The source for Rice sports news

Rice Football 2025: NFL Owls Week 12 Roundup

By

Rice Football is well represented on 2025 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action in Week 12.

There are former Rice football players scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player.

TeamNFL Owl(s)This WeekResultNext Week
Washington CommandersLuke McCaffrey (WR)— OFF — —vs Broncos (SNF)
Atlanta FalconsElijah Garcia (DL)vs SaintsW, 24-10at Jets
Philadelphia EaglesKylen Granson (TE)at CowboysL, 24-21vs Bears (Fri)
Jacksonville JaguarsAustin Trammell (WR)at CardinalsW, 27-24 (OT)at Titans
Detroit LionsJack Fox (P)vs GiantsW, 34-27 (OT)vs Packers (Thanksgiving)
Pittsburgh SteelersChris Boswell (PK)
Calvin Anderson (OL)		at BearsL, 31-28vs Bills

Defense

Elijah Garcia – DL, Falcons

Garcia was signed off the Giants practice squad this past week to the Falcons active roster. He was inactive for this week’s game against the Saints.

Offense

Austin Trammell – WR, Jaguars

Trammell played in his fourth game of the season on Sunday against the Cardinals. He was targeted once but did not record a reception.

Calvin Anderson – OL, Steelers

Anderson saw his first action with the Steelers’ offense this weekend, playing 23 offensive snaps in addition to this typical duties on special teams.

Kylen Granson – TE, Eagles

Granson saw some involvement with the offense this week, but was much more active on special teams, where he played 20 snaps against the Cowboys on Sunday.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox punted five times in the Lions’ Week 12 win over the Giants, averaging 40 yards per kick with a long of 46 yards. The dip in average was driven by four well-placed balls pinned inside the 20 yard line.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell did not attempt a field goal on Sunday, but did convert all four of his extra point attempts. He is 19-of-22 on field goals this season, including one blocked kick.

Injured Reserve

Luke McCaffrey – WR, Commanders

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.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Basketball Falls in OT to Kennesaw State

By

Rice Basketball and Kennesaw State needed more than 40 minutes to resolve their opening matchup at the Coconut Hoops Tournament, with Kennesaw State winning in OT.

Rice Basketball played a nerve-racking opening game to the Coconut Hoops Tournament that was tight throughout. Kennesaw State opened the scoring before Rice quickly answered to produce one of seven first half ties. Kennesaw State led by as many as nine, but it was Rice that took a one point lead into halftime.

A strong start to the second frame by Trae Broadnax looked like it would give Rice some breathing room. It was two successive baskets from Stephen Giwa and another jumper from Broadnax that gave Rice an 11-point edge, the largest by either team in the game to that point. Yet Kennesaw State would not go away.

NEWS: Rice Launches The Gateway Project, Rice Stadium Renovation

Kennesaw quickly whittled the Rice lead from 11 to none, going ahead by a point with 6:33 remaining in the contest and daring Rice to answer. They would, retaking the lead for a brief period before a Kennesaw State jumper with six seconds left forced overtime. Kennesaw outscored Rice 6-1 in the extra period to secure the in.

Rice Basketball falls to 2-5 with the loss. The Owls are 0-3 away from Tudor Fieldhouse this season.

Final Box | Kennesaw State 89, Rice 84

Key takeaway | Learning Resiliency

This was a 45-minute grind that took a lot of effort to get to the finish line. When Rice went up by 11, it looked for a moment like they’d done just enough to put the game out of reach. Instead, that advantage went up in smoke more quickly than it took for Rice to create the lead in the first place.

Less tough teams might have thrown in the proverbial towel at that point. Rice has certainly had some less than resilient showings so far this season. So for the Owls to weather the storm, absorb the rally, and still find a way to regroup and finish was notable. But when Broadnax left the court for overtime, baskets seemed to stop falling.

The first few weeks of the season have shown us this team is going to have its hot and cold stretches. Effort and willpower are controllable things that can steal wins on days when everything isn’t going according to plan or their opponent is making some shots of their own. A win like this would have gone a long way, but the way the loss transpired is further evidence this team has more work to do.

Up Next: GEICO Coconut Hoops vs Florida Gulf Coast (Tues, Nov. 25 at 6:00 pm)

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football 2025 Game Preview: South Florida

By

Rice football concludes regular season play on the road against South Florida. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

The final week of the regular season is upon us. Rice football enters its finale following a home loss on Senior Day to North Texas, while South Florida returns home from a more successful road trip in Birmingham, where they took down UAB with relative ease. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and South Florida.

Kickoff time | 6:00 PM
Venue | Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, FL
TV | ESPN+ (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)

Sizing up the Contenders

With two conference losses, a trip to the American Championship game is wishful thinking for South Florida entering this final game. However, it still might be possible for an emphatic win and some chaos in the ranks ahead of them to make things interesting. Regardless, the Bulls have their eyes on a 10-win season and they won’t get there without beating Rice on Saturday.

