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The Roost Podcast | Ep 210 – 2025 Rice Football upsets Louisiana

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The Scott Abell era of Rice Football got started with a bang as the Owls upset Louisiana on the road with strong showings on both sides of the ball.

Rice football controlled its season-opening game against Louisiana from start to finish, only winning by two points but still managing to showcase what this offense can be and how superb this defense already is. We talk through the win, debate which aspects of this program inspired the most confidence (and concern) as they move forward to face a suddenly even more intriguing matchup with Houston.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 210.

Episode Notes

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Rice Football vs Louisiana Game Recap

  • The offense looks good, really good
  • What to make of the second half scoreless slump
  • New faces shine on the defensive line
  • What’s the ceiling for this team given this performance?

Where can you find us?

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.

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Rice Football 2025: Houston presser quotes and depth chart

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Next up for Rice football, the home opener against Houston. 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 Louisiana game and looked ahead at their upcoming matchup with Houston.

The Roost Podcast: Rice Football vs Houston Recap

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 loved our poise and composure as we opened the game. I think it’s really difficult for what we do offensively, going into week one, because the opponent has four or five weeks to prepare for our option schemes. That’s very advantageous for your opponents in our style offense. And so to have the composure and to execute at the high level we did to start the game in that first half, I’m incredibly proud of, and I thought our guys did a great job. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on what the team did well against Louisiana in Week 1

We missed some really, really good opportunities for some explosive plays, and we just missed them. A block here or there, a decision here or there and that’s an area that we really want to grow in. We loved that we controlled the clock. I thought it set the tempo of the game… But at the end of the day, the opportunity to score points is real and we didn’t take advantage of all those opportunities in week one. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on what his team can improve moving forward

I’ll leave that up to the powers of the two campuses, to be honest. My job is to get our football program ready each week, no matter who we’re playing. I’m going to focus on that. I will be grateful that I’m part of this rivalry and I have this opportunity this year. We’ll see what the future holds for both programs. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the future of the Bayou Bucket Rivalry

If you know Coach Fritz, you know the defensive-minded coach that he is and his defenses are always very athletic. They use a variety of schemes to disguise stuff and they fly to the football and that’s the first thing that jumps off to me. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on what stands out about Houston

I played against Connor Weigman in high school actually. He has a strong one. He can extend plays with his legs, make good reads, poised in the pocket. So it’s gonna be a fun matchup to go against.– Linebacker Ty Morris on Houston quarterback Connor Weigman

It’s big, starting off the season with a win. The first game means a lot, as far as momentum and how things are going. Especially with Coach Abell coming in. His first game, it definitely means a lot. We want to keep the win train going. – Running back Daelen Alexander on the importance of starting 1-0

Depth Chart

Rice football released a late version of a depth chart in the days prior to the Louisiana game, but it did not feature some of the changes we’d seen up front, primarily on the offensive line. This week’s depth chart seems unchanged in that specific area. The more representative expectation for the starting line remains Sean Sullivan and Luke Miller at tackle with John Long and Patrick Valent at guard.

As for wide receiver, this is the first time that room has been split out with X and Z position. The reality is Aaron Turner, Drayden Dickmann, Landon Ransom and Tyson Thompson are the names to know there with Artis Cole the backup for Braylen Walker on the outside.

The defense looks more representative with what we saw on Saturday with Jack Kane earning a starting spot and shifting Marcus Williams over. Both were on the field against Louisiana and will remain fixtures on this unit, but it’s hard to keep Kane off the field right now with his penchant for big plays.

Stay tuned to practice notes later in the week for more commentary on how these deployments and rotations will be carried out on Saturday against Houston. As a quick reminder, you can get access to practice reports, analysis and special features during the week when you subscribe to our Starting Lineup Tier on Patreon today.

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Rice Basketball Recruiting: G Jaxson Thompson commits to Owls

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The first commitment of the 2026 Rice Basketball recruiting class is on the board. Guard Jason Thompson has committed to the Owls.

Once head coach Rob Lanier and his staff had retooled the existing roster they were able to turn their attention to the upcoming 2026 Rice Basketball recruiting class in earnest. They scoured the country for the right fits, zeroing in on an elite point guard from just north of Houston. Greenhill School point guard Jaxson Thompson has committed to the Owls.

