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Rice Football 2023: NFL Owls Wild Card Round Roundup

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Rice Football was well represented on 2023 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action this postseason.

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
Detroit Lions Jack Fox (P) vs Rams W, 24-23 vs Bucs
Los Angeles Rams Austin Trammell (WR) at Lions L, 24-23  —
Pittsburgh Steelers Chris Boswell (PK) at Bills L, 31-17  —
Tampa Bay Bucs Nick Leverett (OL) vs Eagles W, 32-9 at Lions

Players

Nick Leverett – OT, Buccaneers

Leverett was active for the Bucs playoff win over the Eagles, but did not play. They advanced to the next round and will take on the Lions.

Austin Trammell – WR, Rams

Back during his Rice football playing days, Austin Trammell fielded punts from Jack Fox during practice on a weekly basis. That throwback moment occurred a few times in the playoffs this past weekend, with Trammell tasked with fielding Fox’s punts again, this time with postseason stakes on the line. Trammell didn’t return any of Fox’s punts, but he did return a kickoff 24 yards. The Lions eliminated the Rams.

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox punted three times to the aforementioned Trammell, averaging 49.3 yards per punt. That average was boosted by a 61-yard punt which was kicked so far that Trammell was barely able to field it cleanly. Fox and the Lions are moving on and will host the Bucs.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell did his part on Monday, converting a 40-yard field goal attempt and a pair of extra points. Unfortunately, it was not enough as the Steelers fell to the Bills and were eliminated from the playoffs.

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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Malia Fisher powers Rice Women’s Basketball past USF

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Rice women’s basketball traded blows with USF in a nationally televised bout of AAC elites as Malia Fisher powered the Owls to a big win.

There was noticeable rust for Rice women’s basketball in their return to Tudor Fieldhouse on Thursday against Charlotte. Faced with another battle against one of the American Conference’s top teams on Sunday, just a few days later, the Owls looked much more prepared.

Rice came out of the gates hot, jumping in front by eight points in the first quarter via a 15-2 run, compiled by a series of plays attacking the basket with a three-pointer from Dominque Ennis as the final blow. That might have been enough against one of the league’s lesser squads, but USF stayed composed and rallied back, turning this contest into a 40-minute battle between two talented teams.

USF would push back in front, but the visitors’ advantage never exceeded seven points. The Rice defense held its own, forcing USF to make shots from beyond the arc and plugging the lane throughout the game. USF did hit some big threes down the stretch, but the strategy kept the Bulls from getting into any real rhythm.

Both sides tread water for much of the third and fourth quarters, waiting for either team to take control. Malia Fisher answered the call. The Owls’ veteran leader was responsible for 10 straight points for Rice in the fourth quarter, supplementing her superb defensive plays with aggressive drives to the rim and a perfect performance from the free throw line.

Fisher’s focus was unmistakable. “This is our game,” she said, recalling the team’s message to themselves in the halftime locker room. “It just shows how tough of a team we are to come out here and pull this one out against a great team.”

Final Box | Rice 67 – USF 64

Key takeaway | Adjustments are key

Rice women’s basketball designed a significant portion of its offense around the three-point shot against Charlotte, then proceeded to go 2-for-19 from long range. The Owls have been hot and cold from deep this season, but rather than roll the dice against USF, we saw the team make a noticeable decision to attack inside.

Rather than settle for long shots or build around the three, there was a clear intent to get the ball in the hands of Malia Fisher in the post and let her work. The results were extremely encouraging. Fisher finished with a double-double, 23 points and 13 rebounds. She also provided a spark on the defensive side of the court, too.

Rather than stick with a strategy the team wasn’t executing at a high level, head coach Lindsay Edmonds and the Rice coaching staff adjusted. And it worked. Rice built the whole plane out of Malia Fisher and the Owls soared with Dominique Ennis stepping in with a 16-point performance, too.

For those looking for reasons to be encouraged about the state of the program moving forward, this game should serve as a strong endorsement. Not only can Rice beat the best the AAC has to offer, they can do it with superb play from their leaders and well-crafted gameplans from the coaching staff.

