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Rice Football: Perspective needed after Owls’ tough start

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Rice football has been on the losing end against four talented teams, most of which are earning national attention. What does that tell us about the Owls?

The Week 5 polls are out. Rice football fans will recognize several names on the ballots. Three of the Owls first four opponents are ranked inside the Top 31 in both major polls (AP and Coaches). Rice took two of those teams to deep water, possessing the ball with the chance to tie (or win) the game in the fourth quarter against Army and Baylor.

Here’s how those teams have fared in their games this season:

3-1 Army (def Rice 14-7)

No. 7 Michigan (L, 24-21 OT), UTSA (W, 31-13), Morgan St (W, 52-21)

4-0 Wake Forest (def Rice 41-21)

Utah St (W, 38-35), North Carolina (W, 24-18), Elon (W, 49-7)

3-1 Texas (def Rice 48-13)

Louisiana Tech (45-14), No. 6 LSU (L, 45-38), Oklahoma St (W, 36-30)

3-0 Baylor (def Rice 21-13)

SFA (W, 56-17), UTSA (W, 63-14)

Collectively, in games against non-Rice opponents, the Owls’ four nonconference foes are 9-2. Their two losses have come to No. 7 Michigan in overtime and No. 6 LSU in a one-score game. For the most part, the Owls played their opponents, particularly against Army and Baylor.

Army average 314 rushing yards and 4.3 rushing touchdowns per game against non-Rice opponents. The Owls held them to 231 yards and one rushing score.

Wake Forest allowed more points to Rice than North Carolina, who was in the conversation to be ranked prior to their close loss to the Demon Deacons.

Texas equally overmatched the Owls and fellow conference foe Louisiana Tech, who Rice meets to start C-USA play this coming weekend. The Texas offense was just as explosive, if not more so, against No. 6 LSU who was expected to have one of the nation’s better defenses entering the season.

Baylor was the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense entering their game against Rice. The Owls shut the Bears out in the second half and held them to 21 total points. Baylor scored 21 or more points in eight of 12 games last season, falling under that mark to only ranked Texas, West Virginia and Iowa State teams and Gary Patterson’s stingy TCU defense.

More: Takeaways from Owls’ close loss to Baylor

Rice has no interest in losing well. But the level of competitiveness the Owls have demonstrated combined with the results their opponents have against other teams prove to be powerful data points. Yes, they’re 0-4, but they haven’t lost to bad teams, quite the contrary. Now it’s on the Owls to take the next step and turn positive momentum into tangible wins.

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Rice Football 2019: Owls in the NFL Week 3 Update

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Former Rice football pass rusher Christian Covington flashed in extended time. Here’s how other NFL Owls fared in Week 3.

There are former Rice football players are scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player.

Week 3 results

Lions 27 – Eagles 24 (Sendejo)
Cowboys 31 (Covington) – Dolphins 6
Packers 27 – Broncos 16 (Callahan)
Saints 33 – Seahawks 27 (Ellerbee)
49ers 24 – Steelers 20 (Boswell, McDonald)
Texans 27 (Gaines) – Chargers 20

Chris Boswell, K, Steelers

Boswell converted two first quarter field goals (46-yards, 26-yards) and two extra points. He hasn’t missed a kick this season. The Steelers host the Bengals in Week 4 on Monday Night Football.

Bryce Callahan, CB, Broncos

Callahan was inactive for the Broncos’ Week 3 game with the Packers. He has yet to make an appearance for the team this season. The Broncos host the Jaguars in Week 4.

Christian Covington, DE, Cowboys

A few injuries in the Dallas front seven opened up some playing time for Covington against the Dolphins. He took advantage of the opportunity, registering three tackles, one pass defended and one quarterback hit. The Cowboys visit the Saints in Week 4.

Emmanuel Ellerbee, LB, Seahawks

Ellerbee was placed injured reserve prior to the start of the season. The Seahawks visit the Cardinals in Week 4.

Vance McDonald, TE, Steelers

McDonald left Sunday’s game early with a shoulder injury and did not return. More information on his injury should be available later in the week. While active, he hauled in one of two targets for 10 yards. The Steelers host the Bengals in Week 4 on Monday Night Football.

Andrew Sendejo, Saf, Eagles

Sendejo tallied three solo tackles and a quarterback hit, the only member of the Eagles’ secondary to do so against the Lions in Week 3. The Eagles visit the Packers in Week 4 on Thursday Night Football.

Phillip Gaines, CB, Texans

Gaines has not yet made an appearance with the Texans after signing with the team on Sept. 10. The Texans host the Panthers in Week 4.

More Owls in the NFL

From practice squads to current free agents, there are others 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.

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Conference USA Football 2019: Week 4 C-USA roundup

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Rice football closed out nonconference play as several Conference USA Football teams kicked off their first conference games of the season.

