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Rice Football 2025: Louisiana Game Week Practice Notes

August 28, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

The first Rice football game of the Scott Abell era is upon us and the Owls are ready to go. Here’s the latest from the practice field this week.

The (unofficial) Rice football depth chart has mostly worked itself out. Chase Jenkins has started to put his mark on the offense and a few individual standouts have warranted notice in the last few days before the season opener.

Jenkins insists this team is ready to go and is as locked in as they could be before such an important game.

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

“It’s us versus anybody else,” he said this week. “I feel like we go to each game, home or away, wherever we play — we could play in a parking lot — we’re going to go out there with the same mindset each time and go out there and play our best and play our game and then the result will show.”

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This update provides some more insight into Jenkins’ evolution in the offense, who will fill out the depth chart behind him and a few more notes as the team prepares for the first game of the season in a few days time.

Chase Jenkins is ready to roll

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Recent Posts
  • Rice Football 2025 Game Preview: Houston
  • American Conference Football 2025: Week 1 Roundup
  • Rice Football knocks off Louisiana in Scott Abell’s Debut
  • Rice Football 2025 Season Preview: Preseason Superlatives

Filed Under: Archive, Football, Premium Tagged With: Aaron Turner, Ahran Ogbor, AJ Padgett, Alex Bacchetta, Andrew Awe, Aquantis Clemmons, Artis Cole, Blaise Tita, Blake Boenisch, Braylen Walker, Carson Morgan, Chase Allen, Chase Jenkins, Chibby Nwajuaku, Chris Clark, Cooper King, Cullen Witt, D'Andre Hardeman, Daelen Alexander, Daveon Hook, David Kasemervisz, David Stickle, DeMone Green, Dillan Botts, Drayden Dickmann, Drew Devillier, Ejike Adele, Elroyal Morris, Enoch Gota, Ephraim Dotson, Jack Kane, James Falk, Jerrick Harper, Jo Chavez, John Long, Joseph Mutombo, Khary Crump, Landon Ransom, Lucas Scheerhorn, Luke Miller, Luke Needham, Marcus Williams, Max Balthazar, Micah Barnett, Michael Daley, Nate Bledsoe, Netane Fehoko, Omari Porter, Owen Carter, Patrick Crayton, Patrick Valent, Payton Matthews, Peyton Stevenson, Plae Wyatt, practice notes, Quinton Jackson, Rice Football, Ryan Butler, Sam Carrell, Sean Sullivan, Ty Morris, Tyson Thompson, Tyvonn Byars, Weston Kropp, wyatt freeman

Rice Football 2025 Fall Camp Notebook: Depth Chart Risers

August 23, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

Fall camp is ramping up and the Rice football roster is coming together with a few late risers in the final weeks of camp.

The last week of fall camp is in the books and the Rice football team is beginning to turn its attention to its season opener against Louisiana. With a formal depth chart looming, here is a final look at a few players who have solidified key roles for this team in the last few weeks.

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

This update digs into a couple of key summer transfer additions, some answers on the special teams front and a few comments on the development of the wide receiver room.

Two key transfers make their bids for starting roles

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Recent Posts
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  • American Conference Football 2025: Week 1 Roundup
  • Rice Football knocks off Louisiana in Scott Abell’s Debut
  • Rice Football 2025 Season Preview: Preseason Superlatives

Filed Under: Archive, Football, Premium Tagged With: AJ Padgett, Alex Bacchetta, Artis Cole, Braylen Walker, Chase Allen, Chase Jenkins, CJ Witten, David Kasemervisz, Enoch Gota, Khary Crump, Max Balthazar, Owen Carter, practice notes, Rice Football, Sean Sullivan, Ty Thames, wyatt freeman

New-look offense shines at 2025 Rice Football Spring Game

April 12, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

The 2025 Rice football spring practices concluded on Saturday with the spring game, a more condensed version this year, but still rich with things to learn.

An open quarterback competition, a new offense and plenty of new faces made for an exciting night at Historic Rice Stadium for the Owls’ first spring game under head coach Scott Abell on Saturday night. Marketed as more of an open practice, the Owls went through some drills before going through a handful of drives in front of the assembled crowed.

More: Spring Practice Notebook 6 — Big moves in the trenches

This update focuses on what took place in that scrimmage, hitting on some takeaways from the game and how those items compare to the totality of the spring.

