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Rice Football 2022: USC Game Depth Chart Notes

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Rice football has released its depth chart for its season opener against USC. Here are the latest and a few notes on relevant players.

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Who’s missing?

Rice football has had two players medically retire since fall camp began just a few weeks ago. Gavin Reinwald, who had been the Owls’ backup tight end behind Jack Bradley, saw his season end with a torn ACL midway through camp. Wide receiver Sam Crawford, who had been in the mix for a starting spot until recently, announced his medical retirement on Thursday evening.

There’s also no Cedric Patterson on this iteration. As mentioned to our subscribers earlier in the week, he is not traveling with the team to Los Angeles.

Starting Specialists

Christian VanSickle and Conor Hunt have earned starting nods at kicker and punter respectively, this week. VanSickle beat out Washington transfer Tim Horn while Hunt beat out incumbent punter Charlie Mendes.

New names

Trey Phillippi, who until recently played offensive line, is listed as the backup to Jack Bradley at tight end (with an OR designation between himself and Boden Groen. Getting him into the game on such short notice seems like a stretch, but he’s already a capable blocker, so seeing him listed this high on the depth chart could mean he may actually see some action on Saturday.

Safety Marcus Williams has been in and out of the lineup with injuries since he arrived on campus, but he’s recently cracked the two-deep.

Getting ready for the game

The Roost has plenty of content already up and running to get you ready for Rice football vs USC this weekend.

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Rice Football 2022: USC Game Week Practice Report

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Rice football is days away from opening its season against USC. Here’s what we learned from the practices leading up to the game.

Following Wednesday’s practice as Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren surveyed his team as they began to pack up their things and leave the field, he offered this comment: “This is what I wanted it to look like.”

He was speaking of the Owls’ roster, of the program as a whole. He and I had talked about what this team would look like in Year 4 in Year 5 back when he first arrived at the program for the 2018 season. The depth he’d dreamed of has arrived. The speed, athleticism and raw talent is evident in so many players. And now this team is days away from being put through its first test.

With most of this week’s practice wrapped up, here’s a deep dive on all three phases, some standouts from this week and a few notes on how Rice football is preparing to take on USC.

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Rice Football 2022 Game Preview: USC

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Rice football takes on the USC Trojans in their 2022 season opener. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

USC and new head coach Lincoln Riley hope to kick off their 2022 season with a home victory as Rice football looks to play spoiler. The Owls are as talented and deep as they’ve been under coach Mike Bloomgren thus far, but they’ll still be heavy underdogs as they travel to Los Angeles in Week 1. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup.

Kickoff time | 5:00 PM CT
Venue | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – Los Angeles, California
TV | Pac-12 Network (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs USC on this week’s episode of the Blue and Gray Preview Show, streaming live on Wednesday at Noon on the Rice Athletics YouTube channel. Look for a recap of the game on the site afterward as well as on The Roost Podcast, which should be released early next 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.)

Sizing up the contenders

Rice football enters the 2022 season in search of its first bowl berth since the 2014 season. The Owls will enter this game as heavy underdogs, but have shown the ability to go toe-to-toe with highly regarded opponents in the past, keeping things close with Arkansas into the fourth quarter of last season’s opener.

USC will introduce new head coach Lincoln Riley, former of the Oklahoma Sooners. It’s been almost five years since USC has been a Top 10 program like Trojans fans had become accustomed to. They’ll want to start the new era on the right foot with a home victory.

Series History

All Time | USC leads Rice, 2-0-1
Last Five | USC leads Rice, 2-0-1
Last Meeting | Away 1971, USC won 24-0

Get the Inside Scoop

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Rice Stat Notables (2022 Returning Leaders)

Passing | Green – 36/55 (65.5 percent), 414 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT
Rushing | Broussard – 114 carries, 569 yards (4.9 yards per carry), 3 TD / Montgomery – 44 carries, 256 yards (5.8 yards per carry), 2 TD
Receiving | Patterson – 38 receptions, 583 yards (15.3 yds/rec), 6 TD / Esdale (at WVU) – 29 receptions, 362 yards (12.5 yds/rec), 1 TD
Tackles | Pearcy – 57 / Taylor – 56 / Enechukwu – 49
Pass Breakups | Dunbar – 7 / Fresch – 6 / McCord – 5 
Interceptions | Taylor, Nyakwol, Lockhart – 2 each

USC Stat Notables (2022 Returning Leaders)

Passing | Williams (at Oklahoma) – 126/211 (64.5 percent), 1912 yards, 21 TD, 4 INT
Rushing | Dye (at Oregon) – 211 carries, 1271 yards (6.0 yards per carry), 16 TD / Barlow – 62 carries, 289 yards (4.7 ypc), 2 TD
Receiving | Addison (at Pitt) – 100 receptions, 1593 yards (15.9 yards per reception), 17 TD / Washington – 54 receptions, 602 yards (11.1 yds/rec), 1 TD
Tackles | Goforth – 60 / Tuipulotu – 48 / Bullock – 40
Pass Breakups | Bullock, Alford – 3 / Tuipulotu – 2
Interceptions | Alford – 3 / Bullock – 2, multiple others – 1

USC X-Factor | Play clean

USC was the 10th most penalized team in the country last season and averaged 73.8 yards per game in penalties. The Trojans 20 turnovers ranked roughly in the middle of the pack, nationally. Altogether, this wasn’t a very disciplined football team. Brining in a new head coach is supposed to change that and for USC to take care of their first game under their new headman, they need that change to come swiftly.

There’s no denying the star power and talent of the USC roster, but turnovers and penalties kill drives and render even the greatest gaps in athleticism useless when plays don’t count or the ball bounces the other way. If Riley and Co. want to get off on the right foot, they absolutely must play sound football and minimize mistakes.

Rice X-Factor | Start fast

Rice football doesn’t want this game to turn into a track meet. Controlling the clock will be something the Owls weigh heavily in their playcalling and game-planning decisions. But making their presence felt early on both sides of the ball will be much more important than ensuring the clock runs quickly.

On offense, the Owls need to hit on a big play (or two) offensively. Playing from behind against a team with as much horsepower on offense as USC could lead to a quick disaster.

On defense, Rice needs an early stop, a turnover or both. Momentum is contagious and the Owls have proven they can harness it and win big games on the road (see Marshall in 2020, UAB in 2021).

Injury Report (Subscribers only)

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One Final Thing

Leaving Week 1 healthy has to be near the top of the list when it comes to priorities for the Rice football team this week against USC. Last year they lost receivers Bradley Rozner and August Pitre before halftime, setting the team back much more significantly than a single nonconference defeat.

Beyond that, this should be an interesting litmus test for both sides of the ball. The USC offense has speed and is well stocked with playmakers. Seeing how the secondary and pass rush can endure this level of talent should be instructive when it comes to setting reasonable expectations for conference play.

Likewise, on offense, there needs to be some proof of continued progression. Veteran quarterback Wiley Green needs to show he can take care of the football and get the ball to the deepest cast of supporting skill players that he’s ever played with at one time. A few explosive plays through the air plus an effective running game would both be positive signs in this game.

If Rice can exhibit those evidences of growth and play a competitive game, the arrow should continue to point up on the Owls’ 2022 season.

How are you feeling?

For our Patreon subscribers, leave your thoughts in the comments section. How are you feeling about this game? The season? What do you need to see from Rice football this week?

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Rice Football 2022: 5 Takeaways from Fall Camp

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The next time Rice football takes the field, they’ll be prepping for their first opponent. Here are five of the most important takeaways from fall camp.

It’s been an eventful few weeks on South Main for Rice football. From the announcement of their starting quarterback to positive returns on both sides of the ball, there has been a lot to digest.

More: Rice Football Preseason Preview Series

With the season approaching, here’s a distilled list of the most prevalent takeaways from camp and what they will mean for the Owls on the field this fall.

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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.

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Rice Football 2022 Fall Camp Notebook 2: Assessing the Offense

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Offensive Coordinator Marques Tuiasosopo unpacked his plans and outstanding questions for the Rice football offense as the Owls start fall camp.

On Saturday, Rice football practiced with pads for the first time during fall camp, giving the skill position players their chance to perform against real coverages and real pressure. For many, it was the opening stanza of a three-week-long interview with precious starting spots on the line. It was also the first of six consecutive practice days following which the team will host a meaningful scrimmage.

More: Rice Football Preseason Preview Series

In his second season at South Main, Rice football offensive coordinator Marques Tuiasosopo is eager to make the most of every period. He was kind enough to sit down with The Roost to debrief what he’s seen so far and share expectations and key storylines he’ll be paying attention to as fall camp progresses.

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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.

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?
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