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Rice Football 2024: NFL Owls Week 13 Roundup

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Rice Football is well represented on 2024 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.

TeamNFL Owl(s)This WeekResultNext Week
Detroit LionsJack Fox (P)
Myles Adams (DL)		vs Bears (Thr)W, 23-20vs Packers (Thr)
Indianapolis ColtsKylen Granson (TE)at PatriotsW, 25-25— BYE —
Pittsburgh SteelersChris Boswell (PK)
Calvin Anderson (OL)		at BengalsW, 44-38vs Browns
Washington CommandersLuke McCaffrey (WR)vs TitansW, 42-19— BYE —

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OL, Steelers

Anderson was active but did not see action in the Steelers’ win over the Bengals this week.

Luke McCaffrey – WR, Commanders

McCaffrey caught two passes for 17 yards on two targets against the Titans this week.

Kylen Granson – TE, Colts

Granson was targeted three times on Sunday but did not catch any of those balls thrown his way.

Defense

Myles Adams – DL, Lions

Adams was waived from the Seahawks’ active roster on Thursday, eventually opening the door for the Lions to sign him off their practice squad and to their active roster on Saturday. Adams will have his first real week with Detroit this week where he’ll reunite with former Rice teammate Jack Fox.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox was only asked to punt twice on Thanksgiving Day, putting both of his balls inside the 20 including a long punt of 61 yards.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell went 3-for-4 on field goals against the Bengals on Sunday and connected on all five extra-point attempts, scoring 14 points himself in a high-scoring win. He’s made 34-of-37 field goals this season

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 details on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.

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AAC Football 2024: Week 14 Roundup

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AAC Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron this week.

TeamRecord This WeekResultUp Next
Army10-1 (8-0)vs UTSAW, 29-24vs Tulane
Charlotte5-7 (4-4)vs UABW, 29-27 —
ECU7-5 (5-3)vs NavyL, 34-20 — Bowl —
FAU3-9 (1-7)at TulsaW, 63-16 —
Memphis10-2 (6-2)at TulaneW, 34-24 — Bowl —
Navy8-3 (6-2)at ECUW, 34-20 — Bowl —
North Texas6-6 (3-5)at TempleW, 24-17— Bowl —
Rice4-8 (3-5)vs USFW, 29-24 —
Temple3-9 (2-6)vs North TexasL, 24-17 —
Tulane9-3 (7-1)vs MemphisL, 34-20at Army
Tulsa3-9 (1-7)vs FAUL, 63-16 —
UAB3-4 (2-6)at CharlotteL, 29-27 —
USF6-6 (4-4)at RiceL, 35-28 — Bowl —
UTSA6-6 (4-4)at ArmyL, 29-24 — Bowl —

Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)

Tulane’s CFB Playoff hopes dashed

The lone college football game on Thanksgiving Day featured a tough result for the AAC. Memphis’ victory over Tulane effectively ended any dark horse hopes of the Green Wave earning the G5 automatic berth in the College Football Playoff. A 10-win season for the Tigers is significant, but no conference title game appearance will still leave a sizable portion of the fanbase understandably frustrated.

Abell arrives at South Main while Harrell stays put in Greenville

In the past week, the American Conference has welcomed two new head coaches. ECU made the decision to promote interim head coach Blake Harrell after a 4-0 run start in place of Mike Houston. At Rice, the Owls opted for Davidson’s Scott Abell whose proven track record at hard jobs gives reason for hope in Houston.

North Texas is bowling

After missing a bowl game with a 5-7 finish in Year 1 under Eric Morris the Mean Green are bowl eligible this time around, narrowly beating Temple in their regular season finale. The victory snaps a five game losing streak after a 5-1 start to the season.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Army chases AAC Perfection vs Tulane

The Black Knights became the eighth team in AAC history to finish undefeated in conference play, a feat most recently achieved by Tulane and SMU in 2023. As a reward they’ll host the conference championship game set to be played next Friday night, December 6 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Who’s next?

With Rice and East Carolina filled, four open head coaching jobs remain among American Conference programs following the conclusion of the regular season. Charlotte, FAU, Temple and Tulsa have yet to name new head coaches. Expect those jobs to fill soon, particularly with the Early Signing Period beginning this week.

Army/Navy on deck

But wait, there’s more! Even though this will technically be a non-conference game, the first meeting between Army and Navy as American Conference teams will feature two of the conference’s top teams this season. It doesn’t look like this game will have any College Football Playoff ramifications after all, but the intensity and interest in this contest hasn’t waivered all year.

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Rice Football tops South Florida on Senior Day

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Rice Football sent its seniors out on a high-note, sailing past South Florida in the Owls’ most uplifting win of the 2024 season.

Playing together for one last time, Rice Football ended its 2024 campaign victoriously. The typically slow starting squad scored a season-high 35 points against an FBS opponent and racked up a season-best 550 yards while snuffing out the South Florida offense until the game was out of reach. Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

The offense awakens

The Rice football offense has been an adventure this season for a variety of reasons. Up and down quarterback play, a listless running game and an infuriating number of fruitless redzone possessions has left the Owls wanting on the scoreboard more games than not. Determined to rectify at least some of those frustrations with the scoreboard, the Rice offense brought the fireworks on Saturday afternoon.

