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The Roost Podcast | Ep 192 – Where does Rice Football fit with Shehan Jeyarajah

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Rather than dwell on the Memphis game we welcome Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports to discuss where Rice football fits in the college football world right now.

As Rice football embarks on a head coaching search — the latest on that front is right here — it felt appropriate to step back from the game to game realities and look big picture. To do that, we brought back longtime friend of the show Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports. We picked his brain on the state of the sport, where Rice fits in that bigger picture and what kind of coach makes the most sense for the Owls moving forward.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 192.

Episode Notes

DCTF

The Roost Podcast is now part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner.

Homefield

We’re thrilled to partner with Homefield Apparel, the premier proprietor of college football clothing. First-time buyers can use the code ROOST for 15% off their order. The Owls hoodie is a personal favorite as is the Luv-Ya-Owls shirt. Make sure you check out the brand-new sailor hat (pictured below) as you shop the Rice collection or pick up something else (or both)!

Homefield

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Where does Rice Football fit with Shehan Jeyarajah

  • The state of college football right now
  • The case for optimism in the Group of Five
  • Who should Rice football hire as its next head coach?
  • How good is the AAC, really?
  • Army, Tulane and the College Football Playoff

Where can you find us?

The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Rice Football Head Coaching Search: Names to Know

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Rice Football is in the market for a new head football coach. Here are a few names to scratch off and a few that make the most sense for the Owls.

Whenever there’s a head coaching change, candidate lists pop up all over the internet. It’s part of the gig. Every outlet has its natural bents and sources and that drives who gets included in each respective allotment. But as is often the case with these things, no real list exists. At least, not a that moment.

I’m certain Rice Athletic Director Tommy McClelland did not go into the decision to fire Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren blindly. There were probably some potential names or descriptors on his mind, but most importantly, the decision to move on from Bloomgren opened the door for McClelland to align his criteria with a pool of interested parties. A search is underway. And now that a search is underway, a real list exists.

So, after letting the dust settle from the initial shock and doing some due diligence, here’s what I can share about who Rice Football won’t be hiring and a few names and candidate profiles who might be in the mix.

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Rice Football 2024: NFL Owls Week 10 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 10.

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) This Week Result Next Week
Detroit Lions Jack Fox (P) at Texans (SNF) W, 26-23 vs Jaguars
Indianapolis Colts Kylen Granson (TE) vs Bills L, 30-20 at Jets
Jacksonville Jaguars Austin Trammell (WR) vs Vikings L, 28-23 vs Lions
Pittsburgh Steelers Chris Boswell (PK)
Calvin Anderson (OL)		 at Commanders W, 28-27 vs Ravens
Seattle Seahawks Myles Adams (DL) — BYE — at 49ers
Washington Commanders Luke McCaffrey (WR) vs Steelers L, 28-7 at Eagles (TNF)

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OL, Steelers

Anderson came in for one offensive snap in the Steelers’ Week 10 win over the Washington Commanders. He’s now seen action in four of six games since signing with the team prior to Week 4.

Luke McCaffrey – WR, Commanders

McCaffrey was targeted three times against the Steelers, hauling in one pass for 23 yards.

Kylen Granson – TE, Colts

Granson caught two passes against the Bills in Week 10, a season-high for him in a single game this year. He accounted for 15 receiving yards in the process.

Austin Trammell – WR, Jaguars

Trammell was active but did not play in the Jaguars’ Week 10 loss to the Vikings.

Defense

Myles Adams – DL, Seahawks

Adams was inactive for the Seahawks Week 10 game against the Rams. He’s been active for three of the Seahawks’ 10 games so far this year.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox punted four times against the Texans, averaging 47 yards per punt with a long of 60 yards. He put one ball inside the 20.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell wasn’t asked to try a field goal in Week 10, but he did make all four of his extra points, including what would end up being the game-winning try in a one-point win. Boswell has made 23-of-24 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 11 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.

Team Record  This Week Result Up Next
Army 9-0 (7-0) at North Texas W, 14-3 — OFF —
Charlotte 3-6 (2-3) — OFF —  — vs USF
ECU 5-4 (3-2) vs FAU W, 49-14 at Tulsa
FAU 2-7 (0-5) at ECU L, 49-14 at Temple
Memphis 8-2 (4-2) vs Rice W, 27-20 vs UAB
Navy 7-2 (5-1) at USF W, 28-7 vs Tulane
North Texas 5-4 (2-3) vs Army L, 14-3 at UTSA
Rice 3-7 (2-5) at Memphis L, 27-20 — OFF —
Temple 2-7 (1-4) at Tulane L, 52-6 vs FAU
Tulane 8-2 (6-0) vs Temple W, 52-6 at Navy
Tulsa 3-6 (1-4) — OFF —  — vs ECU
UAB 2-7 (1-4) vs UConn L, 31-28 at Memphis
USF 4-5 (2-3) vs Navy L, 28-7 at Charlotte
UTSA 4-5 (2-3) — OFF —  — vs North Texas

Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)

Home for Christmas

Four AAC teams saw their hopes of postseason play die this weekend. Rice, Florida Atlantic, Temple and UAB each picked up loss number seven, eliminating them from traditional forms of bowl eligibility. Rice has gone bowling as a 5-win team in recent memory, but even if that scenario were still on the table, this isn’t the kind of season any of these programs envisioned and as a result, Rice has already made a head coaching change. Could any of these others follow suit?

Not done yet

East Carolina didn’t get the memo their season was over. Despite firing head coach Mike Houston ECU in mid-October, the Pirates are one win away from bowl eligibility after obliterating Florida Atlantic at home this week as quarterback Katin Houser threw for 343 yards and accounted for five touchdowns. Interim head coach Blake Harrell improved to 2-0.

You can’t stop the troops

Owners of the nation’s longest winning streak, Army has won 13 in a row and is one of four remaining unbeaten teams in the nation. They topped North Texas on Saturday in a game that included a jaw-dropping 21-play, 13:54 minute touchdown drive. When The Black Knights are rolling, they’re hard to stop.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

AAC Game of the Year?

One of the unintended consequences of large conferences without divisions was the uneven scheduling that we’re just now starting to see. Add in the unique circumstances surrounding the Army/Navy Game and you get a regular season devoid of many marquee matchups between the top teams, until next Saturday at least when 5-1 Navy hosts 6-0 Tulane, essentially for a spot in the conference championship game against Army. This one will be appointment viewing.

Last chance

South Florida and UTSA need to win two of their final three games to reach the postseason. That task looks easier, on paper, for USF which doesn’t play a team with a winning record for the remainder of the year. UTSA hosts Temple, but also draws North Texas and Army. Both programs would rather have a win this weekend to make that dream more plausible.

For last place

There’s a heated battle for the bottom spot in the league standings, but it’s entirely possible Florida Atlantic can take pole position with one more loss next weekend against fellow cellar dweller Temple. FAU currently holds the bottom spot and is the only AAC team without a conference win. If they can’t get it done against Temple it’s hard to envision any more wins coming.



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Upset bid comes up short for Rice Football at Memphis

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Rice football had its chances, but missed opportunities proved too much to overcome, as the Owls fell to Memphis in a one-score game on the road.

Another strong start. Another furious fourth quarter rally. Another loss. Rice football was left with another all too familiar sour taste following a road defeat at Memphis on Friday night, the Owls’ seventh loss of the season. The Owls hung around with the Tigers all night but ran out of time in the fourth quarter.

“There’s a certain recipe that we know we have to cook to win the game. At the end of the day, we didn’t cook the full recipe,” interim head coach Pete Alamar said. Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

Turnovers (almost) set the tone

A Rice football defense that felt allergic to turnovers for much of the season seems to have found the takeaway button at the most opportune time. The Owls went six games against FBS opponents before they registered more than one turnover in a game and went without a turnover at all in four of those games.

The tide began to turn two weeks ago against UConn when Rice took the ball away twice, but couldn’t muster enough points on the arm of a backup quarterback. With EJ Warner back at the helm and the offense up and running again, Rice knocked off Navy with the help of two turnovers from the defense, one of which came on the Owls’ first defensive possession.

A similar series of events put Rice football in front on Friday night. Following a Rice drive that stalled out to start the game the defense quickly got Memphis into third and long in the shadow of their own endzone. Tigers’ quarterback Seth Henigan tried to force the ball into a tight window but Rice corner Sean Fresch was ready and won the battle for the ball.

Fresch probably could have had another takeaway on the ensuing possession but wasn’t able to corral a missile from Henigan that deflected off his hands. The defensive effort was the difference early, though, staking Rice to a 6-0 first quarter lead. That marked the fifth time in the Owls’ last six contests that the defense held their opponent scoreless in the first frame. For only the fourth time this season, Rice won the turnover battle. They held Henigan in check for most of the night. When you’re looking to mount an upset on the road, that’s how you have to start.

Red Zone Woes

On paper, the Rice offense matched the Owls’ strong defensive start, but no matter how efficient quarterback EJ Warner was between the 20s, the lack of finishing ability of the entire offensive unit allowed Memphis to stay in the game. Rice took over at the Memphis 20-yard line following the turnover but managed one first down before settling for a chip-shot field goal. In the next possession, the Owls drove 76 yards in 11 plays but petered out in the red zone again, kicking another field goal.

