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Rice Football 2025: Bowl Week Practice Notes 1

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Rice Football is postseason-bound and will have the vast majority of its starting roster intact for the Armed Forces Bowl. Here’s the latest from the practice field this week.

Finals are winding down, but the Rice football season is starting to ramp back up. After a brief break between official practices, the team returned to the field this week as they began their preparations for the Armed Forces Bowl against Texas State on January 2. The team hopes to make the most of the extra time. Here’s more on the progress they’ve made so far.

Finalizing the Bowl Roster

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Rice Football 2025: Armed Forces Bowl presser quotes and depth chart

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Next up for Rice football, the Armed Forces Bowl against Texas State. 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 previewed the Armed Forces Bowl game and discussed the Owls’ upcoming matchup with Texas State.

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

I think, kind of two parts. The first, you’ve got time. Being January 2, that’s a late bowl game so that afforded us some time… And then it gives you a chance to take a look at things you knew you were going to do once you got to spring football, especially in Year 1. There’s so much we can learn from this season. So many takeaways. You just take notes all year. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the benefits of a bowl game

As it sits now, we have a roster of 93 heading to our bowl game, which I’m incredibly proud of. We finished the season at 103. We’re down from 105 — two young men that were no longer with the program for different reasons — and some of those ten that aren’t a part of the count, now. Some of those are fifth year who are at the end of their careers. They’re graduated. They’re starting their real life. They’ve chosen that their football careers are over. There are a handful of guys that have made announcements to go into the portal and those guys are not participating in the game at this point and I don’t anticipate that changing. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the state of the roster and the Transfer Portal

You saw a couple young defensive lineman playing more at the end of the year… I also think they’ll probably be some younger skill guys, maybe offensively that you’ll see show up in the perimeter game that maybe have been waiting for their opportunity or this is the moment now that they get some extra prep. Without mentioning any specific names, I think those are some areas you can look at to see maybe some new names called, some new numbers show up – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on young players who could be more involved

I’m looking at it like how we looked at it going into the Louisiana week. We got that whole break going up to it. Watching extra film, trying to get some tendencies on the guys, resting out bodies. I think the break is a good thing for us. – Running back Quinton Jackson on how the team is approaching the bowl game

It was good to recover the body, get healthy. Guys were beat up. I mean, it’s awesome to be back out here, but I’m pretty sure a lot of guys on defense were itching to get back out here. We got a bad taste in our mouth from USF. We’d like to get back out there against Texas State. – Linebacker Ty Morris on how the team is approaching the bowl game

Full Press Conference

Depth Chart

An updated depth chart is expected to be provided at a later date. For the time being, stay tuned for this week’s practice report, available to those subscribed to our Starting Lineup Tier on Patreon. That will be published on Friday and has further details on players who have opted out of the game and how the Owls’ might adjust their gameplan, accordingly.

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Rice Women’s Basketball Overcomes Slow Start to Top Grambling

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A tied game after the first quarter wouldn’t stay even for much longer as Rice women’s basketball got things rolling to post a comfortable road win over Grambling.

It came as no surprise when Rice women’s basketball posted a strong defensive start in their Wednesday afternoon road tilt against Grambling. The Owls held the Tigers to 21 percent shooting in the first quarter, yet somehow ended the frame tied. That deadlock wouldn’t last much longer.

The three-ball started to fall in the second quarter, with three different players helping Rice build a nine-point advantage which was quickly stretched to 17 points in the early minutes of the third quarter. Grambling was able to get back within nine on a brief 8-0 burst, but it proved to be a last-gasp effort as Rice seized control after that.

MORE: Rice Football Recruiting — 2025 Winter Transfer Portal Tracker

The Owls led by 15 points at the start of the fourth quarter, lengthening that edge to as many as 28 points before a couple of free throws and a layup in the final minute kept the game from turning into a true blowout. All in all, it ended up being a rather expeditious win for Rice, even with the inasuspicious beginnings.

With the win, Rice women’s basketball improves to 9-3 on the season and 4-3 away from Tudor Fieldhouse.

Final Box | Rice 71, Grambling 47

Key takeaway | Heating Up

Grambling is bad. Full stop. The 2-9 Tigers had no business being competitive with Rice women’s basketball on Wednesday and, for the most part, they weren’t. All of a sudden the Owls have won six of their last seven, with the lone loss coming to a Big 12 team by a single point. Their only losses on their resume came to a pair of very good teams (South Dakota State and Princeton).

