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Grab Bag: What’s going on around Rice Athletics? December Q&A

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Rather than drill down on one topic, subscribers had a variety of questions this month touching all areas of Rice Athletics. We hit on them all.

From expectations under a new AD to NIL to future athletic renovations, there was a lot of ground to cover in this month’s Q&A. Want to get your questions answered? Subscribe on Patreon for our monthly mailbag.

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Rice Football 2023: Bowl Prep Practice Report 2

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Rice football plays in the first SERVPRO First Responders Bowl next week. Here’s what we learned from the Owls as they prepare for the game.

Another week of Rice football bowl practice is in the books. The Owls hit the road for Dallas on Friday where they’ll have a few more days of practice then celebrate Christmas before taking on Texas State next Tuesday.

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This week’s roundup focuses on a handful of potential bowl game risers and surprise impact players as well as some milestones to watch for when the game arrives and some additional notes.

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.

Potential bowl game risers

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Rice Basketball falls short against Louisiana

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Rice basketball dropped its final contest of 2023 to Louisiana and will enter AAC play 6-7 overall in the New Year.

Finally back to .500 at 6-6 following a tough start to the season, Rice basketball was hoping to finish off their final game before a lengthy holiday break with a win. Those dreams died rather quickly on Friday night, however, as Louisiana marched into Tudor Fieldhouse and dropped 10 first-half three-pointers on the Owls, knocking down seven of their first nine from distance.

Rice got off to a much slower start, making just 29.6 percent of their shots from the field in the first half. They attempted just nine threes as their normal leading scorer, Travis Evee, was held to just three points before halftime.

Trailing by 14 points at the break, Rice was able to trim the lead on a few separate occasions. The Owls had run of five consecutive baskets and two free throws early in the second half to get within six. They fell behind once more only for Evee and Alem Huseinovic to rain down several threes and get back within single digits. But that was always roughly the margin and never much closer.

Back within eight in the final three minutes, Louisiana would go on a 9-0 run to close it out sending Rice into their Christmas break 6-7.

Final Box | Louisiana 84 – Rice 67

Key takeaway | Time for a reset

It’s been an unforgiving schedule for Rice basketball to start the season. They wanted to be tested and give themselves an opportunity to pick up a marquee win or two. Not only did they not achieve the latter, but they’ll enter their conference slate below .500 on the season.

There’s a lot to unpack and there will be a midseason state of the program coming for our subscribers during the Owls’ long break from the court. The most important thing for this team right now is to exhale, take a deep breath and reset.

Conference play is coming. It’s going to be significantly tougher than it was a season ago in Conference USA. This iteration of Rice basketball has flashed moments of being up to the challenge, but it’s clear they need a break and some time for the coaching staff to make a few additional tweaks. How the season goes from here hangs in the balance.

Up Next: at Tulane – Jan. 3 (Wed.)

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Rice Football Recruiting: Penn State P Alex Bacchetta commits to Owls

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The 2024 Rice Football recruiting class landed a big special teams piece. Penn State punter and kicker Alex Bacchetta has committed to the Owls.

The Early Signing Period arrived with a bang for the 2024 Rice Football recruiting class in addition to eight high school additions, the Owls also received a boost from the Transfer Portal at multiple spots. One such boost comes in the special teams department where Penn State punter Alex Bacchetta has committed to the Owls.

Bacchetta was the No. 1 rated punter in the nation when he committed to Penn State out of high school. Baccetta saw in action in two games in 2022 as a true freshman and did not play in all in 2023. In search of an opportunity to contribute on the field, Bacchetta entered the portal and Rice scooped him up.

Head coach Mike Bloomgren noted during media availability on Wednesday that Bacchetta brought more to the table than just his punting ability. The Atlanta, Georgia native is also a field goal specialist and can kick off as well thanks to a very strong leg.

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Rice could use reinforcements at every specialist role after a frustrating 2022 season on that front. Bacchetta will immediately be inserted into the competition at those positions this spring and will offer special teams coordinator Pete Alamar at least one more option to improve the production of those units come next season.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Dartmouth DE Charlie Looes commits to Owls

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The 2024 Rice Football recruiting class added an impact player in the defensive trenches. Dartmouth defensive end Charlie Looes has committed to the Owls.

The Early Signing Period arrived with a bang for the 2024 Rice Football recruiting class in addition to eight high school additions, the Owls also received a boost from the Transfer Portal at multiple spots. One such boost comes along the defensive line where Dartmouth transfer Chalie Looes has committed to the Owls.

Looes was a finalist for the Ivy League’s Bushnell Cup, given annually to the league’s best defensive player following a year in which he led the Ivy League in sacks, quarterback hits and total pressures. Primarily an edge rusher, Looes is expected to come in and play that role at Rice.

In his introductory press conference about the class, head coach Mike Bloomgren made the comparison to Coleman Coco, who came in from an academic school in the Northeast and became an integral part of the Rice defense from day one.

One of five transfers in the class so far, Looes is the only defensive lineman. The Owls have a full roster at the position, but given Looes’ production and potential, taking one more impact player in the trenches seems like an absolute must.

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The length and quickness jump out immediately when you turn on the tape. Looes can get to the quarterback. As any defensive coach would be quick to tell you, accumulating pass rushers is always a good idea. Adding Looes to the fold gives this defense yet another weapon at its disposal.

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