Next up for Rice football, a home game against North Texas. 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 UAB game and looked ahead at their upcoming matchup with North Texas.
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
The advantage we got in this bye week compared to the first one is that we were healthier going into it. The first bye week, three weeks ago now, it became more how do we catch our young football players up? How do we manage the roster to try and get ourselves healthy to head into the back half of the season? This time we hit the bye week, we were fairly healthy, so we could grow in the bye week. We could really take a hard look at what we’re doing. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the bye week
I see a football program, they’re playing with a ton of confidence. Incredibly skilled on both sides of the football. They recruited players that fit their scheme… and here they are now, they’re playing as good of football as anybody we’ve played all year.”– Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the UNT program
They’re very opportunistic. They’ve forced 24 turnovers on the year, defensively. We need to take care of the football. That’s been a secret sauce that probably doesn’t get talked about. Their offense overshadows their defense but their defense has 24 takeaways on the year. That makes every offense better. That makes every program better. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the North Texas defense
[QB Drew Mestemaker and RB Caleb Hawkins are] just two really talented people. When I look at their offensive roster, you gotta talk about [Wyatt] Young, right? He’s a deep ball threat. He’s incredibly athletic and really fast. They find really creative ways to get him the football… they give you a lot to defend. Mestemaker, he does a really good job of getting the football to all of his athletes. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the North Texas skill players
My time at Rice has been unbelievable. It’s taught me so many lessons. I’ve been through so many trials and tribulations and those trials and tribulations ultimately got me to where I am today. Without God, I wouldn’t be here standing at this podium right now. If you would have told me two years ago you would be standing here, you would be a captain of the Rice football team, I would have said, you’re a liar. Because of God and because of people that he brought to my life like coach Abell I’m able to stand at this podium right now and be a captain of this Rice football team. – Tight End Micah Barnett on his time at Rice
They do have a good quarterback They’ve got a pretty good running back as well. I just feel like they all complement each other very well. In some offense you see some groups doing better than others and some not, but I feel these are very well put together team, a very experienced team. I feel they all mesh together as a unit and come together very well. – Defensive lineman Blake Boenisch on the North Texas offense
Full Press Conference
Depth Chart
Depth Chart Notes
There were two minor changes to the depth chart this week, both accounting for injuries that were preexisting before the Rice football bye week. Tackle Brad Baur was removed with freshman Justin Michaelis inserted in his stead. On defense, Daveon Hook was removed with Jack Kane sliding up and Bailey Fletcher re-enntering the two deep behind him.
Any other adjustments will likely be injury-related or driven by the subtle schematic shifts the Owls employ for this game. We’ll cover those in depth on 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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Trammell played in his third game of the season on Sunday against the Chargers, catching his lone target for 14 yards. He also played on special teams.
Granson was more involved with this offense this week seeing two targets and catching his first pass since Week 2. He also played his typical allotment of special teams snaps.
Fox punted four times in the Lions’ Week 11 loss to the Eagles, averaging 42.3 yards per kick with a long of 55 yards. The slight dip in average was driven by two well-placed balls pinned inside the 20 yard line.
Boswell was a perfect 2-of-2 on his field goal tries against the Bengals in Week 11, converting all four of his extra point attempts, as well. He is 19-of-22 on field goals this season, including one blocked kick.
McCaffrey was placed on injured reserve with a broken collarbone suffered during the Commanders’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9 and is expected to be sidelined for the foreseeable future.
More Owls in the NFL
From practice squads to current free agents, there are other Owls on the cusp of returning to active rosters. Find more details on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.
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Rice basketball kept things competitive in the early goings before faltering in the second half, falling to the No. Tennessee Volunteers on the road.
Tennessee scored first and never trailed in what proved to be a rather comfortable win for the home team. Rice Basketball head coach Rob Lanier, who spent eight seasons as an assistant to Rick Barnes in Knoxville was correct to be warry of returning to town to play against the Vols.
“I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today if it weren’t for him. I’m so indebted. It’s a place that I look forward to going back to,” Lanier said in the days leading up to the game. “I don’t really want to coach against Rick, but I’m excited to get back there. It’s a great place.”
Thompson-Boling Arena was indeed rocking on Monday evening, slowed only briefly when Rice cut their deficit to five points near the end of the first half on a three-pointer from Nick Anderson. The Vols answered with a 5-0 run to get back in front by double-digits,
Tennessee would take a 13-point lead into halftime and maintain at least a 10-point advantage through the second half. Rice remained competitive for the first couple of media timeouts before Tennessee began to pull away in the later moments, stretching their advantage to as many as 26 points before closing things out with a 25-point margin of victory.
Rice Basketball falls to 2-3 with the loss. The Owls are 0-2 away from Tudor Fieldhouse this season.
That Nick Anderson led the team in scoring with 19 points on 3-of-7 from deep and a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. He’s been one of the most consistent scorers the Owls have had this season and will be expected to maintain that level of production if Rice is going to get where they want to go.
It’s that next man up that’s the focal point of the Owls’ early stretch of nonconference play and Cam Carroll threw his hat into the ring on Monday. 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting against against a defense as swarming as the Volunteers’ was notable as was the lone turnover in 23 minutes on the court.
Rice basketball has high expectations for the veterans on this roster. Getting a meaningful contribution from Carroll, or others with less proven D1 experience this season, would be massive.
Rice football caps off its home slate with a Senior Day showdown against North Texas. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.
Both Rice football and North Texas enter this week’s matchup off victories. The Owls took down UAB at home before a much-needed bye week. Then they watched at home as the Mean Green dismantled those same Blazers the following weekend. Now the two Texas teams meet on the gridiron this Saturday. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and North Texas.
