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Rice Football 2024 Defensive Newcomer: Charlie Looes

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An Ivy League pass rusher headed South for one last ride, defensive end Charlies Looes is our 2024 Rice Football Defensive Newcomer of the Year.

Expectations were high when Ivy League-leading sackman Charlie Looes made the decision to transfer from Dartmouth to South Main for his final season of collegiate eligibility. He made the most of his time in Texas, tying for the lead among all Owls’ defensive linemen in sacks on his way to earning honors as our 2024 Rice Football Defensive Newcomer of the Year.

Looes, like many before him, was limited by Ivy League eligibility restrictions which bar graduates from playing in the league. For graduates who still want to play college ball, they must go elsewhere. That opened a door for him to become the next in a growing pipeline of Rice football players who honed their craft in the Ivies before transferring south for their final season.

More: 2024 Rice Football Season Superlatives

Returns were positive early on as Looes seamlessly fit into the scheme and learned the defense during spring practices. “They’ve been bought in since we recruited them,” defensive line coach Cedric Calhoun said about Looes and fellow transfer Michael Daley from BYU, making it clear he was happy with what he’d seen from the newcomers thus far.

But when Coleman Coco’s waiver for another season was denied during the summer, the pressure on Looes to be productive started to ramp up. Coco, another Ivy League transfer, had led the Owls in sacks the prior season and was expected to compliment Looes on the line in 2024. Now that aspiration was squarely on Looes who did not disappoint.

In his second play in a Rice football uniform, Looes burst through the line and sacked Sam Houston quarterback Hunter Watson, killing the drive which led to a quick three-and-out. Rice wouldn’t win the game, but Looes would rack up another half sack and four total tackles in his debut.

“He didn’t make you wait long to learn his name if you didn’t already know it,” then head coach Mike Bloomgren remarked. “Really proud of Charlie stepping in there and doing that.”

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As injuries and shifting personnel around him ebbed and flowed, Looes kept working and finding ways to contribute. He would go on to lead the team in tackles for a loss (nine) and was the only player to both force a fumble and recover a fumble this season, he had two of the latter. He even had a pass breakup, too.

A finalist of the Bushnell Cup in his final season at Darthmouth, an award given annually to the league’s best defensive player, Looes was a bonafide plug-and-play disruptor in the defensive trenches during his time at Rice.

Often times it’s hard for a team to know exactly what they’re getting when they sign a player out of the Transfer Portal. Getting the kind of season they got from Looes is a deal worth taking every time. If you’re only getting a guy for one year he needs to show up and show out, something Looes did with flare.

Looes would bookend his season on South Main with a sack in his first and last game, playing a meaningful role in a Senior Day win that assuredly meant so much to him and a host of Rice football veterans that played their final game in the season finale against South Florida. Like those seniors, Looes did all he could to send this team out on a high note and his efforts were rewarded.

** Photo Credit: Maria Lysaker **
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The Roost’s 2024 Rice Football Season Superlatives

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The Roost’s 2024 Rice Football Season Superlatives exist to honor exceptional Owls who made a difference on the field this season. Here’s the complete list.

There were many individual performances worth recognizing in the 2024 Rice Football season. In addition to the more traditional awards below, make sure to check out The Roosties, our sixth annual award show from The Roost Podcast, which features a different angle of honors. From our favorite plays to the players that surprised us the most, we cover some of the more creative superlatives on the show. This list comprises the more traditional recognitions.

Offensive Newcomer of the Year — OL Chad Lindberg | Full Story

Excerpt: “Because of other injuries that had accumulated around him, Lindberg was asked to move again, suiting up at left tackle for three games, including the program’s first AAC win of the year. Warner was sacked only twice in Lindberg’s three-game stretch as his blind side protector, always pushing himself and his teammates to do more.”

Defensive Newcomer of the Year — DL Charlie Looes | Full Story

Excerpt: “Often times it’s hard for a team to know exactly what they’re getting when they sign a player out of the Transfer Portal. Getting the kind of season they got from Looes is a deal worth taking every time. If you’re only getting a guy for one year he needs to show up and show out, something Looes did with flare.”

Rising Star — LB Ty Morris | Full Story

Excerpt: “Yes, it probably was Number Three, Ty Morris. The Owls sophomore linebacker plays the game with what, at times, feels like a supernatural awareness of where the football is and the best path to move himself through bodies to meet it. If there was a big play to be made, it’s a good bet that Morris was the one to make it.”

