Next up for Rice football: the SERVPRO First Responders Bowl vs Texas State. Here’s what Mike Bloomgren had to say about the matchup and a few depth chart notes.

Head coach Mike Bloomgren and a set of players met with the media for their customary weekly availability. They recapped the past few weeks of practice and looked ahead at their upcoming matchup with Texas State in the SERVPRO First Responders Bowl.

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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

“We understand it’s a business trip. We also understand it’s a reward for our players that they’ve earned. There’s some great events they have planned. Look forward to partaking in those as well as continuing into practice and get ready for this game when we get there. Being back in a bowl for the second year in a row is a big deal for the continued growth of our program…

I just believe it’s what coach Bowden used to say. It’s how good teams get great and it’s how great teams become elite and we’re somewhere in the middle of that, fighting become a really consistent group that’s enjoying every single practice we get out there.”– Mike Bloomgren on the current state of the program

“They’re a lot like South Florida and Tennessee with the tempo that they incorporate so they’re going to try to have the tempo be a factor in their offensive production but also the they’re like them in terms of spreading you out sideline to sideline and they’ve got a really, really good running back that’s playing good football. They’ve got a great players over there along with a very good scheme that I think GJ [Kinne] knows how to execute very well.” – Mike Bloomgren on the Texas State offense

“Defensively coach [Jonathan] Patke is doing a lot of Manny Diaz type stuff with those transfers, got them playing together. Seems like they’re very much on the same page of what to do. They understand where to fit in their defense. And so they’re kind of making things hard on people in terms of just making you earn it to some degree. When they do that, when they can keep you behind the sticks and get you behind the sticks and make you go on a 10 or a 12 play drive, that’s always hard for an offense.” – Mike Bloomgren on the Texas State defense

“It’s huge. Any extra preparation, you’re going to take it. It’s all about how you use that time and I’m really trying my best to be prepared for these guys and be able to go out there in practice and lead them,  get them in the right stuff, make sure we’re running the play correctly and ultimately go out and execute as effiecntly as possible All that extra time is pivotal.” – Quarterback AJ Padgett on the benefits of extra bowl practices 

“The vibe is great. Everyone’s excited for this. Even just having this opportunity to get these 15 paracitces in, to get another game with this group… it’s really just a blessing. We’re just appeciiating every day of it, every rep of it, every second of it.” – Defensive end Josh Pearcy on the atmosphere around the program right now

“He’s good at getting the ball out to his weapons. He’s good at keeping his eyes down field. Most guys, when they see pressure, they want to take off and run but where he sets himself apart, he remains a passer when he sees his pressure. He’s good at keeping his eyes down field, throwing that check down when he needs to, getting the ball out to his weapons when he has to. At the end of the day, we’ll be ready for him.” ” – Defensive end Josh Pearcy on Texas State quarterback TJ Finley

Depth Chart

Depth Chart Notes

Tight end Jack Bradley, who missed the final two games of the regular season, was put back on the postseason depth chart, for now, but head coach Mike Bloomgren mentioned in his media availability his status for the game had yet to be determined.

The uncertainty surrounding Bradley, who wasn’t listed on the FAU depth chart at all, as well as the removal of quarterback JT Daniels are the only significant modifications from the depth chart Rice published in their regular season finale against FAU. Daniels, who has since medically retired, was not available in that game either.

The remainder of the depth chart looks as expected without any major surprises. That is in part because of the remarkable roster consistency the Owls have experienced since the Transfer Portal opened, something we wrote heavily about last week. You can read those notes, as well as upcoming Early Signing Period reactions and further bowl practice notes when you subscribe on Patreon.

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