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Rice Football 2023: Houston Game Week Practice Report

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Rice football comes home this week to play the Bayou Bucket rivalry game against Houston. Here’s what we learned from practice this week.

This week was spent refining some things as Rice football prepares for its 2023 home opener, an important intra-city rivalry game with Houston. The Owls came close a year ago and believe they have what it takes to get over the hump this time around.

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This week’s roundup focuses on a shakeup at one offensive possession, some learnings from the Texas game and some healthy updates as the team readies for Week 2.

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.

What’s going on at wide receiver?

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Rice Baseball 2023: MLB Owls Update – Sep 5

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The 2023 MLB season is underway and Rice baseball alums are busy on the mound and at the plate. Here’s the latest from the MLB Owls.

J.T. Chargois – Miami Marlins

Chargois toed the rubber twice this week, both times against the Washington Nationals. He threw a scoreless seventh inning on Thursday but was less fortunate on Saturday, allowing four hits and two runs in the ninth in a non-save situation. The Marlins won both games.

Through September 5, Chargois has a 3.78 ERA with a 1.230 WHIP. He’s averaging 7.0 strikeouts per nine innings.

Glenn Otto – Texas Rangers

Otto was called up from AAA at the end of August and appeared in two games. He threw a scoreless ninth inning against the Twins on Friday, striking out one and allowing one hit. On Monday he was tagged with two runs in 1.1 innings by the Houston Astros, allowing two home runs. Afterward, he was designated for assignment to make room for Nathan Eovaldi and Ian Kennedy.

Through September 5, Otto has a 3.45 ERA with a 1.193 WHIP. He’s averaging 7.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

Injured List

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

Rendon was placed on the 60-day injured list, meaning he won’t be eligible to return to the club until September 9, at the earliest, during the regular season’s final weeks. There have been little updates on Rendon’s status to this point.

Through September 5, Rendon is hitting .236 with eight extra-base hits, 25 walks and 27 strikeouts. His OPS is .678 and he’s collected 22 RBI.

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Rice Football 2023: Houston presser quotes and depth chart

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Rice football hosts Houston this week. Here’s what Mike Bloomgren had to say about the matchup at hand and a few depth chart notes.

Head coach Mike Bloomgren and a set of players met with the media for their customary weekly availability. They recapped last week’s game and looked ahead at their upcoming matchup with Houston.

Listen Now: The Roost Pod – Breaking down Rice Football vs Texas

We touch on those items, then dig into the Rice football depth chart and what the team looks like heading into the weekend. First, the quotes:

Press Conference Quotes

“We got a great rivalry game coming up, great traditions versus the team right across town. Celebrating the Bayou Bucket is always a great time…. We certainly recognize that coach Holgerson’s team is very talented and we know that it’s going to be a game where we have to play good, clean football for 60 minutes if we want to get the results we want.” – Mike Bloomgren on playing Houston

“The stadiums are four and a half miles apart, driving on roads. It’s probably more like three [miles] as the crow flies. And you’ll hear from [Myron Morrison and Chike Anigbogu], the fact that they’re going to play a lot of their old teammates, a lot of guys they played against in high school. Anytime you play a team in Texas, that’s really cool. But in your own city. That’s fun. The rivalry is real.” – Mike Bloomgren on the Bayou Bucket Rivalry

“One thing that I find encouragement in is a lot of the big plays and explosives that they had are the result of self-inflicted wounds that are something that is very fixable on our end. Those are things, like we mentioned that big jump from week one to week two, very flexible errors were made that weren’t even as much physical as they were mental. That’s going to be completely patched up in our next game.” – Linebacker Myron Morrison on areas to improve on defense after Texas

“That’s everything. That’s a goal I’ve had since I started playing football. Just knowing that my guys have faith in me and my love for them is reciprocated. It’s huge.”
– Linebacker Chike Anigbogu on being named captain this year

Depth Chart

Rice Football

Depth Chart Notes

There weren’t any changes to the official depth chart this week. Everything ties out exactly to how things looked entering the season opener against Texas. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Owls’ will approach their personnel plans the same way — for that stay tuned to our practice update later in the week for our subscribers.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 158 – Unpacking Rice Football vs Texas

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Rice Football hung around for a bit before falling to Texas. What does it mean for the Owls moving forward? We discuss on this week’s show.

The 2023 Rice football season has officially begun, and although it started with a loss, there were plenty of reasons to be optimistic about its future. The defense had a very positive showing against Texas and there are reasons to believe the offensive struggles shouldn’t persist. Let’s dig into the game.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 158.

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. Shop the Rice collection or pick up something else (or both)!

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Recapping Rice Football vs Texas

  • Making sense of the offensive struggles
  • Evaluating JT Daniels and the offensive line
  • Defense stands out and holds its own
  • Shout out to the special teams
  • What does this mean for the team going forward?

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.

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Rice Football 2023 Game Preview: Houston

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Rice football returns home this week to host the Bayou Bucket matchup against rival Houston. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

Following a tough loss to Texas, Rice football looks to rebound against another familiar foe from the Lone Star State. They’ll face Houston this week, hosting the Bayou Bucket matchup after playing across town a year ago. The Cougars are coming off a narrow victory over UTSA, edging the Roadrunners by a field goal. Here’s everything you need to know about this week’s matchup between Rice and Houston.

