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Rice Football 2024: Navy presser quotes and depth chart

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Next up for Rice football: Navy. Here’s what interim head coach Pete Alamar had to say about the matchup and a few depth chart notes.

Following the dismissal of head coach Mike Bloomgren on Sunday, interim head coach Pete Alamar and a set of players met with the media for their customary weekly availability. They recapped the UConn game and looked ahead at their upcoming matchup with Navy.

More: Game Preview: Rice Football vs Navy

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

“To state the obvious, a few things have changed and transpired here in the last few days. I can tell you this, Mike Bloomgren, Coach Bloomgren, is one of my best friends. 18 months ago he sold me on a vision, a vision for Rice football and a vision for Rice University. And that’s why I’m here… I can tell you this, he gave his heart and soul for seven years to Rice University and Rice football. There isn’t anyone in this building who would tell you that it’s not better for having him here in that time.” – Pete Alamar on the state of the program

https://twitter.com/AtTheRoost/status/1851346426292257108

“Here’s what I know. I’ve been entrusted to lead this program for the next five weeks. And for me, all I’m concerned about is putting our guys in the best position they can to play fast, play free and have an opportunity to win games. Period. After that, it is what it is. I’m under no illusions. I’m not here to audition for the head job. I’m here to lead this program for the next five weeks and do the best job. I possibly can.” – Pete Alamar on being the interim head coach 

“When you’ve coached for a long time, you get to be around some really special dudes. What he did was phenomenally cool. I’ve been fortunate. I’ve had the Desean Jackson. I’ve had Ty Montgomery… I’ve had Christian McCaffrey… I’ve told this football team, that cat, right there, is as good as any kick returner I’ve had at hitting and getting. His first 25 is what makes him special because when he hits it, he hits it.”– Pete Alamar on kick returner Quinton Jackson

“I’ve been on teams here where we haven’t had success or reached the goals that we’ve had. I would argue that this is probably the most underachieving, given how he felt about this season going in, that we’ve had. I have never once for a second doubted the desire, the effort, the driving for wins that this team has shown. I’m more proud of the resilience of this team than any other team that I’ve been on. And there’s no doubt about that in my mind. That being said, through all the things that have happened in this season that didn’t go our way, not one time have I had to motivate a guy to get up. Not one time has that been a problem and that hasn’t been a problem through these last 48 hours which you would say has been a most-resiliency challenging situation.”  – Captain Izeya Floyd on the state of the team

“It means a lot, to be named with those talented players. I’m just blessed to be in this position and I’m grateful to have him as my coach…. Being recognized for that award, it’s not just me. It’s everybody on this team that helped me along the way.” – Kick returner Quinton Jackson on the praise from Alamar and being named AAC Special Teams Player of the Week

Depth Chart

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Depth Chart Notes

Given all the changes within the program this week it was unlikely there we significant changes coming to the official depth chart that is released on Tuesday. That was indeed the case, with the only difference reflecting sustained injury situations — an OR at the quarterback spot and the removal of JoVoni Johnson from the two-deep in favor of Owen Carter.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean everything will be congruous week to week once the team installs its game plan for Navy. For those updates, including the latest on the health of Warner and other key pieces, you’ll want to stay tuned to the practice notes later in the week reserved for subscribers.

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Rice Football 2024: Tulane Game Week Practice Report

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Rice football is getting clarity on some injuries and getting to work preparing for Tulane.  Here’s what we learned from the Owls at practice this week.

There were many players in and out of the lineup this week as the rigors of the physicality of the sport have made themselves present within the Rice football roster. This week, that meant a lot of good news including a couple of potential starters the Owls are trending toward having back on the field against Tulane.

However, head coach Mike Bloomgren did disclose an update regarding the trio of receivers the Owls expected to be their top three options entering fall camp: Landon Ransom, Rawson MacNeill and Thai Bowman.

“I don’t know that Landon [Ransom] or Rawson [MacNeill] will play this year,” Bloomgren told The Roost “I do expect Thai to [play].” How does that change the complexion of the receiving corps if two of the Owls’ frontline options are indeed expected to miss the entirety of the 2024 season? And about the other moving parts as the Owls ready for the Green Wave? Here’s where the team stands prior to the Tulane game this weekend.

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And then there were few

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Rice Football 2024: Charlotte Game Week Practice Report

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Rice football takes on Charlotte this week with eyes on a bounce-back win. Here’s what we learned from the Owls at practice this week.

