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Rice Football: Where’s the respect? — September Patreon Q&A

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Rice football is playing at its highest level yet under head coach Mike Bloomgren. What will it take for those outside of Houston to notice?

Rice football sits at 2-2 in their nonconference slate with a home game against UAB looming, this month’s mailbag focuses on respect. Specifically, when will the Owls stop being overlooked? Who else do they have to beat? We tackle those themes in this month’s Patreon Q&A.

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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.

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Rice Football 2022 Game Preview: UAB

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Rice football opens Conference USA play against the UAB Blazers this weekend. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

The UAB Blazers sat and home during their bye week and watched Rice football push the Houston Cougars to the brink on Saturday night. The Owls did not prevail, but they should have given the Blazers plenty to prepare for as the teams prepare to meet for the first time since Rice upset UAB in Birmingham last season. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup.

Kickoff time | 6:30 PM CT
Venue | Rice Stadium – Houston, Tx
TV | ESPN+ (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs UAB 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. Find us on the podcast page or wherever you like to listen to podcasts. (And consider leaving us a 5-star review while you’re at it.)

Sizing up the contenders

Both UAB and Rice football enter their Week 5 contest 0-0 in conference play. The Blazers were expected to be among the favorites in the race for the conference title, the Owls were not. But the dynamics of that title hunt could change quickly. Rice is playing some of their best football in recent memory right now and they beat UAB in Birmingham last season. The Blazers are the favorites, but this one could very well go the distance.

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Series History

All Time | UAB leads, 6-4
Last Five | UAB leads, 4-1
Last Meeting | Away 2021, Rice won 30-24

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Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | McMahon – 76/119 (63.9 percent), 976 yards, 8 TD, 7 INT
Rushing | Broussard – 60 carries, 160 yards (2.7 yards per carry), 6 TD / Montgomery – 19 carries, 152 yards (8.0 yards per carry), 0 TD
Receiving | McCaffrey – 26 receptions, 323 yards (12.4 yds/rec), 3 TD / Rozner – 13 receptions, 278 yards (21.4 yds/rec), 3 TDs / Esdale – 17 receptions, 219 yards (12.9 yds/rec), 0 TD
Tackles | Conti – 19 / Morrison – 17 / Taylor – 15
Pass Breakups | Morrison, Dunbar, Taylor, Fresch – 2 / Three others tied with one
Interceptions | Morrison, Nyakwol, Chamberlain, Taylor – 1

UAB Notables

Passing | Hopkins – 35/52 (67.3 percent), 430 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Rushing | McBride – 48 carries, 400 yards (8.3 yards per carry), 5 TD / Brown – 38 carries, 247 yards (6.5 ypc), 2 TD
Receiving | Palmer – 8 receptions, 110 yards (13.8 yards per reception), 0 TD / Jones – 10 receptions, 91 yards (9.1 yds/rec), 0 TD
Tackles | Wilder – 21 / Taylor – 19/  Cash – 13
Pass Breakups | McWilliams – 4 / Swoopes, Bynum – 3
Interceptions | Key – 2 / Four others tied with one

UAB X-Factor | Stop the pass

Although Rice football has preached ground and pound under the direction of head coach Mike Bloomgren, the 2022 Owls have taken to the skies. In their most recent outing against Houston, Rice threw for 334 yards, almost 100 yards more than the pass-happy Cougars.

Through four games, Rice is averaging 262.3 yards per contest compared to 211.7 per game last season. On the other hand, the Owls rushing attack has more or less held steady, dropping slightly from 149.5 yards per game last season 147.8 this year. The 2022 Owls aren’t one-dimensional anymore.

UAB’s best bet is to take that extra tool away. The Blazers have had a Top 4 run defense in Conference USA in each of the last four seasons. They were No. 1 in the conference last year. If they can hang tight with the Owls through the air they’ll have a chance to render the entire offense less explosive and less effective. Rice is going to try and take to the skies. UAB has to find a way to answer.

Rice X-Factor | Stop the run

The Owls’ to-do will be exactly the opposite. As UAB attempts to limit Rice through the air, Rice will have to find a way to stymy UAB on the ground. The Blazers enter the game with the No. 1 rushing offense in Conference USA, averaging 253.3 yards per game. Their 6.23 yards per carry ranks fifth nationally. This is a team that is going to run the football a lot.

This won’t come as a surprise for Rice defensive coordinator Brian Smith. This script matches what UAB has sought to do in their prior matchups with the Owls over the years. UAB averaged 5.8 yards per carry in this matchup last season. They weren’t able to lean on the ground game quite like they might have hoped to, only managing to run the ball 22 times for 127 yards.

If UAB can’t run the ball, their deep shots off play action become harder to sell. If that happens, Rice can pin their ears back in traditional passing situations and severely limit the entire UAB offensive approach.

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One Final Thing

With a win on Saturday, Rice football should be mentioned among the teams in contention to win a conference title. No, that’s not hyperbole. There is no singular team in Conference USA that looks head and shoulders above any other.

UAB and UTSA remain the frontrunners for obvious reasons, but if Rice can knock off the former in back-to-back seasons behind the arm of their newfound quarterback, there isn’t a team in this league they can’t beat. That’s a lot at stake for a conference opener, which precedes a much-needed bye week which will give the roster time to recuperate and get healthy.

A close loss, similar to how Rice fell to Houston, would still keep this team in that conversation, serving as another datapoint suggesting this team is much better than they were a year ago. If this team is the team they’ve led us to believe they are, there’s no reason this isn’t another good game at South Main. And if things go the right way, it could be the fourth consecutive home victory for Rice football.