For Thompson, the decision to come to Rice was an easy one. “The staff made me feel like a priority from the very beginning of the process. When I got on campus for my visit, the coaches and players that I was with made me comfortable. The vibes in the building felt genuine,” he told The Roost. “It was like one big family.”

Thompson picked Rice over offers from George Mason, Holy Cross, New Mexico State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, among others.

More: Rice Basketball 2025 Roster Tracker

Stylistically, Thompson dominates as a catch-and-shoot shooter with the quickness and instinctiveness to get to the rim in a hurry if he wants to head downhill instead. He has experience playing multiple guard spots, providing the Owls with an extra level of flexibility. Above all else, he’s a contagious worker.

“I’m most proud of my motor,” Thompson said. “No matter how I’m playing when it comes to making or missing shots, I always make sure to play hard.”

https://twitter.com/jaxsonthompson_/status/1917023657244721312/
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Rice Football 2025 Game Preview: Houston

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Rice football returns home for the last scheduled installment of the Bayou Bucket against crosstown rival Houston How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

The 2025 battle for the Bayou Bucket pits a pair of undefeated teams following Week 1 wins by Rice football and Houston in their respective openers. The Owls upset Louisiana in their first game, knocking off the defending Sun Belt West Division champs on the road. The Cougars took care of business against Stephen F. Austin. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and Houston.

Kickoff time | 6:00 PM CT
Venue | Rice Stadium – Houston, TX
TV | ESPN+ (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)

Sizing up the contenders

Houston is a year ahead of Rice football on their reboot, going through their first year growing pains with head coach Willie Fritz in 2024 with hopes that 2025 would be marked by a turn for the better. Rice is just beginning that process, although an upset win the opener does raise the question as to how quickly the Owls can flip the script and become a consistent winner.

The Cougars need this one to prove to themselves they’re on schedule. To some extent, the Owls are playing with house money, but a 2-0 start — which would be their first 2-0 start since 2008 — would put the rest of the college football world on notice that the 2025 Rice football teams has no intentions of a slow build.

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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 | Houston leads, 34-12
Last Five | Houston leads, 4-1
Last Meeting | Away 2024, Houston won 33-7

Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Jenkins – 7/9 (77.7 percent), 45 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
Rushing | Jackson – 22 carries, 119 yards (5.4 yards per carry), 1 TD / Alexander – 15 carries, 74 yards (4.9 yards per carry)
Receiving | Dickmann – 3 receptions, 44 yards (14.7 yds/rec)
Tackles | Awe – 6, Stevenson – 5 , Anyanwu/Daley – 4
Pass Breakups | Daley – 1
Interceptions | Kane – 1

Houston Stat Notables

Passing | Weigman – 15/24 (62.5 percent), 159 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Rushing | Connors – 15 carries, 50 yards (3.3 yds/car), Burnette – 10 carries, 40 yards (4.0 yds/car)
Receiving | Koziol – 7 receptions, 63 yards (9.0 yds/rec), 1 TD, Amare Thomas – 3 receptions, 44 yards (14.7 yds/rec)
Tackles | Garner – 6, Webb – 5, James – 4
Pass Breakups | Vedder – 2, Five others tied with one
Interceptions | Stampley/Douglas – 1

Houston X-Factor | Win the Line of Scrimmage

The Cougars faired well in the trenches in their opener against Stephen F. Austin, holding the Lumberjacks to 1.6 yards per carry while racking up two sacks and five tackles for a loss. Against a Rice offense bent on running the ball, that level of control becomes even more important, especially as Houston continues its transition from Group of 5 program to a legitimate power conference squad.

In the interim, that means Houston will be relying on a mixture of transfer pieces and home grown players to secure the most meaningful yards on the field and set the terms of engagement up front. If they can do that, they’ll have the Owls on their heels. If not, control of the game shifts back towards the home team who already proved a week ago they have what it takes to upset a talented team in red.

Rice X-Factor | Stay on schedule

It was a tale of two halves for the Rice football offense against Louisiana. Before the break, Rice moved the ball well on first and second down and reached third and manageable with regularity. Following the halftime whistle, Louisiana started to perform better on early downs and got Rice into third and long, stifling the Owls’ opportunities to move the ball.

Trusting a two point lead worked a week ago, but it’s not a recipe for success, especially as Rice breaks in a new quarterback that wasn’t his best in those pure passing situations in his debut. There’s room for Chase Jenkins to grow into that, but Rice would much prefer that adjustment happens on their terms, not situations created by the Houston defense.

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One Final Thing

Given a schedule that opened with Louisiana and Houston, the oddsmakers pegged Rice football as an 0-2 team entering Week 3. Not only were those prognostications wrong, but the Owls have an opportunity to flip them on their heads with one more quite consequential rivalry win.

Knocking of Houston and Louisiana in back-to-back weeks would officially declare this team as good enough to challenge every team remaining on their schedule. Real conversations could start to be had about potential bowl berths and a season in which success went beyond just proof that this offense could work.

But even if that doesn’t happen and Rice splits their first two games, this upcoming contest against Houston will set the tone for how this program moves forward. There’s a lot to clean up from the opener and plenty of opportunities to take the next step as an offense. The most important thing Rice football can do on Saturday is take that next step. They’re already ahead of schedule.

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American Conference Football 2025: Week 1 Roundup

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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
Army0-1 (0-0)vs Tarleton StL, 30-27 (OT)at Kansas St
Charlotte0-1 (0-0)vs AppL, 34-11vs N Carolina
ECU0-1 (0-0)at NC StL, 24-17vs Campbell
FAU0-1 (0-0)at MarylandL, 39-7vs FAMU
Memphis1-0 (0-0)vs ChattanoogaW, 45-10at Georgia St
Navy1-0 (0-0)vs VMIW, 52-7vs UAB
North Texas1-0 (0-0)vs LamarW, 51-0at W. Michigan
Rice1-0 (0-0)at LouisianaW, 14-12vs Houston
Temple1-0 (0-0)at UMassW, 42-10vs Howard
Tulane1-0 (0-0)vs NorthwesternW, 23-3at S Alabama
Tulsa1-0 (0-0)vs ACUW, 35-7at NMSU
UAB1-0 (0-0)vs Alabama StW, 52-42at Navy
USF1-0 (0-0)vs Boise StW, 34-7at Florida
UTSA0-1 (0-0)at Texas A&ML, 42-24vs Texas St

Storylines // Standings // Preseason Poll

G5 Standard Bearer Goes Down

Boise State has been the cream of the crop of programs outside the Power conferences for decades now and represented that cohort in the College Football Playoff last season. Beating the Broncos would have been impressive in its own right, but the South Florida Bulls did more than that, thrashing the defending MWC champs in a blowout victory on Thursday night in front of a national audience.

Troops Stumble Against the Texans

Army, the defending American Conference champs, who recently clinched that title on their home turf, suffered a crushing loss to FCS Tarleton State at West Point on Friday night. Newly installed quarterback Dewayne Coleman was effective, but a pair of missed field goals, including a crucial kick in overtime, dropped the Cadets to 0-1 on the season.

New-Look Owls Fly High

In the first game of the Scott Abell era, Rice football upset Louisiana on the road, spoiling the Ragin’ Cajuns’ first game at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium. The Owls won their first home opener since 2018 and their first road contest since the 2023 season. Not a bad start for the double-digit road dogs.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Going for Two?

South Florida was a trendy college football playoff pick a year ago before quarterback Byrum Brown went down with an injury. This time around the Bulls already have a Top 25 win under their belt and take a trip to No. 15 Florida in Week 2. Can the Bulls pull of one more upset? If so they’d be firmly in the driver’s seat among the Group of 5 playoff hopefuls, clearly boasting the best resume possible to this point.

Bye Bye to the Bucket

No more scheduled contests remain between Houston and Rice football, the closest FBS institutions who have played nearly annually for the Bayou Bucket Trophy. The Owls upset the Cougars in 2023 to claim it before Houston took the Bucket back last season. Whoever wins on Saturday could have it in their trophy collection for some time.

High Stakes Early Season Tilts

In addition to the two power conference matchups above, the American should have at least a few additional opportunities to notch some signature wins. UTSA will want a bounce-back win after their season-opening loss to Texas A&M and some revenge from last season’s beatdown at the hands of the Texas State Bobcats.

Tulane will look to improve to 2-0 with a road trip to South Alabama and Army will look to rebound from this week’s disaster against a reeling Kansas State team, which barely snuck past FCS North Dakota in Week 1.

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