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Rice Football 2021 Game Preview: Bayou Bucket vs Houston

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Rice Football continues its tour of former Southwest Conference foes, squaring off with Houston in Week 2. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

Rice football fans experienced the full range of emotions last, ending with a heartbreaking thud. The Owls saw a 10-point lead vanish as they fell on the road to Arkansas.

Houston had the good fortune of playing in their own city, squaring off with Texas Tech at NRG Stadium. Houston led by as 14 points on two separate occasions, but the Cougars were outscored 28-0 in the second half. Both teams enter Week 2 with a sour taste in their mouths and plenty of motivation.

Broadcast Info

Kickoff time | 5:30 PM CT
Venue | Rice Stadium – Houston, TX
TV | CSB Sports Network
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs Houston this week’s episode of the Blue and Gray Preview Show, streaming live on Wednesday at Noon on the Rice Athletics YouTube channel. You can also catch the recap of last week’s game on The Roost Podcast, which should be released shortly. Find us on the podcast page or wherever you like to listen to podcasts. (And consider leaving us a 5-star review while you’re at it.)

Sizing up the contenders

During our preseason survey of the Rice football opponents, the significance of the Bayou Bucket was noted in a conversation with Sam and Dustin of The Scott and Holman Pawdcast on The Roost Podcast. After opening losses, both rife with reasons for each respective fanbase to voice their frustrations, this Week 2 game looms large.

For Rice, this contest is sandwiched between Power 5 opponents. And if the Owls were unable to close against Arkansas, the task won’t be any easier against Texas in Week 3. Losing this week against Houston could pave the way for an 0-3 start for a team touted as one of the program’s best in recent history.

Houston has reason to worry, too. No matter how realistic they might have been, the Cougars have conference championship expectations. Outside of Cincinnati and possibly UCF, the rest of the AAC looked decidedly underwhelming in Week 1. Houston could rise from 0-2 to challenge for a conference title, but the optics would make such an endeavor seem like wishful thinking at best. All those factors combined make for a rather significant Week 2 rivalry game.

Series History

All Time | Houston leads 31-11
Last Five | Houston leads 5-0
Last Meeting | Home 2018, Houston won 45-27

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Rice Stat Notables

Passing | Green – 12/25 (48.0 percent), 152 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing | Griffin – 13 carries, 35 yards (2.7 yards per carry)
Receiving | Pitre – 4 receptions, 97 yards (24.3 yards per reception), 1 TD / Bailey – 4 receptions, 47 yards (11.8 yds/rec)
Tackles | Montero – 11 / Chamberlain – 10 / Morrison – 9
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Smith – 1 PBU, Fresch – 1 INT

Houston Stat Notables

Passing | Tune – 27/38 (71.1 percent), 174 yards passing, 2 TD, 4 INT
Rushing | Car – 13 carries, 37 yards (2.8 yards per carry)
Receiving | Dell – 7 receptions, 80 yards (11.4 yards per reception), 1 TD / Trahan – 6 receptions, 42 yards (7.0 yds/rec)
Tackles | Mutin – 8 / Jones – 8 / S. Williams – 5
Interceptions/Pass Breakups | D. Williams / Anenih – 1 PBU, no interceptions

Houston X-Factor |  Calm Tune

Houston jumped out to a 21-7 lead over Texas Tech last week but was unable to hold the early advantage thanks in large part to the play of their quarterback Clayton Tune. At one point in the game, ESPN gave the Cougars an 88.6 percent chance of victory. Then tune threw four interceptions, including one that was returned for the game-tying touchdown.

After several disjointed years marred by injuries, COVID-19 cancelations and an uncertain quarterback room, 2021 was supposed to be the year Tune put it all together. The depth chart is rather bare behind Tune. For better or worse, he’s the guy. If he turns in a similar performance against a ravenous Rice defense, Houston is going to be in for a very long day.

Rice X-Factor | First and second down

The quarterback situation is clearly at the top of the priority list for Rice, but given what we’ve seen about this team to this point and the dominance of the defense, the Owls shouldn’t need a herculean effort on that front to position themselves for a win.

No matter the trigger man, Rice has to do better on first and second down.

Rice started the Arkansas game facing third down lengths of the 8-yards, 9-yards, 3-yards, 5-yards, 14-yards, 6-yards, 8-yards and 9-yards. They converted twice.

It’s one thing to remain committed to running the football. It’s another to set yourself up to have to convert third and long too often. If Rice does that, they’re not going to find any sort of rhythm.

