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Rice Football 2024 Offensive Newcomer: Chad Lindberg

December 14, 2024 By Matthew Bartlett

A rock on an ever-changing offensive line, Chad Lindberg, our 2024 Rice Football Offensive Newcomer of the Year.

Just weeks before the start of summer workouts, Chad Lindberg committed to transfer from Georgia to South Main. Even with the short runway to get acclimated to the program and the offense, Lindberg delivered in a big way on his way to becoming our 2024 Rice Football Offensive Newcomer of the Year.

A former blue-chip recruit who saw the field in a reserve role in the SEC, the plan when Lindberg arrived on campus was for him to take over one of the guard spots and stick there for the season. Lindberg was able to participate in summer workouts, but an injury sidelined him during much of fall camp. He missed the Owls’ season-opening game against Sam Houston, kicking off the first of a myriad of iterations in the trenches.

Lindberg made his Rice football debut in Week 2 against Texas Southern at left guard. His unit kept quarterback EJ Warner upright for a full 60 minutes, allowing no sacks against the FCS opponent. The following week they allowed just one sack in a loss to Houston, the Owls’ only Power Conference opponent of the season. Then the musical chairs began in earnest.

More: 2024 Rice Football Season Superlatives

Right guard John Long was injured against Houston, forcing Lindberg to switch to the right side of the line the following week against Army. Rice lost starting left tackle Ethan Onianwa in that game, another significant blow to an offensive line that seemed to finally be finding its stride.

Because of other injuries that had accumulated around him, Lindberg was asked to move again, suiting up at left tackle for three games, including the program’s first AAC win of the year. Warner was sacked only twice in Lindberg’s three-game stretch as his blind side protector, always pushing himself and his teammates to do more.

“We take it personal when anyone gets close to EJ. We don’t want to give up any pressures, much less a sack,” he said during that run. “We feel like we’re talented enough and we’re a very talented unit. The expectation is to not let anyone close to him. That’s what we try to do every week.”

When Onianwa returned, Lindberg moved back to left guard, the position he thought he was going to be playing all season long. He would, at least, finish the year there as the Owls flip-flopped the other guard spot during the final stretch of games but kept Lindberg in one place.

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Center David Stickle and right tackle Brant Banks were the only two Rice offensive lineman to play a full 12 games, accounting for every start at their respective positions during the season. Lindberg played in all but one contest was the only player on the line to play three different positions. Only one other, Weston Kropp, played two, and that included a single spot start at right guard in six total appearances.

Despite all the upheaval and injuries, including six unique line combinations in 12 games, Rice turned in one of its most impressive showing in the offensive trenches in years. The team ranked seventh nationally in sacks allowed, ceding 11 sacks in 12 games, just one of 11 programs in the nation to allow fewer than one sack per contest. Two of the teams in front of the Owls, Army and Navy, run option offenses that rarely throw the ball.

Rice ranked ninth nationally in pass attempts per game. They threw the ball an incredible amount and yet still managed to keep their quarterback’s jersey remarkably clean. To that point, Rice ranked second nationally in sacks allowed per pass attempt. Lindberg’s versatility and consistency played a pivotal role in that. Not every Transfer Portal addition works out. This one paid off in droves.

** Photo Credit: Maria Lysaker **
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Filed Under: Archive, Football Tagged With: Chad Lindberg, postseason awards, Rice Football

Rice Football 2024: Navy Game Week Practice Report

October 30, 2024 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice football has an interim head coach, quarterback uncertainty and an injured captain. Here’s what we learned from the Owls at practice this week.

Mike Bloomgren is out. Pete Alamar is in. And Rice football marches on. Navy is next up on the docket, no small task for any permutation of the Owls’ program. This update will touch on a few logistical adaptions to the weekly practice schedule now that Alamar is calling the hots as well as the latest on the injury front, which continues to have lasting ramifications for the program as the season progresses. Here’s where the team stands prior to the Navy game this weekend.

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On the (interim) head coach

Make sure you check out this feature released earlier in the week on Alamar and what the program is going to look like for the next few weeks under his direction. That’s going to impact the day-to-day operations around South Main to some extent, but there’s no sense in reiterating the same information twice. Things have gone more or less according to plan, in those respects.

