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Conference USA Football 2022: Week 4 Roundup

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Conference USA Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron in Week 4.

Team Week 4 Result Up Next
Charlotte at South Carolina L, 56-20 vs UTEP
FAU at Purdue L, 28-26 at North Texas
FIU at WKU L, 73-0 at New Mexcio St
LA Tech at South Alabama L, 38-14 — OFF —
MTSU at Miami W, 45-31 vs UTSA
North Texas at Memphis L, 44-34 vs FAU
Rice at Houston L, 34-27 vs UAB
UAB — OFF —  — at Rice
UTEP vs Boise St W, 27-10 at Charlotte
UTSA vs Texas So. W, 52-24 at MTSU
WKU vs FIU W, 73-0 vs Troy

Notable Week 4 results – Standings

Upset in the Desert

Early in the week, the sky felt like it might start falling in El Paso. Sitting at 1-3 with a matchup looming against Boise State (which thumped UTEP 54-13 last season) had folks in the desert on high alert. Instead, celebrations ensued as the Miners handled the Broncos with surprising ease, righting their season and sending shockwaves through the country late Friday night.

Upset at the Beach

UTEP’s wasn’t the only shocker of the weekend in Conference USA. The next day Middle Tennessee blasted a raked Miami team in their own stadium, dropping 45 points on the Hurricanes and doing it in style. The Blue Raiders completed a 71-yard touchdown pass, an 89-yard pass, a 69-yard pass and a 98-yard touchdown pass on their way to the emphatic victory.

Several more near-misses

Those would be the only major upsets for the conference this weekend, but several other C-USA squads came close. Rice led Houston in the fourth quarter of the Bayou Bucket and had what could have been the game-tying touchdown fall incomplete in the endzone. Florida Atlantic took Purdue to the brink on the road while Charlotte gave South Carolina a scare, entering halftime down just one score.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Buckle Up in Murfreesboro

UTSA pushed past an early scare against Texas Southern this weekend and went on to win with relatively comfort, but that paled in comparison to Middle Tennessee’s historic win. Picked to finish significantly higher in the standings than the Blue Raiders, the Roadrunners had better get back to the film room quickly. Their next game just got a lot tougher.

Battling for a bowl

Charlotte has one win on the season. UTEP has two. Both programs have a long way to go if they’re going to reach bowl eligibility and while it wouldn’t be too surprising if one of them were able to get hot and make a run, that task gets harder for the loser of this game. We’re way too early in the season for this to be a make-or-break contest, but the margin gets thinner for the team that comes out behind in this one.

Bring on the rematch

Rice shocked the country when they knocked off UAB last season. To do so required nearly a perfect effort, excelling in all phases, which resulted in the narrowest of margins. Rice might not have put together a perfect game yet this season, but early returns suggest the Owls might be feisty enough to battle with the Blazers regardless. Winner might just have a shot at a deep C-USA run.

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Rice Football 2022: Owls come up short across town vs UH

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Rice Football took Houston to the wire in the battle for the Bayou Bucket and came up just short, falling 34-27 in their nonconference finale.

Back-and-forth, back-and-forth. That was the cadence of a thrilling Bayou Bucket battle between Rice football and Houston on Saturday night. Heavy underdogs by the oddsmakers, the Owls looked every bit the Cougars’ equals until a pair of untimely fourth quarter turnovers doomed their upset bid. Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

Withstand the first punch

Rice football has played Houston twice during head coach Mike Bloomgren’s tenure. In 2018 the Owls kept the game close, leading at halftime 24-17. That gave the team a fighting chance despite their limited roster. That wasn’t the case in 2021. Trailing 10-0, Rice turned the ball over. Houston quickly jumped ahead 17-0 and scored on their first two drives of the second half to put the game out of reach.

Their recent struggles were irrelevant on Saturday, Rice had to find a way to survive the first punch and turn this into a heavyweight fight. It wasn’t pretty, but they hung tough in the early goings. A bad bounce on the opening kickoff forced the Owls to start their first possession from their own two-yard line. Rice got two first downs before punting, salvaging important field position. Then got the Houston offense off the field after just four plays.

The Roost Podcast: Stay tuned for the game recap this week – Rice football vs Houston

Houston would take the lead on their second offensive series, picking up a couple of first downs on their way to a 19-yard touchdown pass from Clayton Tune to Matthew Golden. Then the momentum changed.

Trailing 7-0 at the beginning of the second quarter, the Rice defense got pressure on Tune who threw into heavy traffic. The ball bounced around and fell into the hands of Myron Morrison. Four players later, Rice was in the endzone and the game was tied. Houston won the first quarter, but after 20 minutes, the game was tied. It wasn’t pretty, but it was gritty and proof this team was ready to grind one out.

Just add offense

Over the past several seasons, Rice football fans have seen some tremendous defensive performances. From the five-interception shutout against Marshall to allowing just 175 total yards to Louisiana last week, this defense has proven its worth time after time. More often than not, it’s been the offense that’s come up wanting.

Early returns from that side of the ball were encouraging. Saturday’s showing reaffirmed a new reality for the Owls’ offensive attack.

The underdogs averaged 6.0 yards per carry in the first half and were perfect in their pair of redzone appearances (extending their streak to 14 consecutive red zone trips with a score). Broussard’s short touchdown plunge might seem that impressive, but when you consider the regularity with which this team can get two yards on the ground when they need to, it’s an essential tool in the Owls’ arsenenal.