Pick ‘Em Contest (Subscribers only)

Make sure you submit your entry for The Roost’s weekly pick’em challenge. There will be swag and prizes for the top finishers at the end of the season. Choose an answer to each of the six questions below and comment on this post on the Patreon page to enter. It’s that easy.

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Injury Report (Subscribers only)

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Need More?

The Roost’s 2021 Rice Football Season Preview has FIVE pages dedicated to every opponent the Owls face. There are depth charts, important new arrivals and positional breakdowns for every team in Conference USA sourced from local beat writers and sources on the ground who cover these teams every day. It’s the most thorough C-USA publication on the market.

One Final Thing

No definitive answer was given following the Owls’ Week 1 loss to Arkansas regarding how the quarterbacks would be deployed going forward. Head coach Mike Bloomgren is fiercely loyal, but and his staff have some hard conversations to have this week about the most important position player on the field.

Wiley Green was 12-for-25 in the opener, throwing for 152 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Luke McCaffrey was 5-for-10 for 75 yards in what amounted to two drives and a short portion of garbage time.

Given the defense Rice brings to the table, they might not need a perfect outing this week under center. But establishing some semblance of a rhythm is paramount with conference play looming soon. Bloomgren frequently preaches that teams make the biggest jump from game one to game two. They need to see that adjustment at quarterback this week.

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Rice Football: Questions abound at quarterback after opening defeat

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Rice football finds itself in an uncertain quarterback situation entering Week 2 of the 2021 season after Wiley Green struggled in the Owls’ opening game.

In mid-August, Rice football head coaches and players gathered (virtually) to discuss the upcoming season. How the quarterback situation would unfold was, understandably, the focal point of many of the questions they fielded on that day.

Amidst all the noise, Mike Bloomgren’s comments on that day resonated. “I think Wiley [Green]’s incredibly comfortable in our system,” he said on that Saturday morning following the first scrimmage of fall camp.

“Incredibly comfortable” might have been the antithesis of how Green looked in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s season-opening loss to Arkansas. Although Bloomgren offered an emphatic “no” post-game when asked if he considered pulling Wiley after his second of three interceptions, the damage had seemingly already been done.

Rice led Arkansas 17-7 early in the second half. The Razorbacks would rally, scoring 31 unanswered points thanks in large part to three turnovers from the arm of Wiley Green. A tipped ball on his first pick might have gone overlooked, but subsequent miscues when the pressure started to mount and the drives became more and more important proved to be unavoidable.

And that’s what makes the situation Rice football coaches will walk into on Monday morning all the more strenuous.

Green has looked comfortable throughout fall camp. His teammates look up to him. He was named a captain this past week. He knows the system, perhaps more than some of the coaches — and that’s not hyperbole. But when the lights shined brightest. He wasn’t able to deliver. And it wasn’t the first time.

Evaluating how much of those shortcomings can be attributed to the caliber of opponent Rice faced on Saturday, the influx of injuries suffered by the Owls throughout the game and some good old-fashioned bad luck rests on Bloomgren and his staff.

Can Green bounce back against a perhaps less-intimidating opponent next week? Has his body of work on the practice field earned him another chance? Should it?

The reality is, questions were always going to come. Opinions were going to be given, from those inside and outside the program.

More: Rice football loses halftime lead, falls to Arkansas 

And if Luke McCaffrey, a former blue-chip recruit and one of the most highly-rated prospects to ever arrive at South Main, had not been waiting on the bench behind him, the pressure of these questions might not have reached this level of intensity.

But because McCaffrey is on campus and because he’s fared well enough in his limited action thus far, the comparisons are going to keep coming.

For the umpteenth time, Green has had the deck stacked against him. He’s always found a way to battle back before. At the very least, doubting his resolve has been a fool’s errand to this point.

But even he was starkly honest following the defeat. “The guys expect more from me,” he said. “And I expect more from myself.” He didn’t she away from his mistakes, but he didn’t throw in the towel either.

Green is going to put together another strong week of practice. McCaffrey will continue to do his best to absorb as much of the offense as he can. But come next Saturday, it’s possible no one knows how Rice will deploy their top two passing options.

That’s more or less where Bloomgren left the conversation on Saturday, with the impact of the loss still fresh in his mind. “We’re going to watch this film. We’ll talk about it as a staff,” Bloomgren said, responding to a question regarding who would be the starting quarterback next week. “We’ll get back to you on that.”

