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Rice Football Holds on for Homecoming win over UAB

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Rice Football trailed at halftime but pitched a shutout against UAB after the break, rallying to secure a crucial Homecoming win over the Blazers.

A close game from wire to wire, Rice football got the stops in needed on defense late to earn its fifth win of the season, defeating UAB 24-17 on Homecoming. The Owls head into a bye week one win away from bowl eligibility. Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

Offense Gets Into Gear Quickly

Head coach Scott Abell spent all week exhorting his team to start fast, so when the defense forced a three-and-out and the offense took there was palpable tension in Rice Stadium. The offense responded with three plays for negative one yard and a fumble. Quarterback Chase Jenkins looked indecisive and the offense went backwards before turning it over to UAB, which capitalized via a 26-yard touchdown pass.

Rather than let the be a harbinger of woe, Jenkins and the offense took a deep breath and returned to the field ready to play.

“We planned to start out fast and we probably did the exact opposite. I put that on me. I think it was one of the biggest moments from me, coming off adversity,” Jenkins said. “I feel like that’s just a step in growth that we’ve taken. We didn’t let that moment set us back.”

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Jenkins proceeded to lead the offense 62 yards in 10 plays, handing the ball off on nine successive plays until he pulled the ball and tossed it down the right sideline to Tyson Thompson for a 23-yard touchdown strike.

After a quick three-and-out, the offense authored an option offense opus. Taking over in plus territory at the UAB 48-yard line, Rice reeled off a 19-play touchdown drive, burning 9:01 off the clock before D’Andre Hardeman plunged into the endzone from one-yard out for the go-ahead score. The drive was the longest of the season by time and number of plays, outpacing an 18-play, 8:15 drive against Navy that ended with a field goal.

“It’s part of the formula. It’s not always sexy out there, but when the other offense isn’t on the field, that’s really good for our defense,” Abell said. “I thought, for really three quarters, we executed phenomenally.”

Even including the rough start, the Rice offense delivered at least six plays and 30 yards on six of their next seven drives (excluding the one play at the end of the half), including drives of 10, 19, 11, and nine plays. In terms of dictating the game, this was a much-improved performance which could have gone from good to great if they’d been able to finish on offense in the fourth quarter.

Special Teams Provides a Spark

The offense was aided by some strong plays from the special teams. Quinton Jackson had a 32-yard kickoff return. Tyson Thompson had a 12-yard punt return. The biggest swing, though, was the block punt credited to Peyton Stevenson at the end of the first quarter. The tip resulted in a 21-yard kick, which set Rice up inside UAB territory for their lengthy go-ahead scoring drive.

Rice also got a heads-up play from up man David Kasemervisz at the end of the first half. With time expiring, he jumped on a low kick and fell on the ball with one second left. That gave the offense time for a Hail Mary attempt, which Jenkins would end up pulling down to scramble as the clock expired.

There would be more. Blake Boenisch got a hand on a fourth-quarter punt, which resulted in a 10-yard punt and positive field position for the Owls, rather than a drive starting in the shadow of their own endzone. That would prove important after the offense stalled out and punter Alex Bacchetta was able to pin UAB inside their own 10-yard line with a well-placed punt of his own.

Consistency Remains a Work in Progress

At times, the duality of the 2025 Rice football team is hard to comprehend. Removing the long touchdown allowed following the Rice turnover, the defense held UAB to six yards on its first seven plays and held the Blazers to less than one yard per carry in the first half, bowing up in the redzone with three stops inside the five to force a field goal.

On the subsequent drive, they allowed UAB quarterback Ryder Burton to toss a 21-yard touchdown pass on third and goal with three seconds remaining on the clock.

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The Rice offense was similarly hot and cold. As quickly as it heated up and sustained momentum through the third quarter things began to fall apart late. Rice produced one first down in the fourth quarter, courtesy of a personal foul committed by UAB. The totaled two offensive yards.

“We just probably lost our legs a little bit in the fourth quarter,” Abell said. “That probably kept this game from being put away midway through the fourth.”

Fortunately for the Owls, the defense was at its best. UAB was 1-for-3 on third down and did not score in the second half.