Warner got the scoring started with a crisp 31-yard touchdown pass to Drayden Dickmann, his first collegiate touchdown grab. Quinton Jackson followed with a 12-yard run of his own. Then Tim Horn added three more points on a short field, courtesy of a fumble recovery on a short field. And that was all before the first quarter came to a close.

Rice had scored 34 points in the first quarter in seven AAC games this season before Saturday. They had 17 first quarter points against South Florida. After failing to surpass more than 29 points in a game against an FBS opponent this year, Rice dropped 27 points in the first half, highlighted by this gorgeous toss from Warner to Dean Connors which elevated the senior to the program leader for receiving yards by a running back.

It wasn’t just Connors with the big day. Warner delivered a season-best showing, his first 400-yard gain with the Owls. Matt Sykes topped 100 receiving yards for the first time in his career. Thai Bowman scored his first career touchdown. Across the board, this unit was finally clicking.

Had this caliber of offense shown up more frequently this season the year would have gone much differently. There’s no rewriting the past at this point, though. At least fans at Rice Stadium on Saturday were treated to a thrilling sendoff for the Owls’ Seniors.

The defense holds the line

A newfound productive offense combined with the Owls’ typically stout defense proved to be quite a potent combination. Rice allowed USF to march down the field on their first drive, ceding a 10-play 75-yard touchdown drive. USF would register 56 total yards for the rest of the first half. That’s a 7.5-yards-per-play clip followed by a quick drop to 3.1 yards per play.

USF quarterback Bryce Archie was able to complete a good chunk of his passes, connecting on 8-of-13 attempts in the first half, but outside of one long 42-yard completion down the sideline, everything was close to the line of scrimmage and quickly covered up by a swarming Rice secondary. Max Ahoia’s forced fumble was just one instance of a secondary that played with a noticeable level of intensity.

The Bulls would get another sustained scoring drive to start the second half but when it came to mounting sustained scoring drives in the middle of the action they never got into a groove. It seemed like every time they came close, a Rice defender showed up with a big play, including a masterful interception from Gabe Taylor midway through the third quarter.

The day featured two defensive takeaways and three sacks, including Andrew Awe’s first career sack in his final game. It was an emphatic finale for the veteran-led unit which has been the most reliable force on this team all season.

Special teams does just enough

Two missed field goals (from 41 and 39 yards, respectively) and a couple of penalties on kick returns kept it from being a banner day for the Rice football special teams, but the unit certainly held its own on a day when its counterparts on offense and defense delivered impressive performances of their own.

Kicker Tim Horn converted from 25 yards out on two separate occasions, but a kick that ricocheted off the post in the third quarter killed what had been a 100 percent red zone conversion rate on the day to that point, a rate the Owls have only finished with once in an AAC game this season.

Quinton Jackson had an explosive opening kickoff return called back via a block in the back. Then he did it again in the third quarter, with no flags this time. Christian Francisco fielded a low, bouncing kick and took it 45 yards back to USF territory. All told, it was a workable performance from the special teams unit and a decent way to end an up-and-down campaign from that group.

The end of an era

In the whirlwind that has consumed the last week, it’s been hard to fully appreciate how different Rice football is going to look in 2025. The coaching change plays a large role in that upcoming change, but the impact of the outgoing senior class will play a sizable role in those developments, too.

Rice honored those seniors before the game on Saturday, a feat which required half the field to do. So many different players poured four, five and some six years into building this program from the bottom to where it is today. They didn’t fully realize that expected apex, but their contributions were each significant

That totality sank in earlier this week when I sat down with Gabe Taylor, who fought back tears when asked to describe this game and this moment. “It means everything,” he said. “I would trade them for the world, this family. It’s so genuine. They’re awesome guys… They’re my family forever.”

They didn’t win them all, but after a rocky season, this family went out on a much-deserved high note.

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“I Know the Road Map”: Rice Football head coach Scott Abell makes strong debut

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Scott Abell has officially been named the next Rice Football head coach and while he’s new to the job, he doesn’t feel like he’s starting over.

Donning a cowboy hat for the first time, a gift from an enthusiastic supporter, newly appointed Rice football head coach Scott Abell never allowed his confident demeanor to waiver during his introductory press conference on Wednesday afternoon. While he’s new to the state, the Owls headman has an understanding of the program he’s inheriting. In his eyes, he’s seen this rodeo before.

“This is my strength. I’ve witnessed this,” he said. “I’ve walked this walk for seven years.”

Rice hired Abell from Davidson, a high-academic institution in North Carolina with a striking number of similarities to Rice. Like Rice, Davidson competes in what Abell called “a league that wasn’t like us,” in the midst of other institutions which didn’t face the same academic hurdles.

“He has a proven track record of success at multiple places where it has historically been difficult to win. He is a program builder who has established and maintained a winning culture at every step of his illustrious career,” Athletic Director Tommy McClelland said during his introductory remarks.

