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Rice Football: First Third of the Season Grades

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Here’s our Rice football report card for every position group through four games, doing our best to provide an honest assessment of the Owls so far.

A Thursday night tilt against Charlotte gives Rice football a chance to catch it’s collective breath on Saturday and rest up before a suddenly pivotal game against Navy this coming weekend. It’s also marks the completion of the first third of the season’s game, providing a natural check-in point on the program as head coach Scott Abell works to rebuild it in his image.

From the starting quarterback to the secondary, here’s our evaluation of where things stand through four games and one standout at each position who deserves some extra recognition.

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Rice Football Races Past Charlotte in Prime Time

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Rice Football improved to 3-1 for the first time since 2001, dispatching the Charlotte 49ers in a prime time win on national television.

With the nation watching, Rice football put their gun-choice option offense on display on Thursday night, grinding out a road win over Charlotte in head coach Scott Abell’s American Conference debut. The Owls improved to 3-1 on the season.

“It’s exciting. It shows the world, it shows everyone that it’s different this year for Rice,” said senior linebacker Andrew Awe. “A lot of times [in the past] when we were down, we were down and out. But this year it’s different. We’re a contender for conference this year. We play hard every snap.”

Awe’s 11 tackles led the team and paced a defense that racked up six sacks and nine tackles for a loss. Turning in another solid performance in which many were, understandably, fixated on the new offense. Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

Hello, America

Rice football was the standalone game on Thursday night on ESPN, giving anyone slightly curious about the Owls’ new offensive scheme the chance to flip on the game — on their TV, not via a streaming service — and take in the option attack. Rice did not waste the opportunity to showcase it.

After allowing a field goal on defense, the Rice offense took the field and calmly marched 75 yards down the field in nine plays, churning through 4:26 on the clock and ending in the endzone. Rice attempted just two passes, the second of which was a pop pass over the top of the run-hunting defense for a score.

Charlotte entered the game allowing more than 4.5 yards per carry against FBS opponents, so there was expectation that Rice would be able to find success on the ground. On the opening drive, it was Quinton Jackson who ripped through the defense and drove the offense down the field. Quarterback Chase Jenkins would enter the fray a few drives later, cutting back for a massive 34-yard scamper just before halftime.

For those onlookers who wanted to see what this Rice football offense could be, those two drives showcased it at its best. However…

With the Good, Comes the Bad

A run-first offense looks brilliant when it works, but what happened between the Owls’ first half touchdown drives showcased the dangers that come with building an offense that often eschews the passing game. Those two scoring drives accounted for 15 plays and 150 yards, but they were bookends to three consecutive three-and-outs — nine plays, 14 yards.

The difference between 10 yards per play and roughly 1.5 yards per play was palpable.

Abell didn’t seem overtly concerned. He mentioned they’d tried more triple option concepts on those drives that didn’t work before pivoting to different components of the offense. “It’s kind of just football, right?” Abell remarked. “At time they’re going to stop us. They’re going to force us to punt. And that’s okay. We’ve been good on special teams all year. We’ve been good on defense.”

And while it wouldn’t ever be used as an excuse, it’s hard not to connect Charlotte’s consecutive scoring drives to open the second quarter with a Rice defense given very little breathing room by it’s counterpart on the other side of the field. Charlotte ran 40 plays before halftime. Rice ran 24. That’s too many plays to ask a defense to defend without missing a step.

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The negative play is a very real threat to this offense. Rice had a second-half drive torpedoed with a holding penalty that put them in second and long. They settled for a 55-yard field goal, which Enoch Gota pushed just right. That’s not a special teams problem; that’s a flaw inherent to this offense.

Offense Clicks and Finds Redemption

Fortunately those woes would prove to not be fatal on Thursday. Rice opened the second half with a 75-yard touchdown drive to go up by two scores and was much more successful moving the sticks in the second half.

After closing the second quarter with a touchdown drive, they marched down the field to open the third quarter with another 75-yard scoring progression. They outscored Charlotte 14-3 in the middle eight, seizing control of the game.

“We did a good job responding before the first half ended and we came out in the third quarter rolling,” running back Daelen Alexander said. “I think we showed in the third quarter what we can do with the offense, fully.”