Up Next: at ECU (Wednesday, Jan. 17)

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Rice Basketball falters down the stretch, falls to USF

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Rice basketball led for more than 35 minutes, but couldn’t hold on, falling on the road to South Florida in another heartbreaking loss.

A lot was at stake on Friday night during an otherwise ordinary AAC basketball game. Rice basketball, winless in conference play, was desperate to claw out a victory. South Florida, winners of their last eight straight at home, was looking to climb the league standings and improve to 2-1. The Bulls’ home streak continues as Rice heads with another gut-wrenching loss.

How Rice lost stings the most. The Owls jumped out to a 7-0 lead to start the contest, but USF battled back and took the lead midway through the first half, temporarily forcing a reset of sorts in the pace of the game. A 12-0 run from Rice, capped off by a pair of threes from Mekhi Mason ensured the home team would be in catch-up more for much of the night.

Max Fiedler entered halftime with a double-double, changing the entire complexion of how USF could attack the game. His efforts helped the Owls take a nine-point lead into halftime, but nobody was able to pick up the baton in the second half.

A double-digit Rice lead at the 12-minute mark slowly began to dwindle. Despite leading for the vast majority of the game, Rice found themselves deadlocked in a 68-68 ballgame with 2:24 to go. Rice went more than six minutes straight without a field goal down the stretch. USF took the lead and that was that. Despite leading for more than 35 minutes of regulation, the Owls will leave Florida without the win.

Final Box | USF 81 – Rice 73

Key takeaway | Spiraling

After falling to UTSA at “home” last weekend, Rice basketball desperately needed to find a way to get a win on the road Friday night. Instead, the Owls fell to 0-3 in the AAC the most rigorous stretches of conference play begins. The hole feels so much deeper.

Rice had rather encouraging performances from Feidler, Evee, Mason and Alem Huseinovic in this game. They nearly conjured some good old-fashioned hope. Instead, the feelings of the sky falling persist and another tough test awaits next time out against Charlotte.

For the first time in weeks, Rice was productive from three and set the tone with their offense. The defense held tough in some key moments and the got Fiedler, their veteran leader in the middle, back on track. They needed a jolt. They got it. They just couldn’t finish. A familiar, painful feeling in a season full of missed opportunities.

Up Next: vs Charlotte (Tuesday, Jan. 16)

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Rice Football 2023 Special Teams Player of the Year: Peyton Stevenson

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Peyton Stevenson was a bright light during an up-down season for special teams and our 2023 Rice Football Special Teams Player of the Year.

Outside of the punter, kicker and return men, those who play special teams seldom get name recognition. Although there are 10 other men on the field, the non-specialists who make the rest of the play possible don’t get the limelight very often, with rare exceptions. One of those shining standouts this season was Peyton Stevenson, our 2023 Rice Football Special Teams Player of the Year.

A wide receiver when he arrived on campus, Stevenson converted to safety this past season. While learning a new position during the spring, it was special teams where he really found his niche. Stevenson was a standout member of multiple block and coverage teams and rose through the ranks quickly.

When special teams coordinator Pete Alamar arrived on campus, Stevenson’s fresh start was met with fresh eyes.

“I purposefully did not watch a bunch of their film. I didn’t look at their depth chart,” Alamar said this spring. “I want to see them out here. I want to evaluate them based on what I see.”

What Alamar saw in Stevenson was an irreplaceable piece of his special teams fabric. By the time depth charts began to take shape in earnest, Stevenson was an integral part of the Rice special teams and someone Alamar and the coaching staff relied on to lead the unit. He and captain Chike Anigbogu became part of what Alamar liked to refer to as “four-teamers”, players utilized across four special teams units: kick off, punt, return and field goal.

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In the fall, Stevenson would help lead player-only meetings at the team hotel on Friday nights before the game. “They talk through everything,” head coach Mike Bloomgren said, lauding Stevenson and others for their dedication to their craft. The meetings weren’t required. It was just another of example of players caring deeply for their craft. And Stevenson was at the core.