“This is my strength.
I’ve witnessed this.
I’ve walked this walk.”

Davidson, like Rice, had also been a place where it was historically hard to win. Both programs sit below .500 all-time in their football records. Abell left Davidson as the winningest coach in program history, pushing his winning clip past .600 with room to spare. He knows what it’s like to win at a place that’s hard to win.

And given those constraints, Abell’s operated under the assumption that places like that have to look at things from a different vantage point.

“You can’t do what everyone else does. You have to do something a little unique and you have to be specific about it,” he said. “And that’s really what we’ll bring here, offensively. It gets a lot of people involved. It’s exciting to watch. We typically score a lot of points. That’s not the goal. The goal is to win football games. And the offense will allow us to control aspects of the game that way.”

Roost Pod: Rice Football hires Scott Abell as its next head coach

Abell was speaking about his offensive scheme, a gun option system that draws influence from the triple option, zone read and run-pass option concepts that have grown and developed in the sport over time. It’s fast-paced, explosive and has allowed his teams to lead Division I in rushing “virtually every year,” a mark Abell quickly corrected to be six of the previous seven seasons.

His next task will be doing performing that resuscitation for Rice football. McClelland, the man who has tasked Abell with this work, has full confidence that Abell can indeed do it again.

“Winning is not easy. It does not matter where you are, it is hard,” McClelland said. “Winning consistently and at multiple places and at multiple levels is not a fluke.”

And so a new chapter in Rice football history begins. When Abell arrived at Davidson, the Wildcats hadn’t beaten a Division I opponent in almost five years. The cupboard isn’t quite that bare at South Main and thus, the expectations are elevated, albeit fairly reasonable.

Abell expects his team will “play high caliber football” in Year One. “I expect us to win football games. And as we get into the season we’re gonna challenge to compete at the top of our conference,” he said.”

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Those games are more than nine months away. First, Abell has to build a staff, sign a recruiting class and do so many other things to ensure Rice football begins his tenure on the right foot. The good news for Abell? He doesn’t feel like he’s starting from scratch.

“I know the roadmap. I’ve seen this happen,” Abell said. “We’ve been able to dream and accomplish things where really people didn’t think it was possible.”

“Knowing that I understood that road map. Understanding the uniqueness that comes with Rice football, where we fit in our conference. I just thought it was an ideal fit for Scott Abell.”

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Rice Football 2024: USF presser quotes and depth chart

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Next up for Rice football: South Florida. Here’s what interim head coach Pete Alamar had to say about the matchup and a few depth chart notes.

Interim head coach Pete Alamar and a set of players met with the media for their customary weekly availability. They recapped the UAB game and then looked ahead at their upcoming matchup with South Florida. Additionally, it was announced that defensive coordinator Brian Smith was named a finalist for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation’s top assistant.

More: Rice Football to name Scott Abell 20th head coach

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

This week’s Senior Day. Not only is the last home game, but it’s out last game. There’s going to be a large group of seniors who are going to play the last football that they’ll ever play in their life… This game is a great game but at some point the game tells you its time to put your helmet up and you don’t get the chance to do it again. – Interim head coach Pete Alamar on Senior Day

The last five weeks have been freaking awesome. I mean, it was a tough situation, you come in and replace a very good friend, but the opportunity to lead the guys that are in this program, to have a staff that has worked as hard as our staff, has been really cool. When you do something for 40 years, you build a lot of memories, but the last five weeks of memories will far outshine so many other ones. – Interim head coach Pete Alamar on his experience as interim head coach

Obviously there’s a lot surrounding, but here’s the thing. You gotta look at where we’re at. We’re the 2024 Rice Owls. Anything that’s going around right now has to do with the 2025 and beyond Rice Owls. We need to compartmentalize that and remember that it’s our family. We’re going to talk about that today and how to deal with that and handle that… We’re going to quiet the noise and just go play and we’re going to enjoy every minute of it. Because you only get so many shots. – Interim head coach Pete Alamar on the noise surrounding the program right now

Love the process because results come and go. You can get discouraged if you put in all the work and you might not get the result, but the process is where you find the joy and it’s where you build the memories. It’s where you build the brotherhood that you’re going to have for the rest of your life. It teaches you the necessary lessons that you have to learn like showing up every single day, working together for a cause. Enjoying the process, what goes into the winning, is going to help you in all aspects of life. – Linebacker Chike Anigbogu on his advice to future Owls

It’s not just another game. I mean, it’s the last football game you might ever play. [You have to] make sure that you leave it all out on the field, leaving nothing behind, but definitely not changing up your process. There’s a reason we’ve all gotten to this point that we’re out now and if you try and change things up that usually doesn’t go well, so just continue with what you do but realizing that this game means a lot to a lot of people.- Running back Dean Connors on Senior Day

Depth Chart

Depth Chart Notes

There were no changes to the two-deep this week. If you haven’t yet, this is a good reminder to subscribe on Patreon to get access to our notes later in the week pertaining to Saturday availability, the coaching search and more.

And in case you haven’t heard… Rice football has a new head coach! We broke the news here and reacted on the podcast here.

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