Once again, after a slower start, the final stat sheet looks rather impressive for the Rice offense. The Owls had three different players with at least 70 yards rushing and probably could have stretched those totals further if they hadn’t ratcheted things down in the final frame. Quinton Jackson rushed for 80 yards. Alexander and 73 yards and two touchdowns. Jenkins ran for 71 yards and a score. All three averaged north of 6.7 yards per carry.

He Just Wins

Scott Abell was hired because he’d won at places where it was historically hard to win. There was tremendous optimism (and expectation) that he’d be able to bring winning to South Main, but even the most ardent believers probably didn’t see this coming. With the win over Charlotte on Thursday, Rice improved to 3-1 the season. It’s the first 3-1 start for Rice football since 2001.

But that’s not all. Abell became the first coach to open their Rice tenure 3-1 since Bo Hagan did so in 1967. The win was the first win Rice football has ever had in their American Conference opener, falling in their first two tries since moving to the league. In fact, Rice hadn’t won a conference opener on the road since 2017.

The statistics like that are plentiful. They all painted slightly different variations of a reality that’s becoming more believable with each passing weekend. Rice football might just be in a different place than they’ve been in quite some time and Abell is the unquestioned catalyst.

“I’m not surprised, but I am very proud of this team and this group,” Abell said. “I’m proud of where we are. I’m not surprised, and for those who are seeing this for the first time, we’re just at the beginning of this. Stay tuned. There’s more to come. And I look forward to what’s next for us.”

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Getting Off the Field

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Rice Football 2025: Charlotte Game Week Practice Notes

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Rice football looks to stay perfect on the road under Scott Abell with a win at Charlotte. Here’s the latest from the practice field.

It’s been a relatively healthy start to the 2025 Rice Football season, but the Owls aren’t immune to injury. There will be some adjustments to the starting lineups this week because of some of those health concerns with some up-and-coming players pushing for opportunities down the road.

More: Charlotte Presser and Depth Chart Notes

This update examines the health of some key pieces and identifies players who saw more field time against Prairie View, who could be in line for a bigger role, and when.

For Rice Football, Shuffling This Spot Isn’t New

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Rice Football 2025 Game Preview: Charlotte

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Rice football is looking to kick off conference play with a win against Charlotte. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

Both Rice football and Charlotte played FCS opponents last week and trailed in the first quarter against their respective foes. The Owls caught fire and rolled to a comfortable victory over Prairie View A&M. The 49ers had to hang on for dear life, narrowly escaping with a victory over Monmouth. That sets up an important conference debut for both squads. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and Charlotte.

Kickoff time | 6:30 PM CT
Venue | Jerry Richardson Stadium – Charlotte, NC
TV | ESPN (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)

Sizing up the Contenders

The road only gets tougher for Charlotte. After the Rice game, they only face two other opponent projected to finish in the bottom half of the conference in the preseason media poll: Temple and North Texas, which hold a combined 5-1 record to this point. Wins might be hard to come by, particularly if they can’t find a way to tame an upstart Rice squad in the early days of their installation of a new scheme.

Rice has a tough schedule the rest of the way, too, but the Owls look to be steadily making strides on offense and have the advantage of a unique offensive philosophy that will make it challenging for opponents. A win in this game could make the dreams of a potential bowl berth tangible in a way that seemed unlikely just three weeks ago.

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Last Time Out

Make sure you check out The Roost Podcast every week this season as we review the Owls’ most recent game, breaking down the key moments, decisions and their impact on the outlook of the program moving forward.

Series History

All Time | Tied, 3-3
Last Five | Charlotte leads, 3-2
Last Meeting | Home 2024, Charlotte won 21-20

Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Jenkins – 27/37 (73.0 percent), 182 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing | Jenkins – 47 carries, 144 yards (3.1 yards per carry) – 2 TD / Jackson – 46 carries, 213 yards (4.6 yards per carry), 2 TD / Alexander – 32 carries, 149 yards (4.7 yards per carry)
Receiving | Dickmann – 11 receptions, 84 yards (7.6 yds/rec) / Turner – 7 receptions, 33 yards (4.7 yds/rec) / Ransom – 4 receptions, 57 yards (14.3 yds/rec), 1 TD
Tackles | Morris – 20 / Awe – 18 / Kane – 15
Pass Breakups | Crump – 4 / Porter, Daley – 2 / Kane – 1
Interceptions | Kane – 1