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Rice Football squanders halftime lead as Arkansas rallies past Owls

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Rice Football put Arkansas on the ropes in Fayettville, but couldn’t muster enough on offense to finish the job as the Owls fall in their season opener.

Those inside the hedges believed 2021 could be a special season for Rice football. The Owls’ schedule wasn’t going to allow them to ease into the season, opening on the road against Arkansas. Rice hadn’t won a game against an SEC opponent since 1980, but the defense came out throwing haymakers and made it clear from the start this was going to be a competitive game.

Arkansas would score first, but Rice would chip away, taking a 10-7 lead into halftime courtesy of a touchdown run from Jordan Myers. Then Wiley Green turned up the volume on the Rice football offense on this connection from Green to August Pitre:

That touchdown pass put Arkansas on notice. From that point, the game was officially on. Rice withstood Arkansas’ initial second-half surge, but the momentum turned when Wiley Green made a crucial mistake. Green was intercepted on a pass in which his arm was hit while he threw. Perhaps excusable, even if costly, Green doubled-down with an interception on his very next pass: a third down attempt in relief of McCaffrey whose helmet had come off on the prior play.

When the dust settled, Arkansas would score 24 unanswered points. The defense which had held up for so long was unable to support a Rice offense that was shut out for the final 25 minutes of regulation after the touchdown from Green to Pitre to start the second half.

The Roost Podcast: Stay tuned for the game recap this week 

Green was given the vast majority of the snaps and finished 12-for-25 with one touchdown, three interceptions and a fumble. McCaffrey attempted seven passes, completing four of them for 60 yards and carrying the ball four times for eight yards. Head coach Mike Bloomgren will have a lot to think through when it comes to how he handles the quarterback position moving forward. Green finished extremely poorly and even still, McCaffrey never really got much of a chance.

Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

Surviving early missed opportunities

Whether it was early game jitters or just bad luck, there were a few significant moments early in this game that did not favor the Owls.

The first was a third-down snap for Arkansas. Quarterback KJ Jefferson was greeted in the backfield almost immediately by a charging Treshawn Chamberlain but was able to bounce free. His 245-pound frame was too much to bring down with the glancing blow. Then he rumbled for a the first down. Rather than punt or attempt a long field goal, Arkansas would score late on the drive.

On the ensuing Rice possession, Arkansas linebacker Grant Morgan was ejected for targeting, setting the Owls up near midfield. They were unable to score. The Owls’ next two drives would begin at the Arkansas 35-yard line and the Arkansas 21-yard line. They walked away with three points.

Rice football kept this game at arms-length early, but it’s not unreasonable to think they should have been leading Arkansas at the start of the second quarter, quite possibly by two scores.

Quarterback carousel

Bloomgren announced before the game that Wiley Green would start and Luke McCaffrey would enter the game for the third series. He was true to his word, with one exception: McCaffrey did enter the game for one play following Grant Morgan’s ejection, presumably so Green could regroup after the hit. Green was back in on the next play.

McCaffrey led the offense from the Arkansas 35-yard line to the 18-yard line, but wasn’t able to hit Cedric Patterson in the corner of the endzone on third down. That would be his final full drive of the first half, but not his final snaps.

McCaffrey would return to the game for two third down plays later in the first half. On both occasions, he handed the ball off, creating a rather odd sequence. Green would operate the offense on first and second down before McCaffrey entered for a running play to someone other than himself. The lack of cohesion was evident.

The offense did not move the ball well under Green, but the flip-flopping mid-drive didn’t seem to do either quarterback any favors. McCaffrey would get a series in the third quarter. When he was allowed to operate he moved Rice down the field with a big completion to August Pitre.

Field position and time of possession

Neither field position, nor time of possession, are particularly “sexy” stats. Most people, understandably, turn their eyes to touchdowns, yards and points in the boxscore at first blush. But those two less-than-glamorous stats proved pivotal for Rice in this game, and they’ll like be staples in how the Owls hope to play this season.

Rice football controlled the time of possession battle. The defense forced five three-and-outs in the first half, stopping the Razorbacks’ up-tempo offense from gaining much momentum. Then the Owls took over and grinding out the clock.

Rice dominated the field position as well. There were a couple of touchbacks they’d like back on Charlie Mendes punts, but the special teams and the defense more than made up for those with a white-hot start. Rice’s average field position in the first half was the 50-yard line. Night and day different from Arkansas’ average start of their own 17.