Scoring points in the red zone has been a problem for Rice this season, but the degree to which the Owls have been unable to capitalize on opportunities is staggering. Rice entered this game 132nd in the nation in red zone scoring percentage, getting points on just 68 percent of their drives that reach their opponent’s 25-yard line. Nationally, only Houston and UTEP are worse.

When you take away the chip shot field goals, which Rice settled for in each of their first two red zone drives on Friday, the numbers get even more discouraging. Rice was already dead last in the AAC entering this game with a 50 percent red zone touchdown percentage. That rate will fall to 47 percent after a 1-for-4 showing against Memphis.

“It’s the little things, not executing,” Warner pointed to after the game, emphasizing the impact of a misstep here or a yard too far there makes on plays in that are of the field.

The feeble field goal lead fell apart no sooner than it had been established with Memphis closing the half with three successive scoring drives, getting points on all three possessions in the second quarter. The Owls’ only saving grace to that point was a 27-yard strike from Warner to Matt Sykes. Apparently, that’s the Owls’ current solution to their red zone issues: score from outside the 25.

Add in a turnover on the two-yard line when Warner and Dean Connors couldn’t connect on an exchange and you get a disastrous performance from up close. It’s hard to win football games when you don’t take advantage of those kinds of opportunities. Especially with Memphis going 3-for-3 in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on each trip.

Excellent EJ Warner

Even with their red zone issues, it’s impossible to discuss the Owls’ overall offensive renaissance of late without giving credit to Warner. The Owls’ transfer signal caller ran a vastly different offense at Temple and frankly looked out of his depth in his first month and change of live game action at South Main. Head coach Mike Bloomgren, who was always quick to support his guys, went on the record on multiple occasions demanding more from Warner who just wasn’t fully in sync with the offense early on.

Warner’s uncertainty showcased itself in very few throws downfield and lots of checkdowns to Connors who, not coincidentally, became the all-time receptions leaders for a running back in Rice football history against Memphis on Friday night. When Warner did air it out, passes were off the mark. As a result, defenses played close to the line of scrimmage and dared Warner to beat them. For the most part, he didn’t.

In Warner’s first four games, he averaged 3.85 adjusted yards per attempt, a statistic that measures a quarterback’s efficiency on his attempts, incorporating touchdowns and interceptions. As a rough rule, anything below five is sub-par. Warner only passed that number once, and it came against the Owls’ lone FCS opponent.

From the Charlotte game on, Warner has steadily shown progress. It’s not just the counting stats — he’s throwing for 90 more yards per game since that mark. He led what probably should have been the go-ahead drive in the fourth against the 49ers, missed field goal aside, and delivered the actual game-winning play a week later against UTSA.

Warner’s adjusted yards per attempt since Charlotte is 6.37. He registered 6.36 AYA against Memphis, right on the new standard he’s set for himself in the second half of the season. For as often as Warner was the problem early this year, he’s transformed himself into the solution.

He came through again on a key fourth down in the red zone, giving Rice football a chance to win a game they probably hadn’t earned the right to still be in.

What’s next?

The Navy game gave this team and this fanbase a reason to kindle hope for one more week. For at least a few more days, there was a chance this team had found their groove and could thread the needle, winning out to salvage one of the most unexpected bowl berths this program has ever seen. While there’s still an outside chance this team could go bowling with a five-win APR exception, the traditional path to a six-win season is officially not in the cards.

Senior Izeya Floyd say the team isn’t preoccupied with possible ways to sneak into the postseason.

“We don’t even think about it like that,” he said. “That’s not what we play for. We play to go win these games because that’s what we do. That’s what we do four our seniors, including myself. We’re going to go try and win these games. We’re going to go win these games.”

With that reality sinking in for the first time, the Memphis game felt a lot like a fair synopsis of this season. Rice did a lot of things well against a team expected to finish near the top of the American Athletic Conference. The Owls were one score away — giving the ball away on the doorstep in heartbreaking fashion along the way. Yet the result was the same as it’s been all too often this season, a loss in a competitive game the Owls couldn’t find a way to finish.

With the storybook finish likely done, all that’s left is to win the next two. For the first time all year, this feels like a team capable of getting that done.

“We got two games left. Let’s go win two games,” Alamar said post game. “Let’s be 3-1 in the month of November and let’s be playing out best football in the last game of the season. Let’s continue to grow as a football team and keep playing. I told our team in the locker room, our goals haven’t changed, to go out and win every week.”

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