The source for Rice sports news
Head Coach: Ryan Silverfield
Record at School: 31-18 (4 Yr) | Career FBS Record 31-18 (4 Yr)
Offensive Coordinator: Tim Cramsey | Defensive Coordinator: Jordon Hankins
Rendon has gotten off to a quiet start to the second half, collecting four hits in five games since the All-Star Break. He’s been the Halos’ third basemen during all of those games before getting a day off on Wednesday.
Through July 24, Rendon is hitting .233 with five extra-base hits, 10 walks and 26 strikeouts. His OPS is .568 and he’s collected six RBI.
Chargois has made two appearances since the break, both against the New York Mets. He pitched a scoreless inning on Saturday before returning two days late to surrender just his second earned run of the month, completing one more inning of work. He’s allowed zero earned runs in 11 of 14 appearances so far this season.
Through July 24, Chargois has a 1.72 ERA with a 1.213 WHIP. He’s averaging 6.9 strikeouts per nine innings.
Myers’ strong season will be delayed several weeks. The Marlins’ outfielder fractured his left ankle during a game against the Reds prior to the All-Star Break. The injury occurred while kicking a clubhouse door, venting frustration from a called third strike and subsequent ejection at the plate. He has since issued this statement on social media:
— Dane Myers (@danemyers3) July 19, 2024
Through July 14, Myers is hitting .265 with eight extra-base hits, seven walks and 32 strikeouts. His OPS is .759 and he’s collected 14 RBI.
The following Owls began the season in AAA:
In recent memory, expectations have, quite literally, never been higher for Rice football. The 2024 AAC Media Poll, released during Media Days on Tuesday morning, projected Rice to finish seventh in the 14-team conference. Not only is that higher than the Owls’ were picked last year (12th), but it’s also higher than any team head coach Mike Bloomgren has coached at South Main thus far.
“To see us tied for seventh, I guess that’s improvement,” head coach Mike Bloomgren said. “But again, that’s not where I think we should be with our team and what this coaching staff and these players have built together collectively.”
Rice was never picked to finish higher than second from the bottom in the West in Conference USA’s divisional structure. In 2021, the Owls’ only year in the league without divisions, Rice was tabbed to finish 10th. For this program to overcome outside perceptions and get recognition in the middle of the pack is not insignificant. The five-spot rise is the second biggest of any team in the AAC. South Florida was the only other program in the league to climb more than two spots, moving from 13th to fourth.
Rice has been a program content to play the underdog role as they’ve built from a two-win season in 2018 to back-to-back bowl campaigns in their most recent seasons. They aren’t the favorites just yet, but those outside of South Main clearly don’t view this program as a perennial underdog any longer.
No longer is this a team expected to finish in the bottom view. First impressions might not change quickly, but something has certainly shifted when it comes to the perception of Rice football around the AAC.
The players inside the locker room have noticed the shift, too. “Talking together as a group, we feel like we should be in the championship conversation,” proclaimed veteran safety Gabe Taylor. “We can’t make no excuses this year. We have to learn how to win and make sure we take care of business one week at a time.”
At the end of the day, media polls are worth the paper they’re printed on. Outside prognostications don’t determine the actual order of finish, that’s what the games are for. And until you start winning those games with regularity, those polls will likely be a lagging indicator of the quality of the program you’ve built. Seventh is better than tenth, but it’s a far cry from first. There is work left to be done.
“I think that’s a good thing. I think the less eyes that are on us the better,” said running back Dean Connors.” We fuel off the underdogs. We have a lot of guys that weren’t highly recruited. The longer we stay like that, the better.”
If things go according to plan, Rice football might not be flying under the radar for much longer.
Tim Pernetti made waves when he was introduced as the next commissioner of the AAC in April, championing bold ideals while relentlessly embracing a desire to challenge the status quo. Months later, as he began his introductory remarks in front of assembled media at the AAC Kickoff, the messaging hadn’t changed.
“From day one it’s been a priority to do a deep dive to understand the brand,” Pernetti said. “What makes us different? Where do we excel? How do we get stronger?”
Those questions have opened a door few in collegiate sports have been willing to walk through. Pernetti touched on a host of daring ideas to build value for membership institutions and student-athletes during his remarks. Commercial investment, conference naming rights, jersey patches with revenue flowing directly to student-athletes, private capital and an additional playoff for those who don’t qualify for the 12-team field were all talking points during his half hour on the mic.
One thing remained clear through it all. Pernetti will turn over every stone.
“It’s 100 percent possible to break free from the status quo, to embrace innovation,” Pernetti said, quickly reminding all in the room that “We’re just talking about these things. It’s time to modernize the business and preserve what’s special and college sports. This is what we’re doing.”
Pernetti announced a multi-year agreement with WSC Sports to create and distribute AI-generated, real-time and postgame video for football and men’s and women’s basketball. He also shared that the MVP trophy for the AAC Championship Game would be renamed to honor former commissioner Mike Aresco.
Those seem to just be the begging for Pernetti, who seems to be flourishing in the turbulent environment surrounding college athletics today.
“If collegiate athletics is in such bad shape, do you really think we’d be experiencing this accelerated growth and outside entities would want to invest in us?” Pernetti asked. “The fact is, the enterprise is worth investing in.”
From AI-driven content to even larger aspirations, one thing is clear. The AAC will be at the forefront of change in collegiate athletics, right where Pernetti wants it to be.
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 1 | Memphis (23) | 409 |
| 2 | UTSA (4) | 368 |
| 3 | Tulane (2) | 362 |
| 4 | South Florida | 339 |
| 5 | Army (1) | 236 |
| 6 | Florida Atlantic | 228 |
| T7 | East Carolina | 219 |
| T7 | Rice | 219 |
| 9 | North Texas | 216 |
| 10 | UAB | 192 |
| 11 | Navy | 150 |
| 12 | Tulsa | 95 |
| 13 | Charlotte | 77 |
| 14 | Temple | 40 |
“We’re Just Talking About These Things:” AAC’s Pernetti continues to dream big