Team Week 4 Result Week 5
Charlotte at No. 1 Clemson L, 52-10 vs FAU
FAU vs Wagner W, 42-7 at Charlotte
FIU at Louisiana Tech L, 43-31 — OFF —
LaTech vs FIU W, 43-31 at Rice
Marshall — OFF — — OFF — vs Cincinnati
MTSU — OFF — — OFF — at Iowa
North Texas vs UTSA W, 45-3 vs Houston
ODU at No. 21 Virginia L, 28-17 vs East Carolina
Rice vs Baylor L, 21-13 vs Louisiana Tech
Southern Miss at No. 2 Alabama L, 49-7 vs UTEP
UAB vs South Alabama W, 35-3 at WKU
UTEP vs Nevada L, 37-21 at Southern Miss
UTSA at North Texas L, 45-3 — OFF —
WKU — OFF — — OFF — vs UAB

Notable Week 4 results – Standings

Another Rice rally falls short

Down 21-3, things looked dire at South Main. Then the Rice football defense pitched a shutout in the second half against a Baylor team which entered the game as the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense. The offense came up short, mustering only 10 points after the break, but Rice posted another tight result in a rigorous nonconference slate.

Mayday, mayday UTSA

Another C-USA defeat left the team on the losing end feeling much less optimistic. UTSA fell in a one-sided affair to North Texas despite Conference USA Football Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Mason Fine being limited to 195 passing yards and two touchdowns. UTSA Quarterback Frank Harris was knocked out of the game. His status is up in the air, making the mood in San Antonio rather dour.

It’s sweet to have three

With conference play only just beginning, there are only two C-USA teams who have reached the three-win mark after four weeks. UAB is 3-0 (0-0) and Louisiana Tech is 3-1 (1-0). The Blazers and Bulldogs both play their first conference road game next weekend.

Week 5 storylines

One last nonconference statement

Conference USA failed to connect on any of their major nonconference upset opportunities. North Texas couldn’t top Cal. Rice fell to a slew of Power 5 teams. Marshall dropped a close one to Boise State. The Thundering Herd get one more chance to shine the light on Conference USA football when they host a talented Cincinnati squad in Week 5.

The off week couldn’t have come any sooner

FIU was expected to compete for the C-USA East crown. They’re 1-3 with a close win over New Hampshire to their name. This is a team in massive need of a reset. Already 0-2 in conference play, the Panthers’ margin for error is shrinking. A break came at the right time.

Litmus test

Western Kentucky squandered a double-digit fourth quarter lead against FCS Central Arkansas in Week 1. They beat FIU 20-14 in Week 2 and lost a closer-than-expected game to Louisville their last time out. Week 5 will be a defining moment for the Hilltoppers when they face UAB at home. Which outing, the FCS loss or the C-USA win, will prove more predictive of Tyson Helton’s first year at the helm.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2020 Defensive end Jalen Reeves commits to Owls

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Prized defensive end target Jalen Reeves has committed to the Owls at the 2020 Rice football recruiting class continues to bring in elite talent.

The 2020 Rice Football recruiting class had plenty of skilled players. There were skill players like Khalan Griffin and Andrew Mason, defensive backs like Sean Fresch and Plae Wyatt and versatile athletes who will force their way onto the field somewhere like Devin Gunter and Cole Latos. But there wasn’t a top-flight pass-rushing defensive end.

Now there is. Florida defensive end Jalen Reeves has committed to Rice.

Reeves built a relationship with the Owls coaching staff over the summer. He was ready to commit to the Owls before he ever stepped foot on campus. Not only did Rice find a time to get him to South Main for the Baylor game; he committed on the spot.
Rice Football, Rice Football Recruiting

This is a huge get for Rice football. The Owls are no strangers to beating out Group of 5 programs, service academies and the Ivy League programs. Reeves had offers from all of those groups, but he also had offers from Boston College, NC State, Pitt, Syracuse and LSU. The 2020 Rice football recruiting class has taken the next step and is getting players sought after by elite college football programs across the nation.

With a little over two months until the early signing period, Rice has filled a little more than half of their class. Reeves’ addition puts the Owls at 14 commits and keeps them near the top of the 2020 Conference USA recruiting ranks.

Reeves was a sought after player for a reason. Those on staff view him as an “Anthony Ekpe 2.0” type of player. He has the power and the burst to move off blocks and get to the quarterback. Take a look at his highlights and smile. He’s going to be a fun one to watch at South Main for years to come.

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Rice Football: Owls rally falls short against Baylor Bears

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Another hard-fought nonconference game ended in defeat for Rice football who couldn’t rally from an early deficit against the Baylor Bears.

Rice football concluded their nonconference slate with their second straight bout with an in-state opponent. Baylor struck first but the Owls mounted a comeback which fell just short. Here are a few immediate takeaways from the game:

1. Shortening the game worked

When the first quarter ended Rice and Baylor were locked in a one-score game and the sun was still hanging in the sky. Despite the 6:00 p.m. kick, the Owls were able to fit an entire quarter in, and then some, before the stadium lights were needed. This is a theme we’ll see throughout this season.

