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Rice Football 2023: NFL Owls Week 15 Roundup

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Rice Football is well represented on 2023 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action in Week 15.

There are former Rice football players scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player.

Team NFL Owl(s) This Week Result Next Week
Denver Broncos Elijah Garcia (DL) at Lions (Sat) L,42-17 vs Patriots (SNF)
Detroit Lions Jack Fox (P) vs Broncos (Sat) W, 42-17 at Vikings
Indianapolis Colts Kylen Granson (TE) vs Steelers (Sat) W, 30-13 at Falcons
Los Angeles Rams Austin Trammell (WR) vs Commanders W, 28-20 vs Saints (TNF)
New England Patriots Calvin Anderson (OL) vs Chiefs L, 27-17 at Broncos (SNF)
Pittsburgh Steelers Chris Boswell (PK) at Colts (Sat) L, 30-13 at Bengals (Sat)
Seattle Seahawks Myles Adams (DL) vs Eagles (MNF) W, 20-17 at Titans
Tampa Bay Bucs Nick Leverett (OL) at Packers W, 34-20 vs Jaguars

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OT, Patriots

Anderson was active but did not play in the Patriots’ Week 15 game against the Chiefs.

Kylen Granson – TE, Colts

Granson was targeted once on Saturday against the Steelers, hauling in the only ball thrown his way for six yards.

Nick Leverett – OT, Buccaneers

Leverett was active but did not play in the Bucs’ Week 15 game against the Packers.

Austin Trammell – WR, Rams

Trammell was quiet in the Rams’ Week 15 game against the Commanders, returning one punt for four yards and getting on the field for at least one offensive snap for the 10th consecutive game.

Defense

Myles Adams – DL, Seahawks

Adams was inactive for the Seahawks’ Week 15 game against the Eagles on Monday Night Football.

Elijah Garcia – DL, Broncos

Garcia was inactive for the Broncos’ Week 15 game against the Lions.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox punted four times, but not often in high-leverage situations. He booted a long punt of 48 yards and put one inside the 20 in a blowout win.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell missed an extra point this weekend, his first point after failed this season. He made his other PAT attempt and did not attempt a field goal against the Colts.

More Owls in the NFL

From practice squads to current free agents, there are other Owls on the cusp of returning to active rosters. Find more detail on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.

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Rice Football Recruiting: BYU LB Michael Daley commits to Owls

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The 2024 Rice Football recruiting class scooped up a veteran addition on defense. BYU linebacker Michael Daley has committed to the Owls.

A day removed from adding some firepower on the offensive side of the ball, the 2024 Rice football recruiting class picked up its first defensive addition from the transfer portal. The Owls have picked up a commitment from former BYU linebacker / defensive end Michael Daley, who will play rush end when he arrives at South Main.

Formerly a three-star recruit at the time he committed to BYU as a member of the 2019 class, Daley is a Houston native who was played sparingly during his time with the Cougars, appearing in five games in 2023 after missing the entire 2022 season with an injury. He’s excited for the opportunity to get back onto the field in earnest at South Main.

“I knew there was something special there,” Daley told The Roost about his impressions of Rice football following his visit. “I know I want to be a part of a team that plays for each other week in and week out.”

Daley is the third transfer commitment Rice has received in the past week leading up to the Early Signing Period. Former Penn State punter Alex Vacchetta and Bucknell running back Coleman Bennett are also joining the Owls this offseason.

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There isn’t a lot of film on Daley from his collegiate tape, mostly operating as a depth piece while at BYU. He has a good frame (6-foot-3, 225 pounds) and should slide in well to a room that might be able to return several key pieces. If not, having some veterans in the fold like Daley should give the room a boost in the spring as the younger players get their feet wet and Daley has his chance to show what he brings to the table.

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SERVPRO First Responders Bowl Preview: Rice Football vs Texas State

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Rice football takes on Texas State in the SERVPRO First Responders Bowl. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

A pair of Texas teams will square off in Frisco this December when Rice football hits the field to face Texas State. The Bobcats clinched bowl eligibility in Week 10, topping Georgia Southern at home and celebrating by jumping in the river, a San Marcos tradition. The Owls had to wait until the final week of the regular season, beating FAU to secure win number six and a postseason trip. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and Texas State.

