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AAC Football 2024: Week 2 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 2-0 (1-0) at FAU W, 24-7 — OFF —
Charlotte 0-2 (0-0) at North Carolina L, 38-20 vs Gardner-Webb
ECU 2-0 (0-0) at ODU W, 20-14 vs App State
FAU 0-2 (0-1) vs Army L, 24-7 vs FIU
Memphis 2-0 (0-0) vs Troy W, 38-17 at Florida State
Navy 2-0 (1-0) vs Temple W, 38-20 — OFF —
North Texas 2-0 (0-0) vs SFA W, 35-20 at Texas Tech
Rice 1-1 (0-0) vs Texas So. W, 69-7 at Houston
Temple 0-2 (0-1) at Navy L, 38-11 vs Coastal Carolina
Tulane 1-1 (0-0) vs Kansas St L, 34-27 — OFF —
Tulsa 1-1 (0-0) at Arkansas St L, 28-24 vs 16 Oklahoma St
UAB 1-1 (0-1) at ULM L, 32-6 at Arkansas
USF 1-1 (0-0) at 5 Alabama L, 42-16 at Southern Miss
UTSA 1-1 (0-0) at Texas St L, 49-10 at Texas

Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)

Missed opportunities

The American Conference had a trio of marquee nonconference games in Week 2 and was unable to win any of them. UTSA demolished by Texas State in a stunning rout while Tulane and South Florida played power conference opponents much closer. USF entered the fourth quarter trailing Alabama 14-13 before things unraveled in Tuscaloosa while Tulane was a late defensive touchdown away from a resume-boosting win. Alas, the AAC will have to wait at least one more week for their first significant nonconference win of the season.

Blazers burned

UAB received plenty of heat when they decided to go off the beaten path and hire Trent Dilfer out of the high school ranks. To select Dilfer, they passed on interim coach Bryant Vincent who was hired this offseason as the head coach at Louisiana Monroe. Not only did the coach UAB spurned beat them, he oversaw a rout of epic proportions including three turnovers and a 19-0 run to finish the game.

Strong start for the Troops

There have been two conference games played to this point with Army and Navy each moving into Week 3 a perfect 1-0 in league play and 2-0 overall. The Black Knights still have yet to lose a game since joining the conference this offseason. Memphis, North Texas and ECU also earn a nod for making through the first two weeks without a loss.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Back-to-back buckets

Don’t look now but Rice football (1-1) has a better record right now than crosstown rival Houston (0-2) courtesy of the Owls’ blowout win over Texas Southern on Saturday. The Cougars will be favored, but that didn’t stop Rice from claiming the intracity rivalry a season ago. Rice was the only AAC team to upset a Power Conference opponent last season and will look to do it for a second year in a row.

Other Owls on Alert

While Rice rebounded this weekend, Florida Atlantic did not. Temple (0-2) was expected to struggle this season, but people were largely optimistic about Florida Atlantic’s season. They host FIU which looked spunky in a thrashing of Central Michigan this weekend. The schedule eases up for FAU soon, but falling to 0-3 makes the chances of reaching bowl eligibility that much more challenging. With several of the AACs heavy hitters still on the schedule, FAU could really use this win.

From upset bid to must-win?

Going into the season, Memphis’ Week 3 game against Florida State was supposed to offer the Tigers a chance at a marquee win to bolster a potential College Football Playoff case. Now, this game is starting to feel like one the Tigers need to win against a struggling, but talented, Seminoles team. ESPN FPI still lists FSU as a heavy favorite with a 79.5 percent chance to win, but this game has taken on an entirely different outlook given FSU’s 0-2 status and early season woes.

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Rice Football blasts Texas Southern in bounce-back win

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Rice Football took command early and never let up, eviscerating Texas Southern in one of the most dominant wins of the Mike Bloomgren era.

