The source for Rice sports news

Rice Football 2022 Game Preview: McNeese State

By

Rice football takes on the McNeese State Cowboys in their 2022 home opener. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

Rice football and McNeese State meet in a Week 2 matchup of teams desperate to bounce back from disappointing opening weekend losses. Regardless of what shakes out at the quarterback position, the Owls will look to even their record and get their season back on track against the Cowboys. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup.

Kickoff time | 6:30 PM CT
Venue | Rice Stadium – Houston, Tx
TV | ESPN3 (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs McNeese State 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 left the first quarter with smiles this past weekend, all tied up 7-7 with USC. Then Wiley Green was knocked out of the game on the first of three pick-sixes, largely attributable to dropped passes by his wide receivers. If Rice wants to reach the postseason, they more than likely have to win this game.

McNeese was able to keep things a little closer in their first game, but the results were the same. The Cowboys fell 40-17 to the Montana State Bobcats on the road. They’ll be looking for some sort of momentum before they return home the following weekend to play Alcorn State in their first home contest of the year.

Series History

All Time | n/a
Last Five | n/a
Last Meeting | n/a

Get the Inside Scoop

Get access to practice reports, analysis and special features during the week when you subscribe to our Starting Lineup Tier on Patreon today. If you want updates on how Rice football plans to attack this week’s opponent, position battles, standouts, injuries and more, this is your go-to source. Don’t miss out! Join now!

Become a Patron!

Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | McMahon – 6/15 (40 percent), 65 yards, 0 TD, 3 INT / Green – 8/13 (61.5 percent), 69 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Rushing | Montgomery – 6 carries, 99 yards (16.5 yards per carry), 0 TD / Broussard – 15 carries, 26 yards (1.7 yards per carry), 2 TD
Receiving | McCaffrey – 5 receptions, 51 yards (10.2 yds/rec), 0 TD / Esdale – 4 receptions, 38 yards (9.5 yds/rec), 0 TD
Tackles | Lockhart – 6 / M. Williams – 5 / Six others tied with four
Pass Breakups | n/a
Interceptions | n/a

McNeese Stat Notables

Passing | Kadum – 11/21 (52.4 percent), 126 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing | Durham – 3 carries, 82 yards (27.3 yards per carry), 1 TD / McMahon – 8 carries, 65 yards (8.1 ypc), 0 TD
Receiving | Matthews – 2 receptions, 76 yards (38.0 yards per reception), 1 TD / Pierce – 7 receptions, 44 yards (6.3 yds/rec), 0 TD
Tackles | Williams, Willis-Dalton – 8 / Grayson – 6
Pass Breakups | Green – 1
Interceptions | n/a

McNeese X-Factor | Get the Owls off schedule

If Rice football fans were reminded of anything in their season-opening loss to USC, it was of the vast gulf that exists between when this team is performing at the extent of its abilities to their depths. McNeese’s task is to force the Owls into a performance more closely resembling the latter by disrupting what Rice wants to do.

In practical terms, that means putting the Rice offense behind the sticks with sacks and tackles for a loss. On the other side of the ball, The Cowboys need to prove then can formulate extended drives — something they weren’t really able to do in their first outing against Montana State.

If McNeese is unable to alert the steady drum beat of the Rice offense in either capacity it’s going to be tough sailing for the visitors next weekend.

Rice X-Factor | Catch the football

Head coach Mike Bloomgren said as much in his postgame comments following the USC loss. That game has the potential to look much different if the Owls receivers simply hang on to the passes that hit their fingertips. Quarterback play can always stand to improve, but handing out richochets left and right is a recipe for disaster which the Owls now know all too well.

This offense has too many playmakers to be kept at bay for 60 minutes against an FCS squad. The talent gap should somewhat closely resemble the one that separated Rice and USC  last weekend. But if Rice turns the ball over and gives up drives and points, this could be anyone’s game.

Bottom line: Rice football needs to play clean.

Injury Report (Subscribers only)

Unfortunately, Rice football has a lot of injury questions entering Week 2, chief among them: quarterback.

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?

One Final Thing

There are no “supposed to’s” in college football, at least not on paper. But Rice football was “supposed to” lose to USC and Rice football is “supposed to” beat McNeese State this coming weekend. All else held equal, Rice is on track with expectations for its 2022 season, even if the jarring nature of the season opener has made the trajectory feel hazier than it might actually be in reality.