Special Teams Player of the Year — RB Quinton Jackson | Full Story

Excerpt: “Jackson “hit it” that day, but that play was one of 22 kick returns Jackson had during the season. Jackson averaged 26.8 yards per return, eighth nationally among all players. His 589 total return yards ranked fourth and his 49.1 kick return yards per game ranked fifth.”

Offensive Player of the Year — WR Matt Sykes | Full Story

Excerpt: “The SOS was answered emphatically by Sykes who delivered a walk-off touchdown reception against UTSA, one of 52 receptions he registered against AAC opponents, the most by any pass catcher in the conference by seven grabs. He averaged 78.9 yards per game in league play, finally surpassing the century mark in his final game, a 118-yard performance against South Florida on Senior Day.”

Defensive Player of the Year — SAF Gabe Taylor | Full Story

Excerpt: “On a defense flush with impactful veteran talent like defensive tackle Izeya Floyd, linebackers Josh Pearcy and Myron Morrison and the aforementioned corners and fellow members of the safety room, Taylor managed to stand out. That’s a testament to his effort, ability and a never wavering desire to be the best. No matter the box score, Taylor delivered on that goal this season.”

Iron Man — LB Josh Pearcy | Full Story

Excerpt: “Pearcy leaves Rice in the Top 10 all-time in tackles for a loss (8th) and sacks (5th), especially impressive totals when considering he played special teams during his four-game redshirt in 2019 and played in just five games in the Owls’ shortened 2020 season. Pearcy wasn’t just an average player who played in a lot of games and racked up stats. He reached those totals in essentially four years.”

Team MVP — RB Dean Connors | Full Story

Excerpt: “Connors never complained or questioned his usage. He just took the ball whenever it was handed (or thrown) to him and kept on running. For him, the team was always more important than any individual accolades or aspirations. He touched the ball 220 times across 12 games. The next closest player, Matt Sykes, had 67 plays from scrimmage.”

Check out the 2023 Rice Football Season Superlatives here.
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Rice Football 2024 Offensive Newcomer: Chad Lindberg

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A rock on an ever-changing offensive line, Chad Lindberg, our 2024 Rice Football Offensive Newcomer of the Year.

Just weeks before the start of summer workouts, Chad Lindberg committed to transfer from Georgia to South Main. Even with the short runway to get acclimated to the program and the offense, Lindberg delivered in a big way on his way to becoming our 2024 Rice Football Offensive Newcomer of the Year.

A former blue-chip recruit who saw the field in a reserve role in the SEC, the plan when Lindberg arrived on campus was for him to take over one of the guard spots and stick there for the season. Lindberg was able to participate in summer workouts, but an injury sidelined him during much of fall camp. He missed the Owls’ season-opening game against Sam Houston, kicking off the first of a myriad of iterations in the trenches.

Lindberg made his Rice football debut in Week 2 against Texas Southern at left guard. His unit kept quarterback EJ Warner upright for a full 60 minutes, allowing no sacks against the FCS opponent. The following week they allowed just one sack in a loss to Houston, the Owls’ only Power Conference opponent of the season. Then the musical chairs began in earnest.

More: 2024 Rice Football Season Superlatives

Right guard John Long was injured against Houston, forcing Lindberg to switch to the right side of the line the following week against Army. Rice lost starting left tackle Ethan Onianwa in that game, another significant blow to an offensive line that seemed to finally be finding its stride.

Because of other injuries that had accumulated around him, Lindberg was asked to move again, suiting up at left tackle for three games, including the program’s first AAC win of the year. Warner was sacked only twice in Lindberg’s three-game stretch as his blind side protector, always pushing himself and his teammates to do more.

“We take it personal when anyone gets close to EJ. We don’t want to give up any pressures, much less a sack,” he said during that run. “We feel like we’re talented enough and we’re a very talented unit. The expectation is to not let anyone close to him. That’s what we try to do every week.”

When Onianwa returned, Lindberg moved back to left guard, the position he thought he was going to be playing all season long. He would, at least, finish the year there as the Owls flip-flopped the other guard spot during the final stretch of games but kept Lindberg in one place.

