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Rice Football 2022 Bowl Game Preview: Southern Miss

December 11, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice football takes on Southern Miss in the Lending Tree Bowl this week. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

Southern Miss secured bowl eligibility on the final week of the regular season, defeating Louisiana Monroe on the road for their sixth win. Rice football wasn’t assured of a bowl trip until all of that weekend’s games had concluded and a shortage of six-win teams remained. The Owls are bowling because they were the program with the highest remaining APR score.

How they got here doesn’t matter now, though. Here’s everything you need to know about this week’s game.

Kickoff time | 4:45 PM CT
Venue | Hancock Whitney Stadium – Mobile, AB
TV | ESPN (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs Southern Miss on this week’s episode of the Blue and Gray Preview Show, streaming live on Wednesday at Noon on the Rice Athletics YouTube channel. Look for a recap of the game on the site afterward as well as on The Roost Podcast, which should be released early next week. Find us on the podcast page or wherever you like to listen to podcasts. (And consider leaving us a 5-star review while you’re at it.)

Sizing up the contenders

This is a bowl game that means a lot to both programs, despite the appearance of modest stakes. The Owls and Mike Bloomgren are looking to secure win number six, something that many around South Main viewed as an understood prerequisite to even be in this game. Southern Miss, on the other side, could clinch a win season for the first time under coach Will Hall with a victory.

Series History

All Time | Tied, 6-6
Last Five | Southern Miss leads, 3-2
Last Meeting | Home 2021, Rice won 24-19

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Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Padgett – 20/40 (50.0 percent), 339 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing | Montgomery – 86 carries, 498 yards (5.8 yards per carry), 0 TD / Otoviano – 65 carries, 391 yards (6.0 yards per carry), 1 TD
Receiving | Rozner – 41 receptions, 834 yards (20.3 yds/rec), 9 TDs / McCaffrey – 51 receptions, 656 yards (12.9 yds/rec), 6 TD / Esdale – 39 receptions, 461 yards (11.8 yds/rec), 0 TD
Tackles | Conti – 69 / Morrison – 66 / Taylor – 55
Pass Breakups | Dunbar – 8  / Taylor – 6 / Fresch – 5
Interceptions | Taylor, Morrison – 2 / Nyakwol, Chamberlain, Fresch, Narcisse – 1

Southern Miss Stat Notables

Passing | Lowe – 55/103 (53.4 percent), 795 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing | Gore Jr. – 207 carries, 1053 yards (5.1 yards per carry), 7 TD / Dean – 58 carries, 179 yards (3.1 ypc), 3 TD
Receiving | Brownlee – 52 receptions, 819 yards (15.8 yards per reception), 7 TD / Mims – 23 receptions, 361 yards (15.7 yds/rec), 2 TD
Tackles | Shorts – 91 / Latham – 81 / Gill – 76
Pass Breakups | Stanley – 6 / Latham – 4 / Shorts – 3
Interceptions | Stanley – 4 / Shorts – 3 / Scott, Brooks, Harrell – 2

Southern Miss X-Factor | Limit the big play

Southern Miss is going to try and make this a defensive struggle. The Golden Eagles lauded “Nasty Bunch” defense has made a significant jump this year, climbing to No. 80 in the nation in scoring defense to No. 43. The Golden Eagles allow 23.5 points per game. Keeping opponents out of the endzone is something they’ve largely excelled at compared to their peers.

The path to those points, has been suspect, though. Southern Miss ranks 12th of 14 teams in the Sun Belt in plays allowed of 20 or more yards with 63, an average of 5.3 such occurrences per game. Georgia Southern and Coastal Carolina — the two defenses in their conference that allow more explosive plays — each rank worst than 100th in the nation in scoring defense.

To some extent, the way this defense has been winning is unsustainable, but something is undeniably working. This is a defense that bends but doesn’t break. If something miss stiffens on the back end and allows less wiggle room, they’ll have Rice right where they want them.

Rice X-Factor | No turnovers

No team has turned the ball over this season more often than Rice football. None. Zilch. Zero. Nada. Rice football ranks dead last in the nation with 30 turnovers in 12 games, an average of 2.5 giveaways per contest.

When they don’t implode, this offense has proven itself adequate, perhaps even dangerous with its explosiveness and diversity. The Owls have put up more than 440 yards of total offense in four of their five wins and have largely moved the ball well with a variety of different quarterbacks under center. The bugaboo — and it’s been a big one — has been protecting the football.

