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Rice Football 2022: UNT presser quotes and depth chart

November 22, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice football visits North Texas 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 UTSA loss and looked at the week ahead, detailing what they’re expecting to see when North Texas 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

“My hat’s off them. They performed at an incredibly high level., I look back at our offense and I see a group that got out-physicaled and that’s something that is hard to swallow because that’s something we hang our hat on. Defensively, we missed a couple of fits and every time we did something wrong, they made us pay in a big way. That’s what happens with small areas, (they) add up to a big stuff as four quarters of football goes on and that’s what we saw on Saturday.” – Mike Bloomgren on the UTSA game

“[UTSA] was our first time having back-to-back losses all year, but you feel like you haven’t won a game in forever and that’s just not the case. That’s how you feel as a 45-year-old man. You can imagine what it is like for 18 to 222-year-olds that are dealing with social media? That’s why I thought it was important to remind them that they are a good football team. They’re not the football team that’s only played the last two games. They’re the football team that has won some really big games this year, that’s come back and overcome things and they’re really talented. We’re a good football team.” – Mike Bloomgren on his message to the team

“I imagine he’s a very mature kid. I’ve talked Seth [Littrell] about him, Seth loves him and thinks he’s a great leader. You see that. At this point his career it’s a little bit like Mason Fine in terms of the leadership ability and how you see him rallying his teammates.” – Mike Bloomgren on North Texas quarterback Austin Aune

“KD [Davis] is a great player, obviously going against him the past couple of years. He’s a solid linebacker. I look forward to the match up again. Their front is definitely a lot of different guys [from last year] so it’s really going to be about our preparation this week, watching film. What were these guy’s tendencies? We have played against them, really just looking at that film and making sure we’re ready for these new transfers that they have up front, guys that we’re going to be going against play after play.” – Tight end Jack Bradley on the North Texas defense 

“I feel like we’re a team that’s been battle tested. We’re a team that seen and been through and overcome adversity, time after time. So this isn’t a position that we’re not used to being in. And I’m not worried about where any of the guys head’s [are] at, or anything, where the coach’s heads [are] at or anything. Through this whole program, we’ve seen and been through adversity. So I think we’re going to get spot mentally and a good spot physically. We got guys coming back and we’ve just got to keep doing what we always do, respond to adversity.” – Defensive end Joshua Pearcy on the team’s current mindset

Depth Chart

Rice Football

Depth Chart Notes

The biggest adjustment this week is at quarterback, where Wiley Green has been removed from the spot below TJ McMahon in favor of freshman AJ Padgett, currently listed as a co-starter. Who suits up for the Owls on Saturday remains TBD, but we’ll have a bit more later in the week in our practice notes (available to our subscribers).

On defense, Blake Boenisch has officially leapfrogged Izeya Floyd as the starter at the nose tackle spot, but still expect to see a heavy rotation there. Additionally, Lamont Narcisse is off the depth chart after being injured in practice last week. He’s been replaced by Tre’shon Devones, who started for the Owls last weekend against UTSA.

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

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Filed Under: Football Tagged With: press conference notes, Rice Football

The Roost Podcast | Ep 134 Rice Football vs UTSA Recap

November 21, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice football would soon forget a soggy, sad loss to UTSA, but rain or shy, The Roost Podcast is here to break down the entire affair.

For the third time this season, Rice football had its starting quarterback knocked out of a game in the first half. For the third time this season, Rice lost that game. Wiley Green has the misfortune of fulfilling that statistic twice, then time on Senior Day against Conference USA juggernaut UTSA. The Owls lost and have one game remaining in the regular season. What do we make about the program right now?

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 134.

Follow @TheRoostPod

Episode Notes

Housekeeping

  • Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on your platform of choice. Every little bit helps.
  • Please support us on Patreon. Be the first to get the inside scoop on what’s going on with Rice football and stick around for even further analysis. That includes practice updates, analysis and more. Your support matters and makes The Roost better.
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Rice Football vs UTSA game recap

  • Another scout team quarterback makes his Rice football debut
  • Making sense of the offense, regardless of who is under center
  • Owls post an unbelievably bad rushing performance
  • Defense holds off Harris through the air, but how much is true progress?
  • How much fault can be assigned to injuries? How much to coaching?
  • What does Rice football need to do to reach a bowl game?

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.

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

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Rice Football 2022: NFL Owls Week 11 Roundup

November 21, 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 11.

