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Rice Football: What’s next for the Bayou Bucket? – September 2023 Patreon Q&A

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The Bayou Bucket rivalry between Rice football and Houston appears to be on hiatus. The question is, for how long?

The 2023 edition of the Bayou Bucket, won by Rice football in overtime, was the last scheduled meeting between the two teams currently on the schedule. There’s some interest to keep the game going in the future, but there is no clear path forward right now. Why? What’s standing in the way of rekindling this rivalry on an annual basis? And other games might fit on future nonconference schedules.

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Rice Football 2023 Game Preview: East Carolina

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Rice football hosts ECU in their first-ever AAC home game this weekend. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

East Carolina dismantled FCS Gardner-Webb this past weekend, much in the same way Rice Football disposed of their FCS opponent, Texas Southern, two weeks ago. The Owls were less fortunate in their conference opener on Saturday against USF, falling 42-29. Here’s everything you need to know about this week’s matchup between Rice and ECU.

Kickoff time | 6:00 PM CT
Venue | Rice Stadium – Houston, TX
TV | ESPN+ (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs ECU 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.

Sizing up the contenders

Rice owns the lone FBS win between these two programs, upsetting Houston to clinch the Bayou Bucket in Week 2. Since then the Owls have seen their star quarterback JT Daniels get knocked out of a game with injury and are in need of some good news. ECU is still searching for an FBS win to alleviate some concerns in Greenville over the sluggish start. It’s a bit early in the season for a must-win game, but both programs really want this one.

Series History

All Time | Tied, 2-2
Last Five | Tied, 2-2
Last Meeting | Home 2010, Rice won 62-38

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Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Daniels – 80/125 (64.0 percent), 1237 yards, 11 TD, 3 INT
Rushing | Connors – 29 carries, 139 yards (4.8 yards per carry), 1 TD / Alexander – 17 carries, 35 yards (2.1 yards per carry), 5 TD
Receiving | McCaffrey – 20 receptions, 370 yards (18.5 yds/rec), 4 TDs / Walker – 8 receptions, 178 yards (22.3 yds/rec), 2 TD
Tackles | Wyatt, Morrison – 27 / Conti – 22 / Taylor – 20
Pass Breakups | Fresch – 4 / Jean – 3 / Wyatt, Taylor, Narcisse – 2 
Interceptions | Devones – 1

ECU Stat Notables

Passing | Flinn – 34/68 (50.0 percent), 365 yards, 1 TD, 4 INT / Garcia – 32/55 (58.2 percent), 234 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing | Harris – 42 carries, 171 yards (4.1 yards per carry), 3 TD / Garcia – 32 carries, 178 yards (5.6 ypc), 1 TD
Receiving | Johnson – 16 receptions, 178 yards (11.1 yards per reception), 0 TD / Hatfield – 9 receptions, 128 yards (14.2 yds/rec), 0 TD
Tackles | Wood – 30 / Edwards – 29 / Jackson – 19
Pass Breakups | Davis, Wilk, Rogers, Jones tied with 2
Interceptions | Jackson – 1

ECU X-Factor | Protect the Football

ECU enters the game +1 in turnover differential, but they were -3 entering their game against Gardner-Webb before posting a +4 differential in that contest. Even in that game, ECU still turned the ball over once. Through four games, they have yet to post a turnover-free result. That might not matter against an FCS opponent, but it has mattered in their FBS games so far. 

The Pirates lost the turnover battle in each of their first three games and were tied for fourth-worst in the AAC in turnovers entering Saturday. That’s a recipe for disaster, especially on the road. Rice has only forced three turnovers so far this season, but they’ve been close on a few other plays and have enough playmakers on defense to make ECU nervous. They can’t afford to tempt fate here.

Rice X-Factor | Get off the field

For all the missteps Rice football suffered in their loss to South Florida, the inability to get off the field on defense was the most concerning.  Excluding drives that ended in the end of the half, Rice kept USF from scoring three times. Five touchdowns allowed and two field goals, seven scoring drives, against three stops is not sustainable, particularly when everyone in the stadium knows who is getting the ball before the play happens.

