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Rice Football Recruiting: 2021 DE Cal Varner commits to Owls

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The 2021 Rice Football recruiting class has added one more key piece before the early signing period. Defensive end Cal Varner has committed to the Owls.

It’s been a good year on the recruiting front for the Owls. The 2021 Rice Football recruiting class already ranks inside the top five in the conference and it keeps getting better and better. Now the Owls have picked up a commitment from a local pass rusher. Defensive end Cal Varner from Katy High School has committed to Rice.

Under head coach Mike Bloomgren, Rice has stretched its recruiting net from coast to coast. At the same time, they’ve remained committed to home-grown talent. Varner is the third Houston product in the class and the second commitment from Katy, following Cinco Ranh offensive lineman Ethan Onianwa.

In October, Rice became the first FBS school to offer Varner a scholarship. After Rice moved first, SFA, HBU and Army extended Varner offers. Getting out in front, as Rice often tends to do, paid dividends in this race. Varner has become the newest Owl added to the fold with the early signing period days away.

Fellow defensive line commits Jalen Hargrove (6-foot-4, 305 pounds), Elroyal Morris (6-foot-2, 270) and Blake Boenisch (6-foot-3, 300) are going to hold down the interior. Varner (6-foot-4, 225) adds some finesse and quickness off the edge. It’s a great pickup for Rice that rounds out an already hefty haul.

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Varner possesses an impressive combination of awareness and focus. He has a knack for knowing where the ball carrier is at all times and directing his path in that direction, regardless of who is attempting to block him. He has the speed and smarts to sniff out screens and finishes his plays. Rice needs playmakers on this side of the ball and Varner has the potential to develop into just that.

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Rice Football 2020: UAB Presser quotes, practice notes and injury news

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Rice football seeks to finish strong against UAB on Senior Day. Here are the latest notes and press conference quotes from the week.

It was a great week for Rice football. Although fans are still riding high from the Owls’ historic road win against Marshall, the team has turned the page and has their attention focused squarely on UAB. For the first time this season, there will be fans allowed into Rice Stadium to see the contest in person.

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Head coach Mike Bloomgren spoke about the week that was and the task at hand. A few players chimed in as well. Then there’s the depth chart to get to, including some unfortunate injuries at key positions and some notes on what we might see on the field on Saturday.

Press Conference Quotes

“Because it’s such a big win, I probably let myself go an extra day with it. I probably went 48 hours instead of 24 hours enjoying it, because it is an absolutely huge win. But we know that that game, as good as we played, it won’t give us any points on the scoreboard. It won’t have a single stop on defense or a single interception. We have to go earn that this week.” – Mike Bloomgren on switching focus from Marshall to UAB

“UAB has a great offensive line. We’re gonna take the same things that we did last week, change up the scheme, and do the same thing this week. It’s no different. Whoever you put in front of us, that’s who we gotta go hit. So we gotta make it happen.”- Offensive lineman Jovaun Woolford on the UAB defensive front

“Awards come with wins. I think the biggest thing that I see when I see that I won that award is that we had a dominant team because I’ve had better individual performances but it doesn’t mean anything when you don’t get that W. The biggest thing that I’m excited about is that we got such a big team win.” – Linebacker Blaze Alldredge on being named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week

Depth Chart Notes

Here’s an updated depth chart from Rice football heading into the UAB game and some comments on a few notable additions and omissions as well as some injury notes:

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 65 – Rice Football vs UAB Preview

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Rice football is fresh off a landmark win over UAB. Can the Owls finish strong this week against UAB? We break it down on the show.

It was a weekend to remember for Rice football. The Owls upset No. 15 Marshall on the road, blanking the Thundering Herd 20-0 in their own stadium for the first time in program history. It was so monumental we broke out an emergency edition of The Roost Podcast immediately following the win. Make sure you check out that one here.

This show we’ll look ahead at the task at hand. Rice football is scheduled to host UAB on Dec. 12 in their final game of the regular season. We preview Owls vs Blazers and recaps the latest happening in Conference USA.

You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 65.

Episode Notes

  • Housekeeping — Don’t miss this opportunity to subscribe on Patreon. There’s a lot more in store for this football program, including the Early Signing Period next week. Get the scoop on the Owls’ 2021 class and more now.
    Become a Patron!
  • Conference USA news and notes
    • Marshall gets into C-USA Championship Game by default
    • C-USA stricken with cancelations again
    • UTSA fans rooting for Rice to beat UAB
  • Rice Football vs UAB preview
    • What’s at stake in this game for Rice?
    • What do we expect to carry over for Rice from the Marshall win?
    • Expectations for both sides of the ball against the Blazers
    • Bowl season: what the postseason picture could look like for the Owls with a win

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

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Rice Football 2020: NFL Owls Week 13 Stats Update

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Rice Football is well represented on 2020 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action in Week 13.

There are former Rice football players scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player.

Week 13 results

Washington def. Pittsburgh (Boswell, McDonald), 23-17 (Mon)
Miami def. Cincinnati (Covington), 19-7
Cleveland (Sendejo) def. Tennessee, 41-35
Indianapolis def. Houston (Gaines), 26-20 
Detroit (Fox) def. Chicago, 34-30
Kansas City def. Denver (Anderson, Callahan), 22-16
Buffalo def. 49ers (Walter), 34-24 (Mon)
Baltimore (Willson) def. Dallas, 34-17 (Tues)

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OT, Broncos

Anderson saw his usual action on special teams with the Broncos on Sunday night against Kansas City. He’s played in all 12 of the Broncos’ games this season. The Broncos visit the Panthers in Week 14.