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 11 Result Week 12
Denver Broncos Calvin Anderson (OL) vs Raiders L, 22-16 (OT) at Panthers
Detroit Lions Jack Fox (P) at Giants W, 31-18 vs Bills
Indianapolis Colts Kylen Granson (TE) vs Eagles L, 17-16 vs Steelers (MNF)
LA Chargers Bryce Callahan (DB)
Christian Covington (DL)
vs Chiefs W, 30-27 vs Cardinals
Pittsburgh Steelers Chris Boswell (PK) vs Bengals L, 37-30 at Colts
Seattle Seahawks Myles Adams (DL) — BYE —  — vs Raiders
Tampa Bay Bucs Nick Leverett (OL) — BYE —  — at Browns

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OT, Broncos

Anderson started his third straight game this weekend and the fourth of the season.

Kylen Gransen – TE, Colts

Gransen was thrown the ball just once on Sunday but hauled in the single target for a 16-yard gain.

Nick Leverett – OT, Buccaneers

The Bucs were on bye this week.

Defense

Myles Adams – DL, Seahawks

The Seahawks were on bye this week.

Bryce Callahan – CB, Chargers

Callahan had a season-high six tackles against the Chiefs on Sunday, also registering his second quarterback hit of the year.

Christian Covington – DL, Chargers

Covington was placed on Injured Reserve last week after suffering a pec injury the previous week against the 49ers.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox punted five times in the Lions’ win over the Giants on Sunday, including a 63-yard blast and one downed inside the 20.

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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Rice Football 2022 Game Preview: North Texas

November 20, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice football closes out the regular season against North Texas still in search of win number six. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

North Texas was on bye last weekend. Rice football might have wished they were. The Owls were rocked on Senior Day, losing their starting quarterback to injury for the second week in a row. Now they’re headed to Denton, still in search of their sixth win to clinch bowl eligibility for the first time since 2014. Here’s everything you need to know about this week’s game.

Kickoff time | 1:00 PM CT
Venue | Apogee Stadium – Denton, TX
TV | ESPN+ (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs North Texas 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

North Texas still has a great chance to make the Conference USA Championship Game. By virtue of their win over Western Kentucky earlier this year, they would make the title game with a victory on Saturday or with a Florida Atlantic loss to Western Kentucky. On the other side, Rice wants to secure a bowl trip. Both sides have plenty to play for in this one

Series History

All Time | North Texas leads, 7-5
Last Five | North Texas leads, 4-1
Last Meeting | Home 2021, North Texas won 30-24

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Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | McMahon – 160/266 (60.2 percent), 2102 yards, 18 TD, 14 INT
Rushing | Montgomery – 75 carries, 449 yards (6.0 yards per carry), 0 TD / Otoviano – 51 carries, 297 yards (5.8 yards per carry), 1 TD
Receiving | Rozner – 39 receptions, 806 yards (20.7 yds/rec), 9 TDs / McCaffrey – 51 receptions, 656 yards (12.9 yds/rec), 6 TD / Esdale – 34 receptions, 392 yards (11.5 yds/rec), 0 TD
Tackles | Conti – 63 / Morrison – 58 / Taylor – 50
Pass Breakups | Dunbar – 7  / Taylor – 6 / Fresch – 5
Interceptions | Taylor, Morrison – 2 / Nyakwol, Chamberlain, Fresch, Narcisse – 1

North Texas Stat Notables

Passing | Aune – 185/321 (57.6 percent), 2912 yards, 29 TD, 11 INT
Rushing | Adeyi – 86 carries, 696 yards (8.0 yards per carry), 4 TD / Adaway III – 118 carries, 583 yards (4.9 ypc), 5 TD
Receiving | Burns – 34 receptions, 628 yards (18.5 yards per reception), 1 TD / Shorter – 19 receptions, 505 yards (26.6 yds/rec), 8 TD
Tackles | Davis – 105 / Nixon III – 74 / Richards  – 67
Pass Breakups | Texada – 15 / Gaddie – 10 / Wilson – 5
Interceptions | Texada – 3 / Wilson – 2 / Whitlock, Wood – 1

North Texas X-Factor | Be aggressive

Rice football is the most turnover-prone team in Conference USA and they don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Extra possessions tend to result in more points and against a team like the Owls that have struggled to be consistent on that side of the ball, it spells opportunity. If North Texas attacks on defense and forces the issues, Rice has shown to make mistakes.

That could result in some big plays for the Owls when the Mean Green decide to take those risks, but entering into a potential shootout against this Rice team would likely just open the door for more turnover opportunities.