Kickoff time | 4.30 PM CT
Venue | Gerald J. Ford Stadium – Dallas, TX
TV | ESPN+ (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)
Bowl Announcement | Notes

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs Texas State on this week’s episode of the Blue and Gray Preview Show, streaming live on Tuesday 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

This is the first bowl appearance in Texas State history. The Bobcats have already tied their program FBS record for wins, set in 2014 with seven. Clinching a victory in the First Responders Bowl would secure a pair of program bests.

Rice football is making its 14th postseason appearance, its second under head coach Mike Bloomgren, and looking for its first bowl win since 2014. Winning a bowl game was one of the Owls’ primary goals this season after falling short a year ago. A victory over an in-state opponent would make it just a little sweeter.

Series History

All Time | Tied, 2-2
Last Five | Tied, 2-2
Last Meeting | Home 1987, Rice won 38-28

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Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Padgett – 61/96 (63.5 percent), 636 yards, 7 TD, 3 INT
Rushing | Connors – 106 carries, 707 yards (6.7 yards per carry), 5 TD / Otoviano – 85 carries, 312 yards (3.7 yards per carry), 4 TD
Receiving | McCaffrey – 68 receptions, 963 yards (14.2 yds/rec), 12 TDs / Connors – 42 receptions, 395 yards (9.4 yds/rec), 3 TD
Tackles | Wyatt – 76 / Morrison – 71 / Taylor – 58
Pass Breakups | Devones – 10 / Taylor – 8 / Fresch – 7 
Interceptions | Taylor, Devones – 2 / Conti – 1

Texas State Stat Notables

Passing | Finley – 264/385 (68.6 percent), 3287 yards, 24 TD, 8 INT
Rushing | Mahid – 199 carries, 1209 yards (6.1 yards per carry), 10 TD / Davenport – 90 carries, 458 yards (5.1 ypc), 2 TD
Receiving | Hobert – 71 receptions, 847 yards (11.9 yards per reception), 8 TD / Wilson – 61 receptions, 697 yards (11.4 yds/rec), 8 TD / Hawkins – 52 receptions, 819 yards (15.8 yds/rec), 3 TD
Tackles | Holloway – 98 / Holton – 83 / Culp – 72
Pass Breakups | Ford-Dement, Eaton – 7 / Culp, Mills – 4
Interceptions | Ford-Dement, Holloway – 2 / Holton, Spears – 1

Texas State X-Factor | Compile negative plays

The Texas State offense was must-see tv this season, averaging 36 points per game, a top 20 mark in the nation. The defense was a completely different story. Of the entire field of 84 teams playing in the postseason, only two allowed more points per game on defense than Texas State: USC and South Florida. 

Clearly, Texas State won’t be winning a 10-7 game. That’s not in the cards. What the Bobcats must do instead is dial up the pressure and live on the margins. Texas State was top 10 in the nation in sacks per game but middle of the road in turnovers forced. They’re going to need to hit on both of those things against a Rice offense that has proven it can score, too.

Rice X-Factor | Quarterback Play

The announcement that JT Daniels would be medically retiring from football made national news. For one, the lengthy career of one of college football’s most talented quarterbacks was worth noting. On the other hand, it officially confirmed a second-straight postseason start for redshirt freshman quarterback AJ Padgett.

Padgett was impressive at the Lending Tree Bowl last year, throwing for 295 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions against Southern Miss. His 2023 season has been rather choppy. He wasn’t great against UTSA, but improved his play in his next outing against Charlotte and was even better in the Owls’ regular season finale against FAU.

Which version of AJ Padgett is Rice getting? Rice cannot afford to have a compromised offensive attack with Texas State poised to score in bunches on the other side of the field. Padgett doesn’t have to be perfect, but getting closer to the Lending Tree Bowl version of himself would certainly help the Owls’ chances to leave Dallas with a win. 

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One Final Thing

It’s hard to win at Rice. As a program, the Owls have posted 36 winning seasons in 110 years. Less than one-third of the time throughout the course of college football history, Rice has finished with a winning record. If you want to look at more recent history, Rice has made seven postseason appearances since moving from the WAC to Conference USA in 2005, a span of 19 seasons. 