Vance McDonald – TE, Steelers

McDonald was active for the Steelers’ Monday Night Football game against the Washington Football Team but did not receive any touches in the passing game. The Steelers visit the Bills in Week 14.

Austin Walter – RB, 49ers

Walter did not see action in the 49ers’ Week 13 loss to the Bills. The 49ers host the Washington Football Team in Week 14.

Luke Willson – TE, Ravens

Willson saw action in his second game with the Ravens this week, catching the only pass thrown his way for 12 yards. The Ravens host the Browns on Monday night Football in Week 14.

Defense and Special Teams

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell was added to the Steelers’ injury report late in the week with a hip injury that would eventually cause him to miss the Steelers Monday Night Football game against the Washington Football Team. Practice squad signee Matthew Wright kicked in his place. The Steelers visit the Bills in Week 14.

Bryce Callahan – CB, Broncos

Callahan went on the injured reserved after suffering a foot injury in a game against the Saints in Week 12. He did not play against the Chiefs this week. The Broncos visit the Panthers in Week 14.

Christian Covington – DL, Bengals

Covington made his ninth consecutive start on Sunday against the Dolphins, registering one tackle. The Bengals host the Cowboys in Week 14.

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox only punted three times in the Lions’ Week 13 win over the Bears. He pinned one kick inside the 20 and had another returned to the 20-yard line. His long for the day was 45 yards. The Lions host the Packers in Week 14.

Phillip Gaines – CB, Texans

Gaines played almost every defensive snap for the Texans this week in their loss to the Colts. He had six tackles and his first pass deflection of the season. The Lions visit the Bears in Week 14.

Andrew Sendejo – Saf, Browns

Sendejo led the Browns with eight tackles on Sunday, including seven solo stops. That was the most tackles he’s registered in a game since the Browns’ Week 2 win over the Bengals. The Browns host the Ravens on Monday Night Football in Week 14.

More Owls in the NFL

From practice squads to current free agents, there are others Owls on the cusp of returning to active rosters. Find more detail on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.

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Rice Basketball: Early season men’s and women’s roundup

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Thanksgiving marked the beginning of Rice basketball. Here’s a quick check-in on how both teams are doing so far on the court.

Rice Basketball

The 2020-2021 season has gotten of to a great start for Rice basketball. The men’s team replaced more than half of their roster during the offseason and were limited compared to their typical offseason routine. It was going to take some time to work out the kinks.

“Look, we’re all trying to find our way. We’re trying to see who the gamers are,” head coach Scott Pera said following the Owls’ home opener against Houston Baptist. Rice is now 4-0 for the first time since 2011, something that bodes well for the future.

The start is encouraging, but to some extent, it’s more encouraging to see this team come together as quickly as they have. “It’s important to play good basketball,” Pera said, “So yeah, we’re happy to win.”

Results (4-0)

  • 68-53 (W) Incarnate Word
  • 103-64 (W) Our Lady of the Lake
  • 94-74 (W) Le Tourneau
  • 86-54 (W) Houston Baptist

Statistical leaders

What’s next?

Rice basketball get their biggest test of the season next Saturday at the Fertitta center against a ranked Houston team. The Owls traded blows with the Cougars from start to finish last season before Houston got hot down the stretch and won the game.

Beating Houston would put Rice decidedly ahead of their on-the-fly roster shakeup, but even without a win, the Owls can learn a lot about who they are and how far they have to go against Houston next weekend.

Rice Women's Basketball

Rice women’s basketball was only two games into their season when they encountered their first COVID-19 cancelation. The UT-Arlington game was scrapped at the last minute due to a pause with the Mavericks’ program. The Owls deserve credit for their quick response, adding a game with Texas Tech on the fly.

Not only did Rice beat Texas Tech, they won in dominant fashion. Rice hit 12 three-pointers, held Tech to 30.8 percent shooting from the field and never trailed from start to finish. The win marked the first for Rice over a Power 5 program since beating Texas A&M in 2006.

For head coach Tina Langley, getting back on the court is a welcome respite from the hectic offseason. “We’re just so grateful to everybody who’s put in so much work so that we could play,” she said. “It was such a joy to take the port together. And I’m so proud of these young women.”

Results (3-0)

  • 83-54 (W) Houston Baptist
  • 66-54 (W) Little Rock
  • 81-62 (W) Texas Tech

Statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Nancy Mulkey – 13.3 points per game
  • Rebounds | Nancy Mulkey – 10.0 per game
  • Assists | Sydne Wiggins – 4.7 per game
  • Steals | Jasmine Smith – 1.3 per game
  • Blocks | Nancy Mulkey – 2.7 per game

What’s next?

Rice women’s basketball will have two more home games (Dec. 11 against Texas Southern and Dec. 16 against Louisiana) before hitting the road for their most important game of the season. They visit Texas A&M at Reed Arena on Dec. 20.

Their battle with the Aggies came down to the final possession a year ago. Texas A&M lost Chennedy Carter to the WNBA draft while Rice lost Erica Ogwumike. This year’s game is going to look different without either of those guards on the court, but the impact of a Rice win remains just as significant.

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