It doesn’t have to be reckless, but anything North Texas can do to confuse whoever Rice has a quarterback or punch out a ball when a ball carrier keeps it too far away could prove to be differential. Short fields continue to burn the Owls and there’s no reason to believe they’ve proven immune to this issue in a week’s time.

Rice X-Factor | Make the Mean Green throw

North Texas is 6-5 this season, but there’s been a consistent pattern in their wins: they don’t throw the football. In four of their six wins, North Texas has attempted fewer than 30 passes, completing 16 passes or fewer. They’ve won two pass-happy games (vs FIU, at WKU) both of which were blowouts in which North Texas could do whatever they wanted to on offense.

On the other side of the coin, the difference is stark. North Texas averaged 35 attempts in their five losses this year (vs 27 attempts in their wins). They complete 50.1 percent of their passes in losses vs 63.8 percent of their passes in wins.

North Texas wants to run the football. That’s going to be Plan A. The teams that get them off-script usually win. That’s exactly what the Owls need to do.

Injury Report (Subscribers only)

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One Final Thing

On the bowl front, Rice is in with a win. However, there’s still a possibility Rice goes bowling with a loss. Stay tuned for more on how that would work later in the week. As for this game, a win is still well within reach.

The last two losses have two common threads for Rice football. First, they’ve been plated with a platoon at quarterback with the expected starter knocked out of the game before halftime. Second, they’ve been against two of the top three teams in the conference standings. The latter won’t change this coming week — North Texas is currently tied with Western Kentucky in the standings — but Rice will probably (knock on wood) get a quarterback through a complete game… right?

Whether it’s McMahon, Green, or someone else, building an offense around one guy and letting him execute it has worked this season for Rice more often than it’s not. In games in which Rice has not had its starting quarterback leave with an injury, the Owls are 5-3. They’re 0-3 when they lose their starter.

Ideally, it’s McMahon back under center next weekend. But even if it’s not, riding one arm through a full four quarters will give this team a better shot. As for who that is? That’s still to be determined.

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

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Conference USA Football 2022: Week 12 Roundup

November 20, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

Conference USA Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron in Week 12.

Team Week 12 Result Up Next
Charlotte vs LA Tech W, 26-21  —
FAU at MTSU L, 49-21 vs WKU
FIU at UTEP L, 40-6 vs MTSU
LA Tech at Charlotte L, 26-21 vs UAB
MTSU vs FAU W, 49-21 at FIU
North Texas — OFF —  — vs Rice
Rice vs UTSA L, 41-7 at North Texas
UAB at LSU at LA Tech
UTEP vs FIU W, 40-6 at UTSA
UTSA at Rice W, 41-7 vs UTEP
WKU at Auburn L, 41-17 at FAU

Notable Week 12 results – Standings

Home field secured

On a dreary day in Houston, the sun was shining on UTSA and quarterback Frank Harris. The Roadrunners dispatched of the Owls in quick order, securing the host duties for the upcoming Conference USA Football Championship Game where they’ll play either North Texas or Western Kentucky in two weeks time.

Let’s go bowling

While UTSA was working to clinch home field, other Conference USA squads were trying to make sure they had another game to play, too. Middle Tennesse became the fourth C-USA squad to clinch bowl eligibility so far this season, crushing Florida Atlantic to pick up win number six.

Uh Oh, Owls

It wasn’t just the Rice Owls who fell flat, the Florida Atlantic Owls were equally embarrassed. FAU was thoroughly outplayed by Middle Tennessee, pushing them into a do-or-die situation next weekend. Both Owls would like a mulligan for this week’s fiascoes, but that’s not going to happen.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Who’s joining UTSA?

Both Western Kentucky and North Texas sit tied in second place in the Conference USA standings with identical 5-2 records, but only one of them will get to make the trip. North Texas plays Rice, still searching for their elusive sixth win, while Western Kentucky faces an FAU squad in the same boat. North Texas holds the tiebreaker, so the Mean Green need a win and a WKU loss to get in.

Who else is still playing?

Florida Atlantic, Rice, UAB and UTEP all enter the final week of the regular season one-win shy of the six wins needed to secure bowl eligibility. The Blazers will be home favorites against the visiting Louisiana Tech Bulldogs but the other three teams will be underdogs, with Rice and UTEP both playing away from home. How many make it through?

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

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Filed Under: Archive, Football Tagged With: Conference USA, Conference USA football

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