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The Roost Podcast | Ep 167 – Rice Football rolled by Roadrunners

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Rice football stayed close for a half, but couldn’t overcome a disastrous third quarter against UTSA, falling to the Roadrunners yet again.

For the eighth straight time, Rice football lost to UTSA. After being blown out in the last two contests with the Roadrunners, the Owls kept it close this time around with a backup quarterback under center. In this week’s episode, we debrief the game, talk about the offense, the encouraging defensive gameplan and debate what to do with targeting.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 167.

Episode Notes

DCTF

The Roost Podcast is now part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner.

Homefield

We’re thrilled to partner with Homefield Apparel, the premier proprietor of college football clothing. First-time buyers can use the code ROOST for 15% off their order. The Owls hoodie is a personal favorite. So is the brand new Luv-Ya-Owls shirt. Shop the Rice collection or pick up something else (or both)!

Homefield

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Recapping Rice Football vs UTSA

  • The offense was out of sync from the start, quarterback included
  • Not enough big plays made by skill position players
  • The defensive gameplan was creative and largely effective
  • You kept Frank Harris in check!… but did not score
  • Nobody knows what targeting is anymore
  • What’s next for Rice football and bowl aspirations

Where can you find us?

The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.ri

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Rice Football 2023: NFL Owls Week 10 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 10.

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 Bills (MNF) W, 24-22 vs Vikings (SNF)
Detroit Lions Jack Fox (P) at Chargers W, 41-38 vs Bears
Indianapolis Colts Kylen Granson (TE) at Patriots W, 10-6  — BYE —
Los Angeles Rams Austin Trammell (WR)  — BYE —  — vs Seahawks
New England Patriots Calvin Anderson (OL) vs Colts L, 10-6  — BYE —
Pittsburgh Steelers Chris Boswell (PK) vs Packers W, 23-19 at Browns
Seattle Seahawks Myles Adams (DL) vs Commanders W, 29-26 at Rams
Tampa Bay Bucs Nick Leverett (OL) vs Titans W, 20-6 at 49ers

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OT, Patriots

Anderson was active for the Patriots’ Week 10 game against the Colts but did not play.

Kylen Granson – TE, Colts

Granson was targeted twice in the Colts’ Week 10 win over the Patriots, hauling in one pass for five yards.

Nick Leverett – OT, Buccaneers

Leverett was active for the Bucs’ Week 10 game against the Titans but did not play.

Austin Trammell – WR, Rams

Trammel and the Rams were on bye in Week 10.

Defense

Myles Adams – DL, Seahawks

Adams was inactive for the Seahawks Week 10 game against the Commanders.

Elijah Garcia – DL, Broncos

Garcia was inactive for the Broncos’ Monday Night Football contest against the Bills.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

In a barnburner of a game, Fox was only called upon once. He delivered on his lone punt of the afternoon, booting it 29 yards and allowing the coverage unit time to down the ball at the eight-yard line.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell continues to be automatic for the Steelers this season. He connected on all three of his field goal tries on the afternoon, including a long of 49 yards while also converting a pair of extra points.

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 2023 Game Preview: Charlotte

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Rice football visits Charlotte this week in a crucial matchup for bowl eligibility. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

On the heels of a loss to UTSA, Rice football seeks a rebound win against Charlotte. The 49ers lost their last game, too. They took Memphis down to the wire but came up short, falling in overtime in a game they led most of the way. That sets up a pressure-packed matchup for both squads in Week 12. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and Charlotte.

Kickoff time | 1:00 PM CT
Venue | Jerry Richardson Stadium – Charlotte, NC 
TV | ESPN+ (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs Charlotte 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.

Sizing up the contenders

If Rice football wants to reach six wins in the regular season and formally clinch bowl eligibility, they’re out of margin. If Mike Bloomgren wants to further evidence this program is on the way up, this game has to be won. There is no more room for error. 

Similar to last season, Charlotte is playing for pride. The 49ers haven’t made a head coaching change again, but they are working through a strenuous first season under Biff Poggi’s leadership. Every win counts in Year One, especially when you’re 3-7 and trying to avoid the cellar of the AAC standings. 