Mission Accomplished

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Recent Posts
  • Rice Football 2025 Game Preview: Houston
  • American Conference Football 2025: Week 1 Roundup
  • Rice Football knocks off Louisiana in Scott Abell’s Debut
  • Rice Football 2025 Season Preview: Preseason Superlatives

Filed Under: Archive, Football, Premium Tagged With: Aaron Turner, AJ Padgett, Braylen Walker, Chase Allen, Chase Jenkins, Christian Edgar, D'Andre Hardeman, Daelen Alexander, Drew Devillier, Enoch Gota, practice notes, Quinton Jackson, Reese Keeney, Rice Football, Semaj Pierre, spring practice, Taji Atkins, Tyson Thompson, Tyvonn Byars

Rice Football: Spring Practice Takeaways – March Q&A

March 30, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

A month into Rice Football spring practices, some clarity is emerging. This Q&A focuses on what we’ve learned about the Owls on the gridiron so far.

More than half of spring practices are in the books, and a better picture of what Rice football will look like under head coach Scott Abell is beginning to form. This month’s Q&A focuses on some of those takeaways, ranging from the team’s propensity to avoid huddling and the quarterback race to what’s going on with the kicking game.

Questions were edited briefly for clarity. Want to get your questions answered? Subscribe on Patreon for our monthly mailbag.

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.

Q: On the new offense: Will the team huddle? Will the linemen line up in a 2-point stance?

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Recent Posts
  • Rice Football 2025 Game Preview: Houston
  • American Conference Football 2025: Week 1 Roundup
  • Rice Football knocks off Louisiana in Scott Abell’s Debut
  • Rice Football 2025 Season Preview: Preseason Superlatives

Filed Under: Archive, Football, Premium Tagged With: AJ Padgett, Alex Bacchetta, Chase Allen, Chase Jenkins, Drew Devillier, Enoch Gota, Q&A, Reese Keeney, Rice Football

Rice Football squanders fourth-quarter lead in loss Charlotte

September 28, 2024 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice Football had their chances to put the game away against Charlotte, but couldn’t close when it mattered most. The Owls are 1-4.

A 10-0 halftime lead was not enough as Rice football fell by a single point to Charlotte at home on Saturday night. In the final two minutes, Rice had chances to win the game on offense, but couldn’t convert a third and short. They had a chance to win on defense, but allowed a go-ahead touchdown in the final minute. They had the chance to win with special teams, but a last-second kick sailed wide.

โ€œI think Iโ€™ve given this speech a few too many times this year,” Bloomgren said at the podium following the Owls’ fourth loss in five games. “We performed better than we have been, but when the crunch time was here in that fourth quarter we failed in all three phases and Charlotte made more plays.โ€

Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

Trust your playmakers and let them produce

In the highest leverage moments, it’s the stars that have to shine. For Rice football right now, that means the most critical offensive moments should involve Dean Connors and EJ Warner and/or Matt Sykes. They’re not the only talented playmakers on this offense but that trio has largely been at the forefront when that offense is moving the ball well.

Warner overshot a makeable touchdown pass to Sykes on the Owls’ first possession but redeemed himself soon afterward with a nice dish to Jackson for the opening score. Connors had more rushing yards on his first touch of the game than Charlotte did in the entire first quarter.

Now, this reality comes with a very real, and very important caveat: your playmakers have to produce.

Warner hasn’t overcome his tendency to elevate throws downfield. He overshot Sykes on multiple third downs in the first half. Sykes was better this week than he was against Army a week ago, but his lack of consistency has been part of what’s gummed this offense up at times. Both have played better as the season progresses, but each would (correctly) admit they have room to grow.

Dean Connors has been and continues to be the most valuable man on this side of the ball. He only touched the ball seven times in the first half; that’s not enough. He finished with 16 touches for the game and 135 yards of total offense. Your best offensive weapon — and Connors is most certainly that — needs more of the ball.

“We got other good backs. We donโ€™t want to just wear Dean out. If you tell me Dean is going to get 20 to 30 touches every game, thatโ€™s probably the right number,” Bloomgren said after the game. “16 total touches? Would you wanna program a few more for him? Absolutely. Heโ€™s a really good player, but the flow of the game was going the way it was.โ€

Rice does have other good backs, but 16 is not 30. It’s not 20 either.

Rice racked up 463 yards of total offense, their highest total against an FBS opponent yet this season. It’s not a particularly impressive number on the whole, but it’s a step in the right direction. Those playmakers have to get things going if this offense is ever going to come close to the ceiling it’s shown in previous years.

Bring out the depth

So much of the discourse this offseason around the Rice football roster centered on the depth the Owls’ had accumulated in Bloomgren’s seventh season. Unfortunately, the only way to truly evaluate that depth is to have it forced into action. The results have been mixed when former twos and threes have been thrown into the first with the first units this season, but Saturday’s win against Charlotte probably doesn’t happen without some important contributions from former backups being asked to step up.