Rice football took the field on Saturday with a newfound sense of urgency following last week’s debacle against Sam Houston. In that game, the Owls were ineffective in all three phases and were summarily thumped on their own (brand new) turf. Head coach Mike Bloomgren was adamant that his players and staff would take the wake-up call for what it was. “We will respond,” he vowed. His team did just that. Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

Physically dominant

Perhaps the most irksome aspect of the Owls’ Week 1 loss was the degree to which they looked outclassed on both lines of scrimmage. Although the defense tallied seven sacks, Sam Houston ran the ball effectively. On the other side, the Owls’ offensive line offered little support for EJ Warner, continually leaving their quarterback under fire and failing to keep defenders out of the backfield.

A completely different team showed up Saturday night against Texas Southern.

“More than anything, we just need to play another game. I would have played Jones Junior High or I would have played Alabama. We need to play somebody today,” Bloomgren said. “We just needed to get a chance to get our room back and play football and love this thing and we did that. That’s what I’m happy about. We got a chance to play this game.”

The offensive line bullied the Texas Southern front for four quarters, making running lanes for Dean Connors and providing Warner plenty of time to work through progressions and find the open man. Consider the first touchdown of the game (below) which features a well-executed fullback block, a nice block from long pulling from the right side allowing Connors to get a couple of yards past the line of scrimmage before contact. Then he finishes the play in the endzone.

It was the same story on defense. The difference in intensity was night and day, highlighted by a celebratory three-player sack on the final drive of the first quarter. Officially the sack was shared by Blaise Tita and Myron Morrison — NCAA rules limit sacks shared to two individuals — but the play capped off a first quarter in which the Rice defense held Texas Southern to six total yards on three successive three-and-out series.

The first series that didn’t end with three plays and a punt for Texas Southern came early in the second quarter. That drive stopped on the second play, a pick-six by Tyson Flowers. Rice needed 60 minutes to score twice against Sam Houston. They had 28 points on the board against Texas Southern in less than 20 minutes. Rice was the more physical team in this one and that was readily apparent on almost every snap.

The second half was more of the same. Prior to their final possession, Texas Southern had not crossed midfield and had three total first downs. They never threatened to score until the final drive when the Owls had emptied their bench, and even then, it was close. Meanwhile, the Rice offense continued to march up and down the field in the final minutes of regulation.

Those final minutes included a 12-minute fourth quarter, a stipulation permitted should both head coaches agree to it. Rice dominated to such a degree that the game was shortened in the college football equivalent of the mercy rule.

The Taji Atkins Show

At least one player refused to check out when the game entered its later stages. True freshman running back Taji Atkins made waves during the offseason and made his debut last week against Sam Houston. On Saturday against Texas Southern, he made his presence felt in a very real way. Atkins scored his first career touchdown on a five-yard plunge in the third quarter.

Atkins wasn’t going to settle for just one cameo, though. Minutes later he exploded through the line, found the corner and accelerated for a 33-yard score.

Atkins carried the ball 11 times for 91 yards, narrowly missing the century mark in just his second career game. Had the field been a few yards longer on that second score, he probably would have gotten there. It seems likely we’ll see a lot more of that from Atkins moving forward.

Clean it up

The impressive showing was only marred, in part, but self-inflicted wounds. Those first two big plays by the special teams, Fresch’s return and the blocked punt, were both erased on penalties. Rice would be flagged eight times for 72 yards. Texas Southern’s only scoring drive was aided by a facemask penalty that put the Tigers in the redzone.

The Texas Southern offense only tallied 87 yards for the game and had 14 total yards before their final drive. Rice came ever so close to spotting their opponent more yards than their defense allowed.

Bloomgren, who is usually quick to pounce on penalties as a straightforward place for his team to get better, was largely dismissive of the calls in this game. “I’ll look forward to seeing those flags that were thrown, watching those players later tonight on the iPad because I’m not sure I completely understand what was called,” he said. If his assumptions are correct, perhaps that bodes well for the future.

