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Rice Football 2022: FAU presser quotes and depth chart

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Rice football travels to FAU this week. Here’s what Mike Bloomgren had to say about the matchup at hand and a few depth chart notes.

Head coach Mike Bloomgren and a pair of players met with the media for their customary weekly availability. They recapped the UAB win and looked at the week ahead, detailing what they’re expecting to see when FAU takes the field.

More: Rice Football – Blue and Gray Preview Show

We touch on those items, then dig into the Rice football depth chart and what the team looks like heading into the weekend. First, the quotes:

Press Conference Quotes

“I’m really confident in the way we’re preparing right now. I think our teams is excited. I think we’re all excited for this trip to Boca Raton. We understand what we’re up against. FAU is a very well-coached team, from Coach (Willie) Taggart to all of his coordinators right on down the line. It’s just a great staff. They have great athletes. So we understand what a great challenge its going to be for us this weekend. But, at the same time, we’re doing what we do. We’re worrying about us. That’s exactly how we want it to be.” – Mike Bloomgren on facing FAU

“I think you’re playing a team from South Florida. You’re going to have great speed. You’re going to have great length and you see those things. You see some twitchy dudes that make plays. Let’s start with quarterback. N’Kosi Perry was a very highly recruited kid. He started his career at The U. Now he’s been at FAU for two years. He has the ability to affect the game with his legs and he’s got a great arm. It starts there. All of their skill [players] run so incredibly well. Their lines have gotten better and better every year. Looking at the jump they made from last year to this year, both their offensive and defensive lines are tremendously improved.” – Mike Bloomgren on the FAU roster

“Listening to people that know [offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon], he doesn’t want to be one of these air raid gurus. He doesn’t want to throw the ball. He actually wants to create lanes to run the ball and he wants to run the ball down your throat so that’s going to be a big matchup for our run stopping defnese against their creative offense. And then how can we do a great job in the secondary making sure N’Kosi Perry doesn’t get those fast guys behind us?” – Mike Bloomgren on key matchups vs FAU 

“They have good athletes all around so that’s going to be something we have to be cautious of, but I obviously think we have good athletes as well so it’s going to be a good matchup for us. There athletes and the way they fly around for the ball, I think it’s going to be a good challenge for us.” – Quarterback TJ McMahon on FAU’s strengths 

“Their o-line is solid. They have a very athletic quarterback, you can’t just run in there with your hair on fire. We’re getting ready to stop that and we have a good gameplan going forward.” – Linebacker Chris Conti 

Depth Chart

Rice Football

Depth Chart Notes

There were two changes to the offensive depth chart, the first being a mere formality. Isaac Klarkowski, who started at right guard for the Owls against UAB is officially listed back on the depth chart this week as the team readies for FAU. The only other change on that side of the ball is at tight end where Nate Kamper is listed and could be in line for his 2022 debut.

The Roost Podcast: Recapping Rice football vs UAB

The defense is arrayed exactly the same as it was last week, at least on paper. Make sure you’re tuned in on Patreon for a practice update later in the week with any adjustments and changes as we look ahead to Saturday against FAU.

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Rice Basketball Recruiting: 2023 4-star Forward Keanu Dawes commits to Owls

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The 2023 Rice Basketball Recruiting picked up a massive commitment from four-star Stratford forward Keanu Dawes.

A run of tremendous weeks of athletics on South Main extended to the hardwood this week. The 2023 Rice Basketball recruiting class scored a massive commitment from right down the road. Stratford High School forward Keanu Dawes has committed to the Owls.

Dawes’ addition is a tremendous win for the Rice basketball program. The consensus four-star recruit is a Top 120 player in the country and the No. 9 player in the state of Texas. He picked Rice over an impressive array of six finalists: Rice, Texas A&M, Texas, Utah, BYU and Oklahoma State.

Some heavy hitters wanted to get Dawes’ into their programs. Rice prevailed, notching a big recruiting win for head coach Scott Pera. Dawes is a versatile, 6-foot-9 player that will provide an instant impact at South Main. He can score from all three levels and defend well.

In September, Dawes told On3 he meshed well with the other players during his visit to campus. “We instantly had chemistry,” he said. “It felt like I had known them for years.” Dawes also mentioned the coaching staff sold him on being a critical piece as the team made the transition from Conference USA to the American, a move Pera had mentioned would help on the recruiting trail.

On a separate instance, Dawes confirmed to ZagsBlog that Pera was the first coach to reach out to him and begin building that relationship. All of those factors led him to his decision, which he announced on  Tuesday, October 11.

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Rice Football 2022: NFL Owls Week 5 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 5.

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 5 Result Week 6
Denver Broncos Calvin Anderson (OL) vs Colts (TNF) L, 12-9 at Chargers (MNF)
Detroit Lions Jack Fox (P) at Patriots L, 29-0 — BYE —
Indianapolis Colts Kylen Granson (TE) vs Broncos (TNF) W, 12-9 vs Jags
LA Chargers Bryce Callahan (DB)
Christian Covington (DL)		 at Browns W, 20-28 vs Broncos (MNF)
Pittsburgh Steelers Chris Boswell (PK) at Bills L, 38-3 vs Bucs
Seattle Seahawks Myles Adams (DL) at Saints L, 39-32 vs Cardinals
Tampa Bay Bucs Nick Leverett (OL) vs Falcons W, 21-15 at Steelers

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OT, Broncos

Anderson was called upon for extended action on Thursday Night Football when starter Garrett Bolles left the game with an injury. He’s expected to miss the remainder of the season, meaning Anderson could see a lot more involvement moving forward.

Kylen Gransen – TE, Colts

Gransen snagged one pass in the Colts’ Week 5 loss to the Broncos. He’s now caught at least one pass in each of the team’s first five games this season.

Nick Leverett – OT, Buccaneers

Leverett was active but did not play for the Bucs in their Week 5 win over the Falcons.

Defense

Myles Adams – DL, Seahawks

Adams picked up his first tackle of the season on Sunday against the Aints, playing a season-high 29 percent of the defensive snaps in the process.

Bryce Callahan – CB, Chargers

Callahan made two tackles on Sunday in the Chargers’ win over the Browns. That marks the fifth consecutive game this season in which he’s accounted for multiple tackles.

Christian Covington – DL, Chargers

Covington was active for the second consecutive game, making two solo tackles and one tackle for a loss on Sunday in the Chargers’ win over the Browns. He’s now had multiple tackles in every game he’s been active this season.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

The Lions were shut out by the Patriots this past weekend, but surprisingly still only called upon their punting unit two times. Fox booted a long punt of 56 yards and put one ball inside the 20.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell went one of three on his field goal attempts on Sunday against the Bills, mirroring an unsuccessful day from the team as a whole.

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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Conference USA Football 2022: Week 6 Roundup

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Conference USA Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron in Week 6.

Team Week 6 Result Up Next
Charlotte — OFF —  — at UAB
FAU — OFF —  — vs Rice
FIU vs UConn L, 33-12 vs UTSA
LA Tech vs UTEP W, 41-31 at North Texas
MTSU at UAB L, 41-14 vs WKU
North Texas — OFF —  — vs LA Tech
Rice — OFF —  — at FAU
UAB vs MTSU W, 41-14 — OFF —
UTEP at LA Tech L, 41-31 — OFF —
UTSA vs WKU W, 31-28 vs FIU
WKU at UTSA L, 31-28 at MTSU

Notable Week 6 results – Standings

UTSA hangs on

The rematch of last year’s conference championship game did not disappoint. Back and forth the game went before UTSA was able to pull out the win, cementing themselves as the frontrunners in the conference at the midpoint of the season.

UAB bounces back

The Blazers left Houston last weekend with a sour taste in their mouths, knowing they could have played better and eager to get back on the field soon. They took out there frustrations on Middle Tennessee, blasting the Blue Raiders from the jump to keep themselves in the running for the conference title.

Miners back-and-forth season continues

It’s been a wild ride for UTEP this season and it doesn’t seem to be slowing any time soon. The Miners missed an opportunity to get closer to back-to-back bowl berths, dropping a high-scoring affair to Louisiana Tech.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Get ready for some fireworks

One of the best rivalries in Conference USA takes center stage as WKU visits MTSU. The Hilltoppers have won six of the last seven in this series, which is tied at 35-35-1 all-time. Both teams have shown the ability to put up points in bunches. Even if the defenses do have decent days, it feels like it’s going to take 40+ points to win this one.

All Owls

FAU and Rice entered the bye week headed in opposite directions. The Rice Owls knocked off UAB to improve to 3-2. FAU lost to North Texas to fall to 2-4. Both teams would love to start the second half of their seasons with a win and keep pace in their aspirations for a bowl berth. That starts this coming Saturday in Boca Raton.

A very quiet 3-0?

Not many speculative conference title conversations during the preseason featured North Texas as a potential team in the mix. Already 2-0 and atop the conference standings, the Mean Green can move to 3-0 with a home win over Louisiana Tech in Week 7. The schedule does get tougher, but North Texas has the potential to put itself in the earlier conversation with a win here.

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“There’s actually a book”: How analytics is changing Rice Football

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Rice football has amped up its aggressive decision-making this season. Leaning on analytics and going by “the book” has served them well.

Analytics is a hot-button topic in the world of football today. From the NFL to the college game, everyone has an opinion on what the “computers” say to do in any given situation. Those estimations have made it into broadcasts beyond any individual commentator advising, “You gotta go for it here,” as the teams trot onto the field.

“There’s actually a book,” Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren explained, going on to detail how he approaches such situations in live games. “Whether it’s going for it [on fourth down] or going for two, there are options the book gives you, and there’s sometimes it makes a lot of sense to me. I appreciate the mathematical data behind it because it makes me feel better about my gut decision.”

As the discussion around the subject grows, Bloomgren maintains that he’s kept the same philosophy on analytics. “I haven’t had a proverbial shift in terms of my beliefs,” he said. The caveat? “Where our team is has allowed me to do some of the things I want to do, maybe that’s a better way to say it.”

Bloomgren’s aggressive decision-making is intertwined with the team’s success this season. There are examples in every game the Owls’ have played, win or lose, but their most recent outing contained one pivotal moment that summed up where this team and its coach stand on rolling the dice.

More: TJ McMahon providing stability for Rice football at QB (Premium)

Let’s set the scene. It’s fourth-and-one from the UAB 2-yard line. Rice is trailing 27-24 with just over nine minutes remaining in the contest. The Owls’ ultra-successful short-yardage offense was just stonewalled on third-and-one on the previous play.

Bloomgren has a decision here: Kick the gimme field goal and tie the game. Go for it and risk no points at all.

Given how well the defense had played, an argument for either side would have been plausible. Still, it wouldn’t have surprised many watching on to see the Owls take the sure-fire points, tie the game and hope for one more shot with the ball following a defensive stop. It doesn’t seem like too much of a stretch to suggest Rice teams of the recent past would have probably opted for that approach. This one didn’t. Bloomgren didn’t. He chose the aggressive option.

Rice ran the ball again, converting on fourth down to move the chains. Following a false start penalty, quarterback TJ McMahon hit Dean Connors in the flat for the go-ahead touchdown which made the score 28-24. Rice would win by that exact margin.

Bloomgren did say “the book” would have recommended going for it all the way up until fourth and four. In that scenario, one in which the Owls’ short-yardage offense wouldn’t have been a real option, Bloomgren conceded he might have taken the points. But when it comes to those high-percentage plays that require physicality in the trenches, Bloomgren was unwavering.

“It’s who we are,” Bloomgren said when asked about the decision. “We’re gonna win games on fourth and one on both sides of the ball. It’s what we’re built on. It’s what we’re built for. I would have been cheating kids if we hadn’t gone for it.”

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As Bloomgren joked earlier in the week, “When it works you made the right call.” But even if it hadn’t succeeded, UAB would have taken over from their own one-yard line and been forced to go the full length of the field to score. Those odds aren’t very good in a neutral situation, much less so on the road against a Rice defense that had started to lock things down.

And thus weighs the delicate decision that decides the fate of real games. Art versus science. Numbers versus gut. Rice football versus everyone.

And that might be the real truth that describes the Owls’ newfound appetite for risk this season. Bloomgren says he’s “tried to be aggressive for our team in games that we needed it” and added that he’s become “more comfortable with that mindset right now.”

“I think our defense is so good,” he elaborated. “We have some much trust in our quarterback and everybody to make it work that its easier to go with what the book says.”

If appearances are indicative of reality to any degree, Rice football has embraced “the book” more than they ever have before. They have the best team they’ve had in a long time and are 3-2 for the first time since the won the season they won the Conference USA Championship in 2013. Leave it to the scholars to dust off history and reinvigorate it. The 2022 Owls hope to ride that inspiration to an equally compelling season.

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