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Davidson’s Scott Abell to be named next Rice Football Head Coach

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Following an extensive national search, Scott Abell, current head coach at Davidson, is expected to be named the next Rice Football head coach.

Scott Abell will be the next head coach of Rice Football, sources tell The Roost. Abell has spent the last seven years at the helm of Davidson which plays in the FCS Division of college football. While with the Wildcats, Abell won the Pioneer League twice (2020, 2021) and owns the best winning percentage in program history.

Who is Scott Abell?

The now former head coach at Davidson, and Washington and Lee before that, is set to become the 20th head coach in Rice football history. While he’s never coached at the FBS level, Abell has delivered historic results at multiple stops along the way.

As the head coach of DIII Washington and Lee, Abell led the Generals to three DIII Playoff appearances — they’ve been to just six in program history. He then moved up to Davidson where he’s produced one of the most dynamic, exciting offenses in the country over the last seven years.

Abell runs a gun option which has consistently produced one of the nation’s top rushing attacks year over year, including the second ranked rushing offense in the nation this year and the No. 1 rushing offense in 2023. Last season, Abell’s Wildcats led all of FCS in scoring offense (40.0 points per game) averaging 463 yards per game while ranking in the top 15 nationally in passing efficiency and red zone offense.

Why Scott Abell?

This isn’t a one-year decision, it’s a body-of-work decision. Abell has built a perennial contender at a place where it’s hard to win. Since 1970, Davidson teams had won seven or more games four times before Abell arrived. He’s accomplished that feat four times in the last six seasons.

Davidson is a small private school in a state with plenty of Blue Blood programs. The academic requirements are extensive, even when compared to the challenges Rice football faces on the recruiting front. Before Abell had arrived the Wildcats hadn’t won a conference title in more than 50 years nor been to the postseason. Abell did both, multiple times.

The bet is pretty straightforward, if Abell can win with extremely limited resources, what happens when Rice opens the spigot and enables him to complement his offensive mind with the financial backing to bring those dreams to fruition? The challenges shared by Davidson and Rice are remarkably similar. The Owls hope Abell’s conference-winning results will be, too.

What They’re Saying

After spending time with Scott throughout this process, it was clear that we had found the right leader for our program. He has had an immediate impact on every program he has coached and is passionate about developing winners on and off the field. He is the right person to lead Rice football into a new era of success. I am thrilled to welcome Scott and his family to Rice. – Rice AD Tommy McClelland

I am incredibly honored and humbled to be the named the next head football coach at Rice University. I want to thank President DesRoches, Athletic Director Tommy McClelland, and his staff for their trust and confidence in me and my family.  I cannot imagine a more ideal time or fit for myself, my family, and the future of Rice Football.  Today begins the journey, as we pursue championships.  Go Owls! – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell

An introductory press conference is set to be held Wednesday, November 27 at 11:00 a.m.

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Rice Football 2024: NFL Owls Week 12 Roundup

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Rice Football is well represented on 2024 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action in Week 12.

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

TeamNFL Owl(s)This WeekResultNext Week
Detroit LionsJack Fox (P)at ColtsW, 24-6vs Bears (Thr)
Indianapolis ColtsKylen Granson (TE)vs LionsL, 24-6at Patriots
Pittsburgh SteelersChris Boswell (PK)
Calvin Anderson (OL)		at Browns (TNF)W, 24-19at Bengals
Seattle SeahawksMyles Adams (DL)vs CardinalsW, 16-6at Jets
Washington CommandersLuke McCaffrey (WR)vs CowboysL, 34-26vs Titans

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OL, Steelers

Anderson was active but did not see action in the Steelers’ loss to the Browns this week.

Luke McCaffrey – WR, Commanders

McCaffrey caught one pass for eight yards on one target against the Cowboys this week.

Kylen Granson – TE, Colts

Granson was targeted twice but did not catch either pass in the Colts loss to the Lions this week.

Defense

Myles Adams – DL, Seahawks

Adams was inactive for the Seahawks Week 12 game against the Cardinals.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox punted four times against the Colts, including a long of 60 yards. He pinned all four of his kicks inside the 20 yard line on another sterling day of special teams duty.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell misfired one in the snowstorm that was Thursday night football, but converted each of his other field goal tries, including a long of 48 yards. He’s made 31-of-33 field goals this season

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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The latest of the Rice Football coaching search

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No offers have been made, but the end is in sight as Rice football continues its search for its next head football coach.

It was reported Monday morning that Yale’s Tony Reno had emerged as the favorite to be named the next head coach of Rice Football. While The Roost can confirm Reno is among the finalists for the job, no formal offer has yet been made, and it’s still within the realm of possibility the Owls go elsewhere in their search.

At this time the candidate pool has been trimmed and Reno is just one of the names in the mix. The other candidates are have emerged from an extensive national search that began following the firing of Mike Bloomgren several weeks ago.

Reno fits a profile the Owls are seriously exploring with these finalists. They want a program builder with head coaching experience who has a winning tradition. Several rising coordinators were initially tossed into the consideration set among national reporters, but this is not the direction Rice intends to go at this time.

This report surfacing when it did further clarifies the narrowing time horizon with which Rice has to make this hire. The Early Signing Period opens December 4 and Rice would prefer to have a candidate in place at that time but the situation remains fluid.

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Rice Football 2024 Game Preview: USF

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Rice football is set for Senior Day and their final game of the 2024 season where they’ll host South Florida. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

Any hopes of a five-win bowl berth for Rice football were squashed last weekend in a one-sided loss to UAB on the road. The Owls’ upcoming opponent, South Florida, faired much better, defeating Tulsa for their sixth win of the season to clinch a spot in the postseason ranks. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and USF.

Kickoff time | 1:00 PM CT
Venue | Rice Stadium – Houston, TX
TV | ESPN+ (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs USF on this week’s episode of the Blue and Gray Preview Show, kicking off live on Wednesday on the Rice Athletics YouTube channel. Look for a recap of the game on the site afterward as well as on The Roost Podcast, which should be released early next week.

Sizing up the contenders

Rice football is playing for pride at this point. Led by an interim head coach with a roster full of seniors set to be recognized before the game, the Owls are hoping to end the final game of the Mike Bloomgren era on a high note. On the other side, South Florida hopes to build some momentum as they prepare for a second consecutive bowl season under Alex Golesh.

Series History

All Time | USF leads, 1-0
Last Five | USF leads, 1-0
Last Meeting | Away 2023, USF won 48-29

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Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Warner – 245/397 (61.7 percent), 2280 yards, 14 TD, 13 INT /  Devillier 2038 (52.6 percent), 137 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
Rushing | Connors – 142 carries, 740 yards (5.2 yards per carry), 8 TD / Jackson- 43 carries, 235 yards (5.5 yards per carry), 0 TD
Receiving | Sykes – 58 receptions, 664 yards (11.4 yds/rec), 5 TD / Campbell – 29 receptions, 320 yards (11.0 yds/rec), 1 TD / Connors – 58 receptions, 394 yards (6.8 yds/rec), 1 TD
Tackles | Morris – 55, Taylor – 54, Awe/Hook- 46
Pass Breakups | Fresch – 9, Ahoia – 6, Taylor -5
Interceptions | Taylor/Flowers – 2, Fresch/Williams/Mutombo – 1

USF Stat Notables

Passing | Archie – 129/220 (58.6 percent), 1452 yards, 8 TD, 8 INT
Rushing | Joiner Jr. – 101 carries, 747 yards (7.4 yards per carry), 11 TD / Wright – 98 carries, 459 yards (4.7 yards per carry), 6 TD
Receiving | Atkins – 61 receptions, 567 yards (9.3 yds/rec), 1 TD / Brown-Stephens – 22 receptions, 294 yards (13.4 yds/rec), 3 TD / Porter – 24 receptions, 200 yards (8.3 yds/rec), 0 TD
Tackles | Harris – 65, Pettway – 54, Byard – 49
Pass Breakups | Austin – 9, Rucker/Knox – 5, Banks – 3
Interceptions | Austin/Ward/Schuler – 2, Five tied with one

USF X-Factor | In Archie we trust

Things got dark for South Florida when quarterback Byrum Brown went down midseason. It took the Bulls a while to get back on their feet and rekindle the offense, but backup quarterback Bryce Archie has been integral to that turnaround.

Archie completed 53.7 percent of his passes in his start against Memphis and has increased his completion percentage in each subsequent game until it fell for the first time from 68.8 percent against Charlotte to 67.7 percent last week against Tulsa in a rout, his first 300-yard game with the Bulls this year. If he stays locked in and gets this offense back up to it’s lofty standards USF will be hard to beat.

Rice X-Factor | Hold onto the ball

Rice turned the ball over four times against UAB and lose by four scores. The math doesn’t always work out quite like that, but it speaks to how slim the margins are for this team right now. The Owls fumbled the ball away in the second quarter when the game was still within a field goal margin. But three interceptions in a span of five drives doomed any chance of the Owls making this a competitive game.

UAB was only forced to perform one extended scoring drive after the first quarter last week. South Florida has proven their offense is capable of more than that. Spotting them any extra chances will take an already tall order and make it even more challenging.

If Rice can protect the ball and play complimentary football they’ve proven themselves able to hang with even the best of the best in the AAC. If they can’t this one might be over quickly.

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One Final Thing

Is it too cliche to call this coming Rice football game the end of an era? Perhaps. But it many ways the Owls will be closing the door on Mike Bloomgren’s tenure for good and opening themselves up to the great unknown. The Owls are in the midst of a coaching search — more on that front coming, hopefully, soon for our Patreon subscribers — and once that is finalized, new era will indeed be upon us.

However, there is still one more game to be played.

The seniors playing in their final game put every ounce of effort into building this program from humble begins. To reach back-to-back bowl games was no small feat from where they started. And while it’s fair to be disappointed with the results this year, it’s hard to look at this class and these players with anything but gratitude for the groundwork they laid for what’s next.

This group proved that winning is possible here in the current climate of college football. They proved a program like Rice can go toe-to-toe with the best of the AAC and take them to the brink. What’s to say a new voice and renewed investment won’t be the catalyst to get the program to that next step?

Those answers will come in time. Right now, everyone inside the Brian Patterson Center is focused on one thing: beating South Florida. It sure would be a nice way to go out.

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AAC Football 2024: Week 13 Roundup

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AAC Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron this week.

TeamRecord This WeekResultUp Next
Army9-1 (7-0)at Notre DameL, 49-14vs UTSA
Charlotte4-7 (3-4)at FAUW, 39-27vs UAB
ECU7-4 (5-2)at North TexasW, 40-28vs Navy
FAU2-9 (0-7)vs CharlotteL, 39-27at Tulsa
Memphis9-2 (5-2)— OFF — —at Tulane
Navy7-3 (5-2)— OFF — —at ECU
North Texas5-6 (2-5)vs ECUL, 40-28at Temple
Rice3-8 (2-5)at UABL, 40-14vs USF
Temple3-8 (2-5)at UTSAL, 51-27vs North Texas
Tulane9-2 (7-0)— OFF — —vs Memphis
Tulsa3-8 (1-6)at USFL, 63-30vs FAU
UAB3-8 (2-5)vs RiceW, 40-14at Charlotte
USF6-5 (4-3)vs TulsaW, 63-30at Rice
UTSA6-5 (4-3)vs TempleW, 51-27at Army

Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)

Not All Interims

There are quite a few interim head coaches in the AAC right now. Most of them have inherited a tough situation and have continued to lose like their predecessor. Rice interim Pete Alamar lost. FAU interim Chad Lunsford lost. Temple interim Everett Withers lost. But ECU interim Blake Harrell? He’s 4-0 and has the Pirates surging up the AAC standings. Not all interims are created equal.

And then were was Tulsa

All those interim coaches are in place because underwhelming seasons necessitated a change in leadership. And then there’s Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane are 7-16 under Kevin Wilson and haven’t done much to impress during his tenure. Back-to-back seasons as one of the bottom dwellers in the conference haven’t been enough to force a change there, yet.

Army defeated

Army has largely run through everyone its faced in league play to this point, but they hadn’t played a team like Notre Dame, a fact which became evident in short time on Saturday afternoon. The Irish routed the troops emphatically and while this doesn’t directly change the quality of team they probably are, it does likely close the door on a dark horse College Football Playoff bid.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Tulane’s next test

With Army no longer undefeated, Tulane has a chance to make their case as the top team in the American. That overture has to start this weekend with a win over Memphis at home before they can start thinking about AAC Championship dreams and potentially more than that.

How far can the Pirates go?

ECU could very well finish third in the conference in the same season they fired their head coach. Those two things don’t often go together, but it’s on the table for the Pirates if they can beat Navy at home. The Midshipmen are reeling a bit and have lost three of four since their 6-0 start.

Will North Texas go bowling?

The postseason fates of every AAC team are sealed going into the final weekend of the regular season, except for the Mean Green. North Texas has lost five in a row after a 5-1 start. To drop their season finale against Temple on a sixth straight defeat would be crushing for a season which began with such promise.

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