If JT Daniels is available, winning a shootout will always be a possibility, and backup quarterback AJ Padgett has flashed in limited duty before, but winning football for Rice will always rely in some capacity on a competent defense. The Owls didn’t have that last weekend and the results were, unfortunately, predictable.

ECU is converting a modest 36 percent of their third downs on offense and scoring 22 points per game, which includes their recent thumping of Gardner-Webb. This shouldn’t be an offense that can run circles around the Rice defense. The Rice pass rush needs a bounce-back game in the worst way, as does the secondary. No matter the quarterback, this one is going to depend on a solid defensive showing. 

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One Final Thing

Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren always likes to fall back on the mantra that things are never as good and never as bad as they feel in the moment. The Owls’ season seemed to be rocketing upward after the Houston win and falling to pieces after the USF loss. This team has to hope the reality is somewhere in between.

There are no more Power 5 opponents on the schedule. Instead, the road ahead should be manageable. If Rice proves they can bounce back and take care of business at home against a sub-.500 team, things will revert back toward their optimistic beginnings. If not, there probably should be some soul-searching done after a strong start.

Regardless, no referendums should be made as a result of any one game. That’s a statement, as I write it, feels doomed to be ignored no matter how the East Carolina game goes. But in all fairness, that’s how this sport is consumed, more often than not and this program showed Saturday it has work to do before it fully earns the benefit of the doubt. 

So, as Bloomgren and his players often say, Rice needs to go 1-0 this week in a very winnable and very much-needed game.

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USF outguns Rice Football, hands Owls first AAC loss

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Rice Football traded blows with a potent USF offense early, but was unable to sustain the fight for four quarters, falling in their AAC opener on the road.

As if the loss wasn’t painful enough, the added insult of an injury to Rice football quarterback JT Daniels cast a further shadow over what was meant to be a hopeful beginning for the Owls in AAC play. Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

Set the tone

The opening quarter didn’t quite go according to plan for Rice football on Saturday. They were forced to punt on their opening drive and allowed a 12-play, 62-yard scoring drive by the USF offense, aided by some penalties and missed tackles along the way. Holding their opponents to a field goal was a good start, but the Owls needed to ensure they gave their defense a breather by producing an extended drive the next time out.

Not only did JT Daniels and Co. deliver, they delivered their message emphatically. Dean Connors converted a short third down and moved the sticks on the ground. Then Luke McCaffrey hauled in a 47-yard reception to get Rice inside the redzone.

Rice brought the jumbo package in, but Daelen Alexander was stopped for a minimal gain on third down, setting up a critical fourth and one. For the brand and for the psyche of his team, head coach Mike Bloomgren had no choice to make. He absolutely had to go for it. But how he elected to get that final yard and change, that had some room for creativity.

The big men trotted onto the field once again after a timeout, but this time Bloomgren and offensive coordinator Marques Tuiasosopo threw a curveball that nobody on the USF defense was ready for. Daniels faked to Alexander, then calmly tossed the ball to the freshman tailback for the go-ahead touchdown.

Rice found themselves in a similar “momentum moment” in the final minute of the second quarter. Trailing for the first time that day, quarterback JT Daniels led a 10-play, 70-yard touchdown drive to put Rice back in front that included a big fourth down conversion.

There have been times in recent seasons when it has felt like everything was breaking the wrong way for this team. There were a few plays on Saturday that served as small counterpoints.

One-on-none

USF goes as Byrum Brown goes. The Bulls quarterback is a lethal threat on the ground, but Rice was able to neutralize that aspect of his game. His arm was the problem, or at least, what his arm was able to do to the Owls’ secondary.

After a sluggish start to the game, Brown and the USF offense got into gear and started their aerial assault. From the middle of the second quarter on, Brown completed passes of 53, 51, 59, 42, 49 and 52 yards. One long bomb is too much. Three is a problem. But six pass plays allowed of 40+ yards? That’s a disaster, regardless of which offense is on the other side of the field.

Getting prepared for the furious tempo USF plays with was a focal point all week. But the defensive backs in coverage had plenty of time and space to make sure the ball wasn’t able to get behind them and it didn’t seem to matter.

