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We’re running it back again this year with another edition of The Roost’s Bowl Challenge. Join the pool here, it’s completely free. This year’s winner can expect a gift card from our partners at Homefield Apparallel, plus additional prizes for our runners-up.
Join the pool and pop into the discussion on our Discord channel to follow along for the big games and get access to everything you need for Rice football vs Texas State on January 2nd. We’ll have practice updates and more on the site throughout the month, making now the perfect time to subscribe.
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There are former Rice football players scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player.
| Team | NFL Owl(s) | This Week | Result | Next Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Commanders | Luke McCaffrey (WR) | at Vikings | L, 31-0 | at Giants |
| Atlanta Falcons | Elijah Garcia (DL) | vs Seahawks | L, 37-9 | at Bucs (TNF) |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Kylen Granson (TE) | at Chargers (MNF) | L, 22-19 (OT) | vs Raiders |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Austin Trammell (WR) | vs Colts | W, 36-19 | vs Jets |
| Detroit Lions | Jack Fox (P) | vs Cowboys (Thr) | W, 44-30 | at Rams |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Chris Boswell (PK) Calvin Anderson (OL) | at Ravens | W, 27-22 | vs Dolphins (MNF) |
Elijah Garcia – DL, Falcons
Garcia made his Atlanta Falcons’ debut this past weekend, registering two tackles on 16 snaps against the Seahawks. He also played on special teams.
Trammell was not targeted on offense this week, but did record his first punt return of the season, taking it 15 yards. He also played a handful of snaps with the offense and handled other special teams duties.
After appearing in eight consecutive games for the Steelers, Anderson was inactive this past week.
Granson made a big impact on special teams on Monday Night Football, making three tackles. He also played a few offensive snaps.
Fox punted twice in the Lions’ Week 14 win over the Cowboys, averaging 42 yards per kick with a long of 42 yards. He pinned one of his kicks inside the 20 yard line.
Boswell was a perfect 2-of-2 on his field goal tries against the Ravens this week, converting all three of his extra point attempts, as well. He is 21-of-24 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.
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.
| Team | Bowl | Opponent | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Florida | Cure Bowl | Old Dominion | 4:00 PM | Dec. 17 (Wed) |
| Memphis | Gasparilla Bowl | NC State | 1:30 PM | Dec. 19 (Fri) |
| Tulane | CFP First Round | Ole Miss | 2:30 PM | Dec. 20 (Sat) |
| UTSA | First Responder’s Bowl | FIU | 7:00 PM | Dec. 26 (Fri) |
| East Carolina | Military Bowl | Pitt | 10:00 AM | Dec. 27 (Sat) |
| Army | Fenway Bowl | UConn | 1:15 PM | Dec. 27 (Sat) |
| North Texas | New Mexico Bowl | San Diego St | 4:45 PM | Dec. 27 (Sat) |
| Rice | Armed Forces Bowl | Texas State | 12:00 PM | Jan. 2 (Fri) |
| Navy | Liberty | Cincinnati | 3:30 PM | Jan. 2 (Fri) |
*All times are in central time
UAB opened up the American Conference coaching carousel when they dismissed Trent Dilfer in mid-October. Several head coaches received calls from Power conference programs, and not all of those jobs have been filled at this point. Here’s the most recent list of changes in the league this offseason:
| Team | Previous Coach | New Coach | Hired From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | Ryan Silverfield | TBD | TBD |
| North Texas | Eric Morris | Neal Brown | West Virginia (HC) |
| UAB | Trent Dilfer | Alex Mortenson | UAB (Interim) |
| USF | Alex Golesh | Brian Hartline | Ohio State (OC) |
| Tulane | Jon Sumrall | Will Hall | Tulane (Pass Game Coordinator) |
Good grades have gotten Rice football to the postseason for the second time in four years. The Owls are officially going bowling and will play Texas State in the Armed Forces Bowl on January 2. Carter and Matthew walk through the journey it took to get here and break down the significance of this particular extra game for the Owls in Year 1 under head coach Scott Abell.
We talked through it all. You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 222.
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The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s College Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner. If it’s happening in college football in Texas, we’re talking about it. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.