The offense picked up three first downs in the first quarter and possessed the ball for a little more than five minutes. The defense bent, but only allowed the one touchdown. The formula in the second quarter was the same, with the Owls finding more success on offense — including their first successful field goal of the season.

Recruiting update | Owls gaining ground on priority targets

A week removed from giving up four consecutive touchdown drives against Texas with zero offensive points, Rice put a much more competitive product on the field and kept the score close, so close in fact that the Owls found themselves in a one-score game in the fourth quarter against a team most expected to run away from them.

2. Ground game goes quietly, again

Rice averaged 6.0 yards per carry in their season opener against Army. That included a long touchdown run by Nahshon Ellerbe, but even without the big gain, the Owls had success moving the ball on the ground. Since that Friday night, it’s been more than tough sledding.

The Owls tallied 67 rushing yards against Wake Forest, 87 against Texas and 64 against Baylor. For an offense that professes to live and die on pounding the rock, they were considerably less productive with the ground game controlled.

The opponents who were able to quiet the Owls’ rushing attack are all more talented and athletic than Army. They’re also more capable in the trenches than the remaining opponents on the schedule. Prior to Saturday, Rice hasn’t had an answer when the ground game isn’t working. The Owls needed the passing game to rise up, and it did.

3. This defense is going to win something

It might not be a championship (this year) but the Rice defense has proven themselves good enough to win games. Aside from a 50-yard touchdown against busted coverage — something which hasn’t happened as often this year as it did last year — the Rice defense played extremely well. In their previous two first halves, Baylor had scored 35 points against UTSA and 35 against SFA. Rice allowed 21.

Denzel Mims and RJ Sneed tallied 20 receptions for 244 yards and five touchdowns in their first two games. Rice held that duo to 126 yards and no scores on nine receptions.

Rice stopped Baylor on fourth down in this game, forcing a fumble in the process. They picked up another fumble on a botched exchange in the second quarter and should have gotten points off that turnover as well, but Chris Barnes missed the field goal.

Baylor hit a long pass down the sideline on their first possession of the third quarter. The defense responded by shutting down a wide receiver pass and stripping Brewer of the ball for their third forced fumble of the game.

3. Sustained drives make a difference

Getting to third and short has been a challenge for Rice. The Owls faced 18 third downs and converted eight of them. Five of those third downs were four yards or shorter. They converted four of those five. A good portion of that was the lack of effectiveness in the running game, but the passing game wasn’t consistent enough to set the Owls up in third and short often either.

Third down was a problem for this offense last year and a major factor in their inability to control games. Against Baylor, Rice converted three consecutive third downs on two separate occasions. Both possession ended with redzone field goals.

Better still, Rice found ways to move the ball before they found themselves in third down. Tom Stewart’s touchdown run came on the heels of a third and one conversion by Austin Walter.

4. The special teams dilemma

Bloomgren declined to make any public decisions regarding the placekicking entering Saturday’s contest. We saw incumbent Will Harrison come on and convert from 28 yards and 24 yards. Punter and team captain Chris Barnes missed late in the game from 44 yards.

Last year we saw Rice deploy a similar platoon situation. Jack Fox handled long field goals and Hayden Tobola kicked from roughly inside 40 yards.

Zach Hoban handled kickoffs against Baylor. He could be in the mix here as well once he’s fully recovered from an injury which kept him out of the first three games. Bottom line, this situation is still pretty hazy and we might not get clairt for a while.

5. The quarterback dilemma

Here are the final lines for both quarterbacks

Wiley Green | 13-of-23 passing for 128 yards
Tom Stewart | 5-of-8 passing for 50 yards with a 21-yard rushing touchdown

Green didn’t do much with his first two possessions of the game, ceding to Stewart as planned for the third series. Stewart made the most of his opportunity, connecting on two big third down throws, positioning Rice for two field goal attempts. Understandably, Bloomgren rode the hotter hand and kept Stewart in for the remainder of the first half.

Green started out the second half and was noticeably galvanized by the competition. He picked up a first down with his legs and drove the Owls the length of the field into the redzone ore the offense stalled. Stewart didn’t take a snap in the third quarter thanks to Green’s early success. Then Stewart reentered the game after Green got hit and promptly ripped off the 21-yard touchdown run.

Now Bloomgren is in a pickle. Both quarterbacks had their moments. At halftime I would have said Stewart was the better option. Then Green rallied in the second half. Conference play starts next week and it doesn’t look like Rice will have one definitive answer at the quarterback position.

5. No more mulligans. Conference play is here.

Slow starts have maligned the Rice offense through nonconference play. The defense has looked sharp, if not excellent. Next week those early themes will be put to the test in the first conference game of the season. An 0-4 start can fade quickly if Rice can find a way to reinvigorate the offense and keep the defense humming.

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