“I’ve been playing defense a long time and that’s one of the performances I’m probably the most proud of,” defensive end Tony Anyanwu said. “In a critical moment, gotta have it, everyone sold out, gave everything they had for the team. It just shows the brotherhood that we have here. I just love it.”

Back to the Lab

As eager as some might be to get back onto the field after the win, Rice is going to take advantage of this late season bye week with two critical games remaining in their quest for bowl eligibility. A win in either and Rice is bowling in Abell’s first season on campus, no small feat should the Owls achieve it.

“I’m excited about getting our legs fresh. Getting them back underneath us. That gives us time to really dive into what adjustments we can make coming out of the bye week,” Abell said.

“Next time we step on the field it’ll be late November and we’re competing for an opportunity to get win six. I’m really proud of that. I’m proud of our guys. It wasn’t always easy, but I think you learn a lot in these moments. We’re learning how to win. And we’re learning how to win close games. I’m extremely proud of that. I thought this was a great team victory today.”

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Oregon narrowly survives Rice Basketball upset bid

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Rice basketball kept Oregon off balance from the start, frustrating the Ducks from the floor before foul trouble and a late shooting slump ended their upset bid.

Oregon scored first, but it was Rice basketball that opened the game on the offensive on Friday night. The Owls knocked down three quick three-pointers before a Nick Anderson jumper put the visiting underdogs in front by seven before the first media timeout.

From there, the Rice defense set the tone, holding Oregon to just 27 percent from the floor in the first half. The aggressive press gave the Ducks fits. Had it not been an early edge in offensive boards — Oregon had 10 in the first half — Rice might have been able to lengthen its early lead. Instead, the Owls had to be content with a five-point advantage heading into the locker room at halftime.

NEWS: Rice Launches The Gateway Project, Rice Stadium Renovation

Oregon’s physicality started to show in earnest after the break. The Ducks got nine straight points from Nate Bittle inside, including four free throws, to erase the deficit and take a one-point lead before Trae Broadnax leveled the game at 38 apiece with a free throw of his own. Stephen Giwa hit a jumper then Oregon went on another big run.

Rice would miss 12 consecutive field goals during that time and 15 of 16 shots over an eight minute period that saw an 8-point Rice lead evaporate and be transformed into a 9-point hole.

The Owls wouldn’t go away, though. Jalen Smith hit a couple of big threes and Trae Broadnax calmly maneuvered the offense, getting the underdogs back within four points at the final media timeout.

Foul trouble would do the Owls in. Broadnax, Giwa and Dallas Hobbs all fouled out while Anderson was limited to 22 minutes. He would hit a last-gasp three before Oregon’s 38th foul shot put the game out of reach for good.

Final Box | Oregon 67, Rice 63

What They’re Saying

We kept scrapping and I’m proud of that. We’ve got something to build on. Our young guys, I think, come away with a good understanding of what it takes to win at this level and we aspire to do that. We’re going to need those young guys. This was a good experience in a lot of ways to create a standard for ourselves. – Rice Basketball coach Rob Lanier

Key takeaway | Can The Owls Score Just Enough?

The defensive performance Rice basketball authored against a physical Oregon team was incredibly impressive. Holding any team to fewer than 70 points when they take 38 free throws is a good start, but this is an Oregon squad that had been to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments and entered the season receiving votes in the AP Poll, two spots shy of being ranked.

The effort was reminiscent of a comment head coach Rob Lanier made about the NCAA Tournament prior to the season. “If we’re the worst defensive team in the league and we’ve gotta outscore everyone to win the [conference] tournament, [that’s] probably not going to be realistic,” he said. “But if we’re defending and rebounding at a very high level, then we’ll have our chance.”

Lanier wouldn’t call that a dominant performance on the boards — Oregon edged Rice 43-36 — but that caliber of defense was enough to make it a one score game with 5:38 to play. And a four point game in the final 30 seconds. That’s a chance.

How effective that chance becomes will depend on how many points the Owls can contribute to the effort. Through two games, the defense looks quite compelling, indeed.