It wasn’t just penalties, though. A fumbled snap almost erased a fourth down conversion in the first quarter. Fortunately this time Warner was able to scoop the ball up and slam it in the gut of Connors who plowed straight forward for the first down. Warner was less fortunate a few series later when he hung a ball out to Matt Sykes in a hook route that was intercepted, his third pick of the young season.

When you’re playing an FCS team that entered the game as more than a four-touchdown underdog, you can make mistakes like those.

To be fair, if those were the only mistakes the Owls made in any given game, they’d still be set up for a favorable result, but the best result here is to use those shortcomings as additional growth opportunities. If this is what Rice football can be when they’re good, not great, what does a perfect performance look like? What caliber of opponent can the Owls take down when everything is clicking like it’s supposed to? Next weekend against Houston will afford them an opportunity to test that out.

One for the record books

The kind of thumping Rice football put on Texas Southern was as impressive as it felt. The Owls registered a long list of “firsts since” on Saturday night. Although they won’t be able to add their first shutout since 2020 to the ledger, they did rack up a long list of superlatives. For example,

Rice football’s 69 points were the most scored by the Owls since scoring 77 against North Texas in 2008 and the third most scored in program history.

Rice football held Texas Southern to 49 passing yards, the lowest total for an opponent since holding Army to nine in 2017.

Rice football held Texas Southern to 38 rushing yards, the lowest total for an opponent since holding UTEP to 17 in 2017.

It was the first 300+ yard rushing game for Rice football since 2021.

As for individual accolades, Tyson Flowers and Marcus Williams each registered their first career interceptions. Taji Atkins had his first career touchdown then added another. Enoch Gota made his first two field goals. Backup quarterback Drew Devillier made his Rice debut as did a few others. The starters were out of the game by the midpoint of the third quarter. That’s how this kind of game is supposed to go.

The gaudy numbers aren’t going to the Owls’ heads just yet. Safety Tyson Flowers, who helped contribute to the beatdown, offered a levelheaded assessment of where this team stands right now.

“You want to shut out, right? But at the end of the day we won the game and regardless of them scoring at the end, regardless of us not having the shut out, there’s still plays that we need to improve on all throughout the game,” he said. “That was by no means a flawless game whether we got the shut out or not. There’s stuff that we’re gonna find when we watch the film that we need to correct if we want to continue to have the season that we want to have.”

Exhale and reload

For the casual football fan, this was a snoozer that wasn’t worth turning into beyond a few highlight plays that found their way onto social media. For a Rice football team that entered the season with the expectations they did to win in the way they did, this was expected. To see it transpire a week removed from the Sam Houston State fiasco was essential. More than anything, it sets up a crucial opportunity one week from now against Houston.

The Bayou Bucket currently resides inside the walls of the Brian Patterson Center at South Main. Players, staff and media walk past it daily. It’s become a fixture in the team meeting room. And nobody wants it to leave. Houston — 0-2 after losing to Oklahoma on Saturday night — looks more vulnerable than ever in its humble beginnings under new head coach Willie Fritz.

We’ll get to next week next week, but it’s impossible not to envision how the optics of this season could change with a 2-1 start. The oddsmakers projected Rice to be 2-1 at this point in the year, but nobody would have tabbed that potential sequence of results. This team has always been a bit unpredictable under Bloomgren’s leadership. Why not lean into that chaos and keep the Bucket for at least one more year?

“I’d like to celebrate this one before we talk about Houston anymore, if you don’t mind,” Bloomgren chided after the game. “All jokes aside, I know this team is going to be excited for next week. I think this is going to make us hungrier than ever.”

Taking care of business against Texas Southern might just give this team the boost they need to do just that.

Digging deeper

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Rice Football 2024: TXSO Game Week Practice Report

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Rice football looks to bounce back this week against Texas Southern. What adjustments can be made? Here’s what we learned from the Owls at practice this week.