Kickoff time | 6:00 PM CT
Venue | Historic Rice Stadium – Houston, Texas
TV | NFL Network (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs Houston 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

Houston bought itself some breathing room with a season-opening win over UTSA, but expectations remain high for Dana Holgerson and company in their first year as members of the Big 12. They play their first league game the week following the Bayou Bucket against TCU, but they can’t afford to look ahead quite yet.

As for Rice football, avoiding a 0-2 start is paramount. Losing to Texas is forgivable, dropping another game in a row to Houston would be disappointing and amp up the pressure for the rest of the way. This would be a big one for the Owls if they can find a way to bring home the victory.

Series History

All Time | Houston leads, 33-11
Last Five | Houston leads, 5-0
Last Meeting | Away 2022, Houston won 34-27

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Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Daniels – 14/26 (53.8 percent), 149 yards, 1 TD, 2INT
Rushing | Connors – 8 carries, 23 yards (3.5 yards per carry), 0 TD / Otoviano – 6 carries, 1 yards (0.2 yards per carry), 0 TD
Receiving | McCaffrey – 2 receptions, 22 yards (11.0 yds/rec), 1 TDs / Groen – 4 receptions, 28 yards (7.0 yds/rec), 0 TD
Tackles | Fresch, Wyatt – 8 / Morrison – 7 / Devones, M. Williams – 6
Pass Breakups | Jean – 2 / Fresch – 1 / Narcisse – 1
Interceptions | n/a

Houston Stat Notables

Passing | Smith – 22/34 (64.7 percent), 233 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Rushing | Smith – 13 carries, 31 yards (2.4 yards per carry), 0 TD / Mathis – 8 carries, 38 yards (4.8 ypc), 0 TD
Receiving | Brown – 6 receptions, 106 yards (17.7 yards per reception), 0 TD / Manjack – 6 receptions, 67 yards (11.2 yds/rec), 1 TD
Tackles | Robinson – 6 / Haulcy, Hogan – 5 / Seven tied with four
Pass Breakups | Hamilton, Ugwoegbu – 1
Interceptions | Fleming – 2 / Payne – 1

Houston X-Factor | Keep the ball in front of you

There have been 126 FBS teams to play at least one game so far this season. Houston has allowed more plays on defense of 10 or more yards than all but 16 of those teams. Exclude the teams that played in Week 0 and have two games to reach that total and the tally is down to eight squads more prone to allowing a chunk play on defense than the Cougars.

Now, some of that is to be expected when you play Frank Harris and what is expected to be a potent UTSA offense. Nevertheless, the results are the continuation of a trend that dates back into last season. The Cougars were the 10th worst defense nationally in that metric a year ago. They give up big gains.

The Rice offense struggled against Texas. Even if they have their hands full up front against Houston, a leaky defense can help overcome any size advantages the Cougars have up front. It’s crucial Houston finds a way to keep the ball in front of them and make opposing offenses earn every yard. If they don’t it’s unlikely they’ll be holding many teams to 14 points again any time soon.

Rice X-Factor | Win the line of scrimmage

Proving the offensive struggles were a fluke last week against Texas has to be at the top of the Owls’ to-do list for this game. For one, the proof of concept in an offense that found success throughout camp would be huge for this team’s psyche, but even more than that, they’re going to need points to beat Houston.

Getting those points has to start in the trenches. The Rice defensive line held its own against Texas. The offensive line did not. Both sides of the ball should have more manageable opportunities this week and allow Rice to play a more balanced version of football than they were able to on opening weekend.

In this matchup last season, Rice was able to go toe-to-toe with Houston and present themselves as equals for nearly the entirety of four quarters. For a team moving up in conference affiliation with a roster full of talent, another such performance is a must. Winning up front will allow Rice to run the ball and dictate how this game is played. If they can do that, they’ll be in the driver’s seat.

Injury Report (Subscribers only)

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One Final Thing

Rice football narrowly missed an upset in this game a year ago, and the 2023 version of the Cougars doesn’t have Clayton Tune, Tank Dell or Derek Parish. It’s still a very talented football team, but it’s not one that should be in an entirely different weight class like the squad the Owls faced in their opening game. And technically, a win this weekend would be the Owls’ first Power 5 victory under Bloomgren.

Quarterback JT Daniels shared some perspective following Saturday’s defeat. “As much as we would have wanted a different outcome I think there’s a ton to learn from and this doesn’t kill your season,” he said. He spoke of the teams’ aspirations in the AAC and the Owls’ intentions to compete for the league title.

Houston isn’t in the AAC anymore, but this game could very well serve to set the tone for the Owls’ season moving forward.

And with realignment swirling, this game is the final scheduled contest between these two crosstown rivals as things currently stand. In the event future meetings aren’t forthcoming — that’ll be a hot-button topic this week, I’m sure — It sure would be nice to go out on top.

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