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Rice Football: Special Team Coach Drew Svoboda hired by Memphis

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The Rice football coaching staff will look slightly different next season. The Owls will have to replace special teams coach Drew Svoboda.

Coaching staff changes are part of the norm in today’s college football. Rice football coach Mike Bloomgren has fairly well when it comes to retaining his staff but hasn’t curtailed turnover completely.

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This offseason Rice football will have to replace its special teams coordinator. Drew Svoboda has been hired for the same role by the Memphis Tigers. Yahoo’s Pete Thamel was first to report. The Roost has since confirmed.

Further Staff notes

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Rice Football 2020: NFL Owls final regular season update

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Rice Football is well represented on 2020 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action in Week 17.

There are former Rice football players scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player. Playoff matchups have been notated. Three Rice football alums are on playoff teams this year.

Week 17 results

Baltimore def. Cincinnati (Covington), 38-3
Cleveland (Sendejo) def. Pittsburgh (Boswell, McDonald), 24-22
Las Vegas def. Denver (Anderson, Callahan), 32-31
Minnesota def. Detroit (Fox), 37-35
Tennessee def. Houston (Gaines), 41-38
Seattle def. San Francisco (Walter), 26-23

Wildcard Round Schedule

Cleveland (Sendejo) at Pittsburgh (Boswell, McDonald) – Sunday at 7:15 p.m. CT

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OT, Broncos

Week 17 marks completed a full 17 game run for Anderson with the Broncos this season. He played in every game, making two starts and contributing weekly on special teams. The Broncos did not qualify for the playoffs.

Vance McDonald – TE, Steelers

McDonald saw an uptick in activity as a pass catcher in the Steelers’ Week 17 game against the Browns. He caught five passes on six targets for 33 yards. That’s the most receptions and targets he’s had this season and the most yards he’s tallied since a Week 4 game against the Texans when he had 35 yards.

He finishes the regular season with 15 receptions for 99 yards. This was the first year since 2014 in which he did not score a touchdown. The Steelers won the AFC North and will be the No. 3 seed for the AFC in the playoffs. They get a rematch with the Browns in the Wildcard Round.

Austin Walter – RB, 49ers

Walter was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list this week in time for the 49ers’ final game of the 2020 season. He returned two kickoffs against the Seahawks, with a long return of 18 yards.

After signing with the team midseason, Walter tallied five kick returns, one rush for three yards and one reception for 27 yards. The 49ers did not qualify for the playoffs.

Defense and Special Teams

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

For the third time in five games, Boswell was inactive because of injury. Instead, Matthew Wright handled field goal duties for the Steelers.

Boswell’s regular season stat line was impressive. He converted on 19 of 20 field goal attempts, with his lone miss coming beyond 40 yards. He made 34 of 38 extra point tries. The Steelers won the AFC North and will be the No. 3 seed for the AFC in the playoffs. They get a rematch with the Browns in the Wildcard Round.

Bryce Callahan – CB, Broncos

Callahan’s last game of the season came in Week 12 against the Saints, landing on injured reserve with a foot injury for the remainder of the year.

When he was healthy, Callahan was one of the best cover corners in the league. He had five passes defended, one shy of a career-high even with his shortened season. He also had one fumble recovery and one tackle for a loss on 42 tackles. Per Pro Football Reference, he was the allowed third-lowest passer rating in the league when targeted. The Broncos did not qualify for the playoffs.

Christian Covington – DL, Bengals

Covington had a season-high six tackles in the Bengals’ Week 17 regular season finale against the Ravens, giving him 39 tackles for the year, a career-best. Covington started 14 of the Bengals’ 16 games. Coming into the season, he’d started 15 games in five seasons, spanning stints with the Texans and Cowboys. The Bengals did not qualify for the playoffs.

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox finishes a Pro Bowl season among the league leaders in most punting statistics. He ranks third in punting average, second in net punting and tied for sixth with 26 punts inside the 20 yard line. He punted 59 times this season. The Lions did not qualify for the playoffs.

Phillip Gaines – CB, Texans

Gaines was inactive for the Texans’ final game against the Titans in Week 17. He finishes 2020 with 12 appearances, the most he’s had in a single season since 2014 when he was with the Chiefs. Gaines had one pass defended this season and 24 tackles, making two starts. The Texans did not qualify for the playoffs.

Andrew Sendejo – Saf, Browns

Sendejo missed the Browns’ regular season finale against the Steelers after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier in the week. His status for the Browns’ playoff game is unknown.

During the regular season, Sendejo accumulated 67 tackles, his highest mark since making 80 tackles in 2017. He also had two passes defended and one forced fumble. The Browns clinched a wildcard berth. They get a rematch with the Steelers in the Wildcard Round.

More Owls in the NFL

From practice squads to current free agents, there are others 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 Women’s Basketball 2021: Owls fly past UTSA with ease, twice

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Rice women’s basketball continued their winning ways in Conference USA play, beating UTSA twice in two days on the road.

For the fourth consecutive season, Rice women’s basketball opened conference play 2-0. This year, both of the Owls’ victories came against the same team in the same venue. As a part of Conference USA’s efforts to reduce travel, Rice opened their conference slate with back-to-back road games against UTSA.

Rice announced the arrival in San Antonio with authority, jumping out to a 16-3 lead in the opening quarter of the Friday affair. UTSA would hang around into the before a near-perfect third quarter shooting performance from the Owls, who made 10-of-13 shots to push their lead to 20 points. Lauren Schwartz and Nancy Mulkey led the team in scoring with 19 points apiece.

More: Men’s Basketball goes 2-0 against UTSA 

UTSA managed more than three points in the opening frame during the rematch on Saturday, but the result was the same. Rice held the roadrunner to 32.9 percent shooting and never let the Roadrunners get within striking distance after the Owls took the early lead. Sydne Wiggins had a season-high 14 points, but it was Mulkey, again, who led the team in scoring with 20 points.

Rice has now won 36 of their last 38 games against Conference USA opponents. Tina Langley’s squad has adapted as they’ve gone, developing complementary pieces to keep the Owls consistently ahead of their conference foes.

Player Spotlight | Katelyn Crosthwait

Crosthwait is making the most of her insertion into the starting lineup this season. She scored 20 points across the two games against UTSA, also contributing six assists and a pair of steals. She’s continued to develop as a shot maker and consistently provides the Owls another option on that side of the court. Crosthwait was third on the team in minutes played on the weekend.

Stat Corner | Shooters shoot and stoppers stop

Rice is No. 1 in Conference USA in field goal percentage, connecting on a staggering 50% of their shots through seven games. The Owls are also No. 1 on the defensive side, limiting their opponents to 31.6 percent shooting from the field.

Old Dominion is the only other team in the conference to rank in the top half of both metrics. The Monarchs rank fourth in shooting percentage and sixth in shooting defensive percentage.

The Owls have always hung their hat on suffocating defense. Adding an explosive offense that takes (and makes) high percentage shots will make this team hard to beat in conference play.

Up Next

Rice women’s basketball will open their home slate of Conference USA games next weekend against UTEP. Once again, it will be another Friday/Saturday double feature. The Miners are 5-2 this season. Like the Owls, they also swept their opening C-USA series. UTEP took both games against Southern Miss by final scores of 83-65 and 74-72, respectively.

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Rice Basketball 2021: Owls rain down threes in two-game sweep of UTSA

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Rice basketball opened up Conference USA play with back-to-back wins at home against UTSA, their first 2-0 C-USA start since 2007.

It was a wonderful weekend for Rice basketball. The Owls’ cruised to a perfect 2-0 start in conference play, their best start in C-USA action in 14 years. Rice improved to 8-2 on the season with the two wins, their best mark in the opening 10 games under head coach Scott Pera, who picked up his 300th career win on Friday.

The Friday opener was a nailbiter, which ended in exhilarating fashion. Rice trailed 48-42 at halftime and 84-82 in the final five minutes. Both times, the home team rallied. Guard Travis Evee’s eight three-pointers made the difference, propelling the Owls to their first conference win of the season.

They returned to the court for an encore performance on Saturday. This time Rice was in command from start to finish. The Owls lead ballooned to as many as 32 points behind big days from Max Fiedler (8-for-8 field goals for 18 points) and Chris Mullins (20 points, three three-pointers).

“To be up 30 on anybody is really hard in this league,” head coach Scott Pera said in the aftermath. “We just kept churning away.”

That churn and effort were visible from start to finish. Rice has always been a team willing to shoot the three—and they found tremendous success beyond the arc this weekend—but they also proved themselves to be adept when the ball wasn’t in their hands. All in all, it was an impressive weekend for the Owls on the court.

Player Spotlight | Travis Evee

There wasn’t much that didn’t go right for guard Travis Evee this weekend. He shot the ball at a blistering pace, draining 10 of 18 three-pointers and leading the team in scoring on Friday with a career-best 36 points. He was the first Owl to reach that total since Patrick Britton scored 40 against East Carolina in 2008.

Evee’s strong start to conference play is doubly impressive given his status entering the fall. An offseason transfer, Rice had to apply for a waiver to get Evee eligible to play this season. The request was approved on November 18, nine days before the team tipped off in their season opener against Incarnate Word. The impact he’s had on the Owls through 10 games cannot be understated.