Houston Christian is the only game remaining between Rice and a 10-3 start and a short reprieve over Christmas break begins with a highly-anticipated road trip to South Florida. After a shaky start, much like how this game against Grambling began, Rice women’s basketball is heating up.

Up Next: vs Houston Christian (Sat. Dec. 20 at 2:00 pm)

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Rice Basketball Cruises Past Southwestern Christian

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Rice Basketball blew the doors off Southwestern Christian in the Owls’ annual School House Mania game, swiftly dispatching the NAIA program at home.

Before a joyous crowd of young onlookers, Rice basketball delivered quite the show at Tudor Fieldhouse on Wednesday morning. The Owls’ annual School House Mania game began with a 7-0 run from the home team and quickly ballooned to a 20-5 advantage in just eight minutes of action.

The entire roster got into the mix with 10 players recording a field goal in the first half alone as the Rice advantage skyrocketed to as many as 25 points before the break. A flurry of threes from Southwestern Christian’s Cole Allen was the only thing keeping their team in the gym. But he wouldn’t connect on any triples after halftime as the game turned definitively in favor of Rice.

MORE: Rice Football Recruiting — 2025 Winter Transfer Portal Tracker

A 16-0 run in the middle portions of the ensuing period, followed by a subsequent 8-0 run, came just shy of a 50-point blowout in favor of the Owls. Rice would have to settle for a 47-point victory with five players scoring in double figures.

Rice Basketball improves to 6-6 with the win. The Owls are 5-2 at Tudor Fieldhouse this season.

Final Box | Rice 77, Southwestern Christian 76

What They’re Saying

“In a game like this, sometimes you’re trying to see if your team has the discipline and maturity to do the things that you practice every day. There were some obvious moments where that wasn’t the case, but overall, I think we competed. We were a little bit careless with the basketball. In a game like this, when you get a lead and it’s evident that you’re going to win the game, that’s not an excuse to not play the game a certain way. But I thought we settled back in. We shared the basketball and there was an emphasis on us doing a better job of playing with some force at the rim.” – Rice Basketball head coach Rob Lanier

Key takeaway | An Opportunity Awaits

There’s not too much to glean from a blowout win over a non-NCAA opponent other than breath a sign of relief that the game went as it was supposed to go. What the win did accomplish, however, was extending the Owls’ current winning streak to four games in a row. Should they beat Pepperdine on Saturday, Rice would finish out non-conference play 7-6. Do you remember how impossible that seemed after successive overtime losses at Coconut Hoops?

Pepperdine is No. 283 in KenPom, more than 70 spots below Rice basketball, which checks in currently at No. 210. It’s a winnable game and one the program would do well to win in order to ensure they can maintain the momentum they’ve built over the past few weeks.

Up Next: at Pepperdine (Sat, Dec. 20at 8:00 pm)

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Rice Football 2025: NFL Owls Week 15 Roundup

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Rice Football is well represented on 2025 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action in Week 15.

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)at GiantsW, 29-21vs Eagles (Sat)
Atlanta FalconsElijah Garcia (DL)vs SeahawksW, 29-28vs Cardinals
Philadelphia EaglesKylen Granson (TE)vs RaidersW, 31-0at Commanders (Sat)
Detroit LionsJack Fox (P)at RamsL, 41-34vs Steelers
Pittsburgh SteelersChris Boswell (PK)
Calvin Anderson (OL)		vs Dolphins (MNF)W, 28-15at Lions

Defense

Elijah Garcia – DL, Falcons

Garcia was inactive for the Falcons’ Thursday Night Football game against the Bucs. He made his Atlanta Falcons’ debut a week prior against the Seahawks.

Offense

Kylen Granson – TE, Eagles

Granson played 18 offensive snaps this week, but did not receive a target. He made one tackle on special teams.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox punted three times in the Lions’ Week 15 loss to the Rams, averaging 50 yards per kick with a long of 62 yards. He pinned one of his kicks inside the 20 yard line.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell did not attempt a field goal in the Steelers’ Monday Night Football win, but did convert all four of his extra point attempts. He is 21-of-24 on field goals this season, including one blocked kick.

Injured Reserve

Calvin Anderson – OL, Steelers

Calvin Anderson was placed on injured reserve on December 10.

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.

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