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Mike Bloomgren talks about finishing strong, Old Dominion press conference notes

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Rice football had the chance to go up against an SEC foe in Week 12. The team learned a lot, but now they look ahead to Old Dominion and the last game of the 2018 season.

Mike Bloomgren on the team’s performance against LSU

They stood toe to toe with those guys and they hit, and they hit, and they hit. I thought it was a physical football game.

Bloomgren on the upcoming game against Old Dominion

It’s going to be a great challenge for us. We know it’s going to be a four quarter battle. We want it to be a four quarter battle. We’ve got to get it to deep water and give our guys a chance to win this game. If we can play like we’re capable of on O and D and let special teams be the difference for us we’re going to be happy with those results.

Bloomgren on how big a win would be this weekend

For my sanity, it would be huge. For the direction of the program, it would be a big boost in recruiting. I think winning this football game would mean a lot to this program…It’s a constant battle of doing the things you win football games, preparing the right way. We always use the word process around here.

Bloomgren on his confidence in the program

I am disappointed that our record wasn’t better for these kids. I am not wavering in our belief that we’re going to get it done. We’re going to play in bowl games and we’re going to win championships here.

Captain Zach Abercrumbia on the significance of a win over ODU

Faith is believing in things unseen. Right now we’re holding onto the faith that we’re making progress. And we are… but to get a win would finally get us something tangible to hold on to.

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Defensive back Kirk Lockhart commits to Owls

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The 2019 Rice football recruiting class continues to pick up steam, this time with the commitment of Cedar Hill defensive back Kirk Lockhart.

More: Complete list of 2019 Rice football commits after the early signing period

As the early signing period approaches the only thing better than one commitment is two. Safety Hunter Henry made his pledge Sunday. The Owls got another commit on Monday. Rice doesn’t intend to fill every spot in their 2019 recruiting class by mid-December, but getting some key pieces in early will go a long way toward building momentum for the stretch run into National Signing Day.

The latest addition to the 2019 Rice football recruiting class was Cedar Hill safety Kirk Lockhart from Cedar Hill High School. His teammate, defensive back Josh Landrum is also on the Owls radar.

Rice had 10 members in their 2019 class before Lockhart made his commitment. That number now sits at 11 meaning the Owls are likely about halfway through a haul that could be rather sizable for head coach Mike Bloomgren’s first complete class after taking over the job last winter.

Lockhart had offers from East Texas Baptist and Carroll College. His offer list isn’t very long, a fact that is somewhat surprising giving the intensity and aggression he plays with on the defensive side of the ball. He flies to the ball quickly and makes tackles — something that Owls’ fans have learned not to take for granted this season.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound safety plays like he was shot out of a cannon. He knows where the ball is at all times and puts himself in position to make a play, whether that’s in the air or taking a player to the ground himself.

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This week in CUSA – Looking ahead at Week 13

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Rice football got a firsthand look at Death Valley under the lights but came up short. What’s next for Conference USA football in Week 13?

Team Last Week Result This Week
Charlotte vs FIU L, 42-35 at FAU
FAU at North Texas L, 41-38 vs Charlotte
FIU at Charlotte W, 42-35 vs Marshall
LaTech at Southern Miss L, 21-20 vs WKU
Marshall vs UTSA W, 23-0 at FIU
MTSU at Kentucky L, 34-23 vs UAB
North Texas at FAU W, 41-38 at UTSA
ODU vs VMI W, 77-14 at Rice
Rice at LSU L, 42-10 vs ODU
Southern Miss vs LaTech W, 21-20 at UTEP
UAB at Texas A&M L, 41-20 at MTSU
UTEP at WKU L, 40-16 vs Southern Miss
UTSA vs Marshall L, 23-0 vs North Texas
WKU vs UTEP W, 40-16 at LaTech

Notable Week 12 results

Nothing to see here

Three CUSA squads took their shots at SEC opponents. Middle Tennessee gave Kentucky a fight, UAB hung in there against Texas A&M and Rice challenged LSU. All three were heavy underdogs and all three fell on the road. The individual games themselves will get passed over, but playing blueblood teams is good for Conference USA and needs to continue to be a part of the schedule.

FAU vs North Texas did not disappoint

The preseason “game of the year” in Conference USA had little on the line after both North Texas and FAU each went through rough stretches. Nevertheless, their Week 12 matchup was extremely entertaining. Quinn Shanbour and Devin Singletary each picked up a pair of rushing touchdowns before a 92-yard touchdown run from UNT’s DeAndre Torrey put things out of reach in the fourth quarter.

UTEP still has a ways to go

The Miners looked like they might have turned the corner early in November when they dropped 48 points on Rice and 32 more on Middle Tennessee. The 16 point clunker they dropped at Western Kentucky over the weekend is clear that UTEP’s consistency leaves a lot to be desired. The win over Rice was a good first step, but putting all the pieces together in a singular game remains a challenge.

Week 13 storylines

Will Rice earn their first CUSA win?

Western Kentucky’s victory over UTEP last weekend leaves one CUSA team still waiting on their first conference win, Rice. The Owls have played a few close contests but have yet to break through. ESPN FPI gives the Owls a 30.5 percent chance of winning in their final home contest of the season.

Who takes CUSA East?

FIU and Middle Tennessee sit atop the East entering the final weekend of conference play. The Panthers defeated the Blue Raiders earlier this season, giving them the tiebreaker if the schools finish even after the final week of the regular season. The only way MTSU takes the crown would require a win over UAB and an FIU loss to Marshall.

FAU and Southern Miss fight for bowl eligibility

Six CUSA teams have secured bowl eligibility so far: UAB, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, FIU, Middle Tennessee and Marshall.

Six other teams are too far down to make a bowl this season, even with wins in Week 13. That leaves two squads, FAU and Southern Miss, to fight for their postseason lives in their final games of the year. FAU plays Charlotte and Southern Miss plays UTEP, both win-needy teams are favored to win.

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Safety Hunter Henry commits to Owls

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The 2019 Rice football recruiting class just picked up an important addition. Safety Hunter Henry has committed to the Owls.

More: Complete list of 2019 Rice football commits after the early signing period

It seemed like only a matter of time before Lake Travis safety Hunter Henry made it official and committed to Rice. He was on campus this summer and loved the experience. He was back for the Owls’ game against UTEP and although the result wasn’t what he’d hoped for, he saw an opportunity to contribute.

247 Sports tabbed Henry as a 3-star recruit and the No. 269 player in the state of Texas. At the time he committed to Rice he had offers to play for Texas State, Princeton, Liberty and Houston Baptist. Rice has long been considered a leader in his recruitment and now he’s pulled the trigger and decided to be an Owl.

Henry is a hard-hitting safety that plays with physicality from all areas of the field. He’s already bought into the Intellectual Brutality culture and loves what this coaching staff is building at South Main. It finally got to the point where he couldn’t wait any longer, making the decision midweek following the UTEP game to tell the staff he was all in.

The Owls’ secondary doesn’t have a ton of depth, making the commitment of Henry a huge get for the 2019 class. More should follow. Expect this coaching staff to add to the back end of the defense with a few more key recruits before the class is finished.

Henry checks in at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds — plenty of power that comes in from center field in a hurry. It doesn’t take much more than a cursory look over his film to understand what the staff loves about Henry as a prospect. He’ll be hitting ballcarriers wearing the blue and grey soon enough.

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Why playing the blue bloods matters

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Rice football fell 42-10 in Death Valley to LSU in Week 11, but a score doesn’t accurately convey how meaningful this game was to this program.

Optically a 30+ point defeat doesn’t look good in a box score. Rice was outgained on the ground and through the air. The defense bent and bent some more. In the midst of what ended up becoming a one-sided affair, this team grew up.

Trailing by multiple touchdowns from the first quarter on, Rice fought. “In this world where it’s so easy to hit the reset button and to just quit, I don’t think you say any of our guys quit today,” said head coach Mike Bloomgren after the game, “I thought you saw them fight until the scoreboard said 0:00.”

As alluded to in the initial postgame reaction, playing the best teams makes you better. Against LSU, Rice had to play faster, hit harder and be more aggressive than they’d been at any point this season. Leaving Tiger Stadium with a loss is indicative of more work that needs to be done, but senior running back Aston Walter said the team was glad to have this chance.

“It was a great experience,” relayed Walter, “I feel like I got better this game, I fell like a lot of my teammates got better this game. It was good to say we played one of the top 10 teams in the country.” Their resolve was tested. Nevertheless, tucked away in a one-sided affair on the scoreboard were moments that individuals on this team will remember forever.

Freshman running back Juma Otoviano scored his first career touchdown. Hayden Tobola drilled a 51-yard field goal. Senior punter Jack Fox silenced the crowd with a booming kick, scampering down the field to make the tackle on his first punt of the day. All on one of the nation’s biggest stages against one of the nation’s best teams.

Fox called the moment “indescribable” and Walter echoed it, speaking positively about the trial-by-fire moment that forced he and his teammates to grow up quickly. Both players and Mike Bloomgren shared a crystal clear message. Winning and losing is what matters the most at the end of the day, but getting a chance to go 10 rounds with the best of the best is an unforgettable experience. One that, if you let it, impacts how you play your game moving forward.

The Owls are hoping they can harness those feelings and produce one more win next Saturday at home against Old Dominion.

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