Series History

All Time | Tied, 2-2
Last Five | Tied, 2-2
Last Meeting | Home 2022, Charlotte won 56-23

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Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Daniels – 121/287 (63.1 percent), 2443 yards, 21 TD, 7 INT
Rushing | Connors – 73 carries, 448 yards (6.1 yards per carry), 5 TD / Otoviano – 70 carries, 241 yards (3.4 yards per carry), 4 TD
Receiving | McCaffrey – 51 receptions, 768 yards (15.1 yds/rec), 10 TDs / Connors – 38 receptions, 384 yards (10.1 yds/rec), 3 TD
Tackles | Wyatt – 66 / Morrison – 63 / Conti – 53
Pass Breakups | Devones – 9 / Fresch – 7 / Wyatt, Taylor – 6 
Interceptions | Taylor – 2 / Devones, Conti – 1

Charlotte Stat Notables

Passing | Ivey – 91/162 (56.2 percent), 1114 yards, 4 TD, 8 INT
Rushing | Jones – 106 carries, 488 yards (4.6 yards per carry), 4 TD / Kellman – 82 carries, 328 yards (4.0 ypc), 1 TD
Receiving | Weber – 30 receptions, 342 yards (11.4 yards per reception), 0 TD / Hestera – 28 receptions, 349 yards (12.5 yds/rec), 3 TD / Mack – 21 receptions, 366 yards (17.4 yds/rec), 1 TD
Tackles | Knight – 77 / Hill-Green – 71 / Okie – 49
Pass Breakups | Balfour – 9 / Hill-Green – 3 / Four tied with two each
Interceptions | Knight, Howard – 2 / Four tied with one each

Charlotte X-Factor | Run the ball

The Charlotte offense has not been good this year. The 49ers rank 13th of 14 teams in the American Conference in scoring offense entering this week. However, after failing to surpass 16 total points in the five games prior, Charlotte has now topped 33 points in each of the past two games. What’s changed? The ground game has come to life.

Charlotte had not averaged more than 4 yards per carry against an FBS opponent entering their Week 10 game against Tulsa. They averaged 4.3 yards per carry against the Golden Hurricane and an incredible 5.7 yards per carry the next weekend against Memphis. When you can move the ball on the ground that efficiently, everything gets better. 

Rice X-Factor | Don’t beat yourself

Opening lines had Rice as a five-point favorite to win. As a favorite, all a team ought to have to do is play within itself and they should (in theory) win the game. Underdogs (typically) need good fortune. Underdogs (typically) need to catch a few breaks. Favorites just need to play a clean game.

The clean game part is something Rice football has struggled with in recent weeks. Rice averaged 4.0 penalties per game in the month of October, averaging 37.3 penalty yards per game. In two games so far in November, that’s spiked to 7.5 penalties per game and an average of 77 yards per game. To put that in perspective, 77 penalty yards per game would rank fourth to worst in FBS for the season. 

The yardage has hurt, but it’s really been the backbreaking, drive-extending personal fouls that have sunk the Owls in each of their past two games. Handing out free yards usually comes back to bite you against better teams. Rice might be able to get away with a few against Charlotte, but they should know better than to play with fire after being burned so many times this month.

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One Final Thing

Rice football is out of mulligans and so is head coach Mike Bloomgren. If last week wasn’t a must-win game, this week is. A favorite against one of the lesser teams in the American Conference — only one AAC squad has a less total wins than the 49ers — this is one that absolutely has to be a W. Full stop.

And while we’re making requests, some style points would be nice, too.

A 6-6 finish is in play, especially considering the last team on the Owls’ slate is FAU, which just got punked by last-place ECU at home. 

Entering the season, this past stretch of three games always looked like the most difficult stretch of the season. An 0-3 result was the most likely outcome. Getting two games within a touchdown was, quite frankly, better than initial expectations. And while there are no moral victories or silver lining, the season is not lost yet, nor should anyone throw in the towel on this team. There are games still to be played.

So, as Bloomgren himself would say, let’s go 1-0 this week. Beat Charlotte. Preferably comfortably, but at the end of the day, just get more points than the other team. If Rice can do that, six wins is in play. And that’s a mark they need to find a way to reach given the expectations and talent this team possesses. 

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TCU snaps Rice Women’s Basketball’s nonconference win streak

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Rice women’s basketball saw a 13-game non-conference game winning streak come to an end on Sunday in Fort Worth, falling to TCU 67-42.

Baskets were at a premium on Sunday afternoon in Fort Worth, Texas. Rice women’s basketball made its first shot to take a 2-0 lead, but didn’t string together consecutive made baskets until the opening possession of the third quarter. TCU wasn’t shooting much better. The Horned Frogs edged the Owls 36.2 percent to 25.4 percent from the field, but a high-scoring game was never in the cards.

Despite the shooting woes, Rice hung tight with TCU through the first quarter of action. Things were neck-and-neck for a while until TCU went on a 17-2 run, pushing a level game to the brink of a blowout in the matter of roughly five minutes of time on the court.

Rice was able to chip away at the deficit in the opening minutes of the third quarter. Malia Fisher got the run started with back-to-back layup, others contributed a few timely shots behind her, but things went cold once again from the field shortly thereafter. Rice did not make a field goal in the final 6:20 of the third quarter. That allowed TCU to stretch the lead from 10 to 18 entering the final frame.