It should have come as no surprise then when Stevenson’s preparation manifested itself on the football field. Stevenson blocked a PAT against UConn, keeping the Owls in a game that was in danger of going lopsided in a hurry. Then, a few weeks later, Stevenson blocked a punt against SMU that was recovered by a teammate for a Rice touchdown.

The blocked punt score was the first for the Owls since Sam McGuffie in 2012. It was Stevenson’s second blocked kick of any kind, a first for any Rice player since Christian Covington blocked a pair of kicks in 2013. Already in rarified air amongst Rice history, Stevenson was one of just four players in the country this season to have blocked both a punt and a place kick.

More: 2023 Rice Football Defensive Newcomer of the Year — Coleman Coco

Following the season, Bloomgren would identify four key performers on special teams: Stevenson, Anigbogu, Sean Fresch and Geron Hargon.

Stevenson was never called upon for a postgame press conference. He didn’t get the attention other specialists did, for better or for worse. But he made Rice football special teams better every time he was on the field, perhaps just as much on the dozens of other routine plays when kicks weren’t blocked. The entire operation continued to soldier on, thanks in large part to Stevenson.

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Rice Women’s Basketball: Shooting woes spoil defensive effort vs Charlotte

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Frenetic defense gave Rice Women’s Basketball a chance on Thursday against Charlotte, but a lack of scoring resulted in the Owls’ first AAC loss.

Points were at a premium on Thursday night as two of the AAC’s top five defensive teams squared off in Houston. A 12-12 score at the end of the first quarter proved to be a harbinger of things to come as Rice women’s basketball ran out of time in a gritty slugfest of a game against Charlotte at Tudor Fieldhouse.

It was that defense that kept Rice afloat, particularly in the first half. Rice shot 31.6 percent from the floor in the first half and made two of their 13 attempts from three. Despite the aid of six offensive rebounds and 18 forced turnovers in the first half alone — the 49ers’ average 18 turnovers per game — the Owls were unable to build much of a lead, going into halftime with a 27-25 advantage.

Not much changed in the second half. Charlotte out-shot Rice from the field and from three, but the 49ers’ turnovers gave Rice a 73-to-47 advantage in total field goal attempts. On sheer volume, the Owls were able to hang around for quite a while, even though the shots weren’t falling. Eventually, though, the lack of precision proved fatal.

“We were flying around. We were playing hard. It wasn’t about energy. It wasn’t about effort. It was simply about putting the ball in the basket more,” head coach Lindsay Edmonds said.

Following a 7-0 Charlotte run to start the fourth quarter, Rice battled back to get the game within two before ending the contest 1-for-9 down the stretch. With the loss, Rice falls to 2-1 in AAC play.

Final Box | Charlotte 61 – Rice 54

What They’re Saying

“I didn’t think we were going to go undefeated in conference, but I want us to protect home at all times. You go on the road and you hope you can steal a couple, but we are normally good enough at home to win games. One-and-one with SMU and Charlotte, am i happy with that? Yeah. But I would have loved to be 2-0.” – Rice women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Edmonds

Key takeaway | The exception, not the rule

Rice women’s basketball has historically shot the ball very well under head coach Lindsay Edmonds, particularly from deep. The Owls came into this game as the third best three-point shooting team in the AAC, but went 2-for-19 from long range. And it wasn’t as if the Owls were heaving up separation shots.

“They were good looks,” Edmonds agreed. “If you would have told me Dom [Ennis] was going to go 0f-or-6, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. If you told me DJ was going to have a hard time finishing on some layups I probably wouldn’t have believed you. I thought we had some really good, quality looks.”

It wasn’t a shot selection or a personnel problem. The best shooters don’t make every wide-open shot, but for the Owls’ top three-point shooters to strike out so many times in a game that went down to the wire stings. Edmonds noted the team hadn’t played a game in Tudor Fieldhouse in nearly a month.

Perhaps a bit more court time will help return the Owls’ stroke to normal. The defense was fantastic on Thursday. If the offense bounces back, the Owls should be just fine.

Up Next: vs USF (Sunday, Jan. 14)

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