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Rice Football: 2021 ESPN FPI not kind to Owls

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The 2021 ESPN FPI projections are out. Where did Rice football finish and how much stock should we put in these estimations?

ESPN recently released its 2021 Football Power Index (FPI), a statistic geared toward predicting team performance. Rice football (-11.7 FPI) checked in No. 11 in Conference USA, ahead of only UTEP (-20.1) in the West Division. On the opposite end of the spectrum, UAB and Marshall were the frontrunners.

2021 ESPN FPI

  1. UAB, 4.1
  2. Marshall, -3.9
  3. UTSA, -5.3
  4. WKU, -7.4
  5. FAU, -7.6
  6. MTSU, -8.9
  7. Southern Miss, -10.1
  8. LA Tech, -10.5
  9. Charlotte, -11
  10. North Texas, -11.4
  11. Rice, -11.7
  12. FIU, -17.9
  13. UTEP, -20.1
  14. ODU, -26.8

Looking Closer

Despite the poor rank, FPI considers Rice to be a fringe bowl team. The numbers peg the Owls with a projected win-loss record of 4.8 – 7.2, essentially putting them a game away from a bowl berth. FPI gives Rice a 31.3 percent chance to reach that threshold. If they did, it would mean the first six-win season for the program since 2014.

The numbers look a bit peculiar, though, when compared to last season. Rice had an FPI of -6.7 in 2020, five full points higher than their -11.7 mark this year. That drop represents the largest in the conference, only superseded by Marshall who fell from 2.0 to -3.9, still a significant margin ahead of the Owls.

On the surface, that steep drop seems hard to defend. Rice loses Mike Collins, Austin Trammell and Blaze Alldredge from the starting ranks this year, but only had Alldredge for the bulk of last season to begin with.

The defense should be just as good, if not better. The offense must solve the quarterback question (again), but gets back a wide receiving corps that missed virtually all of 2020. From that standpoint, Rice would seem close to level footing with where they left off. Ultimately, the proof will be in the product on the field.

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Rice Football 2021 Spring Ball Review: Quarterback

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Finding a quarterback remains at the top of the Rice football to-do list. Here’s what we learned in the pivotal position battle this spring.

Quarterback is the most important position in football. It’s also been the most challenging spot for Rice football to solidify over the past several seasons. With Mike Collins departed, there’s a real Rice will start a different quarterback in their season opener in 2021, marking the sixth consecutive year with a different QB1 on opening day following a multi-year run by Driphus Jackson in 2014 and 2015.

Rather than dwell on history, the Owls need answers. Here’s what we learned about the most important position battle of the spring, including a best guess at how things will look entering the fall.

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Rice Soccer 2021: Owls set for NCAA Tournament run

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Rice soccer is NCAA Tournament bound. After winning the Conference USA Tournament, the Owls now have their opponent and destination set.

For the fifth time in program history, Rice soccer is headed to the NCAA Tournament. The Owls formally punched their ticket on Saturday, defeating Charlotte at Holloway Field to secure Conference USA’s automatic bid. The victory capped off a tremendous regular season for the Owls, who one-upped the preseason polls, which tabbed them to finish second in the West.

Rice landed four players on the All-Tournament team, led by tournament Offensive MVP Delaney Schultz and Defensive MVP Mijke Roelfsema. Caleigh Boeckx and Rebecca Keane were also honored.

The tournament accolades served as subtle reminders of the Owls’ progress this season. Prior to the start of the week, Rice earned a No. 25 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. Everything seemed to be coming together at the right time.

With the hard work done, Rice soccer waited over the weekend to find out who and where they’ll be playing next. Complete brackets were announced on Monday.

Rice will face Furman in the first round, the alma mater of current Owls’ head coach Brian Lee. The game is scheduled for Wednesday, April 28 at 3 p.m. The winner will advance to play 5-Seed West Virginia.

In light of COVID-19 concerns, all tournament games will take place in the state of North Carolina this year. Local universities like Campbell, East Carolina, UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro and Wake Forest will serve as host sites with additional off-campus facilities available as well. The Tournament kicks off on April 27 and will run through the national championship game on May 17.

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Rice Baseball: 2021 MLB Owls update – April 17

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The 2021 MLB season is underway and Rice baseball alums are busy on the mound and at the plate. Here’s the latest from the MLB Owls from this week.

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

Rendon played eight games this season before a strained groin landed him on the injured list at the beginning of the week. The Angels are 2-2 without Rendon in the lineup thus far. For now, the Angels will anxiously await the return of one of the most productive hitters in the league over the past couple of seasons.

Through April 17, Rendon is hitting .290 with one extra-base hit, five walks and seven strikeouts. His OPS is .765.

Tyler Duffey – Minnesota Twins

Duffey’s lone outing of the week was a rough one, breaking his perfect 0.00 ERA stint through his first four appearances of the season.  Opposing batters are hitting .286 against him this year, well above his carer average against of .252.

Through April 17, Duffey has a 4.50.00 ERA with a 2.250 WHIP. He’s averaging 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings.

Brock Holt – Texas Rangers

This Saturday marked Holt’s return from a brief stint on the Injured List, going 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout. He’s now reached base successfully in all five games this season and holds a .450 on-base percentage. That’s quite a bit higher than his career OBP of .338, amassed through 10 big league seasons.

Through April 17, Holt has three hits in 14 at bats, a .214 average. He’s walked six times, struck out three times and collected two RBI.

Lucas Luetege – New York Yankees

Luetege has made five appearances this season, including two this week. He went a season-long four innings on Friday against the Rays, striking out three and allowing two runs. He’s recorded three or more strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.

Through April 17, Luetge has a 6.10 ERA with a 1.258 WHIP. He’s averaging 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

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NCAA Football passes significant recruiting, transfer measures

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NCAA football passed two significant milestones this week. On-campus recruiting will resume June 1 and transfer policies have been relaxed.

This was a significant week for NCAA football. Two incredibly important announcements went forth from the D1 Council this week. Current and future recruiting cycles have been modified and player freedoms have been expanded.

Transfer Legislation

In a move long rumored to be in the works, the council passed a one-time transfer rule for all D1 student-athletes. Already in place for a myriad of Olympic sports, the most notable change was the expansion of this policy to football, baseball, men’s and women’s basketball and men’s hockey. The policy will go into place immediately, meaning athletes who transfer for the first time this summer and receive immediate eligibility for all sports.

MAC Commissioner and chair of the NCAA’s working group on transfers, Dr. Jon Steinbrecher offered his support in a statement. “Allowing student-athletes a one-time opportunity to transfer and compete immediately provides a uniform, equitable and understandable approach that benefits all student-athletes,” he said. “This decision is consistent with Division I’s goal of modernizing its rules to prioritize student-athlete opportunity and choice.”

Recruiting ramps back up

For the first time in more than a year, on-campus recruiting visits will be reopened. Programs across the country will be able to resume their normal recruiting calendars effective June 1. That means in-person evaluations and conversations for the class of 2022.

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