That’s why this game matters so much to the Rice football coaches, players and fans. The Owls don’t get this far very often. That only serves to amplify the importance of this otherwise “exhibition” contest. Rice has to make this opportunity count.

Even without JT Daniels, this is very winnable game for Rice football. Vegas odds listed them as underdogs initially, but some predictors, like ESPN’s FPI, suggest the Owls should be the favorite. Regardless of the margin on either side, it should be a competitive game featuring a pair of teams that really care about the outcome. I know how I’ll be spending the day after Christmas. 

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Rice Football Recruiting: Bucknell RB Coleman Bennett commits to Owls

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The 2024 Rice Football recruiting class added another impact player from the Transfer Portal. Bucknell running back Coleman Bennett has committed to the Owls.

As the Early Signing Period approached it became clear the 2024 Rice football recruiting class was going to need another running back, preferably one with some experience. The Owls hit the Transfer Portal in search of that particular player and found him, landing a commitment this week from Bucknell transfer running back Coleman Bennett.

Bennett comes to South Main after a productive four-year career at Bucknell, most recently finishing seventh all of FCS in all-purpose yards per game. A speedy rusher, Bennett also led the Patriot League with 541 kick return yards, accumulating all that return yardage across just six games.

“The amount of love I received from the coaching staff really made me feel wanted,” Bennett told The Roost. “And you always want to be apart of something that makes you feel wanted.”

Bennett’s addition gives the Owls some lightning to the Owls’ high school running back commit, Rhys Phillips. Bennett can run like the wind while Phillips is more of a traditional h-back that will be utilized as a blocker in addition to his ball-carrying skills. Bennett should also be able to step into some of the role left by departing senior Juma Otoviano.

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Bennett’s quickness and burst jump out immediately when you glance at his highlights. He can put his foot in the ground, make one cut and explode downfield with intensity. At 6-foot, 195 pounds, his game looks rather similar to current Rice running back Dean Connors.

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Rice Women’s Basketball blasts PVAMU

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Trinity Gooden returned to the court and Rice women’s basketball rolled to a win, routing Prairie View A&M at home.

Rice women’s basketball was slow out of the gate in their last game against Gonzaga but turned things on in the second half. Even though they didn’t win that game, the Owls found a way to keep that intensity going into their next game against Prairie View A&M.

Buoyed by the return of Trinity Gooden to the lineup after a month’s absence, Rice quickly turned a minor three-point advantage into a double-digit lead. Gooden, Dominque Ennis and Maya Bokunewicz sparked that run with a three-pointer apiece. With the lead in place, the Owls would continue to add to it from that point onward.

That initial run would prove to be a harbinger of things to come as Rice women’s basketball delivered one of their most balanced attacks of the season thus far. Seven different players scored double-digit points as that 10-point lead grew to 20 and eventually to 33 points.

Final Box | Rice 85 – PVAMU 59

What they’re saying

“It feels good to get a win. It’s always good to get a win at home. I thought we played pretty well today. Again, coaches, we’re never happy, right, but I thought for three quarters, we really competed and played Rice women’s basketball [and then] we had a little bit of slippage in the fourth. What I am really proud of is that we had seven in double figures, so a well-balanced attack.

We took care of the basketball even against their pressure and only had 12 turnovers. I thought this was a good game after we had a week off for exams to get us back going and to get us in the win column and get us ready for the next one.” – Rice women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Edmonds

Key takeaway | Rounding into form

A healthy Trinity Gooden makes this team better. It also allows coach Edmonds to iron out rotations and roster combinations. Had this game been played in early November, the benches would probably have been emptied and we would have seen 15 players play in the blowout win. Instead, just 10 Owls saw action, with all of them seeing at least 10 minutes of court time apiece.

It’s clear a core group of starters and top bench pieces are forming. How players like Fatou Samb and Kennedy Clifton fit into those permutations is something this staff would prefer to figure out sooner rather than later. Saturday was a good start to those efforts.

Up Next: at Houston (Wed, Dec. 20)



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