It starts and ends in the trenches

Trey Phillippi made the start at right guard for Rice football on Saturday night. His insertion into the lineup was notable for several different reasons. First, his addition to the starting lineup marked the fourth different starting offensive line combination in four games for Rice football in the midst of an offensive renaissance. More importantly, Phillippi had never played guard before in his life.

Philippi was a tackle in high school. He started his Rice career as a tackle and moved to tight end with injuries at that position early this season. His first snaps at guard in his football career happened during practice this week. His first game just concluded. As a whole, the offensive line held their own and gave Rice a chance.

Not to be outdone, the Rice defensive line had its moment. On third and one near the end of the third quarter, Houston was stonewalled at the line of scrimmage. Given the break between quarters to reconvene, the Cougars lined up to go for it again. They didn’t get it.

A Rice defensive front that was without De’Braylon Carroll for much of this game went toe-to-toe with Houston and looked every bit their equal. Houston will be playing in the Big 12 next season. Rice will be in a “Group of 5” Conference. The supposed talent gap didn’t feel that large in this game.

House Money

To say the result of Saturday’s showdown at TDECU Stadium did not matter would be entirely disingenuous. Beating a rival always matters, especially for a team that hasn’t hoisted the Bayou Bucket Trophy since 2010 with six consecutive losses in the matchup since.

No matter what the result would be, even with a loss, the Owls would have split their nonconference slate for the first time under head coach Mike Bloomgren. A win, however, had the potential to material shift the outlook of the Rice football program. That wasn’t in the cards this week.

Nevertheless, the product the Owls put on the field against the Cougars proved these two teams are more evenly matched than many may have suspected. Houston was projected to contend for an AAC title this season. Rice traded blows with them for four quarters. Are the Cougars scuttling well below expectations? It’s possible. But it seems much more likely the Owls are starting to rise up.

Rice exits this game four wins from a bowl berth. That’s an achievable target if they continue to play with this level of intensity and execution. It was a tough day across town, but the 2022 Rice Football season still has plenty more good to come.

Digging deeper

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McMahon’s magic overcomes the odds

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Rice Football 22: UH Insider gives his take on Owls vs Cougars

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Rice Football is set for a big game this weekend against the Houston Cougars. The guys from the Scott & Hollman Pawdcast tell us what to expect.

Sam and Dustin, hosts of the Scott & Hollman Pawdcast who cover all things UH Athletics, were kind enough to stop by and answer a few questions about the upcoming matchup between Rice Football and Houston. The answers below are from Sam:

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Rice Baseball: 2022 MLB Owls update – Sep 22

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The 2022 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 – Tampa Bay Rays

Chargois was busy this week, hurling three scoreless innings against a pair of Lone Star teams. Last Friday, he struck out two in a one-inning outing against the Rangers. He then struck out on batter apiece in one-inning appearances against the Astros on Monday and Tuesday.

Through September 22, Chargois has a 2.76 ERA with a .980 WHIP. He’s averaging 6.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

Lucas Luetge – New York Yankees

Luetge appeared in two games this week, hurling a combined 2.1 innings. He allowed one earned run to the Brewers last Friday and one earned run to the Pirates on Wednesday, his longer appearance (two innings) in which he also tallied three strikeouts.

Through September 22, Luetge has a 2.82 ERA with a 1.307 WHIP. He’s averaging 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

Glenn Otto – Texas Rangers

Otto was saddled with a loss this week, his first since August 5. He’d won his previous two decisions. This time around, Otto allowed four runs (thanks to two home runs) in a 5-3 loss to the Rays.

Through September 22, Otto has a 4.88 ERA with a 1.373 WHIP. He’s averaging 7.0 strikeouts per nine innings.

Injured List

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

The Angels announced on June 17  that Rendon would undergo surgery on his right wrist, originally expected to end his season. Recent reports indicate Rendon might be mulling a late-season return. Although things are far from certain, there’s a chance Rendon suits up for the Halos again this year. There have been no new updates on that front just yet.

Rendon left off his season hitting .228 with 15 extra-base hits, 23 walks and 32 strikeouts. His OPS is .707 and he’s collected 24 RBI.

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Rice Football 2022: Houston Game Depth Chart Notes

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Rice football has released its depth chart for its upcoming game against Houston. Here are the latest and a few notes on relevant players.

Rice Football

Depth chart notes

At wide receiver, Isaiah Esdale had been listed as a backup to Luke McCaffrey at the Z position, but the reality is he’s been a starter for the last several weeks. That adjustment is catching up to how the team has been operated, nothing more, although it’s interesting to see Tyson Thompson listed as the backup at both spots since it’s been Kobie Campbell as the next man up after the top three.

As for the offensive line, Isaac Klarkowski is back on the two-deep for the first time in two weeks. If he’s able to go, that would bump Shea Baker to guard. Braedon Nutter will not be available for this game because of team discipline.

De’Braylon Carroll is listed behind Quent Titre at the defensive tackle spot. He’s working himself back into the lineup after missing most of the last two contests. Behind them, Marcus Williams has become the official backup to Treshawn Chamberlain at Viper.

Getting ready for the game

The Roost has plenty of content already up and running to get you ready for Rice football vs Houston this weekend.

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