Rice can build a lot of goodwill and trust in themselves by taking care of business at home against McNeese. If they’re as talented as head coach Mike Bloomgren said he belives them to be, this game ought to end in victory.

If we get to Sunday and Rice football sits at 1-1, all will be well. So maybe perhaps the cliche of “having to go 1-0 this week” is particularly true for the next few days. Rice has to win to get the taste of that bad loss out of their mouths and prove they’ve still got the talent and discipline to achieve their goals this season.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

The Roost Podcast | Ep 123 – Rice Football vs USC Preview with Yogi Roth

By

The 2022 Rice football season kicks off this weekend against USC. Yogi Roth of the Pac-12 Network is on the call and he joins the show this week.

Rice football opens its 2022 season against the USC Trojans on the road on Saturday on the Pac-12 Network. Yogi Roth is calling the game and stopped by the show this week to talk about the Trojans, Caleb Williams, Lincoln Riley and several of the prevailing storylines surrounding the program as the 2022 season begins.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 123.

Episode Notes

Announcements

Rice football fall camp has begun. Check out our season preview content for the Owls when you subscribe on Patreon and get access to camp reports and more.

The 2022 Conference USA Football Season Preview is available for purchase. Get the inside scoop on every C-USA team. You can get more information here.

2022 Conference USA Football Season Preview

Housekeeping

  • Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on your platform of choice. Every little bit helps.
  • Please support us on Patreon. Be the first to get the inside scoop on what’s going on with Rice football and stick around for even further analysis. That includes updates from spring practices and more. Your support matters and makes The Roost better.
    Become a Patron!

Rice Football vs USC Game Preview with Yogi Roth

  • What to expect from USC on Saturday?
  • How good is Caleb Williams?
  • Can the USC defense handle the physicality of the Rice front
  • How will the Trojans respond to adverse conditions?
  • What can Rice football do to make USC sweat?
  • How to get Pac-12 Network and watch the game

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football 2022 Game Preview: USC

By

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

Get access to practice reports, analysis and special features during the week when you subscribe to our Starting Lineup Tier on Patreon today. If you want updates on how Rice football plans to attack this week’s opponent, position battles, standouts, injuries and more, this is your go-to source. Don’t miss out! Join now!

Become a Patron!

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)

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?

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?

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football 2021 Game Preview: Louisiana Tech

By

Rice football takes on Louisiana Tech in their 2021 season finale. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

The last week of the regular season will feature a battle of 3-8 teams in Houston. Rice football rides a four game losing streak into their home finale, dropping their most recent game to UTEP in El Paso last weekend. Louisiana Tech lost to quarterbackless Southern Miss last time out, who the Owls beat earlier in the season. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup.

Kickoff time | 12:00 PM CT
Venue | Rice Stadium – Houston, TX
TV | ESPN+
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs Louisiana Tech on 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

Even with a win, Louisiana Tech could do no matter than tie their worst season under Skip Holtz. He went 4-8 in his debut season with the Bulldogs in 2013 and has reached a bowl game in every season since. Frankly, reaching four games below .500 isn’t noticeably better than finishing five games below that mark.

Rice football is playing to reach that same 4-8 finish, but with slightly different optics. Four wins would be the most under Mike Bloomgren to date. When combined with a couple of overtime losses and a rigorous non-conference slate, it could be enough to buy him so goodwill. Every win counts at this point.

Series History

All Time | Louisiana Tech leads Rice, 9-4
Last Five | Louisiana Tech leads Rice, 5-0
Last Meeting | Home 2019, Louisiana Tech won 23-20 (OT)

Get the Inside Scoop

Get access to practice reports, analysis and special features during the week when you subscribe to our All-American Tier on Patreon today. 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. A few sections of this preview are reserved for those subscribers. Don’t miss out! Join now!

Become a Patron!

