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Rice Football 2019: Owls in the NFL Week 8 Update

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Rice Football products Chris Boswell and Vance McDonald led the way for NFL Owls in Week 8 with a Monday Night Football victory.

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 8 results

Colts 15 – Broncos 13 (Anderson, Callahan)
Cowboys (Covington) – BYE WEEK
Eagles 31 (Sendejo) – Bills 13
Seahawks 27 (Ellerbee, Willson) – Falcons 20
Steelers 27 (Boswell, McDonald) – Dolphins 14
Texans 27 (Gaines) – Raiders 24

Calvin Anderson, OT, Broncos

Anderson has yet to make an appearance with the Broncos since being signed off the Jets practice squad. He was inactive for the Broncos’ Week 8 game against the Colts. The Broncos host the Browns in Week 9.

Bryce Callahan, CB, Broncos

Callahan was inactive for the Broncos’ Week 8 game against the Colts. He has yet to make an appearance for the team this season. The Broncos host the Browns in Week 9.

Christian Covington, DE, Cowboys

Covington and the Cowboys had a bye in Week 8. The Cowboys travel to the Giants for Monday Night Football in Week 9.

Andrew Sendejo, Saf, Eagles

Sendejo registered a pair of tackles for the Eagles in their Week 8 win over the Bills. The Eagles host Bears in Week 9.

Emmanuel Ellerbee, LB, Seahawks

Ellerbee was placed injured reserve prior to the start of the season. The Seahawks host the Bucs in Week 9.

Luke Willson, TE, Seahawks

Willson hauled in his lone target from Russell Wilson in Week 8, taking it seven yards on the second play of the game as part of the Seahawks first scoring drive. The Seahawks host the Bucs in Week 9.

Chris Boswell, K, Steelers

Perfect no more, Boswell watched his first missed field goal sail right of the posts on a 54-yard attempt on Monday Night Football against the Dolphins. He redeemed himself by making two other kicks, including a long of 42 yards and three extra point tries. The Steelers travel to the Colts in Week 9.

Vance McDonald, TE, Steelers

McDonald caught three passes for 19 yards on Monday Night Football. That marks the third time this season he’s caught at least three passes. The Steelers travel to the Colts in Week 9.

Phillip Gaines, CB, Texans

Gaines underwent surgery last week for a severe high ankle sprain suffered in the Texans Week 8 game with the Colts. He was placed on injured reserve with an estimated recovery time of five months. His season is over. The Texans travel to London to play the Jaguars in Week 9.

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.

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Rice Football: On offense, something’s gotta change

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It was another long Saturday for the Rice football defense, leading coach Mike Bloomgren to deliver an ultimatum: “Something will change.”

Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren is as unflappable as they come. The second-year head coach came to South Main with a vision, one he’s determined to see through to reality. But there have been several C-USA sized bumps along the way.

“The Process”, as Bloomgren likes to refer to his big-picture plan, has been a mixed bag. The defense, which ranked dead last in Conference USA in scoring a year ago, just held the conference’s top quarterback to a little more than half his passing yardage totals and zero touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the offense has regressed from 18.9 points per game in 2018 to 15.9 points per game this season. Bloomgren isn’t blind to that reality, far from it. He faced the music following another close loss over the weekend, this time to Southern Miss.

“Something will change,” he said. “The status quo is not good enough, the way we’re doing things is not good enough.”

What that change looks like remains to be seen. Wiley Green has played himself out of the starting quarterback job, but former backup Tom Stewart is hurt, and could be sidelined for some time. That leaves Bloomgren with two options at quarterback: sophomore Evan Marshman and true freshman JoVoni Johnson.

As recently as last Tuesday’s weekly press conference, Bloomgren’s tune was definitive: “I don’t have a plan for either of those guys to be the quarterback of the football team.” Well, plans change.

Bloomgren didn’t spell out what adjustments he had in mind. He only offered this clarifying comment. “Nothing is simplistic for us right now, offensively. Nothing is easy for us, offensively,” he said. “We have to assess. We have to make some changes.”

It’s not as if Bloomgren and the offensive coaching staff haven’t been working to improve the offense all this time. The Owls averaged 268 yards per game against their four non-conference foes (Army, Wake Forest, Baylor and Texas). Their production rose to 337 yards per game in their first three C-USA games (Louisiana Tech, UAB and UTSA). On Saturday, they registered 139 total yards.

Eliminating turnovers is an obvious first step. The Owls’ minus-six turnover margin in conference games is the worst in C-USA. Beyond that, the “elephant in the room“, as Bloomgren called it, remains a loosely defined challenge. And that makes this weekend’s upcoming game against Marshall so intriguing.

It’s homecoming weekend and Rice football fans from far and wide will return to South Main to see their team. If Bloomgren can push the right buttons and revitalize an offensive attack that has fallen stale, he could restore confidence in a fanbase seeking reasons to keep the faith.

“I want to make sure I’m saying this too. There’s no panic in my face, in this team,” Bloomgren declared. If Saturday was “a frustrating day, in so many ways,” perhaps we do see the scale of change potent enough to turn things around on South Main. The defense sure would appreciate it.

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Conference USA Football 2019: Week 9 C-USA Roundup

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Rice football took Southern Miss to the brink, but couldn’t finish while a few other Conference USA Football teams had thrilling finishes of their own.

Team Week 9 Result Week 10
Charlotte vs North Texas W, 39-38 vs MTSU
FAU at Old Dominion W, 41-3 at WKU
FIU at MTSU L,50-17 vs Old Dominion
LA Tech at UTEP W, 42-21 — OFF —
Marshall vs WKU W, 26-23 at Rice
MTSU vs FIU W, 50-17 at Charlotte
North Texas at Charlotte L, 39-38 vs UTEP
Old Dominion vs FAU L, 41-3 at FIU
Rice vs Southern Miss L, 20-6 vs Marshall
Southern Miss at Rice W, 20-6 — OFF —
UAB — OFF —  — at Tennessee
UTEP vs LA Tech L, 42-21 at North Texas
UTSA — OFF —  — at Texas A&M
WKU at Marshall L, 26-23 vs FAU

Notable Week 9 results – Standings

Houston, we need a quarterback

An up and down day from Rice football quarterback Wiley Green ended in disaster. An endzone interception doomed the Owls to their eighth consecutive loss despite a rousing defensive performance which kept C-USA’s leading passer Jack Abraham at bay for what was a close football game until the final seconds.

And the high score goes to… MTSU

The Blue Raiders had moved the ball fairly well through the first eight weeks of the season, but their Week 9 showing against FIU was a 50-point thing of beauty. Asher Ohara, Javy McDonald and Terelle West combined for more than 427 yards rushing and six touchdowns against an FIU defense that entered the week in the middle of the pack in terms of rushing defense.

Doing their part

FAU’s C-USA title hopes hit a snag in a heartbreaking loss in Marshall. The Owls rebounded with a resounding win over Old Dominion on the road to keep pace in what has become a tight race in the East.  If there were any doubts as to the legitimacy of this team’s prowess on both sides of the ball, a 41-3 beatdown provided plenty of answers.

Week 10 storylines

Speaking of the East

WKU’s loss, which came despite a rally from a 23-7 third quarter deficit, sets up a pivotal Week 10 game between the Hilltoppers and FAU. With one loss apiece, the upcoming matchup could settle the pecking order in the East. The winner will still have some work to do to secure their spot while the loser will more than likely be out of the running.

North Texas’ postseason fate hanging in the balance

Despite being picked to win the conference in the preseason, North Texas is in dire straights. A brutal non-conference schedule and Charlotte’s upset over the Mean Green in Week 9 have to have heightened the nerves in Denton. North Texas has to win three of four their next four to reach postseason eligibility — they can’t afford to lose to UTEP, one of C-USA’s remaining winless teams.

Can Charlotte make the most of their momentum?

On the heels of four consecutive losses, Charlotte’s upset win over North Texas put a bowl game back on the 49ers’ radar. A win over MTSU next weekend would put them two wins away with games remaining against UTEP and Old Dominion. After a rocky start, Will Healy’s bunch could be in for a fascinating finish.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 14 – Special interview with Calvin Anderson

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Former Rice football offensive lineman Calvin Anderson stopped by The Roost Podcast for a special interview with Matthew and Carter.

Despite the school’s smaller enrollment numbers, Rice Football has continued to churn out NFL talent. The Owls have several players in the NFL, CFL and XFL and should have more in the way in the coming years.

Current Denver Broncos offensive lineman Calvin Anderson, who recently made his home at South Main before stops in Austin and a few NFL practice squads, knows how crazy that journey can be first hand. Join us and Calvin as we talk about life in the NFL, Rubik’s cubes and what it’s like to practice against Von Miller in this special edition of The Roost Podcast.

Don’t miss our Southern Miss preview

This is the second podcast we’ve put out this week. We opted to split the show up instead of putting together a longer single show. Be sure to give the UTSA recap and Southern Miss preview show a listen as well. In that episode we work through the fallout of another heartbreaking loss and discuss what things Rice football needs to do going forward to find the breakthrough they’ve been searching for all season. Should Owls fans have hope? We think so.

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

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Rice Football Recruiting: New targets emerging in 2020 class 🔒

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The 2020 Rice Football recruiting class continues to take shape with new targets emerging as the Owls work to finish off a strong class.

The results on the field haven’t been to the Owls’ liking, but things are looking up on the 2020 Rice Football recruiting front. The current commits remain locked in. The family atmosphere is already building with the next wave of Owls who are ready to make their own marks at South Main.

The most recent addition, defensive end Jalen Reeves, committed to the Owls in September over a slew of prominent programs. Here are a few additional targets who could join the 2020 Rice Football class:

Daylin McLemore – QB – Junipero Serra HS (CA)

Rice moved on their quarterback of the 2021 class recently, offering Cibolo Steele dual-threat Wyatt Begeal. At the same time, the Owls were doing their homework on a 2020 quarterback they have interest in. There have been a few names pop up here, but McLemore seems to have moved into the forefront of the Owls’ focus at the quarterback position. He has good touch through the air and some wheels, too.

Armaj Adams-Reed – OT – Desoto HS (TX)

Adams picked up a Rice offer last week following a visit from the Rice staff during the bye week. From Desoto HS, Reed is a tremendous athlete at the offensive line position and he looks the part. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound holds down the blindside for his school and could serve the Owls well at the next level.

Will Sheppard – WR – Mandeville HS (LA)

The Owls will be selective about when it comes to the right pass catchers to round out the 2020 class. Sheppard clears that bar and could be a difference-maker at the position for the Owls. For that reason, he’s been near the top of that list and has been pursued by Rice for several months now.

River Woods – DB – Dallas Episcopal HS (TX)

Woods has been in the mix for a while now. The two-way player from Dallas remains a priority for the Owls on the recruiting front. Reinforcing the secondary will be an emphasis in this class, making the looks into Woods important.

Mike Leone – OT – Hun School (NJ)

Pulling Mike Leone out of New Jersey would be a big pickup for the Owls. He’s a highly regarded offensive line recruit who is currently committed to Yale, but his offer list seems to be growing quickly. Rice has beaten out Power 5 schools already to land some of their top members in the 2020 class. Snagging Leone would require some work, but Rice is certainly in the mix.

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