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Rice Football 2022: Owls come up short across town vs UH

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Rice Football took Houston to the wire in the battle for the Bayou Bucket and came up just short, falling 34-27 in their nonconference finale.

Back-and-forth, back-and-forth. That was the cadence of a thrilling Bayou Bucket battle between Rice football and Houston on Saturday night. Heavy underdogs by the oddsmakers, the Owls looked every bit the Cougars’ equals until a pair of untimely fourth quarter turnovers doomed their upset bid. Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

Withstand the first punch

Rice football has played Houston twice during head coach Mike Bloomgren’s tenure. In 2018 the Owls kept the game close, leading at halftime 24-17. That gave the team a fighting chance despite their limited roster. That wasn’t the case in 2021. Trailing 10-0, Rice turned the ball over. Houston quickly jumped ahead 17-0 and scored on their first two drives of the second half to put the game out of reach.

Their recent struggles were irrelevant on Saturday, Rice had to find a way to survive the first punch and turn this into a heavyweight fight. It wasn’t pretty, but they hung tough in the early goings. A bad bounce on the opening kickoff forced the Owls to start their first possession from their own two-yard line. Rice got two first downs before punting, salvaging important field position. Then got the Houston offense off the field after just four plays.

The Roost Podcast: Stay tuned for the game recap this week – Rice football vs Houston

Houston would take the lead on their second offensive series, picking up a couple of first downs on their way to a 19-yard touchdown pass from Clayton Tune to Matthew Golden. Then the momentum changed.

Trailing 7-0 at the beginning of the second quarter, the Rice defense got pressure on Tune who threw into heavy traffic. The ball bounced around and fell into the hands of Myron Morrison. Four players later, Rice was in the endzone and the game was tied. Houston won the first quarter, but after 20 minutes, the game was tied. It wasn’t pretty, but it was gritty and proof this team was ready to grind one out.

Just add offense

Over the past several seasons, Rice football fans have seen some tremendous defensive performances. From the five-interception shutout against Marshall to allowing just 175 total yards to Louisiana last week, this defense has proven its worth time after time. More often than not, it’s been the offense that’s come up wanting.

Early returns from that side of the ball were encouraging. Saturday’s showing reaffirmed a new reality for the Owls’ offensive attack.

The underdogs averaged 6.0 yards per carry in the first half and were perfect in their pair of redzone appearances (extending their streak to 14 consecutive red zone trips with a score). Broussard’s short touchdown plunge might seem that impressive, but when you consider the regularity with which this team can get two yards on the ground when they need to, it’s an essential tool in the Owls’ arsenenal.

It starts and ends in the trenches

Trey Phillippi made the start at right guard for Rice football on Saturday night. His insertion into the lineup was notable for several different reasons. First, his addition to the starting lineup marked the fourth different starting offensive line combination in four games for Rice football in the midst of an offensive renaissance. More importantly, Phillippi had never played guard before in his life.

Philippi was a tackle in high school. He started his Rice career as a tackle and moved to tight end with injuries at that position early this season. His first snaps at guard in his football career happened during practice this week. His first game just concluded. As a whole, the offensive line held their own and gave Rice a chance.

Not to be outdone, the Rice defensive line had its moment. On third and one near the end of the third quarter, Houston was stonewalled at the line of scrimmage. Given the break between quarters to reconvene, the Cougars lined up to go for it again. They didn’t get it.

A Rice defensive front that was without De’Braylon Carroll for much of this game went toe-to-toe with Houston and looked every bit their equal. Houston will be playing in the Big 12 next season. Rice will be in a “Group of 5” Conference. The supposed talent gap didn’t feel that large in this game.

House Money

To say the result of Saturday’s showdown at TDECU Stadium did not matter would be entirely disingenuous. Beating a rival always matters, especially for a team that hasn’t hoisted the Bayou Bucket Trophy since 2010 with six consecutive losses in the matchup since.

No matter what the result would be, even with a loss, the Owls would have split their nonconference slate for the first time under head coach Mike Bloomgren. A win, however, had the potential to material shift the outlook of the Rice football program. That wasn’t in the cards this week.

Nevertheless, the product the Owls put on the field against the Cougars proved these two teams are more evenly matched than many may have suspected. Houston was projected to contend for an AAC title this season. Rice traded blows with them for four quarters. Are the Cougars scuttling well below expectations? It’s possible. But it seems much more likely the Owls are starting to rise up.

Rice exits this game four wins from a bowl berth. That’s an achievable target if they continue to play with this level of intensity and execution. It was a tough day across town, but the 2022 Rice Football season still has plenty more good to come.

Digging deeper

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McMahon’s magic overcomes the odds

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Rice Football 22: UH Insider gives his take on Owls vs Cougars

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Rice Football is set for a big game this weekend against the Houston Cougars. The guys from the Scott & Hollman Pawdcast tell us what to expect.

Sam and Dustin, hosts of the Scott & Hollman Pawdcast who cover all things UH Athletics, were kind enough to stop by and answer a few questions about the upcoming matchup between Rice Football and Houston. The answers below are from Sam:

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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.

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Rice Football 2022: Houston Game Week Practice Report

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Rice football takes on Houston in the Bayou Bucket this week. Here’s what we learned from practice as the Owls prep for the Cougars.

Rice football is 2-1 for the first time since 2015 and looking to go to 3-1 for the first time since 2001. They can reach that mark with a win over crosstown rival Houston in the Bayou Bucket. It’s going to be a tall order, but the bunch inside the hedges are optimistic, and why shouldn’t they be after a big win last Saturday and another strong week of practice?

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Hours of film watching have been logged and snap after snap taken on the practice field this week. Along the way, there have been some interesting tweaks to the gameplan, position groups hit by the injury bug and a few learnings to pass along prior to 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.

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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