Rice Stat Notables

Passing | Constantine – 126/206 (61.2 percent), 1622 yards, 8 TD, 7 INT
Rushing | Broussard – 104 carries, 535 yards (5.1 yards per carry), 3 TD / Myers – 89 carries, 334 yards (3.8 yards per carry), 8 TD
Receiving | Bailey – 56 receptions, 714 yards (12.8 yds/rec), 2 TD / Patterson – 33 receptions, 490 yards (13.9 yds/rec), 4 TD
Tackles | Montero/Garcia – 60 / Smith – 57 / Pearcy – 53
Pass Breakups | Dunbar – 7, McCord/Smith – 5, Taylor/Fresch – 4
Interceptions | Smith – 3, Nyakwol/Lockhart/Taylor – 2

Louisiana Tech Stat Notables

Passing | Allen – 50/77 (64.9 percent), 620 yards passing, 2 TD, 4 INT
Rushing | Williams – 175 carries, 750 yards (4.3 yards per carry), 8 TD / Garner – 54 carries, 216 yards (4.0 ypc), 3 TD
Receiving | Harris – 65 receptions, 693 yards (10.7 yards per reception), 5 TD / Harris – 35 receptions, 485 yards (13.9 yds/rec), 3 TD
Tackles | Grubbs – 91 / Baldwin – 88 / Buchanan – 47
Pass Breakups | Woods – 5, Grubbs/Baldwin – 4
Interceptions | Williamson/Cole – 2, Four others tied with one apiece

Louisiana Tech X-Factor | One-dimensional Rice

The Louisiana Tech defense hasn’t been particularly strong on any singular front this season. The Bulldogs own the No. 12 passing defense in the conference and the No. 10 rushing defense. Since their C-USA slate has arrived they’ve been a bit better through the air and much worse on the ground, but they’re not going to get confused for an upper-tier unit anytime soon. But maybe they don’t have to be.

Rice hasn’t shown the ability to consistently put up 30 points this season. Their most productive outings have come on days when they’ve been able to run the ball effectively and mix in the passing game. Forcing this team to rely entirely on one or the other has led to struggles. Injuries could further complicate this equation for the Owls, making the task that much more simplistic for the Bulldogs.

Take away the pass or take away the run. Then force Rice to beat you with one hand behind their back for 60 minutes. It’s not something they’ve shown the ability to do this season, especially not with a one-dimensional offensive attack.

Rice X-Factor |  Stop the pass

The Rice secondary has been the problem point for this team and it hasn’t just been the high volume aerial attacks that have found success. After a slow first half, UTEP found tremendous success through the air against Rice, and they did so at all three levels. Conversely, when Rice has been able to hang tough and play tight enough coverage, the defense has been able to get off the field.

Rice held Charlotte to 57 yards rushing. Western Kentucky rushed 25 times for only 93 yards. UTEP tallied 122 on the ground, but roughly half of that came on one long breakaway run. This defense is going to limit the run, if nothing else at least to the degree that it doesn’t cost them the game. The focal point should be the passing game, and more specifically, finding any way at all to slow that down.

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?

One Final Thing

Following an up-and-down start to conference play, it’s been a rough month for Rice football fans. This team hasn’t lived up to the expectations they set for themselves, and they’re well aware of that. Conversations to unearth why they fell short and deciding what needs to change so that they can continue climbing will be had in the offseason — and that’s only a few days away. For now, the task at hand is Louisiana Tech.

Sending the seniors off on a high note, after all they’ve done to get the program to this point, should be the focus of this week. Thanking those who have worked tirelessly for years to turn a 1-win team into a squad capable of knocking off an undefeated, ranked Marshall squad on the road and follow that up with a win over conference heavyweight UAB a season later has to the focus.

Enjoy this football game. Then we’ll get to the offseason. And we’ll be tired of the offseason almost as soon as it arrived.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football 2021 Game Preview: UTEP

By

Rice football is looking to finish the regular season strong. Can they top UTEP on the road? How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Rice football and it’s been a rough couple of weeks for the UTEP Miners. Both programs bring three-game losing streaks into their late-November showdown at the Sun Bowl on Saturday. Most recently Rice fell to WKU, officially ending any bowl game aspirations. UTEP fell to North Texas last time out. Here’s what you need to know for this matchup:

Kickoff time | 3:00 PM CT
Venue | Sun Bowl – El Paso, TX
TV | ESPN+
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs UTEP on 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

Neither Rice football nor UTEP are contenders for C-USA West, nor are the postseason fates of either program on the line this coming Saturday. These two teams will play for pride, but more than that, they’ll play for perception.

Dana Dimel and Mike Bloomgren took over downtrodden programs and were given plenty of leeway to build them up from the ground floor. The Miners appear to be cresting, finally coming to the apex of that upswing. The last few weeks have been troubling, but a win against Rice might just solidify that the trajectory of the UTEP program remains pointed upward.