Last week was a rude awakening for Rice football. The entire locker room was put on notice as head coach Mike Bloomgren called for leaders to step up and hold this program regain its football before Texas Southern arrived on campus this coming Saturday. Who suits up, and who will miss this matchup only further adds to the rising stakes in this Week 2 contest.

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Following the Leaders

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Rice Football 2024: Texas Southern presser quotes and depth chart

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Next up for Rice football: the season opener against Texas Southern. Here’s what Mike Bloomgren had to say about the matchup and a few depth chart notes.

Head coach Mike Bloomgren and a set of players met with the media for their customary weekly availability. They recapped the Sam Houston State loss and looked ahead at their upcoming matchup with Texas Southern.

More: Game Preview: Rice Football vs Texas Southern

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

““Watching the film from Saturday, it’s clear that we got away from who we want to be as a football team. And that happened early often. We were critical of the film. I feel like this team has digested the lessons and we will use this fuel. We will respond.” – Mike Bloomgren on the aftermath from the Sam Houston loss

“My belief has not wavered. I believe in this team in all aspects, from every individual, to every position group, to all three phases, to the guys that are coaching it. I also think I’ve been clear with the coaches and the team that we’re no longer going to talk about who this team can be. Right now we’re going to talk about who we are based on that game and how we go forward, how we get better, because those are the only things within our control. I’ve said it for years. Every good program has their biggest jump from week one to week two. And that’s our challenge is to get better right now and to make that big jump, take full advantage for this opportunity we have to have in front of us. We know we have to be better.” – Mike Bloomgren on the program right now 

“My ask right now is for the fans in this program, the people that care about this place to continue to support these kids and to keep coming out. The kids are worthy of their support. I thought we had a great atmosphere in the game Saturday and I thought the only thing that stunk was was our play. So we need that again from our fans.

We’re asking them to come out to Tailgate Owley again to be there to support the guys and welcome them to Rice Stadium when they get off the bus at 4 pm. We need that crowd. We’re going to need these people in the stands, making this a home field advantage again. We’re gonna put on a better show this weekend and we’re working to make sure that’s our reality.” – Mike Bloomgren’s message to the fans

“We got some good pressure, but at the same time, I think we need to take another step, a major step because the run defense was unacceptable. We got to make sure we shut down the run. You can’t win a game if you’re letting up carries like that. We also gotta make sure with our pass rush that we’re keeping the QB in the pocket… Even though we had some nice sacks, good pressure, we gotta make sure we’re limiting that run game.” – Defensive end Charlie Looes on the defensive performance vs Sam Houston

“They got a pretty physical front. The D-linemen are big, strong, they’re pretty explosive, like to penetrate. We just got to focus on our fundamentals and make sure we’re in the best spot to beat it.” – Offensive lineman John Long on the Texas Southern offense

Depth Chart

Rice Football

Depth Chart Notes

There were no changes to the official depth chart this week. Stay tuned to practice notes later in the week for subscribers for the latest on the injury front. There were a few players knocked up during the Sam Houston game and several others who weren’t able to go last week that the Owls hope to have back soon.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 183 – Rice Football falls to SHSU

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Rice football began its 2024 season with a dud, falling to Sam Houston State at home. Is the sky falling or can this team right the ship? We discuss.

If you need some audio therapy, give this week’s podcast a listen. Carter and Matthew work through the disastrous showing Rice football put on display in its opener on Saturday night against Sam Houston. How much of the fault falls on a poor game plan? Could Sam Houston actually be good? Why wasn’t Rice prepared? We sort through it all this week.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 183.

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.

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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)!

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Recapping Rice Football vs Sam Houston State

  • What happened?
  • Were pre-existing concerns validated?
  • Rice mistakes
  • More Rice mistakes
  • Can they turn things around against Texas Southern?
  • What needs to be addressed most this week?

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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