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Filed Under: Archive, Football, Premium Tagged With: Brant Banks, Chad Lindberg, Daveon Hook, David Stickle, Drew Devillier, EJ Warner, Ethan Onianwa, Gabe Taylor, Geron Hargon, Jojo Jean, Max Ahoia, Myron Morrison, Pete Alamar, practice notes, Rice Football, trace norfleet, Tyson Flowers

Rice Football 2024: UConn Game Week Practice Report

October 24, 2024 By Matthew Bartlett

It was an interesting week for Rice football as the team juggles injuries and prepares for UConn.  Here’s what we learned from the Owls at practice this week.

Injured on the final play of their game against Tulane, Rice football starting quarterback EJ Warner has been a significant question mark as the team prepares to make the trip east to take on UConn. Head coach Mike Bloomgren has issued some positive remarks about Warner’s status, but more light was shed during practice this week. And that might not be the only position with important injury-related news.

This update will touch on the good and the bad from the injury front plus some individual highlights and comments on the team the Owls are likely to trot out on Saturday. Here’s where the team stands prior to the UConn game this weekend.

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EJ Warner

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Filed Under: Archive, Football, Premium Tagged With: Aquantis Clemmons, Brant Banks, Chad Lindberg, Christian Francisco, David Stickle, Dean Connors, Drew Devillier, EJ Warner, Ethan Onianwa, John Long, Jojo Jean, LaVonte Johnson, Myron Morrison, practice notes, Quinton Jackson, Rice Football, Taji Atkins, Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman, trace norfleet

Rice Football 2024: Tulane Game Week Practice Report

October 17, 2024 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice football is getting clarity on some injuries and getting to work preparing for Tulane.  Here’s what we learned from the Owls at practice this week.

There were many players in and out of the lineup this week as the rigors of the physicality of the sport have made themselves present within the Rice football roster. This week, that meant a lot of good news including a couple of potential starters the Owls are trending toward having back on the field against Tulane.

However, head coach Mike Bloomgren did disclose an update regarding the trio of receivers the Owls expected to be their top three options entering fall camp: Landon Ransom, Rawson MacNeill and Thai Bowman.

“I don’t know that Landon [Ransom] or Rawson [MacNeill] will play this year,” Bloomgren told The Roost “I do expect Thai to [play].” How does that change the complexion of the receiving corps if two of the Owls’ frontline options are indeed expected to miss the entirety of the 2024 season? And about the other moving parts as the Owls ready for the Green Wave? Here’s where the team stands prior to the Tulane game this weekend.

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And then there were few

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Filed Under: Featured, Football, Premium Tagged With: Blake Boenisch, Brad Baur, Braylen Walker, Chad Lindberg, Christian Francisco, Drayden Dickmann, EJ Warner, Elijah Mojarro, Ethan Onianwa, Ethan Powell, Gabe Taylor, Graham Walker, Izeya Floyd, James Falk, John Long, Joseph Mutombo, Kobie Campbell, Landon Ransom, Matt Sykes, Michael Amico, Michael Larbie, Owen Carter, practice notes, Quinton Jackson, Rawson MacNeill, Rice Football, Shawn Irwin, Taji Atkins, Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman, trace norfleet, Tyson Flowers, Tyson Thompson, Weston Kropp

Rice Football 2024: UTSA Game Week Practice Report

October 10, 2024 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice football is back in action this week against UTSA in search of a much-needed win. Here’s what we learned from the Owls at practice this week.

There was some good news on the injury front for Rice football over the bye week and lots of shifts and contortions with the depth chart as the Owls attempt to replace players still not able to participate and account for changing numbers in various position groups. Here’s where the team stands prior to the UTSA game this weekend.

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Running back ranks reset

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Recent Posts

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Filed Under: Featured, Football, Premium Tagged With: Ashton Ojiaku, Blake Boenisch, Boden Groen, Brant Banks, Chad Lindberg, Chase Jenkins, Christian Francisco, Coleman Bennett, David Stickle, Dean Connors, DJ Arkansas, Elijah Mojarro, Ethan Onianwa, Gabe Taylor, Graham Walker, James Falk, John Long, Jojo Jean, Joseph Mutombo, Joshua Williams, Jovoni Johnson, Marcus Williams, Matt Sykes, Michael Daley, Owen Carter, practice notes, Quinton Jackson, Rawson MacNeill, Rice Football, Taji Atkins, Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman, trace norfleet, Tyson Flowers, Weston Kropp

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