The source for Rice sports news

Rice Football 2019: Owls in the NFL Week 3 Update

By

Former Rice football pass rusher Christian Covington flashed in extended time. Here’s how other NFL Owls fared in Week 3.

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

Week 3 results

Lions 27 – Eagles 24 (Sendejo)
Cowboys 31 (Covington) – Dolphins 6
Packers 27 – Broncos 16 (Callahan)
Saints 33 – Seahawks 27 (Ellerbee)
49ers 24 – Steelers 20 (Boswell, McDonald)
Texans 27 (Gaines) – Chargers 20

Chris Boswell, K, Steelers

Boswell converted two first quarter field goals (46-yards, 26-yards) and two extra points. He hasn’t missed a kick this season. The Steelers host the Bengals in Week 4 on Monday Night Football.

Bryce Callahan, CB, Broncos

Callahan was inactive for the Broncos’ Week 3 game with the Packers. He has yet to make an appearance for the team this season. The Broncos host the Jaguars in Week 4.

Christian Covington, DE, Cowboys

A few injuries in the Dallas front seven opened up some playing time for Covington against the Dolphins. He took advantage of the opportunity, registering three tackles, one pass defended and one quarterback hit. The Cowboys visit the Saints in Week 4.

Emmanuel Ellerbee, LB, Seahawks

Ellerbee was placed injured reserve prior to the start of the season. The Seahawks visit the Cardinals in Week 4.

Vance McDonald, TE, Steelers

McDonald left Sunday’s game early with a shoulder injury and did not return. More information on his injury should be available later in the week. While active, he hauled in one of two targets for 10 yards. The Steelers host the Bengals in Week 4 on Monday Night Football.

Andrew Sendejo, Saf, Eagles

Sendejo tallied three solo tackles and a quarterback hit, the only member of the Eagles’ secondary to do so against the Lions in Week 3. The Eagles visit the Packers in Week 4 on Thursday Night Football.

Phillip Gaines, CB, Texans

Gaines has not yet made an appearance with the Texans after signing with the team on Sept. 10. The Texans host the Panthers in Week 4.

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.

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

Recent Posts

Conference USA Football 2019: Week 4 C-USA roundup

By

Rice football closed out nonconference play as several Conference USA Football teams kicked off their first conference games of the season.

Team Week 4 Result Week 5
Charlotte at No. 1 Clemson L, 52-10 vs FAU
FAU vs Wagner W, 42-7 at Charlotte
FIU at Louisiana Tech L, 43-31 — OFF —
LaTech vs FIU W, 43-31 at Rice
Marshall — OFF — — OFF — vs Cincinnati
MTSU — OFF — — OFF — at Iowa
North Texas vs UTSA W, 45-3 vs Houston
ODU at No. 21 Virginia L, 28-17 vs East Carolina
Rice vs Baylor L, 21-13 vs Louisiana Tech
Southern Miss at No. 2 Alabama L, 49-7 vs UTEP
UAB vs South Alabama W, 35-3 at WKU
UTEP vs Nevada L, 37-21 at Southern Miss
UTSA at North Texas L, 45-3 — OFF —
WKU — OFF — — OFF — vs UAB

Notable Week 4 results – Standings

Another Rice rally falls short

Down 21-3, things looked dire at South Main. Then the Rice football defense pitched a shutout in the second half against a Baylor team which entered the game as the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense. The offense came up short, mustering only 10 points after the break, but Rice posted another tight result in a rigorous nonconference slate.

Mayday, mayday UTSA

Another C-USA defeat left the team on the losing end feeling much less optimistic. UTSA fell in a one-sided affair to North Texas despite Conference USA Football Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Mason Fine being limited to 195 passing yards and two touchdowns. UTSA Quarterback Frank Harris was knocked out of the game. His status is up in the air, making the mood in San Antonio rather dour.

It’s sweet to have three

With conference play only just beginning, there are only two C-USA teams who have reached the three-win mark after four weeks. UAB is 3-0 (0-0) and Louisiana Tech is 3-1 (1-0). The Blazers and Bulldogs both play their first conference road game next weekend.

Week 5 storylines

One last nonconference statement

Conference USA failed to connect on any of their major nonconference upset opportunities. North Texas couldn’t top Cal. Rice fell to a slew of Power 5 teams. Marshall dropped a close one to Boise State. The Thundering Herd get one more chance to shine the light on Conference USA football when they host a talented Cincinnati squad in Week 5.

The off week couldn’t have come any sooner

FIU was expected to compete for the C-USA East crown. They’re 1-3 with a close win over New Hampshire to their name. This is a team in massive need of a reset. Already 0-2 in conference play, the Panthers’ margin for error is shrinking. A break came at the right time.

Litmus test

Western Kentucky squandered a double-digit fourth quarter lead against FCS Central Arkansas in Week 1. They beat FIU 20-14 in Week 2 and lost a closer-than-expected game to Louisville their last time out. Week 5 will be a defining moment for the Hilltoppers when they face UAB at home. Which outing, the FCS loss or the C-USA win, will prove more predictive of Tyson Helton’s first year at the helm.

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

Recent Posts

Rice Football Recruiting: 2020 Defensive end Jalen Reeves commits to Owls

By

Prized defensive end target Jalen Reeves has committed to the Owls at the 2020 Rice football recruiting class continues to bring in elite talent.

The 2020 Rice Football recruiting class had plenty of skilled players. There were skill players like Khalan Griffin and Andrew Mason, defensive backs like Sean Fresch and Plae Wyatt and versatile athletes who will force their way onto the field somewhere like Devin Gunter and Cole Latos. But there wasn’t a top-flight pass-rushing defensive end.

Now there is. Florida defensive end Jalen Reeves has committed to Rice.

Reeves built a relationship with the Owls coaching staff over the summer. He was ready to commit to the Owls before he ever stepped foot on campus. Not only did Rice find a time to get him to South Main for the Baylor game; he committed on the spot.
Rice Football, Rice Football Recruiting

This is a huge get for Rice football. The Owls are no strangers to beating out Group of 5 programs, service academies and the Ivy League programs. Reeves had offers from all of those groups, but he also had offers from Boston College, NC State, Pitt, Syracuse and LSU. The 2020 Rice football recruiting class has taken the next step and is getting players sought after by elite college football programs across the nation.

With a little over two months until the early signing period, Rice has filled a little more than half of their class. Reeves’ addition puts the Owls at 14 commits and keeps them near the top of the 2020 Conference USA recruiting ranks.

Reeves was a sought after player for a reason. Those on staff view him as an “Anthony Ekpe 2.0” type of player. He has the power and the burst to move off blocks and get to the quarterback. Take a look at his highlights and smile. He’s going to be a fun one to watch at South Main for years to come.

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

Recent Posts

Rice Football: Owls rally falls short against Baylor Bears

By

Another hard-fought nonconference game ended in defeat for Rice football who couldn’t rally from an early deficit against the Baylor Bears.

Rice football concluded their nonconference slate with their second straight bout with an in-state opponent. Baylor struck first but the Owls mounted a comeback which fell just short. Here are a few immediate takeaways from the game:

1. Shortening the game worked

When the first quarter ended Rice and Baylor were locked in a one-score game and the sun was still hanging in the sky. Despite the 6:00 p.m. kick, the Owls were able to fit an entire quarter in, and then some, before the stadium lights were needed. This is a theme we’ll see throughout this season.

The offense picked up three first downs in the first quarter and possessed the ball for a little more than five minutes. The defense bent, but only allowed the one touchdown. The formula in the second quarter was the same, with the Owls finding more success on offense — including their first successful field goal of the season.

Recruiting update | Owls gaining ground on priority targets

A week removed from giving up four consecutive touchdown drives against Texas with zero offensive points, Rice put a much more competitive product on the field and kept the score close, so close in fact that the Owls found themselves in a one-score game in the fourth quarter against a team most expected to run away from them.

2. Ground game goes quietly, again

Rice averaged 6.0 yards per carry in their season opener against Army. That included a long touchdown run by Nahshon Ellerbe, but even without the big gain, the Owls had success moving the ball on the ground. Since that Friday night, it’s been more than tough sledding.

The Owls tallied 67 rushing yards against Wake Forest, 87 against Texas and 64 against Baylor. For an offense that professes to live and die on pounding the rock, they were considerably less productive with the ground game controlled.

The opponents who were able to quiet the Owls’ rushing attack are all more talented and athletic than Army. They’re also more capable in the trenches than the remaining opponents on the schedule. Prior to Saturday, Rice hasn’t had an answer when the ground game isn’t working. The Owls needed the passing game to rise up, and it did.

3. This defense is going to win something

It might not be a championship (this year) but the Rice defense has proven themselves good enough to win games. Aside from a 50-yard touchdown against busted coverage — something which hasn’t happened as often this year as it did last year — the Rice defense played extremely well. In their previous two first halves, Baylor had scored 35 points against UTSA and 35 against SFA. Rice allowed 21.

Denzel Mims and RJ Sneed tallied 20 receptions for 244 yards and five touchdowns in their first two games. Rice held that duo to 126 yards and no scores on nine receptions.

Rice stopped Baylor on fourth down in this game, forcing a fumble in the process. They picked up another fumble on a botched exchange in the second quarter and should have gotten points off that turnover as well, but Chris Barnes missed the field goal.

Baylor hit a long pass down the sideline on their first possession of the third quarter. The defense responded by shutting down a wide receiver pass and stripping Brewer of the ball for their third forced fumble of the game.

3. Sustained drives make a difference

Getting to third and short has been a challenge for Rice. The Owls faced 18 third downs and converted eight of them. Five of those third downs were four yards or shorter. They converted four of those five. A good portion of that was the lack of effectiveness in the running game, but the passing game wasn’t consistent enough to set the Owls up in third and short often either.

Third down was a problem for this offense last year and a major factor in their inability to control games. Against Baylor, Rice converted three consecutive third downs on two separate occasions. Both possession ended with redzone field goals.

Better still, Rice found ways to move the ball before they found themselves in third down. Tom Stewart’s touchdown run came on the heels of a third and one conversion by Austin Walter.

4. The special teams dilemma

Bloomgren declined to make any public decisions regarding the placekicking entering Saturday’s contest. We saw incumbent Will Harrison come on and convert from 28 yards and 24 yards. Punter and team captain Chris Barnes missed late in the game from 44 yards.

Last year we saw Rice deploy a similar platoon situation. Jack Fox handled long field goals and Hayden Tobola kicked from roughly inside 40 yards.

Zach Hoban handled kickoffs against Baylor. He could be in the mix here as well once he’s fully recovered from an injury which kept him out of the first three games. Bottom line, this situation is still pretty hazy and we might not get clairt for a while.

5. The quarterback dilemma

Here are the final lines for both quarterbacks

Wiley Green | 13-of-23 passing for 128 yards
Tom Stewart | 5-of-8 passing for 50 yards with a 21-yard rushing touchdown

Green didn’t do much with his first two possessions of the game, ceding to Stewart as planned for the third series. Stewart made the most of his opportunity, connecting on two big third down throws, positioning Rice for two field goal attempts. Understandably, Bloomgren rode the hotter hand and kept Stewart in for the remainder of the first half.

Green started out the second half and was noticeably galvanized by the competition. He picked up a first down with his legs and drove the Owls the length of the field into the redzone ore the offense stalled. Stewart didn’t take a snap in the third quarter thanks to Green’s early success. Then Stewart reentered the game after Green got hit and promptly ripped off the 21-yard touchdown run.

Now Bloomgren is in a pickle. Both quarterbacks had their moments. At halftime I would have said Stewart was the better option. Then Green rallied in the second half. Conference play starts next week and it doesn’t look like Rice will have one definitive answer at the quarterback position.

5. No more mulligans. Conference play is here.

Slow starts have maligned the Rice offense through nonconference play. The defense has looked sharp, if not excellent. Next week those early themes will be put to the test in the first conference game of the season. An 0-4 start can fade quickly if Rice can find a way to reinvigorate the offense and keep the defense humming.

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

Recent Posts

Rice Football Recruiting: 2020 and 2021 targets and commit updates

By

The 2020 and 2021 Rice Football recruiting classes are in the works. Here’s the latest on the Owls’ efforts on the recruiting front.

The end of summer lull in the recruiting calendar has come and gone. While the team has been busy on the field the Rice Football recruiting staff has worked equally hard off of it.

The Owls hosted dozens of players in their first two home weekends. Several commits and key targets took in the game at NRG Stadium against Texas last weekend following a get together on campus with plenty of food and football watching to do in the hours before Rice kicked off.

Here are some updates on the current 2020 commits and a few names to know in the 2020 and 2021 classes. Find the latest info on all the 2020 commits on our recruiting tracker.

Injury update

Last week was a tough one for a pair of 2020 Rice Football commits. Linebacker Geron Hargon suffered a torn ACL while he sacked an opposing quarterback. Uncertain as to the extent of the injury, Hargon returned to the field a few minutes later, scooped up a fumble and dashed 60-yards to the endzone. That play will be the final one of his high school career.

Khalan Griffin will also miss the remainder of his senior season. He suffered a torn meniscus at the start of the 2019 season, but didn’t find out until he played on during multiple games. He ran for 158 yards in his first game and 208 yards in game two — all on a torn meniscus.

It’s a tough blow for both Hargon and Griffin, but both remain in good spirits. They’ve become champions of the 2020 Rice Football recruiting class over the last several months. Both should be 100 percent in time for their Rice careers to begin next year.

2020 Quarterbacks

The beginning of the fall has been crucial for the Owls’ quarterback evaluation. Rice is continuing to trim their list of priority targets at the position. The staff’s find out Jovoni Johnson late in the cycle last year has lessened the pressure to fire off offers too quickly.

The Owls are going to do their homework before they land on their QB1 for this class. Right now, two Austin-based passers are beginning to emerge. Kirkland Michaux from Westlake HS and Wilson Long from Regents HS. Both have been on campus and liked what they’ve seen thus far.

Long has been on the radar for some time. The Owls are following his senior season, along with Michaux’s, before they make their next move.

Michaux said the buy in from the staff and the investment in the future of the program was evident, noting that the facilities were top-notch. He went so far as to say, “it really felt like I was at a Power 5 school” when he visited South Main.

More 2020 names

Jalen Reeves – Defensive End – University School (Fort Lauderdale, FL) | This pass rusher from the sunshine state has a handful of impressive Power 5 offers, but the Owls are going to take their best swing. He’ll be on campus for the first time this weekend against Baylor.

Rice Football, Rice Football Recruiting

Zack Haaland – Wide Receiver/Corner – Dallas Christian HS (Dallas, Tx) | A starting quarterback, Haaland has the complete package of athleticism and speed. He could be another guy who finds his position once he gets to campus, but right now it’s looking like he’ll play wide receiver or corner, it wouldn’t shock me if he winds up at safety either.

River Woods – Defensive Back – Episcopal HS (Dallas, Tx) | This two-way high school athlete is a highlight reel waiting to happen with great hands and plenty of quickness. His pursuit is savvy and he’d fit in well with the Rice secondary.

2021 Names to keep and eye on

Aaron Session –  Guard – Morton Ranch HS (Katy, Tx) | Big bruiser on the offensive line who’s already caught the eye of several teams in state. He was impressed with the facilities in his visit for the Wake Forest game and puts Rice squarely in his top schools, along with Texas, Baylor and Colorado.

Joseph Manjack – Wide Receiver – Tomball Memorial HS (Tomball, Tx) | Called the atmosphere on campus “electric” and really enjoyed his conversations with the coaching staff. He hasn’t come close laying out a pecking order for his top schools, but the connection he has with current Rice commit Braedon Nutter and a positive early impression put the Owls in great position this early.

Bryce McMorris – Corner – Bridgeland HS (Cypress, Tx) | Having the opportunity to talk with Bloomgren directly was big for McMorris, who’s already taken multiple trips to see the Owls in person this fall. He’s excited to see more of campus and continue developing a relationship with defensive coordinator Brian Smith and corners coach Gerrard Wilcher.

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

Recent Posts