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Center David Stickle and right tackle Brant Banks were the only two Rice offensive lineman to play a full 12 games, accounting for every start at their respective positions during the season. Lindberg played in all but one contest was the only player on the line to play three different positions. Only one other, Weston Kropp, played two, and that included a single spot start at right guard in six total appearances.

Despite all the upheaval and injuries, including six unique line combinations in 12 games, Rice turned in one of its most impressive showing in the offensive trenches in years. The team ranked seventh nationally in sacks allowed, ceding 11 sacks in 12 games, just one of 11 programs in the nation to allow fewer than one sack per contest. Two of the teams in front of the Owls, Army and Navy, run option offenses that rarely throw the ball.

Rice ranked ninth nationally in pass attempts per game. They threw the ball an incredible amount and yet still managed to keep their quarterback’s jersey remarkably clean. To that point, Rice ranked second nationally in sacks allowed per pass attempt. Lindberg’s versatility and consistency played a pivotal role in that. Not every Transfer Portal addition works out. This one paid off in droves.

** Photo Credit: Maria Lysaker **
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The Roost Podcast | Ep 194 – Mike Bloomgren Era Rice Football Post Mortem

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The dust has finally settled on the 2024 Rice Football season and the Mike Bloomgren era. What went wrong and where does this program stand going forward?

A 2024 Rice Football season which began with high expectations ended in a coaching change. Things weren’t supposed to go this way, yet here we are. On this week’s show we debrief the year that was, how we missed the oncoming iceberg and try to ascertain how so many of us were so wrong about where this team was heading, both this season and over the last seven years under head coach Mike Bloomgren.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 194.

Episode Notes

DCTF

The Roost Podcast is now part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner.

Homefield

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 brand-new sailor hat (pictured below) as you shop the Rice collection or pick up something else (or both)!

Homefield

Patreon

Get exclusive insight on Patreon. Be the first to get the inside scoop on what’s going on with Rice football and stick around for even further analysis. That includes practice updates, analysis and more. Your support matters and makes The Roost better.

Become a Patron!

Rice Football Season Review and Mike Bloomgren Era Post Mortem

  • Coaching changes and transfer portal notes
  • What sunk the 2024 Rice Football season?
  • The quarterback question
  • How much of that issue still has bearing on the program today?
  • Miststeps and bad bounces along the way
  • Infrastructure advancements and things that are diferrent
  • Abell’s advantages and renewed commitments

Where can you find us?

The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Rice Women’s Basketball buries Texas Southern

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Rice Women’s Basketball turned on the jets late in the second half, surging past Texas Southern in one of their most dominant wins of the season.

In front of a roaring crowd of school children on Friday morning, Rice women’s basketball jumped out to a 7-0 lead in front of intra-city foe Texas Southern at Tudor Fieldhouse. The Tigers composed themselves and fought back to within one before another Rice rally put the home team in front by 10 at the conclusion of the first quarter.

Both teams swapped scores in the second frame but the margin hung around double digits at halftime. Texas Southern put up a fight in the early portions of the third quarter but that was all the Tigers had left in the tank. Rice closed the frame on a dominant 21-5 run, taking a 23-point lead into the fourth.

More: Rice Women’s Basketball 2024-2025 Season Preview

Rice would go on to stretch their lead to 30 with Malia Fisher leading the Owls with 19 points and Emily Klaczek connecting on 3-of-4 from three. The 27 point win represents the largest margin of victory for Rice women’s basketball this season as the team moves to 7-4 on the year.

Final Box | Rice 89, Texas Southern 62

Key takeaway | Runaway Win

Rice women’s basketball defeating a 1-6 Texas Southern team is far from a Herculean feat. This year’s Tigers squad is not in the same weight class as the Owls, something which was quite clear on Friday. However, this is not the first time this season Rice has been head and shoulders better than their opponent.

Simply put, putting games away has been a problem for this team. They’ve been able to race out to double-digit leads with relative ease, but finding a way to turn a 10-point third quarter advantage into a 20-point fourth quarter lead has been lacking, until now.

Rice won by 27. And while margin of victory isn’t the most important statistic in the world, in this case it is instructive. The Owls found that next gear that’s eluded them to this point and that’s something that should be an encouraging sign for the program moving forward.

Up Next: at Georgia Tech (Wed, 12/18)

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