Next up for Rice football, a home game against UConn. Here’s what head coach Scott Abell had to say about the matchup and a few depth chart notes.

Head coach Scott Abell, this time with no players alongside him, met with the media for his customary weekly availability. He recapped the UTSA game and the bye week before looking ahead at the Owls’ upcoming matchup with UConn.

The Roost Podcast: Rice Football vs UTSA Game Recap and Midseason Review

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

You got to tackle better. You got a block better. and those are two fundamental things of football that will never change. Those are things that we worked on the entire bye week as we prepared for our next opponent. we’ll really find out when we step on the field the next time if the work pays off. I’m going to tell you I’m really excited about the work that we got done. I anticipate that you’ll see a much different football team when we step on the field Saturday against UConn. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on what they team is taking away from the UTSA game

When you see them on film, they are a unit that, they know exactly who they are… They understand their scheme really well and they fit. Teams that want to be multiple have to fit. Because if you’re multiple, but yet you don’t fit, then you open yourself up. They fit really well with all their multiplicity and their blitz and stunt packages that they use with their front, their front six. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the UConn defense

He doesn’t make mistakes, takes care of the football. It’s what we all want our quarterbacks, no matter what system you run, you want to protect the football. [He] does a phenomenal job doing that. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano

Without mentioning specific things right now, all of them have some type of day-to-day with whatever they’re dealing with underneath their name. Whatever that looks like, maybe it inhibits one of them from doing something, but another one can do something [else]. You could see multiple quarterbacks in a game because of what they’re capable of, health-wise. I won’t know that, probably until we get closer to the end of the week…
PJ [Crayton] had stitches when he went out. He’s fully cleared. He’s one on the [depth] chart that really has no restrictions. Everyone else, we’re day-to-day. How close can we get them to full reps as we get to the weekend will probably determine who gets the nod and what set of schemes do they get the nod in. But we’ll be prepared. Whatever they’re capable of, we’ll figure out what they can do best. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the state of the Owls’ quarterback room

Full Press Conference

Depth Chart

Depth Chart Notes

This week’s depth chart looks significantly different than it did heading into the bye week. At center David Stickle is listed for the first time since his injury. Netane Fehoko fills in for the spot vacated by John Long, who’s availability this week is uncertain. Also on offense, Landon Ransom-Goelz makes his first appearance since his injury several weeks ago and Semaj Pierre moves into the two-deep at slot.

The quarterback position doesn’t have any listed changes just yet, but Abell addressed the availability of those players specifically in his remarks above.

On defense, a healthy safety room moves Peyton Stevenson to Viper and Daveon Hook back to their starting free safety spots. At corner, the indefinite suspension of Khary Crump pushes Jerrick Harper into a potential starting spot ahead of Lavonte Johnson.

Whether or not all of these new faces will see action, how much they’ll be able to do and what additional permutations could happen — particularly at quarterback — will be addressed in this week’s practice report, available to those subscribed to our Starting Lineup Tier on Patreon. That will be published later in the week.

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