On the other sideline, Rice can still reach record win totals under Bloomgren this year, but achieving those goals starts with a win over UTEP. A loss would decidedly place Rice behind UTEP in the rebuilding race, and that’s not something many of the Owls’ faithful want to be forced to contemplate. 

Series History

All Time | Rice leads UTEP, 15-8
Last Five | Rice leads UTEP, 3-2
Last Meeting | Away 2019, Rice won 30-16

Get the Inside Scoop

Get access to practice reports, analysis and special features during the week when you subscribe to our All-American Tier on Patreon today. 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. A few sections of this preview are reserved for those subscribers. Don’t miss out! Join now!

Become a Patron!

Rice Stat Notables

Passing | Constantine – 112/181 (61.9 percent), 1439 yards, 6 TD, 7 INT
Rushing | Broussard – 102 carries, 533 yards (5.2 yards per carry), 2 TD / Myers – 89 carries, 334 yards (3.8 yards per carry), 8 TD
Receiving | Bailey – 51 receptions, 656 yards (12.9 yds/rec), 2 TD / Patterson – 31 receptions, 430 yards (13.9 yds/rec), 3 TD
Tackles | Montero – 60 / Garcia – 55 / Smith – 52
Pass Breakups | Dunbar – 7, McCord – 5, Smith/Taylor – 4
Interceptions | Smith – 3, Nyakwol/Lockhart – 2

UTEP Stat Notables

Passing | Hardison – 142/263 (54.0 percent), 2396 yards passing, 14 TD, 10 INT
Rushing | Awatt – 131 carries, 672 yards (5.1 yards per carry), 5 TD / Hankins – 99 carries, 357 yards (3.6 ypc), 5 TD
Receiving | Cowing – 51 receptions, 1097 yards (21.5 yards per reception), 5 TD / Garrett – 40 receptions, 542 yards (13.6 yds/rec), 3 TD
Tackles | Hayward – 84 / Knight – 68 / Barnes – 46
Pass Breakups | Richardson/Amawhule – 7, Wilson – 5
Interceptions | Barnes – 2, Five tied with one apiece

UTEP X-Factor | Make the easy throws

As productive as the UTEP offense has been, it hasn’t been the most efficient, especially through the air. Quarterback Gavin Hardison ranks 12th among C-USA quarterbacks with a 50.9 completion percentage in conference play this season.

Completing more than a coin-flips worth of passes is an easy starting point, but given the cushion the Rice secondary has afforded other passing attacks so far this season, that has to start with the easy throws. If Hardison and UTEP are able to find success on the easier throws, early-down routes with space and wide windows, they’re going to find it easier to connect on the intermediate and deep routes later in the game.

If Hardison can unlock every level of the field and make the Rice defense have to guess, it’s going to be a long day in El Paso for the Owls.

Rice X-Factor |  Get to the quarterback

Fixing the leaky secondary doesn’t seem to be a viable solution at this point in the season. If that was something the Owls’ were capable of patching up on the fly, they probably would have found a way to keep their previous game against Western Kentucky somewhat more competitive. The Owls best chance of doing that against UTEP is getting to the source of the passing attack and stopping it there.

UTEP wide receivers Jacob Cowing and Justin Garrett each have big-play potential. If the ball gets to them, they can make the defense pay with a first down and more. They’re going to get yards. Rice just needs to make sure they’re not getting hit in stride with green grass in front of them. And that means getting to Gavin Hardison, something few have been able to do so far this season.

UTEP has allowed 13 sacks in 10 games, tied for third fewest in Conference USA. The Miners’ offensive line has been solid. Rice has found success against some of the conference’s sturdier front fives before. They’ll need to do it again this weekend.

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?

One Final Thing

With bowl hopes dashed, Bloomgren said this team would be “playing for each other” from this point onward. From a wins and losses perspective, the Owls do have some positive thresholds to reach on that front.

Ultimately, though, these last two games are an opportunity to prove they have what it takes and were a few bad bounces away from their goals. That might not satisfy all the critics and it might not prove to be enough the program maintains the same upward trajectory Bloomgren remained confident it does, but it’s all they can control going forward.

Beating UTEP, and doing so without an overtime period or controversy, is a must. Winning convincingly and accruing some “style points” is exactly what this team needs right now. Whether or not they can do that is on them.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts