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Expectations Rising for Mike Bloomgren, Rice Football

July 23, 2024 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice Football was projected to finish seventh in the AAC Preseason Media Poll, the highest preseason rank for the Owls under head coach Mike Bloomgren to date.

In recent memory, expectations have, quite literally, never been higher for Rice football. The 2024 AAC Media Poll, released during Media Days on Tuesday morning, projected Rice to finish seventh in the 14-team conference. Not only is that higher than the Owls’ were picked last year (12th), but it’s also higher than any team head coach Mike Bloomgren has coached at South Main thus far.

“To see us tied for seventh, I guess that’s improvement,” head coach Mike Bloomgren said. “But again, that’s not where I think we should be with our team and what this coaching staff and these players have built together collectively.”

Rice was never picked to finish higher than second from the bottom in the West in Conference USA’s divisional structure. In 2021, the Owls’ only year in the league without divisions, Rice was tabbed to finish 10th. For this program to overcome outside perceptions and get recognition in the middle of the pack is not insignificant. The five-spot rise is the second biggest of any team in the AAC. South Florida was the only other program in the league to climb more than two spots, moving from 13th to fourth.

Rice has been a program content to play the underdog role as they’ve built from a two-win season in 2018 to back-to-back bowl campaigns in their most recent seasons. They aren’t the favorites just yet, but those outside of South Main clearly don’t view this program as a perennial underdog any longer.

No longer is this a team expected to finish in the bottom view. First impressions might not change quickly, but something has certainly shifted when it comes to the perception of Rice football around the AAC.

The players inside the locker room have noticed the shift, too. “Talking together as a group, we feel like we should be in the championship conversation,” proclaimed veteran safety Gabe Taylor. “We can’t make no excuses this year. We have to learn how to win and make sure we take care of business one week at a time.”

At the end of the day, media polls are worth the paper they’re printed on. Outside prognostications don’t determine the actual order of finish, that’s what the games are for. And until you start winning those games with regularity, those polls will likely be a lagging indicator of the quality of the program you’ve built. Seventh is better than tenth, but it’s a far cry from first. There is work left to be done.

“I think that’s a good thing. I think the less eyes that are on us the better,” said running back Dean Connors.” We fuel off the underdogs. We have a lot of guys that weren’t highly recruited. The longer we stay like that, the better.”

If things go according to plan, Rice football might not be flying under the radar for much longer.

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Filed Under: AAC, Archive, Football Tagged With: Dean Connors, Gabe Taylor, Media Days, Mike Bloomgren, Rice Football

2024 Rice Football Season Preview: Safety

June 30, 2024 By Matthew Bartlett

Next up in our 2024 Rice Football Season Preview: safety. Here’s our breakdown of the Owls’ plans for the group this season.

One of the younger rooms on the Rice football roster, the safety position boasts an interesting mix of established veterans and up-and-coming players looking to make a name for themselves. Gabe Taylor is the household name here, but he might not be the only man at this position to make a significant impact on the field this fall. Who else will step up beside him?

Rice Football Preseason Preview: Check out the rest of the series here.

This piece is part of our 2024 Rice Football Season Preview. Get access to it, as well as all other preview posts such as positional breakdowns, depth chart and schedule analysis and more when you subscribe on Patreon today. 

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  • Rice Baseball blows past PVAMU at home
  • Rice Football Recruiting: WR David Kasemervisz commits to Owls
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Filed Under: Featured, Football, Premium Tagged With: 2024 Rice Football Season Preview, Ashton Ojiaku, Chris Bruce, Christian Edgar, Daveon Hook, Gabe Taylor, Jabari Ellison, Jojo Jean, Joshua Williams, Marcus Williams, Peyton Stevenson, Plae Wyatt, Rice Football, Tyson Flowers

Rice Football 2024 Spring Notebook 8: Defensive Takeaways

April 14, 2024 By Matthew Bartlett

A veteran Rice football defense showcased plenty of up-and-coming talent. Here’s what we learned from that side of the ball during spring practices.

The offense won the first scrimmage, but it was the Rice football defense that stood tall in the spring game, stonewalling the Owls’ best offensive weapons when pitting best against best. What did we learn about the defensive side of the ball and which players positioned themselves the best for the upcoming fall season?

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Personnel evolution

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Recent Posts
  • Rice Baseball blows past PVAMU at home
  • Rice Football Recruiting: WR David Kasemervisz commits to Owls
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Filed Under: Featured, Football, Premium Tagged With: Beau Barton, Blaise Tita, Blake Boenisch, Coleman Coco, DeMone Green, DJ Arkansas, Gabe Taylor, Izeya Floyd, Joseph Mutombo, Josh Pearcy, Joshua Williams, Max Ahoia, Michael Daley, Myron Morrison, Plae Wyatt, practice notes, Rice Football, Sean Fresch, spring practice, Ty Morris, Tyson Flowers

Rice Football 2024 Spring Practice Notebook 3: Scrimmage 1

March 23, 2024 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice football wrapped up its first scrimmage of spring practice on Saturday which began with the offense marching down the field for a touchdown.

Head coach Mike Bloomgren said he was “incredibly pleased” when the first scrimmage of the spring concluded on Saturday. Rice football got some splash plays from their offense, a few defensive highlights and lots of different faces onto the field in a busy afternoon at Rice Stadium. More on how the quarterbacks faired as well as the biggest takeaways from the scrimmage:

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Offense starts fast

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Recent Posts
  • Rice Baseball blows past PVAMU at home
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Filed Under: Featured, Football, Premium Tagged With: AJ Padgett, Charlie Looes, Chris Clark, EJ Warner, Gabe Taylor, Joseph Mutombo, Max Ahoia, Plae Wyatt, practice notes, Quinton Jackson, Rice Football, spring practice, Tyson Flowers

Rice Football 2023: UTSA Game Week Practice Report

November 9, 2023 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice football visits UTSA this weekend seeking to snap a losing streak. Here’s what we learned from the Owls at practice this week.

It’s mid-November and we’ve got a situation in the Rice football quarterback room. An unwanted, annual tradition has returned to South Main as the Owls prepare for the possibility of a game without quarterback JT Daniels at the helm.

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This week’s roundup focuses on what the Owls plan to do if Daniels is ruled out, what additional adjustments they’re having to make because of injuries and some closing thoughts on the importance of this matchup.

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.

The Plan at Quarterback

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Recent Posts
  • Rice Baseball blows past PVAMU at home
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Filed Under: Featured, Football, Premium Tagged With: AJ Padgett, Andrew Awe, Brad Baur, Chase Jenkins, Dean Connors, DJ Arkansas, Ethan Onianwa, Gabe Taylor, Jojo Jean, Josh Pearcy, JT Daniels, Lavel Dumont, Lloyd McFarquhar, Luke McCaffrey, Marcus Williams, Matt Sykes, Max Ahoia, Peyton Farmer, Peyton Stevenson, Plae Wyatt, practice notes, Rice Football, Ty Morris, Tyson Flowers

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