Next up for Rice football, a home game against Memphis. 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 UConn game and looked ahead at their upcoming matchup with Memphis.
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 it’s much needed when you play your best opponents. You want to go into your Saturdays against your best opponents with momentum and confidence, and that we have coming out of Saturday. And we’ll need that. This is a Top 25 team and we’ll need to play with confidence. We’ll need to carry over that momentum from last Saturday into this week. That’s going to be important. It also enables us to be able to grow. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the confidence the program gained from the UConn win
They’re a complete football team. And for me, it starts in two areas. They run the ball really well and they defend the run really well. I think whenever you do that, you give your program a chance to win a lot of football games, and they’ve done that. They’re an established program. Coach Silverfield has done a fabulous job. He’s the a longstanding standing coach in our conference, and he’s won a ton of games. There’s a lot of 10 winning seasons around him. The formula of running the football, establishing a run game, defending the run. Once again, it’s not sexy out there when you talk about it, but it gives your program a chance to win a lot of football games and he’s done that. That’s what jumps off the tape to me. They’re very well-rounded. They good in every phase, but they do a great job of defending the run, and they do a really nice job of running the football. They can put points up, but they do a really nice job of running the football. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on what Memphis does well
They have designed runs for him. They have some read schemes for him as well, and he’ll take off in their passing game. And when they’ve done that, that’s probably to me when they’re most dangerous, because it forces you to get an extra hat to the game. If you’re gonna put your quarterback in a running situation, you gotta defend that a little bit different. They’re getting the running back involved in their blocking scheme somehow, someway. I think that’s a different challenge for our defense. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on Memphis QB Brendon Lewis
We’re going to have to be great tacklers. We’re going to have to be physical up front and we’re going to have to limit the big play. To me, that’s the key to [Friday]. How do we limit explosive plays? And can we control the football, can we control the tempo and the pace of this game? And I think they want to do the same. –Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the keys to beating Memphis
I feel like this Rice team, they’re playing like we got something to prove. The schedule right now, we’re blessed with having four straight home games. We don’t got to go nowhere. This is where we live at, we eat at, we sleep at, we breathe. Just being here and just planting our flag in the middle of the field and saying, whoever comes, they gotta come through us. I feel like we’re taking that personal. We don’t want to let nobody walk into our house and just do whatever they want, take whatever they want. It’s really a big pride thing. You can just see it. Guys in the weight room, guys on the practice field, guys are going harder. We only get one shot. Especially at a great team like this, you only get one shot. No second chances. – Safety Plae Wyatt on the program’s mentality heading into the Memphis game
Full Press Conference
Depth Chart
Depth Chart Notes
There is only one change to the official two-deep this week: John Long has been added back to the depth chart. He’s been out the last couple of weeks and his reinsertion points towards him being available on Friday. We’ll dig into that, as well the status of others like Braylen Walker who missed the UConn game in 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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McCaffrey tied a season-high in catches with three in the Commanders’ Monday Night Football game against the Chiefs, highlighted by this incredible toe-tapping grab:
Granson once again saw the bulk of his involvement come on special teams where he played 17 snaps compared to just nine on offense, the third lowest tally he’s had with the offense so far this season.
Boswell was a perfect 4-of-4 on his field goal tries against the Packers in Week 8, converting his lone extra point attempt, as well. He is 14-of-16 on field goals this season, including one blocked kick.
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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Fresh off the bye, Rice football rebounded with a double overtime win over UConn. We dig into how they got it done in this week’s episode of the Roost Podcast.
The version of the Rice football team that took the field on Saturday against UConn looked revitalized and ready, absorbing UConn’s advances and hanging tough for four quarters, and then some! In this week’s show we break down the win, talk about how the Owls got there and reassess what it means for the program’s growth moving forward. You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 217.
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We’re thrilled to partner with Homefield Apparel, the premier proprietor of college football clothing. First-time buyers can use the code ROOST for 15% off their order. The Owls hoodie is a personal favorite as is the Luv-Ya-Owls shirt. Make sure you check out the sailor hat (pictured below) as you shop the Rice collection or pick up something else (or both)!
Rice Football vs UConn Game Recap
Defensive miscues loom large early
Jon Kay’s impressive adjustments
The Quinton Jackson show and triple option wizardry
New wrinkles on offense
Hope for this team moving forward
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 hosts Memphis on Halloween in a nationally televised matchup. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.
Both Rice football and Memphis posted thrilling come-from-behind wins in their most recent games. The Owls rallied to defeat UConn in double overtime, while the Tigers scored 17 unanswered fourth quarter points to beat South Florida. Now they square off in Houston on Halloween night. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and Memphis.
Kickoff time | 6:00 PM CT Venue | Rice Stadium – Houston, TX TV | ESPN2 (Viewing Guide) Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)
Sizing up the Contenders
A week removed from a head-scratching loss at UAB, Memphis kept its American Conference championship hopes alive with a gutsy home win over South Florida. The Tigers aren’t out of the woods, yet, though. Every win counts and they need another over the Owls if they want to play for that conference title.