Up Next: vs Stephen F. Austin (Nov. 11 at 7:00 pm)

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Rice Women’s Basketball drops opener at South Dakota State

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Rice Women’s basketball didn’t get the level of offensive production they were expecting, falling to South Dakota State in their opening game.

A year ago, South Dakota State needed a furious fourth-quarter rally to spoil the Rice women’s basketball season opener at Tudor Fieldhouse, handing the Owls a loss in a game the home team had led for the vast majority of its duration. The opposite of that contest seemed to unfold in the early going in Brookings, South Dakota, on Friday night.

Rice scored the first points, but quickly fell behind. The Owls rallied to tie the game back up at the end of the first quarter thanks to five quick points from transfer Louann Battiston. The Jackrabbits kept their foot on the gas, though, growing their advantage to nine points in the second frame before another late push from the Owls resulted in a 38-34 halftime deficit for Rice.

NEWS: Rice Launches The Gateway Project, Rice Stadium Renovation

A three from Victoria Flores gave Rice a brief edge in the third, but a 9-2 South Dakota State rally put the Owls behind by seven, a deficit that would linger for the remainder of the quarter and stretch into the start of the fourth quarter. That’s when the offense would stall out for good.

Rice went nearly six minutes of court time without a made field goal in the final stretch as the South Dakota State lead grew to 11 and eventually 14. Unlike the last time these two teams met, there was no furious rally from the visiting team to steal victory from the jaws of defeat. Rice fell to South Dakota State for the second consecutive season.

Final Box | SDSU 79, Rice 65

Key takeaway | Offense Comes Out Flat

During her comments before the season, Rice women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Edmonds was adamant her team would play fast and shoot threes, an intentional shift from season’s prior. The Owls’ attempted 35 three pointers (and made 15 of them) in their exhibition, one shy of their season-high a year ago, seeming to convey their eagerness to fulfill Edmonds’ vision.

South Dakota State is a much more challenging opponent than Mary Hardin-Baylor, so there needs to be an adjustment made for the quality of opponent Rice faced, but even still, this wasn’t nearly as high-flying of an offensive performance as the explosive exhibition suggested would be more normative.

Rice women’s basketball averaged 20.1 three point attempts per game last season. The team attempted 16 three-pointers through three quarters and 23 in the game on Friday. Even for accounting for a late outburst while trailing, the deep ball wasn’t as frequent or effective as it needed to be for Rice to win this game. After seeing what it can be at its best in the exhibition, this offensive showing was underwhelming. Hopefully better days are ahead.

Up Next: at Houston (Nov. 11 at 6:30 pm)

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Rice University Launches The Gateway Project, Rice Stadium Renovation

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On Thursday, Rice University formally announced The Gateway Project, a bold renovation strategy for Rice Stadium and the west side of campus.

Rumors of a reenvisioned Rice Stadium have been echoed throughout South Main for years. Renderings shared in murmurs of what could be. On Thursday afternoon in the West parking lot, behind a practice bubble that will soon be folding in for good, those aspirations crystallized and shovels broke ground. A new page had been turned for Rice University and a bold new vision began to take shape.

Several people stood at a podium erected just in front of Greenbriar Drive and made their remarks, but it was the Chairman of the Rice Board of Directors Robert Ladd who really drove the reality home.

“The Gateway Project is a generational investment in the growth and vitality of our university,” he said. “It marks a bold step forward in aligning the university’s infrastructure, student life, athletics and community engagement strategies, positioning us to meet the demands of both our and Houston’s future.”

The Gateway Project is the overarching strategy Rice announced to create a “new gateway to campus” by extending Amherst Avenue in Rice Village two blocks east until it meets campus and joins a vibrant, walkable corridor leading to a full renovated, modernized Rice Stadium.

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The $120 million initiative will also include a new practice pavilion, replacing the current practice bubble and clearing space for a mixed-use development featuring “retail, multi-family housing, restaurants and a grocery store, with a public greenspace for community events and performances.”