Kickoff time | 6:30 PM Venue | Rice Stadium – Houston, TX TV | ESPNU (Viewing Guide) Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)
Sizing up the Contenders
There’s a lot on the line for both teams in this one. Rice is a win away from clinching bowl eligibility in its first year under head coach Scott Abell. With a road trip looming against South Florida, it sure would be nice to secure that sixth win before heading out on the road.
North Texas is aiming higher and remains in the mix for a spot in the conference championship game as one of three one-loss American Conference teams in the standings. A second loss could boot the Mean Green from the game entirely.
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Last Time Out
Make sure you check out The Roost Podcast every week this season as we review the Owls’ most recent game, breaking down the key moments, decisions and their impact on the outlook of the program moving forward.
Series History
All Time | North Texas leads, 8-5 Last Five | North Texas leads, 4-1 Last Meeting | Away 2022, North Texas won 21-17
Passing | Mestemaker – 232/335 (69.3 percent), 3000 yards, 23 TD, 4 INT Rushing | Hawkins – 148 carries, 933 yards (6.3 yds/car), 16 TD / McGill II – 75 carries, 389 yards (5.2 yds/car), 5 TD Receiving | Young – 48 receptions, 781 yards (16.3 yds/rec), 8 TD / Dorner – 38 receptions, 617 yards (16.2 yds/rec), 5 TD / Coleman – 33 receptions, 344 yards (10.4 yds/rec), 1 TD Tackles | Fields – 74 / Wesloski – 71 / Whitter – 58 Pass Breakups | Fisher – 6 / Armstead – 4 / Allen Jr. – 3 Interceptions | Jones II, Hammonds, Lewis – 2 / Six tied with one each
North Texas X-Factor | Find the Weak Link
On a down to down basis, Rice football has been a solid defense, allowing 5.7 yards per play which ranks seventh in the conference. What the Owls haven’t done well is limit the big play. Rice ranks dead last in the league in scrimmage plays of 40+ yards or more allowed. A revolving door at corner has been one of the biggest culprits, thus far.
Starter Khary Crump was suspended indefinitely and backup Jerrick Harper has been limited, forcing second and third stringers to become everyday players for the Rice defense in the second half. North Texas has one of the most explosive offenses in the country and will scheme up looks against those newcomers in the Owls’ secondary. If they hit on those plays, Rice will be forced into comeback mode early.
Rice X-Factor | Ball Control
Neither of the other option-based teams North Texas faced this season won, but both Army and Navy showed the blueprint to beat North Texas. The Mean Green defense is rather susceptible on third down and the offense is extremely potent, making keep away the modus operendi for Rice Football in this game.
Both Army and Navy converted better than 50 percent of their third down conversions against North Texas but turned the ball over three times apiece. If the Owls can hang on to the football and limit possession, they can force this game to be close down the stretch. If that happens, the Owls will have a shot.
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One Final Thing
That Rice football has made it this far with the ebbs and flows of a first-year offense and the injuries that have plagued the defense, and particularly the secondary, all season is remarkable in itself. And as we mused in the most recent edition of The Roost Podcast, it’s hard to believe just how much hasn’t gone right and yet, they’re one win away from a bowl berth.
That’s not to say this season has been smoke and mirrors. To the contrary, it’s an incredible compliment to the staff and the roster for finding ways to win in spite of the adversity they’ve faced to this point. However, to beat North Texas, things are going to have to start going right.
If Rice can unleash the vintage, game-controlling offense they’ve been building, they’ll have a chance. If the defense can play at an elite level and force some turnovers, Rice might just be able to spring the upset. But if things don’t go well, this is the kind of game you lose by four scores.
A loss like that might not be devastating, given the circumstances, but it sure would be nice to see this team make magic happen. They did it once against a UConn team that hasn’t lost a game since. Can “lightning” strike twice? We’ll know for sure, soon enough.
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East Carolina was flying under the radar after a 3-3 start with losses to a pair of power conference teams and Tulane on the road. Since then, the Pirates are 4-0 including this latest impressive win over Memphis. The Tigers can still reach 10 wins, but have effectively been eliminated from the conference championship game and the playoff. That’s a tough pill to swallow for Memphis.
Midshipmen Make it Happen
Memphis’ next opponent, Navy, posted a statement win this weekend. Following back-to-back losses against North Texas and Notre Dame on the road, the Middies returned to Annapolis and won a thriller over South Florida. The loss knocks the Bulls out of conference title contention with tiebreaker while the Midshipmen remain alive if they can get some help over the last two weeks.
North Texas, Tulane Hold Serve
While some of the other contenders stumbled, North Texas and Tulane posted rather mundane wins over teams in the bottom half of the conference standings. Neither game was particularly close or in doubt down the stretch, keeping both the Mean Green and the Green Wave in contention along with East Carolina with one loss in conference play.
Looking ahead – Key storylines
Beware, the Dome
East Carolina had best keep their eyes wide open as they travel to the Alamodome next weekend, a place where the Roadrunners seem to turn into the best version of themselves. If the Pirates play like they did this past weekend, they should be okay, but that’s the last place any contender wants to pay a visit to at the moment following UTSA’s drubbings of Rice and Tulane in their most recent home contests.
Post-bye Rice
As for Rice, they posted what’s looking to be one of the more impressive non-conference wins of the season following their first bye week, taking down UConn in double overtime. The Owls have had another two-week stretch to prepare, but they’ll still be heavy underdogs when they host North Texas on Senior Day.
Going North
Tulane also better be careful when they travel north to take on Temple. The Owls have their eyes set on bowl eligibility and gave a then-undefeated Navy squad a scare a few weeks back. Even the slightest potential for chilly weather wouldn’t help the southern squad in their hopes for a quick and easy road trip before their regular season finale at home against Charlotte.
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