Rice football is equally invested in the outcome of this one, with a potential bowl bid hanging in the balance. Knocking off Memphis would put the Owls one win away from a postseason trip in head coach Scott Abell’s debut season.
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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 | Memphis leads, 3-2 Last Five | Memphis leads, 3-2 Last Meeting | Away 2024, Memphis won 27-20
In their most recent games, the Memphis defense has struggled mightily to get off the field. They allowed UAB to convert 9-of-13 on third down and USF to convert 12-of-18. Rice wants nothing more than to control the pace of this game and grind out drives, keeping an explosive Memphis offense off the field to prevent Lewis and company from making game-changing plays.
The more direct path to prevent the Owls from controlling the game script is to force Rice into third-and-long situations and avoid extended drives. Rice has proven they’re at their best offensively when they’re able to possess the football and stack play after play of incremental gains. Memphis can’t allow Rice to dictate the pace.
Rice X-Factor | Stay Balanced
Coming into this past weekend, Memphis boasted the best rush defense in the American Conference, technically. The Tigers had shut down some largely unimpressive rushing offenses before they were roughed up on the ground by UAB (219 yards, 1 touchdown) and run through by South Florida (295 yards, 3 touchdowns).
This is a defense that has been susceptible through the air and while the Owls might be tempted to air it out against a secondary that has been up and down, there’s enough proof that the run game can work against the Tigers.
Rice quarterback Chase Jenkins threw for a career high 191 yards against UConn, but that probably doesn’t happen without a career day from Quinton Jackson, who had a career-best 168 yards on the ground to keep the offense on schedule. Running the ball keeps this offense moving.
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One Final Thing
Oddsmakers pegged Rice football as a 3.5 win team coming into the season. The Owls have surpassed those expectations with four games still to play. And while the journey has been bumpy, the results don’t feel fluky. This is a young team, visibly growing as the year progresses. The future is bright, but if you’ve heard a single sound bit from Abell, he has no intentions of punting on the 2025 season as they lay the foundation for that eventual success.
During the offseason, we posited on The Roost Podcast that the unique scheme would give the Owls a shot to upset a conference frontrunner. That hasn’t happened yet, but Rice played Navy within one score and just topped a UConn team that checks in at No. 59 nationally in Bill Connelly’s SP+ metrics. Memphis sits at No. 31, much better than the Huskies, but not infallible; just ask UAB.
Add in a short week and getting to play at home, and you’ve got the ingredients for an eventful night on South Main. Perhaps things get a little spooky for the visitors. The Rice football team that took the field this past Saturday looked more than capable of putting a scare into just about anyone in this echelon of the sport.
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The Tigers were humbled last weekend with a loss to a Trent Dilfer-less UAB squad. Rather than sulk, they went toe-to-toe with South Florida at the Liberty Bowl. Memphis fell behind 31-17 on the final play of the fourth quarter before shutting out USF in the final frame, scoring the final 17 points to take down the Bulls and earn a potentially important tie-breaker for the conference championship game race.
Well Rested Rice
Beat up and worn down entering their bye week, the Owls looked well-rested and spunky at home against UConn on Saturday. Rice fell behind early but rallied to tie the game in the fourth quarter before running back Quinton Jackson walked it off in double overtime, part of a four-touchdown 248 all-purpose yard performance.
Temple Tough
Two games ago, Temple took Navy down to the wire only to watch the Midshipmen convert a game-winning two-point attempt at the buzzer. A similar situation transpired this week against Tulsa, but this time the Owls stonewalled the Golden Hurricane, and held on to win. Now 5-3, Temple is one win away from bowl eligibility in head coach KC Keeler’s first season.
Mestemaker Makes History
In what was largely an uneventful Friday night blowout of a terrible Charlotte team, North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker set a program and conference record with 608 passing yards. He edges out Dillon Gabriel who threw for 601 yards against Memphis in 2020.
Looking ahead – Key storylines
Tussle on Top
First place is on the line when Navy heads to North Texas next Saturday. The Midshipmen are one of two unbeatens still standing in the American and can stay No. 1 in the standings with a win. A loss would potentially set up a messy multi-team tie with as many as four or five teams in the mix with just one conference loss.
Pirates and Owls Hanging Around
Speaking of teams still in the mix, East Carolina and Temple each have just one conference loss and have played well against some of the league’s better competition. Now they face off against each other in a game that could have bowl implications and, if things get crazy, dark horse conference championship ramifications.
Roadrunners at Home
UTSA has played significantly better in the Alamodome this season than they have on the road and they’ll need to be playing at their best when they host a South Florida squad on Thursday night which just took their first conference loss and can’t afford another. The Bulls will be looking to make a statement while the Roadrunner will be looking to keep their season afloat.
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