More: Undersized and Undeterred – Quinton Jackson’s Journey to Rice Football Star

The Owls find themselves in a different place, seeking a sixth win to secure bowl eligibility in Scott Abell’s first season on campus. This team would happily take a postseason berth any way they could get it, even if it came as a 5-win team courtesy of an APR bump, but everyone would rest much easier if they could find a way to secure that postseason trip for certain with an upset over South Florida.

Get the Inside Scoop

Get access to practice reports, analysis and special features during the week when you subscribe to our Starting Lineup Tier on Patreon today. If you want updates on how Rice football plans to attack this week’s opponent, position battles, standouts, injuries and more, this is your go-to source. Don’t miss out! Join now!

Become a Patron!

Already a Patron and not part of our Discord channel? Follow these instructions to link your account.

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 | Tied, 1-1
Last Five | Tied, 1-1
Last Meeting | Home 2024, Rice won 35-28

Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Jenkins – 113/163 (69.3 percent), 986 yards, 9TD, 2 INT
Rushing | Jackson – 162 carries, 808 yards (5.0 yards per carry), 6 TD / Jenkins – 140 carries, 497 yards (3.6 yards per carry) – 5 TD / Hardeman – 74 carries, 310 yards (4.2 yards per carry), 2 TD
Receiving | Dickmann – 36 receptions, 319 yards (8.9 yds/rec), 3 TD / Turner – 46 receptions, 275 yards (6.0 yds/rec)
Tackles | Awe – 87 / Morris – 73 / Williams – 66
Pass Breakups | Crump (Suspended) – 6 / Williams, Porter – 5
Interceptions | Kane, Stevenson, Wyatt – 1

South Florida Stat Notables

Passing | Brown – 210/317 (66.2 percent), 2883 yards, 24 TD, 7 INT
Rushing | Brown – 160 carries, 904 yards (5.7 yds/car), 13 TD / Davenport – 80 carries, 546 yards (6.8 yds/car), 6 TD / Franklin – 60 carries, 380 yards (6.3 yds/car), 4 TD
Receiving | Singleton – 44 receptions, 752 yards (17.1 yds/rec), 6 TD / Koger – 32 receptions, 504 yards (15.8 yds/rec), 6 TD / Reuben – 10 receptions, 405 yards (13.1 yds/rec), 4 TD
Tackles | Harris – 95 / Shuler – 88 / Ward – 60
Pass Breakups | Shuler – 7 / Duclona – 4 / Rucker, Chenault, Stokes – 3
Interceptions | Chenault, Harris, Lee, Gaskins – 2 / Six tied with one each

South Florida X-Factor | Death by a Million Cuts

Rice is a ball-control offense that wasn’t to dictate the terms of the game through possession and limiting opportunities for the other team. And while South Florida ranks dead last in the American Conference in time of possession per game, averaging less than 25 minutes per game, they have amassed an impressed 23.6 first downs per contest.

South Florida can strike fast. They can drive the length of the field. But what they’ve done so well this season is grind teams out so that by the time the second half arrives, defenses are tired and unable to mount a capable resistance. That’s been the breaking point for the Rice defense in recent weeks, able to stand tall in spots, but worn down by the constant battering an elite offense can provide.

To win this one, South Florida must maintain its consistency and move the ball effectively. If they can do that, the points will come.

Rice X-Factor | Force Some Turnovers

Only one team in FBS has forced fewer turnovers than Rice football. One. The Owls’ six takeaways represent barely more than half a turnover per game and that’s simply not going to cut it against a quality opponent like South Florida.

A turnover-free day requires a near-perfect offensive effort and further contributions from everywhere else. Rice pulled off the feat against UConn, but that’s not a sustainable way to live for a team that doesn’t have any truly dominant phase to hang its hat on. Rice needs to steal some possessions and get South Florida playing off script. Turnovers are the best way to accomplish that.

Injury Report (Subscribers only)

Subscriber content. Please login to see the full post or visit our Patreon page.
Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?

One Final Thing

It’s hard to put into words just how significant a bowl berth would be for this program after the year they’ve had under their first-year head coach. Things have been bumpy. The roster has its flaws. And still, they’ve found ways to win.

Practically, the Abell hire isn’t any more or less successful if Rice makes a bowl game or not, but the optics of being ahead of schedule by such a noticeable margin would have tremendous dividends for the program, both on and off the field.

Beating a nine-win UConn team should go down as one of the more impressive wins Rice football has had in several years. But fair or not, a FBS independent not named Notre Dame doesn’t carry the same cache that knocking off a top-flight American Conference team would. To stack South Florida on top of UConn and Louisiana would be quite a feat for a program that’s supposed to be “rebuilding.”

On paper, Rice football probably has no business winning this game, but that’s sort of the exact reason Abell was hired and his offense was welcomed to South Main. This is supposed to become a program that wins games like this, games when the masses have counted them out. It sure would be nice to see that come to fruition just one more time this season.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Women’s Basketball Rallies Past UIW

By

A disastrous second quarter left Rice Women’s basketball in a hole, but the Owls rallied late to stave off an upset by UIW at home.