Stat Corner | First 2-0 start in conference play since 2006-2007

Rice played their first Conference USA basketball games in the 2005-2006 season. They started 2-0 in league play that season, following it up with a 2-0 start the following season, 2006-2007. They won three straight to start C-USA play, the longest opening winning streak for the Owls since joining Conference USA.

That also marked the last time a Rice team had won two consecutive games to begin its conference slate. The strong start positions the Owls for a small slice of history. Two more wins would make this squad the second team to win three-straight C-USA opening games. The Owls travel to UTEP next weekend.

Up Next

Rice plays their next stint of the league’s newfound doubleheader schedule next Friday/Saturday at UTEP. The Miners are 3-0 at home this season and 5-3 overall. They split their season-opening duet with Southern Miss over the weekend, winning the second of two contests.

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Rice Basketball 2021 Game Previews: Owls vs UTSA

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Rice basketball opens up conference play on New Year’s Day. Both the men and the women will play back-to-back games against UTSA.

Rice Basketball

Time: Jan. 1 at 2:00 p.m. CT and Jan. 2 at 2:00 p.m.
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+

UTSA 4-3 (0-0), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 66-105 (L) at Oklahoma
  • 91-62 (W) vs Sul Ross State
  • 61-73 (L) at Oregon State
  • 102-70 (W) vs Our Lady of the Lake
  • 88-66 (W) vs Lamar

Rice 6-2 (0-0), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 94-74 (W) vs LeTourneau
  • 86-64 (W) vs Houston Baptist
  • 61-72 (L) vs New Mexico
  • 90-79 (W) vs Houston Baptist
  • 73-62 (W) vs New Orleans

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Quincy Olivari – 18.0 per game
  • Rebounds | Max Fiedler – 10.0 per game
  • Assists | Max Fiedler – 3.5 per game
  • Steals | Travis Evee – 1.6 per game
  • Blocks | Max Fiedler – 0.6 per game

UTSA statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Jhivvan Jackson – 17.0 per game
  • Rebounds | Jacob Germany – 6.6 per game
  • Assists | Keaton Wallace – 3.4 per game
  • Steals | Eric Parrish – 1.6 per game
  • Blocks | Jacob Germany – 1.0 per game

Rice keys to victory

UTSA can score. In year’s past, that’s meant Rice needs to match in a shot-for-shot slugfest to come out on top. As good as Quincy Olivari has been shooting, getting more production on the defensive side of the court is more likely to pay off than a high-scoring shootout against Jhivvan Jackson and Co.

For the season, Rice ranks 11th in Conference USA in defensive field goal percentage. If Rice can get that number from where it sits entering the weekend (.424) closer to .400, they’ll have a much better chance to beat UTSA. Balanced basketball will be key.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: Jan. 1 at 2:00 p.m. CT and Jan. 2 at 1:00 p.m.
Venue: Convocation Center
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: Jan. 1 – CUSAtv / Jan. 2 – Not televised

UTSA 2-3 (0-0), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 80-37 (W) vs Sul Ross State
  • 50-60 (L) vs UT Rio Grande Valley
  • 63-69 (L) at Incarnate Word
  • 73-55 (W) vs Northwestern State
  • 47-71 (L) at Sam Houston State

Rice 4-1 (0-0), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 83-54 (W) vs Houston Baptist
  • 66-54 (W) at Little Rock
  • 81-62 (W) at Texas Tech
  • 83-51 (W) vs Louisiana
  • 53-57 (L) at No. 10 Texas A&M

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Nancy Mulkey – 14.2 per game
  • Rebounds | Nancy Mulkey – 8.0 per game
  • Assists | Sydne Wiggins – 4.4 per game
  • Steals | Jasmine Smith – 2.0 per game
  • Blocks | Nancy Mulkey – 2.6 per game

UTSA statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Adryana Quezada – 16.0 per game
  • Rebounds | Adryana Quezada – 11.7 per game
  • Assists | Karrington Donald – 4.2 per game
  • Steals | Mikayla Woods – 2.6 per game
  • Blocks | Mikayla Woods – 0.8 per game

Rice keys to victory

To some extent, Rice women’s basketball is still test driving their rotations and setup for 2021. The Owls have looked extremely sharp on both sides of the court, coming a shot away from upending Top 10 Texas A&M.

Rice does an excellent job of adjusting to what the opponent gives them. So far, they haven’t had to find a consistent scoring threat outside of Nancy Mulkey. A few players have crossed the 15-point bar. Jasmine Smith led the team with 18 points against Texas A&M. Having someone else to go to in crunch time could really put this team over the top.

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