In the first half alone, Rice began drives at the Arkansas 49, Arkansas 24, Arkansas 7, Rice 48 and Arkansas 49.

Digging deeper

Every week we’ll have a stat, storyline or key learning from the game reserved for our subscribers.

Defense, Defense and more defense

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Rice Football 2021: Captains, position battles and practice notes

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Rice football announced captains this week and solidified some of the final starting spots for Saturday’s opener against Arkansas.

The 2021 Rice football season is approaching quickly. Rice football has wrapped up its final full practice prior to their flight to Arkansas. And has been customary over the last several years, the Owls announced their captains for the season at what is officially the end of fall camp.

This update will kick off with more on who those captains, including a significant quarterback inclusion, then we’ll turn our attention to (primarily) good news on the injury front, updates on key position battles at linebacker and corner and some last-minute notes from practice before the season begins on Saturday.

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For those checking in for the first time, or those returning, a quick programming note. Practice reports are reserved for our subscribers. If you want updates on how Rice football plans to deploy its quarterbacks, position battles, standouts, injuries and more, this is your go-to source. You can get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and special features like this one when you subscribe to our All-American Tier on Patreon today.

2021 Rice Football Captains Announced

As has been customary under Mike Bloomgren, Rice football announced its 2021 captains after wrapping up the final full practice prior to their season-opening game.

Jordan Myers and Cam Riddle are making repeat appearances after being chosen as captains by their teammates last season. Wiley Green, Trey Schuman and Naeem Smith are new additions this season.

This is Schuman’s fifth season at Rice. He made his collegiate debut at Stanford as a true freshman in 2017 and a fixture in the starting lineup when healthy since 2019.  Smith arrived at Rice in 2019 and became a vocal leader for the defense quickly. Like with Myers and Riddle, their teammates are quick to listen when they offer advice.

The Roost Podcast: Arkansas Game Preview

Green’s journey has been somewhat unique. He began his Rice career as the scout team quarterback in 2018, rising to starter midseason. He battled for the top job in 2019, making seven starters before falling behind in the pecking order in 2020, seeing only one relief appearance.

Many college football players have thrown in the towel after much less daunting odds, but Green persevered and remains the most probable man to get the opening snap against Arkansas. That speaks volumes to Green’s character and perseverance and how highly his teammates value his leadership. Starter or not, Green’s spot in the captain’s circle is significant.

Key players returning to practice

Rice has seen significantly better injury luck during fall camp this year compared to last year, but there have been some bumps and bruises along the way. It’s likely Rice will be without a handful of players on Saturday — but some good news, too — a few key players did return to practice this week.

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Rice Football 2021 Game Preview: Season opener vs Arkansas

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Rice Football is set to open its 2021 season on Saturday at Arkansas. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

The 2021 Rice Football season opens this coming Saturday against Arkansas. The quarterback battle remains unsettled, but expectations for the Owls’ 2021 season remain high.

The Owls’ first opponent, Arkansas, also finds itself riding a wave of increasing expectation. The Razorbacks showed progress under Sam Pittman last fall, proving to be a tough out in the SEC despite their first-year coach at the helm. Getting back to a bowl game is part of the marching orders in 2021, and that starts, they believe, with a home tilt with Rice.

Broadcast Info

Kickoff time | 1:00 PM CT
Venue | Razorback Stadium – Fayetteville, AR
TV | ESPN+ / SEC+ (Streaming)
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs Arkansas on this week’s episode of The Roost Podcast which will be released later in the week. Find us on the podcast page or wherever you like to listen to podcasts. (And consider leaving us a 5-star review while you’re at it.) If you haven’t yet, consider checking out our extended offseason interviews with folks like Phil Steele, Shehan Jeyarajah, and notable Owls like Christian Covington, Jack Fox, Austin Trammell, Aston Walter and more!

Sizing up the contenders

Rice football is kicking off its season on Labor Day Weekend, more than a month ahead on the calendar of when they opened their 2020 season. Last fall the Owls played their first game on October 24, just barely getting two games in before the calendar turned to November. This time around they’ll open against another team playing their first game, rather than their seventh.

Last season went better for Arkansas than in years past, but the Hogs have had trouble in their most recent outings with Conference USA opponents. They fell to Western Kentucky 45-19 in 2019 and lost to North Texas 44-17 in 2018. That was under a different coaching staff, but the losses still sting.