Without any sort of consistent offensive production, Rice had to watch TCU pull away and seal the game. The loss snaps a streak of 13 consecutive non-conference victories for the Owls.

Final Box | TCU 67 – Rice 42

Key takeaway | Who is going to step up on offense?

Rice missed four or more consecutive shots on four separate occasions in the first half against TCU. The Horned Frogs only had one such cold stretch during that period. Come the third and fourth quarters, Rice suffered through an 0-for-10 stretch from the field.

On some days, the shots are going to fall. That’s basketball. It happens. Finding ways to manufacture easy looks and get to the free throw line becomes the necessary alternative on those afternoons. Even that sort of Plan B never materialized from the Owls on Sunday.

The slow day on the offense exposed one lingering question for this team, which boasts as talented and as deep of a roster as they’ve had under head coach Lindsay Edmonds thus far: do they have a dominant scorer?

Edmonds’ teams have tended toward balanced production. No single player has carried the load on offense, it’s been a collective effort. In general, the approach makes a lot of sense and it’s worked for this program. But on days like today, Rice women’s basketball needs someone to take command and will the offense to score.

Nobody rose to the occasion against TCU. Will someone take up that mantle on the next tough day from the field? Rice is going to have more hard shooting days. They need to figure out a solution.

Up Next: vs Georgia Tech (Thr. Nov 16)



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AAC Football 2023: Week 11 Roundup

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AAC Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron in Week 11.

Team Record  This Week Result Up Next
Charlotte 3-7 (2-4) vs Memphis L, 44-38 (OT) vs Rice
ECU 2-8 (1-5) at FAU W, 22-7 at Navy
FAU 4-6 (2-4) vs ECU L, 22-7 vs Tulane
Memphis 8-2 (5-1) at Charlotte W, 44-38 (OT) vs SMU
Navy 4-5 (3-3) vs UAB W, 31-7 vs ECU
North Texas 3-7 (1-5) at SMU L, 45-21 at Tulsa
Rice 4-6 (2-4) at UTSA L, 34-14 at Charlotte
SMU 8-2 (6-0) vs North Texas W, 45-21 at Memphis
Temple 3-7 (1-5) at USF L, 27-23 at UAB
Tulane 9-1 (6-0) vs Tulsa W, 24-22 at FAU
Tulsa 3-7 (1-5) at Tulane L, 24-22 vs North Texas
UAB 3-7 (2-4) at Navy L, 31-6 vs Temple
USF 5-5 (3-3) vs Temple W, 27-23 at UTSA
UTSA 7-3 (6-0) vs Rice W, 34-14 vs USF

Notable Results (Standings)

Still Perfect

SMU, UTSA and Tulane all took care of business this week to stay unbeaten in league play. Tulane’s played some squeaker in recent weeks and this outing against Tulsa was certainly closer than it probably should have been, but the result is what matters. We’ve got a three-horse race atop the conference standings with two weeks remaining in the regular season.

Watch out for the Bulls

USF has been one of the more pleasant surprise stories in the AAC this season. The Bulls beat Temple in a close one, keeping their chances to make a bowl in Alex Golesh’s first season within the realm of possible. To be able to write that in mid-November, after the tough stretch of season’s they have in recent years, is remarkable in itself.

So long, postseason

No AAC teams clinched a postseason berth this week but four squads notched their seventh loss signalling the end of their postseason aspirations. North Texas, UAB, Temple and Charlotte are all heading for no offseason. For the Owls and 49ers, that’s not too surprising. They were picked to finish near the bottom of the league. UAB and North Texas however, to be out of the running with two weeks to play is less understandable.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Finally, a heavyweight fight

Part of the reason the AAC has three remaining unbeaten teams is the lack of compelling matchups along the way. Next week’s meeting between SMU and Memphis is one of the most compelling regular season conference games remaining for that reason, it pits the talent against talent. Memphis is still alive in the conference title game hunt and could get much closer with a win over SMU whereas the Mustangs might all but clinch a title game spot with a win.

No margin for error

Both Rice and FAU enter this coming weekend with six losses before squaring off with each other in the final weekend of the regular season. Bowl eligibility could be on the line for both squads in that game, bu they’ll have to win this coming week to get there. Rice draws Charlotte. FAU will have to upset Tulane. No small task.

Don’t sleep on the troops

Navy has an outside shot at a six-win season under first-year head coach Brian Newberry. That’s what makes their upcoming game against East Carolina so intriguing. Win that, and the Midshipmen can keep the faith. They haven’t had a .500 season since 2019.



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