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
He’s a talented guy. He understands their system really well. He can make a lot of throws and he’s really athletic. His feet are the thing people don’t talk about enough… He’s just a mature guy, a good quarterback for them – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the UTSA quarterback Owen McCown
I think it’s best front seven we’ve seen all year. I really do. I think they’re athletic. I think they’re physical. I think there’s a lot of talent there. That jumps off at me… There’s no shortage of athletes running around. They play a lot of guys. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the UTSA defense
I think he’s the guy that makes it go. If you watch their success offensively, when they’ve been real explosive, he’s making them go. When they haven’t been quite as explosive it’s when he’s not on the field… They’re still good, but they’re not as explosive. I think he’s the key. We’ve got to contain him. We have to tackle well in space. He’s one of the nations’ leading rushers. That’s our defensive challenge this week.- Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on UTSA RB Robert Henry
It’s been a steady, slower pace than any of us would want, but it’s certainly making strides in the right direction. I’m excited about it. I think the players see that now. There’s been more explosive plays over the last three weeks, now you gotta put it all together. You’ve gotta be able to sustain drives. –Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the growth of the offense
Their defense is very athletic. Their front seven is very big, very physical. They fly to the ball. They don’t miss a lot of tackles. I think it’s going to be a good game for us up front. I think we have to match their intensity, be more physical. The UTSA defense is very physical. They’re fast. They’re athletic. They’re going to fly around the ball so I think it’s going to be a very good game come Saturday night. – Running back Quinton Jackson on the UTSA defense
It’s always been a game that I really want to win against these guys, especially. They’re a good football team, play well, play hard. That’s what we like to do, so it’s a battle of wills at this point.- Linebacker Andrew Awe on the rivalry with UTSA
Full Press Conference
Depth Chart
Depth Chart Notes
There are two notable additions to the two deep this week, wide receiver Payton Matthews and safety Jack Kane. The latter’s inclusion is a positive sign that he might be available for the Owls after missing the last several games with an injury. Matthews has moved up the ranks, displacing a few veterans that didn’t make their mark in non-conference play. His role should continue to grow moving forward.
As always, there are plenty of moving parts. Edge Michael Daley, who was a surprise inactive last Saturday, is not listed on this depth chart. I’ll have more updates on his potential availability in this week’s practice report, available to those subscribed to our Starting Lineup Tier on Patreon, which should be out later this week.
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