The pass rush has been a huge boost to a young secondary so far this season. But when the pass rush doesn’t get home (or doesn’t have time to reach its target) the downside is terrifying. Rice experienced what had to be pretty closer to the worst-case scenario on Saturday and they’ll have plenty of film to watch as they attempt to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Don’t beat yourself

The notion of not beating yourself has saturated the Rice football culture this season. Bloomgren reiterated the concept quite eloquently during his midweek availability.

“I just can’t sell these guys enough that it’s all about us. That’s a very good football team on the other side,” Bloomgren said. “They’re playing with a lot of belief right now. I think Alex [Golesh] is doing a great job instilling his culture there, but right now, this game is not going to be about what South Florida does. It’s going to be about the Rice Owls do.”

Although there were plenty of big Rice moments, what the Rice Owls did on Saturday was littered with sloppy play and self-inflicted wounds. Kicker Tim Horn missed two field goals. Punts were short. The Owls had their fair share of inconvenient penalties. USF’s lone first quarter touchdown run would not have happened had Rice not allowed a deep shot earlier in the drive and then missed several tackles on the run itself.

And that’s all before accounting for the secondary’s terrible day. Most of the time, playing sloppily on the road results in a loss. On Saturday, it did.

Gut punched

Including Rice football’s debut game in the Southwestern Conference in 1915, more than 100 years ago, Rice has yet to win its conference opening game. That includes a loss to start SWC play, WAC play, C-USA play and now AAC play.

On Saturday, Rice had the chance to begin the season 3-1 for the first time since 2001 and squash some uncertainty lingering within the program. They missed that chance. Instead of looking at the standings this weekend and seeing Rice tied with Memphis for first place in the conference, the Owls are tied for last.

The road ahead looks (somewhat surprisingly) more manageable than it might have before the season began. Both East Carolina and UConn entered Saturday winless. Rice gets both teams on their home turf. Making the most out of that pair of games is paramount now after the Owls missed their first opportunity to find their first American Conference win.

Digging deeper

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When you’ve got a quarterback…?

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Rice Football 2023: South Florida Game Week Practice Report

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Rice football hits the road for their first-ever AAC game against South Florida. Here’s what we learned from practice this week.

Hoping to be 3-1 for the first time since 2001, Rice football heads to Florida to take on USF and first-year head coach Alex Golesh this weekend. The Owls had plenty of film to review following the Texas Southern win and had a few changes to make as a result.

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This week’s roundup focuses on how Rice football plans to address the tempo USF plays with as well as some potential personnel decisions at linebacker and running back that could be intriguing as the team prepares for Week 4.

For those checking in for the first time, or those returning, a quick programming note. Special features like this are reserved for our subscribers. Have questions? You can get those answered in our monthly Q&As and get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and features like this one when you subscribe on Patreon today.

Tempo, tempo, tempo

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Rice Football 2023 Game Preview: South Florida

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Rice football visits USF in their first-ever AAC game this weekend. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

Winners of two in a row, Rice football heads to the Sunshine State for their first ever AAC game against a South Florida squad that  played well against Alabama in Week 2, albeit in losing fashion. Head coach Alex Golesh didn’t mince words with the result. “Valiant efforts are for losers. Moral victories are for losers,” he said. “That’s what losers say. Winners win.”

There will be no moral victories this weekend. Someone will be tied atop the conference standings and someone else will be o-1. Here’s everything you need to know about this week’s matchup between Rice and USF.

Kickoff time | 3:00 PM CT
Venue | Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, Florida
TV | ESPNU (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs USF 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.

Sizing up the contenders

Neither USF nor Rice football were expected to be among the contenders for the AAC this season. The Owls were picked to finish 12th, the Bulls picked just behind them at 13th. The winner will be tied with Memphis at 1-0 for first place. If Rice wins, they’ll be 3-1 with a Power 5 victory already under their belt. If USF wins, they’ll be .500 through four games under a first year head coach. This is a big one.