Rice Athletics Director Tommy McClelland was emphatic when it came to exclaiming the significance of this project and it’s future impact on Rice:

“This project represents a tangible and public declaration of our university’s commitment to the future of athletics,” he said. “And that declaration is this: Rice is serious and intentional about athletics. We are investing in a future in which our programs can and will compete at the highest levels athletically and academically. We are creating a home that will be a source of pride for Rice and for the city of Houston.”

The advancement seeks to thread the needle between preserving the historicity of one of the city’s most famous landmarks, Rice Stadium, while simultaneously making it appealing and functional for the days ahead.

In McClelland’s worse, this endeavor seeks to build a stadium “that honors the past but looks boldly to the future.”

“This is not just a renovation,” he declared. “This is a statement of who we are and where we are going. In the spirit of John F. Kennedy, today at Rice University, we choose to move forward. We choose to invest. We chose to compete and, most importantly, we choose to win. This is the next great chapter of Rice University.”

The specifics

Listed key stadium improvements include:

  • On the east side, about two-thirds of the upper deck will be removed to improve sightlines and create a more intimate atmosphere.
  • A 360-degree concourse will allow fans to move freely around the stadium.
  • Two 4,000-square-foot restroom and concession buildings will be added at the stadium’s southwest and northwest corners.
  • A new kitchen and commissary will allow staff to prepare high-quality food on site, enhancing the fan experience.
  • The southwest entry plaza will reinforce the “stadium in a park” concept and connect to a landscaped walkway leading to Rice Village.

Stadium capacity will be reduced to roughly 30,000 in a decision described as a “right-sized design” which McClelland viewed as an opportunity to have “best fan experience in the country.”

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“Because of the size, we can say bold things,” McClelland said, painting the stadium and surrounding area is a gathering place for the community. He mentioned the desire to use the space to host concerts and that the stadium itself would be expanded so that a FIFA regulated soccer pitch would be viable on the grounds, hopefully providing the University with the opportunity to host international soccer matches.

Construction is expected to begin following the 2026 Rice Football season and continue throughout 2027 before being completed prior to the opening of the 2028 season. The team would play at the stadium in 2027 in the midst of the construction, similar to projects that have taken place at Vanderbilt and West Point, in recent years.

Multiple Rice officials also confirmed to The Roost that conversations were had in advance specifically to assure the new athletics renovations would not interfere with the annual Beer Bike tradition, currently held in the Greenbriar lot and that the athletic department would not force the event to relocate.

More From McClelland

Rice AD Tommy McClleland on the key objectives of this project: a right-sized stadium, more premium seating and a connection to Rice Village

— The Roost (@attheroost.com) 2025-11-06T20:59:33.873Z

Rice AD Tommy McClleland details the timeline of construction, expected to be completed by the start of the 2028 season. Construction will commence after the 2026 season and the Owls will play in the stadium during the renovations in 2027.

— The Roost (@attheroost.com) 2025-11-06T21:04:21.802Z

Rice AD Tommy McClleland on the aspirations for this project to create a "gathering in place" on campus:"We're trying to create the place that people want to be on Saturdays."

— The Roost (@attheroost.com) 2025-11-06T21:08:21.260Z

Rice AD Tommy McClleland says the goal is to make a multi-use facility capable of hosting concerts and even potential international soccer events. Current sidelines are being widened to make the stadium FIFA compliant.

— The Roost (@attheroost.com) 2025-11-06T21:10:30.643Z

Rice AD Tommy McClleland on the urgency of this project in light of the current college sports landscape:"We have to improve our athletic reputation and today marks the beginning of that."

— The Roost (@attheroost.com) 2025-11-06T21:17:31.090Z

Additional details are available via the university’s release as well as a dedicated website for the project.

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Rice Football 2025: UAB Game Week Practice Notes

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Rice Football is assessing all their options this week from personnel to prep as they do all they can on the practice field to prepare for UAB.

Three games remain on the Rice football scheduled and head coach Scott Abell is doing all he can to find a way to earn a fourth chance to play this fall. To reach a bowl game, the Owls are going to have to reach a higher level of consistency or big-play ability than they have so far this season. Both were focal points during practice this week.

Leaning into Variance

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