Coaches are oft to say things like “we beat ourselves,” and in this case, that largely seems to be true. If Rice can avoid shooting themselves in the foot and give themselves a chance to complete their drives, they will be able to hang with a low-scoring offense on the other side of the ball. If they spot that other offense points, things could get dicey, quickly.

Injury Report (Subscribers only)

When Rice football last took the field, they were without quarterback TJ McMahon, wide receiver Luke McCaffrey and several other key players on each side of the ball. Subscribers, stay tuned later this week for a deeper dive on those key injuries with the latest on who is (and isn’t) likely to go in this upcoming contest. Not a subscriber (yet)?

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One Final Thing

Getting to a bowl game is an accomplishment in itself, but things could hardly have set up better for Rice football in this season-ending showdown with a familiar foe. Instead of having to travel a great distance, the Owls will be playing as close to home as they could have been beyond a return to Frisco. They’re not being shipped to Detroit or South Carolina.

Better still, this is a winnable game against a team with a commensurate level of talent. They’re not playing an underachieving SEC school that simply has better players who played tougher competition. No, Southern Miss is on Rice’s level and in fact, the Owls have beaten them as recently as last season.

This game matters to Rice football. It matters to the staff, the players and to the fans. To those who care, it’s not a random bowl sponsored by who’s-it-called or what’s-it-named. With that in mind, the effort should be equal to the task. Rice needs to play this game with the effort they put forth against North Texas in the season finale. If they can clean up the mistakes, they’re got all they need to walk away as winners.

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Where things stand: Rice Football, Mike Bloomgren and the future

December 10, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren is coming back for another year. What went into the decision and what’s next for the program?

Athletic director Joe Karlgaard and Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren met with the media last week to discuss the upcoming Lending Tree Bowl. Both men were asked about the game itself, the significance of potentially winning it and other postseason-related questions. The status of Bloomgren’s job security wasn’t discussed.

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This update will focus on that previously unspoken situation. After reaching a bowl game, but not six regular season wins, where does Bloomgren stand and what is the outlook for the Owls as they look forward to entering the AAC in 2022?

Officially, official

First, let’s start with the first official statement, given to The Roost this week from Karlgaard himself:

“Mike is coming back. He’ll be our coach next season. Our progress over the last several years has been slower than we had hoped but we did post our highest win total since 2015 and our players were exceptional in the classroom.

This is not the same college athletics that was in place the last time we went to a bowl game. We’ve seen all these environmental changes with Alston and NIL and the Transfer Portal and the deregulation of the NCAA rules. I’m proud of the roster and foundation that coach Bloomgren and his staff have built and how we’ve navigated the shifts to the environment so far. But for us to strive for excellence in the future, we’re going to have to be innovative, progressive and values driven.”

What other factors are in play?

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 136 – Fourth Annual Roosties!

December 8, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

The 2022 Rice football regular season is over and there’s a bowl game on its way, but first, the fourth annual Roosties Award ceremony is here.

There will be a time for a more formal set of Rice football postseason awards. From Team MVP to newcomers of the year, those awards are coming. First, it’s time to present our more unconventional awards to players, units and general confusion caused by the season as we know it thus far. Stay tuned below for our fourth iteration of the annual Roosties!

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 136.

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Episode Notes

Housekeeping

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Remembering Rice Football with the Roosties! 

Carter and Matthew had out honors in the following categories with some variations along the way and a detour or two. Here are the categories:

  • Favorite Play
  • Player You Were Most Wrong About (Biggest surprise)
  • Most Improved Unit
  • Play/Game You Most Want to Redo
  • Player You’ll Miss the Most
  • Out of Nowhere Star
  • Most Valuable Transfer
  • Most Head Scratching Moment
  • Most Dominant Game
  • Player You’re Most Looking Forward to in 2022

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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Conference USA / AAC Coaching Carousel Updates

December 7, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

The coaching carousel has been in full swing since the regular season ended. Here are the relevant changes in Conference USA and the American.

With the membership of both leagues in flux, there are folks tracking moves in both Conference USA and the American Athletic Conference as the coaching carousel continues to spin. Here’s the latest as of December 7.