Rice women’s basketball fell behind from the opening tip, but kept things close through the first quarter, getting to the line and creating opportunities close to the basket. Still, they found themselves trailing by six points heading into the second quarter which is where things took a turn for the worse.

UIW opened the quarter on a 14-0 run, turning a modest advantage into a commanding 20-point lead. Rice would claw back a few baskets before halftime, but the offense was in complete disarray, managing just seven field goals in the half and no three-pointers.

NEWS: Rice Launches The Gateway Project, Rice Stadium Renovation

Trailing by 15 points at intermission, Rice mounted a modest comeback in the early portions of the third quarter, propelled by four three-pointers from Dominque Ennis to help shrink the deficit to as few as two points but the real rally would come with Rice down 12 in the fourth.

Rice opened the quarter on a staggering 15-2 run, followed soon afterward by an 11-2 run. Just like that, a double-digit deficit turned into a comfortable home team advantage. Victoria Flores knocked down some last-minute foul shots to secure the win.

Rice women’s basketball improves to 3-2 on the season and 2-0 at Tudor Fieldhouse.

Final Box | Rice 70, UIW 62

Key takeaway | Sputtering Shooting Leaves Reason for Concern

The fast-paced, explosive offense Rice women’s basketball hoped to showcase this season has yet to materialize in any real way. Whether it’s new personnel leaning to play together, execution issues or a fundamental error in the construction of the offense, Rice needs to go back to the drawing board, asap.

The Owls shot 20 percent from the floor in the first half and 29.2 percent in the game. They missed their first 13 three-point shots, finishing just 15 percent from deep. Bad shooting days happen and had the opponent not been a 1-3 UIW squad, it probably would have cost Rice a win.

They deserve all the credit for clawing back and seizing victory on a day when they weren’t at their best. Good teams do that. But if this team wants to become a sustainable winner, better offensive outings are going to be required on a much more consistent basis.

Up Next: Discover Puerto Rice Shootout vs Illinois State (Nov. 26 at 11:30 am)

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

American Conference Football 2025: Week 13 Roundup

By

American Conference Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron this week.

TeamRecord This WeekResultUp Next
Army5-5 (3-4)vs TulsaL, 26-25at UTSA
Charlotte1-10 (0-7)at GeorgiaL, 35-3at Tulane
ECU7-4 (5-2)at UTSAL, 58-24at FAU
FAU4-7 (3-4)vs UConnL, 48-45vs ECU
Memphis8-3 (4-3)— OFF — — vs Navy (THR)
Navy8-2 (6-1)— OFF — — at Memphis (THR)
North Texas10-1 (6-1)at RiceW, 56-24vs Temple (FRI)
Rice5-6 (2-5)vs North TexasL, 56-24at USF
Temple5-6 (3-4)vs TulaneL, 37-13at North Texas (FRI)
Tulane9-2 (6-1)at TempleW, 37-13vs Charlotte
Tulsa4-7 (1-6)at ArmyW, 26-25— OFF —
UAB3-8 (1-6)vs USFL, 48-18— OFF —
USF8-3 (5-2)at UABW, 48-18vs Rice
UTSA6-5 (4-3)vs ECUW, 58-24vs Army

Storylines // Standings // Preseason Poll

Roadrunners Rock Pirates at the Alamodome

East Carolina became the latest team to fall victim to whatever magic UTSA keeps bottled up inside the Alamodome. The Pirates were in contention to play for the American Conference championship entering the weekend and find themselves on the outside looking in. Owen McCown tossed five touchdown passes and Will Henderson rushed for 146 yards as the Roadrunners clinched bowl eligibility.

Mean Green Style Points

Wide receiver Wyatt Young set an American Conference single-game record with 295 receiving yards against Rice on the same night his teammate, running back Caleb Hawkins, cashed in three rushing touchdowns to tie for tops in the nation in touchdowns with 22. Either performance would have been enough to take down Rice.

Non-American Huskies

Don’t look now, but a nine-win UConn team has wrapped up the season 2-1 against American conference foes, taking down Florida Atlantic on Saturday after a win over UAB and loss to Rice earlier in the season. If nothing else, this program looks like it could compete in this conference, where they played as recently as the 2019 season.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

And Then There Were Three

Three one-loss teams remain in play for the American Conference Championship Game: Tulane, Navy and North Texas. Tulane can keep things simple and clinch a spot by defeating Charlotte next weekend and remaining the highest ranked team in the College Football Playoff rankings. North Texas has the head to head win over Navy. Things get strange if either the Mean Green or Green Wave lose, but they’re in the driver’s seat heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

Playing for Six

Florida Atlantic played its way out of bowl contention this past week, but three other teams remaining in the mix for their sixth win entering the final weekend of the regular season: Temple, Army and Rice. All face tough roads, with the possible exception of Army, which has been one of the few programs immune to the Alamodome curse since Jeff Traylor arrived at UTSA.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts