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Rice Football 2022 Special Teams Player of the Year: Christian VanSickle

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Nearly automatic at a position in need of stability, kicker Christian VanSickle is our 2022 Rice Football Special Teams Player of the Year.

There was a point during the 2021 season when Rice football just stopped kicking field goals. The coaching staff wisely made the decision to go for it on fourth down more often rather than put the ball at the feet of anyone in the specials teams room, resulting in zero field goal attempts after November 6 and a whopping 10 fourth down tries.

That was the backdrop that Christian VanSickle stepped into this season. Competence would have been enough. He was excellent and a sure-fire selection for our 2022 Rice Football Special Teams Player of the Year.

With VanSickle’s foot doing the honors, Rice improved from 5-for-11 (45%) on field goal tries to 11-of-16. (69%). Van Sickle did not miss a single extra point; the Owls missed two such tries the season prior.

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But it wasn’t just the overall bump in numbers that made VanSickle so reliable, it’s how those statistics were accumulated. VanSickle converted his first 10 attempts, beginning the year a staggering 10-for-10.

In that span, he made six kicks from beyond 30 yards. Rice had one such make all of last season. He had four go through the pipes from 40+ yards away. And this after attempting his first collegiate field goal last season. For someone brand new to the position to give his team the utmost level of reliability was truly remarkable.

“He’s been awesome,” special teams coordinator Chris Monfiletto said. “He’s put in the time.”

The field goal unit went from a liability to an asset in the span of one season and VanSickle was the prevailing reason for that improvement.

More: Offensive Newcomer of the Year — WR Isaiah Esdale

VanSickle wasn’t perfect. He did end the year on a surprising cold spell, missing five of his last six attempts. Cold and windy conditions in the Owls’ final two games of the season clearly impacted the ball coming off his foot and a few more makes in the regular season finale against North Texas could have elevated his stature even further. Nevertheless, what he did for this team this year was crucial.

If VanSickle doesn’t emerge, Rice football probably drops at least one more game along the way. He contributed 13 points himself in the Owls’ seven-point win over UTEP. He was responsible for seven points in a tight game that would become a 12-point win over Louisiana. For an offense that had its ups and downs, VanSickle was extremely consistent, and that’s what Rice football needed the most.

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Rice Basketball Roundup: MBB and WBB each fall to LA Tech

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Both Rice basketball teams were in action against Louisiana Tech. Here’s a brief rundown of how the men and women faired and what’s next for both.

Rice Basketball

Rice basketball was on the wrong end of 14 lead changes in a back-and-forth affair, falling at home to Louisiana Tech on Thursday.

There was little separation between Rice basketball and Louisiana Tech on Thursday night at Tudor Fieldhouse. From the opening tip until the waning moments of the game, the two teams traded barbs. The Owls led by as many as nine before the Bulldogs powered back to tie the game for the seventh time with just under nine minutes to play in the second half.

Travie Evee and Quincy Olivari, the Owls’ leading scorers, were tremendous, combining for 44 points and eight three-pointers. Evee’s final heave of regulation was tremendous, falling through at the buzzer to force overtime.

Louisiana Tech would connect on 6-of-8 shots in the extra period and both three pointers. Rice came within two points of equalizing, but missed two crucial free throws down the stretch before running out of time.

Final Box | Rice 72 – UTEP 67

Key takeaway | Defense no longer optional

Rice basketball dubbed itself “Green Light U” last year in reference to their willingness to shoot the ball early and often. That’s been a staple of their game since head coach Scott Pera arrived on campus. It’s been the defensive side that, so far, has been the missing component in the Owls’ arsenal.

No one is going to bang the gavel and declare Rice a defensive juggernaut just yet, but the frequency with which individuals continue to make significant defensive contributions is increasing. Even after an up-and-down first half, they came up big plays in key moments.

“We did make some plays when we had to, yeah, some big ones,” Pera said. “Because these kids are playing hard. They’re trying like heck and they’ve gotten better at a lot of those things.

Cameron Sheffield had two blocks and 11 defensive rebounds. Seryee Lewis forced a kick out pass, then corralled the rebound on the ensuing deep three. Max Fiedler forced a shot clock violation in the final 90 seconds with a strong position in the lane. Little by little, these individual moments are beginning to cascade.

Ultimately though, it was not enough. Rice doesn’t get to OT without some of those big defensive plays, but they’re going to need more of them to finish off games like this.

Up Next: vs Middle Tennessee – Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 7:00 p.m.

Rice Women's Basketball

Rice women’s basketball never got it in gear on the road, falling to Louisiana Tech in Ruston, falling to 1-3 in conference play.

Aside from a single three from Katelyn Crosthwait and seven points from Ashlee Austin, things got off to a rocky start in Ruston for Rice women’s basketball on Thursday night. Crosthwait and Austin were the only Owls to score in the opening quarter as the team fell behind 20-10 on a meager 26.7 percent shooting from the floor.

Rice chipped away a few points from that double-digit deficit in the second quarter and a few more in the third. After a rough beginning, they trailed Louisiana Tech by five entering the final frame and would have their chance to recover but the shots just weren’t falling. The Owls started 1-for-6 from the field, going over seven minutes without a field goal in the fourth quarter alone.

“We dug a deep hole and even though we fought and won the last three quarters, it was just too much to overcome,” head coach Lindsay Edmonds said.

They were able to extend the game on free throws and get within three in the final seconds, but things never quite clicked and Rice women’s basketball is now 1-3 in conference play.

Final Box | LA Tech 79 – Rice 74

Key takeaway | Mid season slump is real, but not irreversible

You wouldn’t know it from watching their start to conference play, but this team began the season 9-0 and blazed through a couple of Power 5 programs in-state to get there. It’s been tough sledding ever since.

Unfortunately for the Owls, every game remaining is a conference game and the stakes will continue to raise with each successive contest. Non-conference wins won’t count in their quest for a top seed in the C-USA Tournament. They know that, though. And they’ve shown the ability to course correct before, even within their winning streak.

Oddly enough, this program went through a similar stretch last season. Edmonds sent the team home after an 0-5 start and they came back and finished 8-4 in their final 12 regular season games.

Up Next: at Middle Tennessee – Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 6:00 p.m.

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Rice Football 2022 Offensive Newcomer of the Year: Isaiah Esdale

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Rice football rebuilt its offense during the offseason, bulking up the receiving corps and finding a playmaker in Isaiah Esdale.

After playing a part-time role at West Virginia before he arrived in Houston, Isaiah Esdale wanted to make his final season count. “I want to break records,” he said with a serious smile upon his arrival. While the big records might not have fallen, Esdale carved out his portion of history and earned his spot as our 2022 Rice Football Offensive Newcomer of the Year.

Like his play, Esdale’s path to Houston was an extremely positive surprise. The team had a loaded wide receiver depth chart and didn’t appear to be in the market to add another pass catcher. Then he entered the Transfer Portal and Rice couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring him in.

On the day he committed to come to Rice, head coach Mike Bloomgren described him as a guy “that absolutely made 50/50 balls more like 80/20 balls.” Wide receivers coach Mike Kershaw joked that he didn’t know how he was going to get so many different receivers on the field at the same time, but Esdale would make plays. Esdale was clearly a talented player, but where would he fit in this offense?

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Then two things happened. Injuries cropped up in the receiver room, knocking out fellow transfer Sam Crawford for the season as well as the loss of Cedric Patterson going for an extended period of time, too. While the room was thinning out, Esdale was producing. He flashed in practice, making plays at all levels of the field.

It was crystal clear by the midpoint of fall camp that he had earned a spot on the field. How big that role would become would come down to him.

Esdale would go on to catch 42 passes as a Rice Owl. 25 of them went for a first down. 13 of them were for 15+ yards or longer. He was a chain mover and a big-play maker, coming through in clutch moments time and time again. While Bradley Rozner and Luke McCaffrey were the wideouts that most often found paydirt and racked up the yards, Esdale’s contribution was clutchness.

“When you need a big catch, when you need a big play, he’s coming through,” Bloomgren said. “He makes things look easy, including those big-time catches in big-time situations.”

More: Defensive Newcomer of the Year — LB Chris Conti

And even more impressive still, Esdale accounted for almost a third of that production with an injured hand. The veteran wideout got hurt at the beginning of the Western Kentucky game and would wear a split on one finger during practice for the next two weeks. One would have never been able to tell by watching his play on Saturdays.

“Isaiah’s not going to be bothered by this stuff. Isaiah is going to be fine,” Bloomgren said following the Western Kentucky game in which Esdale was banged up. “I don’t think anything is going to keep him from playing.”

Bloomgren would be right. Esdale finished the season and kept producing. After battling through injuries midseason that limited his practice time during the week, Esdale persevered and continued to show tremendous toughness, catching his only two touchdowns as an Owl in the Lending Tree Bowl, both of which came on plays of, you guessed it, 25+ yards. Rice football doesn’t get to where it did this season without his contributions.

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Rice Football 2022: NFL Owls Week 17 Roundup

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Rice Football is well represented on 2022 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action in Week 17.

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

Team NFL Owl(s) Week 17 Result Week 18
Denver Broncos Calvin Anderson (OL)
Elijah Garcia (DL)		 at Chiefs L, 27-24 vs Chargers
Detroit Lions Jack Fox (P) at Lions L, 41-10 at Packers
Indianapolis Colts Kylen Granson (TE) at Giants L, 38-10 vs Texans
LA Chargers Bryce Callahan (DB)
Christian Covington (DL)		 vs Rams W, 31-10 at Broncos
LA Rams Austin Trammell (WR) at Chargers L, 31-10 at Seahawks
Pittsburgh Steelers Chris Boswell (PK) at Ravens W, 16-13 vs Browns
Seattle Seahawks Myles Adams (DL) vs Jets W, 23-6 vs Rams
Tampa Bay Bucs Nick Leverett (OL) vs Panthers W, 30-24 at Falcons

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OT, Broncos

Anderson has now appeared in all 16 of the Broncos’ games this season, including seven starts. He was in a reserve role in Week 16 and inactive in Week 17.

Kylen Granson – TE, Colts

Granson has missed each of the past two games while dealing with an ankle injury.

Nick Leverett – OT, Buccaneers

Leverett started his ninth consecutive game this weekend. He’s appeared in every game for the Bucs since Week 7.

Austin Trammell – WR, Rams

Trammell has played a small role on the Rams’ offense in the past two weeks while being active on special teams. He’s appeared in five consecutive games.

Defense

Myles Adams – DL, Seahawks

Adams has been a part of the Seahawks’ core rotation on the defensive line over the last several weeks, managing three tackles in Week 16 against the Chiefs and two more against the Jets in Week 17.

Bryce Callahan – CB, Chargers

Callahan has six total tackles across his past two games and continues to be a key component of the Chargers’ secondary.

Christian Covington – DL, Chargers

Covington was placed on Injured Reserve after suffering a pec injury in the Chargers’ Week 10 game against the 49ers. He hasn’t played since but shared part of his recovery process on social media this week.

Elijah Gacia – DT, Broncos

After being signed off the Rams practice square a few weeks ago, Garcia saw his first action with the Broncos this week, playing seven snaps against the Chiefs in Week 17.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox punted three times on Sunday with a long of 60 yards. He put one ball inside the 20 and averaged 50 yards per punt.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell made three of four kicks on Sunday, including a long of 51 yards and an extra point. Boswell’s final field goal of the day put the Steelers within striking distance against the Ravens, setting up a game-winning drive.

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 detail on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.

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Rice Football 2022 Defensive Newcomer of the Year: Chris Conti

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One of the few transfer additions on defense, linebacker Chris Conti quickly became a mainstay and our 2022 Rice Football Defensive Newcomer of the Year.

Rice football received commitments from two transfer linebackers from the Transfer Portal last winter. The hope, at least among the coaching staff, was that both would play meaningful roles for the Owls this coming season and beyond. But only one of them made it to campus and thus, though unspoken, a heaping mantle of expectations was unconsciously placed upon his shoulders.

Fortunately for everyone, Chris Conti had wide shoulders and was ready for the challenge.

The Rutgers transfer was a late addition to the portal, finding mutual interest from the Owls early on. By the time he announced his commitment, spring football was winding down. He didn’t arrived on campus until workouts in the summer, putting him behind the proverbial eight ball when it came to learning and mastering the Owls’ defensive schemes. That never seemed to phase him, though.

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Defensive Coordinator Brian Smith referred to Conti as someone with “starting ability” in the days leading up to fall camp, betting on talent that hadn’t seen the field very much at his previous stop. The high school film was exciting, but that had been so long ago.

Conti arrived on campus with three years of eligibility remaining. The hope was always that he’d become a key piece in the Owls’ linebacker room. How quickly that happened was up to him.

As it turned out, it wouldn’t take much time at all. Conti started his first game in a Rice uniform on the road against USC, making four tackles, tied for third-most on the team. From there, the ascent began.

”He’s playing exceptionally well. He’s still getting more and more comfortable with the system every day.” head coach Mike Bloomgren said following Conti’s second game against McNeese State. “I’m not sure he’s where he’ll be three weeks from now.”

Bloomgren did go on to note that the base package Rice deployed against McNeese State was the only reason Conti wasn’t officially listed as a starter in that contest. Bloomgren reiterated Conti had already earned a starting spot and Conti quickly backed up that praise.

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He would officially be tabbed as the starter in 11 of 12 games during the 2022 season. He had a season-best 11 tackles against Houston and things started to really click.

“I’ll be honest, I love the culture. I love the guys,” Conti said. “Right when I came they brought me in with open arms and I’ve loved every second of it.”

Conti would reach double digits tackles again a few weeks later against Louisiana Tech. Throughout the year he added four tackles for a loss and one sack. For someone Rice had hoped would become an important piece, he became a key cog for the Rice defense.

After a parade of reliable all-conference caliber linebackers that have passed through the Rice football locker room in recent years, finding someone who could fill those shoes was a daunting task. The Owls found at least one such man in Conti. And fortunately enough, he still has two more seasons of eligibility to make a difference at South Main.

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