Series History

All Time | Arkansas leads 35-29-3
Last Five | Arkansas leads 4-1
Last Meeting | Road 1991, Arkansas won 20-0

Rice Stat Notables (Returning 2020 Leaders)

Passing | McCaffrey (at Nebraska) – 48/76 (63.2 percent), 466 yards, 1 TD, 6 INT
Rushing | Griffin – 72 carries, 249 yards (3.5 yards per carry)
Receiving | Myers – 24 receptions, 209 yards (8.7 yards per reception), 1 TD / Bailey – 23 receptions, 276 yards (12.0 yds/rec), 2 TD
Tackles | Garcia- 28 / Chamberlain – 27 / Montero – 24
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Bird – 3 PBU, Five returning players tied with 1 INT

Arkansas Stat Notables (Returning 2020 Leaders)

Passing | Jefferson – 20/41 (48.8 percent), 295 yards passing, 3 TD, 0 INT
Rushing | Smith – 134 carries, 710 yards (5.3 yards per carry), 5 TD
Receiving | Burks – 51 receptions, 820 yards (6.1 yards per reception), 7 TD / Smith – 22 receptions, 159 yards (7.2 yds/rec), 1 TD
Tackles | Morgan – 110 / Pool – 101 / Catalon – 99
Interceptions/Pass Breakups | Morgan, Pool, Brown – 5 PBU / Catalon, Clark – 3 INT

Arkansas X-Factor | Will the front seven turn the corner?

Arkansas was, for the most part, unable to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks last season. Their 14 sacks in the span of 10 games were the fewest of any SEC team and nine of those sacks came in their first four games. The more they put on tape, the less pressure they were able to generate.

That’s going to have to change if Arkansas is going contend with the rigors of an SEC schedule, but it’s equally imperative against the Owls, too. Rice hasn’t been particularly effective on third and long under Mike Bloomgren and has seen drives stall out when the sticks get too far away. If Arkansas can put Rice behind the chains early, they’ll force them off schedule.

There’s optimism that the Rice passing game is going to be better in 2021 than in the recent past, but that doesn’t change the Owls’ commitment to running the football. More pressure will throw those plans out of whack. Arkansas needs to find a way to make that happen.

Rice X-Factor | Generate explosive plays

Rice averaged 1.3 gains of 30+ yards per game in 2020, near the bottom of Conference USA. The Arkansas defense allowed 1.9 such explosive plays last fall, one of the better marks in the SEC. If Rice ends this game anywhere in that ballpark when it comes to field-flipping type plays, they’ll be in trouble.

The defense proved it could win games on its own in 2020, accounting for five turnovers and a defensive score in the shutout win against Marshall. But that’s more likely to be the exception than the rule moving forward. Rice is going to have to help its defense by sprinkling in some big offensive plays, too.

Whether it’s via the legs of one of Luke McCaffrey, their stable of running backs or a big catch from a suddenly deep receiving corps, Rice needs to find ways to shorten drives and maximize every offensive possession. If they can get a couple of big plays in each half they’ll force Arkansas onto their heels, in turn, enabling the Rice defense to feast.

Pick ‘Em Contest (Subscribers only)

Make sure you submit your entry for The Roost’s weekly pick’em challenge. There will be swag and prizes for the top finishers at the end of the season. Choose an answer to each of the six questions below and comment on this post on the Patreon page to enter. It’s that easy.

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?

Injury Report (Subscribers only)

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?

Need More?

The Roost’s 2021 Rice Football Season Preview has FIVE pages dedicated to every opponent the Owls face. There are depth charts, important new arrivals and positional breakdowns for every team in Conference USA sourced from local beat writers and sources on the ground who cover these teams every day. It’s the most thorough C-USA publication on the market.

One Final Thing

There hasn’t been any beating around the bush when it comes to discussing expectations at South Main. Rice football expects to be playing in a bowl game at the end of this season, which makes the nonconference slate all the more important. The schedule is brutal (at Arkansas, vs Houston, at Texas, vs Texas Southern), but postseason rules won’t be as forgiving in 2021.

We’re going to learn a lot about this team over the next four weeks, starting with the opener against Arkansas. Be patient. The schedule will get easier and the talent on this team will shine through.

With that quick caveat, it’s also worth noting oddsmakers give Rice a better chance of beating Arkansas (the Owls are currently 20-point underdogs) than they did to beat Marhsall (Rice entered that game as 24-point underdogs). Math isn’t deciding the outcome of this game, but the “experts” are giving Rice a fighting chance. Sometimes, that’s all you need.

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