It’s midseason and injuries are starting to take a toll on the Rice football roster. The Owls have made a lot of adjustments to counteract those personnel losses this week and keep tweaking the offense as they go. How much improvement can they make in a short window of time as they face a must-win game against Charlotte on Saturday.

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Can I get a safety, please?

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Rice Football 2024: Sam Houston St. presser quotes and depth chart

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Next up for Rice football: the season opener against Sam Houston 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 Sam Houston State at home.

More: Game Preview: Rice Football vs Sam Houston State

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

 

“I think KC Keeler is a very, very good football coach. I think that’s very evident by every place he’s ever been. You don’t have to look any further than the five games that they lost last year by one score and they were so close on so many of those things. And so again, they’re building a great program.”– Mike Bloomgren on Sam Houston and coach KC Keeler

“We’ve kind of got a depth chart we believe in. We’ve got some twos and even some threes that can help us. That’s what’s going to be hard is getting an airplane big enough to take everybody to our road games, so that we can have the ones that deserve to play on special teams, play on special teams and then ones on [offense and defense] as well.” – Mike Bloomgren on the Rice football roster

“There is a lot of strategy. It changes a lot of things from an analytic standpoint, certainly the end the game scenarios and the number of times a team can get the ball back. I told our team don’t be surprised at all for a team to get two possessions, now, if they get the ball outside of two minutes. So you could be up by 14 and not be incredibly comfortable, unless you’re going to be in a position to end the game in a four-minute drive for the offense or get another takeaway on the defense. So it’s going to extend games.” – Mike Bloomgren on the two minute timeout

“My path was a little less clear than most. I wasn’t as constantly developed at the same spot. I was moved back and forth. I worked with a couple different position coaches but never once did I feel like there was anything other than the highest desire for me to be a successful human being in this program and player and I feel like I’m proud to be the person I am right now because of the people around me and the coaches and the leadership and the players that helped me get to that point.” – Defensive tackle Izeya Floyd on his path at Rice

“It’s just been so fun to grow with them since I got here, just trying to work together, find our best chemistry that we can so when we do go on the field we have the success that we all want. It’s been really cool to get a lot of guys step up and grow from the spring and even to fall camp, just different guys that you’ve seen the progression that they’ve made every single day in the work that they’ve put in and just can’t wait to get the ball in those guys hands and let them roll and have a front row seat to watch it.” – Quarterback EJ Warner on getting to know the Owls’ receiving corps

Depth Chart

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Depth Chart Notes

If you’ve been following the coverage on the site this summer, there shouldn’t be a ton of surprises. If you haven’t go ahead and remedy that first by subscribing to The Roost here to get access to all our premium content the rest of the way. That said, there are a few things that stand out from this first pass of an official depth chart, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.

First, Drew Devillier was named backup quarterback over AJ Padgett, who has struggled in camp this fall. We hinted that Padgett falling down the depth chart might be a possibility, but it’s still somewhat unusual to see a true freshman beat out two veterans out of the gate.

Bloomgren called the decision one that his staff “didn’t take really likely, anytime you’re going to put a freshman as your No. 2 quarterback over guys who have played in football games” but made it clear that the numbers backed up Devillier as the better option and that Bloomgren was “really, really impressed not just with how he studied and how he processed, but also his cool demeanor.”

The wide receiver room is the other area of note. Drayden Dickman’s rise throughout camp has catapulted him ahead of Kobie Campbell in the ranks. That’s a good sign for an up-and-coming player like himself. Bloomgren made it seem as if Matt Sykes and Rawson MacNeill were neck and neck and would rotate fairly evenly at the X spot. As for the Z position, Braylen Walker is an intriguing riser to watch.

Stay tuned for further updates this week with the latest on the injury front as well as a deeper look at how the receiving corps might be used in Week 1.

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Rice Football Depth Chart Questions and Stadium Notes: August 2024 Q&A

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The 2024 Rice Football season is around the corner. What does that mean for the depth chart and when are we getting news on the stadium front? Here’s the latest.

There’s a lot going on around South Main these days. Fall camp wrapped up last week and the 2024 Rice football season kicks off next week against Sam Houston on brand new turf that was utilized by the team for the first time on Friday morning. Could stadium news be coming soon? And what will the first depth chart of the season look like when it is officially released? This month’s Q&A focuses on those two topics.

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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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Q: Are we expecting any update on the plan for Rice Stadium in the near future?

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