Charlotte Stat Notables

Passing | Harrell – 56/83 (67.5 percent), 365 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing | Stokes – 32 carries, 96 yards (3.0 yds/car), Gainey – 23 carries, 94 yards (3.6 yds/car), 1 TD
Receiving | Jai Mason – 16 receptions, 284 yards (17.8 yds/rec), 3 TD / Nicholas – 17 receptions, 177 yards (10.4 yds/rec) / Burris – 6 receptions, 72 yards (12.0 yds/rec)
Tackles | Conley – 20 / Taylor – 19 / Solomon – 14
Pass Breakups | Seven each tied with one
Interceptions | None

Charlotte X-Factor | Don’t Make It Harder On Yourself

The 49ers’ proclivity toward self-inflicted wounds played a pivotal role in their near-upset at the hands of Monmouth. They committed 11 penalties for 103 yards, a mark among the worst in the nation last week. And it wasn’t a one-off mistake. Charlotte enters Week 4 ranked 12th in the American Conference with 7.7 penalties per game, averaging 66.7 penalty yards against them through three games.

For a program with a new coaching staff already facing an uphill battle, making the situation harder than it has to be is something that must be avoided. Getting first downs and getting off the field on defense are things that are hard enough without adding yardage and giving opponents extra chances.

Rice X-Factor | Limit the Big Play

Even without accounting for the challenging opponents Rice football has faced in its first three games, the Owls rank fourth in the American in total defense, allowing just 294 yards per game. On a down-to-down basis, they’ve been one of the most reliable units in the league. However, the big play has been their demise on more than one occassion.

Houston broke that game open with three long scoring plays, relegated Rice in a tie for tenth in the American with four plays of 40+ yards allowed this season. FAU, UTSA and UAB are the teams keeping Rice company at the bottom of the standings in that metric. All rank in the bottom half of the league in total defense.

Lastly, Charlotte won this game a year ago thanks to two big shot play touchdowns to receiver O’Mega Blake, spoiling an otherwise stingy defensive effort. If Rice can keep the lid on this one, they should have plenty of other avenues to pull out a road win.

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One Final Thing

By virtue of a 2-1 and the recent history of games between these two programs, Thursday’s matchup carries more pressure for the visiting team than might have initially been expected. The added strain on the 49ers, who have to prepare for an option offense on a short week, should tilt things even further in favor of the Owls, who have already proven they can win big games on the road this season.

Oddsmakers have released early lines that list the Owls as somewhere between 4.5 to 5.5 point favorites on the road. While a loss wouldn’t entirely erode the goodwill this program has built up in a few short weeks, it’s undeniable the earned expectation entering this game is a win and a potential 3-1 start for a team Vegas pegged as a 3.5 win squad coming into the season.

That’s a high bar for a program that hasn’t fully clicked on offense and is much thinner in the secondary than they’d hoped to be at this point in the season.

Still, the expectations are the expectations and Rice fans expect this game to be another win. If the team can deliver on that front and return to Houston with a winning record, it would be hard to evaluate the start of the Scott Abell era as anything other than a tremendous success. That might still be true at 2-2, but it’s impossible to understate the opportunity at hand.

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Rice Football soars past Prairie View A&M

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Rice Football improved to 2-1 on the season with a comfortable win over Prairie View A&M, reaching season highs in scoring and total offense.

Through their first two games, Rice football amassed 479 total yards. On Saturday night against Prairie View A&M, the Owls finished with 461 yards of total offense and 347 yards on the ground. It wasn’t a perfect night, but there was a lot of good to take from the Owls’ second win of the season before conference play arrives next week. Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

Welcome to the Stat Sheet, Chase Jenkins

Prairie View got on the board first with Panthers’ quarterback Tevin Carter connecting on a couple of big pass plays, including a 12-yard score, that put Rice football in an early hole. The Owls looked to be headed for a second consecutive three-and-out when head coach Scott Abell rolled the dice and opted to chance a fourth-down run on his own side of the field.

Daelen Alexander moved the chains and gave the offense some life. Then Chase Jenkins seized the reins of the Rice offense. Jenkins called his own number on the next play, keeping the ball for 14 yards. He ran for nine on the next play, his next of five total carries on the drive for 36 yards, including a three-yard touchdown to level the score.