Series History

All Time | n/a
Last Five | n/a
Last Meeting | n/a

Get the Inside Scoop

Get access to practice reports, analysis and special features during the week when you subscribe to our Starting Lineup Tier on Patreon today. If you want updates on how Rice football plans to attack this week’s opponent, position battles, standouts, injuries and more, this is your go-to source. Don’t miss out! Join now!

Become a Patron!

Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Daniels – 53/85 (62.4 percent), 805 yards, 8 TD, 3 INT
Rushing | Connors – 24 carries, 137 yards (5.7 yards per carry), 1 TD / Alexander – 14 carries, 40 yards (2.9 yards per carry), 5 TD
Receiving | McCaffrey – 11 receptions, 171 yards (15.5 yds/rec), 4 TDs / Walker – 7 receptions, 151 yards (21.6 yds/rec), 2 TD
Tackles | Wyatt – 17 / Morrison – 16 / Pearcy – 15
Pass Breakups | Fresch – 4 / Devones, Jean, Wyatt, Narcisse – 2 
Interceptions | Devones – 1

USF Stat Notables

Passing | B. Brown – 49/96 (51.0 percent), 450  yards, 4 TD, 3 INT
Rushing | B. Brown – 65 carries, 269 yards (4.1 yards per carry), 4 TD / Wright – 41 carries, 210 yards (5.1 ypc), 0 TD
Receiving | Atkins – 16 receptions, 142 yards (8.9 yards per reception), 0 TD / K. Brown – 6 receptions, 109 yards (18.2 yds/rec), 2 TD
Tackles | Shuler – 21 / Gordon – 19 / Evans – 18
Pass Breakups | Berryhill, Logan – 2 /  Five others – 1 
Interceptions | Berryhill – 2 / Stokes – 1

USF X-Factor | Contain the passing attack

USF ranks in the bottom quartile of the country in explosive passing plays allowed on defense (12), averaging four 20+ yard completions against their defense through three games. Against Alabama last weekend, though, USF gave up just one such play and (not coincidentally) posted their best defensive performance of the season against one of the most talented teams in the country. 

If one is inclined to believe the box scores, as unthinkable as this might have been to those outside of South Main until even a few weeks ago, Rice quarterback JT Daniels has been better than either of the signal callers Alabama played against USF last weekend. He will test USF downfield. If they can stand tall and take that element away from the Ric offense, things could get interesting. 

The Rice running game was more productive in the second half against Texas Southern than it had been yet this season, but it certainly hasn’t been fantastic quite yet. Someone is going to try to force the Owls to be one dimensional and it might just be USF.

Rice X-Factor | Win the turnover battle

Sometimes, it’s not rocket science. The Owls were -3 in turnovers against Texas and lost the game by four scores. They were -1 against Houston, allowing the Cougars to erase a 28-point Owl advantage because of miscues. Against Texas Southern, inarguably the least talented team Rice football has played thus far, they won the turnover battle 2-0 and won in dominant fashion.

The USF offense has shown spurts of ability in the early days of the Golesh era. If they’re able to move the ball well against the Owls, adding a turnover deficit on the road would not be a recipe that portends success. For Rice to enable themselves to play their game and stay on schedule, being turnover neutral, at a minimum, is a must.

In practice, that means a bit more poise from Daniels on some of his bolder throws and sure hands from the skill players, who have put the ball on the deck a few times so far this season. 

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One Final Thing

Rice football has never started 3-1 under head coach Mike Bloomgren. The Owls got to 3-2 last year but had to knock off UAB in game five to get there. 3-1 would be a first. As Bloomgren continues to make his case that 2023 will be his breakthrough season, a strong start like that would certainly be noticed. It also could set up something more.

Rice returns home the following weekend and plays ECU (0-3) and UConn (0-3) before a bye week. This program is not far enough removed from some very hard seasons to start counting a single win before it happens, but it’s not too presumptive to say the schedule couldn’t be set up much more favorably for this team in the weeks ahead. A 3-1 start could turn into much more.

First, though, Rice football has to take care of business. Win this game on the road, their first road victory of the season, and come home healthy. If you can achieve that, we could be looking at a rare opportunity and an intriguing start to a season that hasn’t been seen on South Main in quite some time. They’ll just need to beat first-year head coach Alex Golesh to get that chance. 

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