The offense line, featuring just two players in the same position they played on opening day, consistently opened up holes for the running game. Both Dean Connors and Taji Atkins got to the second level on plays that were blocked well. Although he took a few shots, Warner wasn’t sacked.

Likewise, the defense churned out some big plays from lesser-known faces. Peyton Stevenson and made consecutive plays to help stonewall a Charlotte drive in the second quarter. Daveon Hook led the team in tackles. Mutombo had the interception and followed it with a sack. None of those three were on the two-deep against Sam Houston in Week 1.

The go-ahead fourth quarter touchdown was scored by Elijah Mojarro, who wouldn’t have been on the field had Boden Groen been healthy.

What an incredible play call by the offensive staff.

What an incredible effort from Elijah Mojarro.

CLUTCHpic.twitter.com/tJFlC0kTDZ

— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) September 29, 2024

Obviously, the Owls would love to have as many of their starters back on the field as possible. A bye week with extra rest will help those efforts, but even if reinforcements do arrive, this depth matters. Especially if Rice wants to make good on some of their preseason aspirations and get things turned around.

Unfortunately, the reliance on depth has it’s downsides too. Kicker Enoch Gota missed his first do-or-die attempt of his young career, turning what could have been a celebratory night into another painful defeat.

The defense gets some of its swagger back

The Rice offense got a big play from Dean Connors but didn’t put any points on the board in the first quarter, turning the ball over inside the redzone and punting on their ensuing possession. That put the onus on the defense to make sure they kept their team in the game.

Aided by favorable field position on a few occasions, the defense delivered one of their better starts to a game this season. Blake Boenisch didn’t suit up on Saturday, but the Owls still held Charlotte to 1.2 yards per carry in the first quarter.ย The safety room was as depleted as it’s ever been under head coach Mike Bloomgren, but they limited Charlotte quarterback Trexler Ivey to 5-of-10 passing for 35 yards on the 49ers’ first three offensive series.

The Charlotte never got in gear under Trexler Ivey. When they did finally get the ball across the 50-yard line midway through the second quarter they were swiftly turned away by this interception from defensive lineman Joseph Mutombo, who has seen an elevated role in the defense partly because of the slew of injuries in front of him.

Joseph Mutombo with the big INT in the first half. pic.twitter.com/4n9M7ekHA6

— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) September 29, 2024

Charlotte finally found life under backup quarterback Deshawn Purdie, who connected on three deep passes, all of which resulted in scoring drives. That was essentially it for the Charlotte attack. Three plays. But it was enough.

As the offense works through its challenges in real time, more and more pressure is going to be put on this defense to win games. On Saturday against a woeful Charlotte offense, they came close enough but got little help from the other phases. If they can translate that to more talented opponents, Rice is going to have a fighting chance to win some games, but they’re the last bastion of hope for a team that’s hurting.

Losing on the Margin

A fourth down pass interference call against Sean Fresch changed the outcome of this game. A block in the back penalty on the ensuing possession might very well have swung the outcome, too. Both plays exemplified the dangerous tightrope Rice Football attempted to walk in this game. Rice let a bad Charlotte team stick around to the point where one blown coverage could shift the result of the game.

The best teams in the sport create margin. You can afford a bust on any particular play or phase of the game when there’s a buffer to cover those shortcomings. When you’re stuck in a one-score game, every mistake matters. Teams with more faults make more mistakes. There’s some truth to the old adage that good teams stay good and bad teams stay bad.

This is a bad football team right now.

One that, in Bloomgren’s own words “failed in all three phases” to one of the few teams left in the country that had yet to beat an FBS opponent. It’s hard to imagine a lower point than this in a season that was supposed to be a breakthrough campaign. Picked to finish in the thick of a competitive AAC, Rice football sits dead last in the standings and they have yet to play UTSA, Tulane, Memphis or South Florida.

This is a team out of excuses and out of answers. There’s a lot of soul-searching to be done during this bye week from everyone in the program. This isn’t how this season was supposed to go.

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Fourth and the Woe Zone

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Recent Posts

  • Rice Football 2025 Game Preview: Houston
  • American Conference Football 2025: Week 1 Roundup
  • Rice Football knocks off Louisiana in Scott Abell’s Debut
  • Rice Football 2025 Season Preview: Preseason Superlatives

Filed Under: Featured, Football, Premium Tagged With: Daveon Hook, Dean Connors, EJ Warner, Enoch Gota, game recap, Joseph Mutombo, Josh Pearcy, Matt Sykes, Peyton Stevenson, Rice Football, Taji Atkins

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