“I was really just trying to make plays to move the chains,” Jenkins said. “I wasn’t really worried about the stats.”

The 36 yards rushing already represented a season high on the ground for Jenkins, who became more involved as the game progressed, topping the century mark before halftime. Jenkins would finish the game with 124 yards, marking the first time a Rice quarterback has rushed for 100 yards in a game since Taylor McHargue had 153 against Marshall in 2012.

“To see Chase grow up tonight, the way he operated the offense, that’s kind of how it’s built, to take what they give you. As always, you want to be cleaner, you want to take advantage of everything, but I thought our guys did a really nice job,” Abell said. “I’m not disappointed at all. I think it’s a great game for us to build momentum on going forward.”

On a night when so much of the offense felt difficult, Jenkins’ ability to create with the ball in his hands was the most consistent source of explosiveness and routinely allowed Rice to move the ball.

Sluggish Start

While Jenkins’ emergence in the running game was certainly helpful, the Owls’ performance was largely sluggish for too long. They were forced to attempt two fourth-down conversions in the first half to keep drives alive. They converted both, the second with an explosive 52-yard touchdown run from slot receiver Aaron Turner, but the level of effort required was concerning, especially considering the opponent.

Jenkins had the ball pop out of his hands at the goal line on his touchdown run. The officials ruled it a score before the ball came out. The same happened to punt returner Tyson Thompson shortly afterward, with a loose ball ruled down before disaster. Thompson would fumble for real in the second quarter. Rice, fortunately, fell on the ball to retain possession.

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Prairie View A&M gouged the defense with a handful of long pass plays through the air, one of which came back via penalty. A holding call was crucial in the Owls’ first three-and-out on defense for the game at the beginning of the second quarter. Rice forced back-to-back three-and-outs to begin the game against Houston the week prior.

“Really they weren’t doing anything that we hadn’t seen all week,” safety Peyton Stevenson said. “We just came out a little sloppy, didn’t have our eyes in the right place. We knew they were going to test our rules. We knew they were going to test our eyes.”

Given the talent differential, none of these miscues were backbreakers. American Conference play, which begins next week against Charlotte, will pose a much stiffer test that sheer talent won’t be enough to overcome on its own.

Defense Takes Over Late

That Prairie View A&M had a lead at any point in this game was somewhat concerning, but the way the Rice football defense responded to a slow start was rather encouraging. The Panthers had 87 yards of offense on their first two drives, including a six-play, 63-yard touchdown drive that put them in front.

Rice held the Prairie View A&M to 58 yards combined in the second and third quarters. They kept Prairie View A&M in check before a late touchdown drive against the reserves. All caveats aside, Prairie View A&M only totaled 251 offensive yards for the night.

Down-to-down consistency waxed and waned, but even with the occasional hiccup here and there, the Owls made it extremely hard for the Panthers to get the ball downfield. Had the early touchdown never happened, this might have been discussed as one of the more thorough defensive performances Rice football has put on display in some time, particularly when held up alongside the best offensive showing of the Abell era to this point.

This defense is being graded on a higher standard because of its past success and the growing pains the offense is still working through. That’s the only reason why a 10-point performance (before garbage time) won’t be viewed as a tremendous success. This unit is capable of so much more if they can clean a few things up.

Late Game Cameos

The hope going into this contest was that Rice could get some of its younger players into this game to expose them to live action in this system. That wasn’t looking like a certainty in the early portions of this game, but with a three-touchdown lead and the defense heating up, Abell handed the keys to the offense to Drew Devillier and a host of others players who’d yet to see the field for Rice to this point.

Tyvonn Byars reeled off some big runs. Semaj Pierre took a ball around the edge for 14 yards. Tyson Thompson hauled in a laser from Devillier to extend the Rice lead. Abell mentioned the plan going into the week was to get several players into the game late. Even freshman quarterback Patrick Crayton handled a series, something that might not matter much now, but could play huge dividends down the road.

Altogether, it was a win, and a win in which the staff felt they achieved so many of the goals they felt they needed to coming into Saturday.

“I’m really pleased. We’re 2-1, but the part I’m pleased most about is the ceiling is so much higher. I don’t think we’ve played our best football. I think we’ve shown flashes of playing really good football in every game,” Abell said. “I’m happy where we are. I know the best is ahead for us.”

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So You Want to Throw the Ball

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