Conference USA

Charlotte – In: Biff Poggi | Out: Will Healy

Healy was the first Conference USA coach dismissed in this cycle and it was likewise the first job filled. Off-field Michigan assistant Biff Poggi will take the reins. Credited with revitalizing the Wolverines behind the scenes, his financial connections and ability to fundraise will be equally valuable to the 49ers as the transition to the AAC.

North Texas – In: N/A |  Out: Seth Littrell

Seth Littrell was a late dismissal in this cycle after reaching the Conference USA Championship Game. Ultimately the departure of AD Wren Baker and a combined 44-44 record were not enough to keep him on the job. North Texas was late to the dance, but should still be an attractive job to many.

FAU – In: Tom Herman |  Out: Willie Taggart

Now former head coach Willie Taggart didn’t even make it to dinner time on the night of FAU’s final regular season game, a loss to Western Kentucky. Likewise, FAU moved quickly to replace him, hiring former Texas and Houston head coach Tom Herman. The Owls wanted someone with Florida ties, but couldn’t pass up on adding someone with proven AAC success like Herman.

UAB – In: Trent Dilfer |  Out: Bryant Vincent (Interim)

In a move that caught just about everyone by surprise, UAB went outside of the college football ranks to hire high school coach Trent Dilfer to be their head man. Bringing back interim Bryant Vincent didn’t seem likely after a 6-6 finish, but going off the grid to get Dilfer — who brings quarterback development and an NFL pedigree but not much else — was a stunner.

Liberty – In: Jamey Chadwell | Out: Hugh Freeze

Freeze was making public overtures for other jobs for quite some time, so a change in leadership at Liberty isn’t surprising. The Flames hired Chadwell away from Coastal Carolina where he’d posted back-to-back 11-win seasons and has been credited as a great offensive mind.

American

Tulsa – In: Kevin Wilson | Out: Phillip Montgomery

After going 43-53 in eight seasons with the Golden Hurricane, Montgomery was relieved of his duties. Although many projected former Tulsa quarterback G.J. Kinne to land here, he wound up at Texas State and Tulsa hired Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, formerly the head coach at Indiana.

USF – In: Alex Golesh |  Out: Jeff Scott

Former Clemson assistant Jeff Scott was never able to get things going in South Florida, prompting the move. In somewhat of a surprise, USF went back to the weel of unproven, but promising assistants, hiring Tennesee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh following a breakthrough season by the Vols’ offensive attack under his direction.

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Rice Football 2022: NFL Owls Week 13 Roundup

December 6, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice Football is well represented on 2022 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action in Week 13.

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 13 Result Week 14
Denver Broncos Calvin Anderson (OL) at Ravens L, 10-9 vs Chiefs
Detroit Lions Jack Fox (P) vs Jaguars W, 40-14 vs Vikings
Indianapolis Colts Kylen Granson (TE) at Cowboys L, 54-19  —  OFF  —
LA Chargers Bryce Callahan (DB)
Christian Covington (DL)
at Raiders W, 27-20 vs Miami (SNF)
Pittsburgh Steelers Chris Boswell (PK) vs Falcons W, 19-16 vs Ravens
Seattle Seahawks Myles Adams (DL) at Rams W, 27-23 vs Panthers
Tampa Bay Bucs Nick Leverett (OL) vs Saints (MNF) W, 17-16 at 49ers

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OT, Broncos

Anderson started his fifth straight game this weekend, his sixth start of the season.

Kylen Gransen – TE, Colts

Gransen got the start on Sunday Night Football against the Cowboys, his fourth of the season. He caught four passes for 19 yards and made a tackle.

Nick Leverett – OT, Buccaneers

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

Defense

Myles Adams – DL, Seahawks

Adams wasn’t active in the Seahawks’ Week 13 win over the Rams.

Bryce Callahan – CB, Chargers

Callahan tied a season-high with six tackles and grabbed interception number three. He also made the pick counting, taking it 26 yards to the house for a pick-six.

PICK-SIX BRYCE CALLAHAN!!@RiceFootball x #NFLOwls pic.twitter.com/SlvllVqHi0

— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) December 4, 2022

Christian Covington – DL, Chargers

Covington was placed on Injured Reserve after suffering a pec injury in the Chargers’ Week 10 game against the 49ers.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox wasn’t called upon to punt at all on Sunday in the midst of a landslide win by the Lions. Detroit scored on every possession except for a kneel-down to win the game.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

The Steelers placed Boswell on IR prior to their Week 10 game against the Saints. He’ll be out for at least four weeks.

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.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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