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Rice Football 2023 Spring Practice Notebook 2: Roster Notes

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Rice Football spring practice has just begun and there are several players who are (and aren’t) participating that are worth noting.

It’s been months since Rice football last practiced. Since then, players have left the program, new ones have come in and the availability of current players is in flux. In order to better understand what’s going to take place this spring, it’s worth setting the table and establishing who is available and who isn’t.

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That means some bad news (injuries) and some good news (reinstatements, waivers) for players that could play a significant role for Rice football this spring and beyond.

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Doom and Gloom: Rice Football falls to UTSA rain-soaked Senior Day

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Rice Football never got hot on a cold and gloomy Senior Day, falling at home to UTSA in their final home game of the season.

On a cold and rainy Saturday morning, Rice football froze up. Injuries and missed opportunities stifled a Rice team that has yet to complete a complete four-quarter performance this season, despite notching five victories along the way. They did not get their sixth win on Saturday, falling to UTSA in a one-sided result on Senior Day. Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

From bad to worse

On paper, the weather seemed to be something that should work in favor of the Owls, who entered their final home game of the season with a slew of injuries at several key positions. Starting quarterback TJ McMahon was unable to go, as were the Owls’ top four corners: Jordan Dunbar, Sean Fresch, Lamont Narcisse and Jojo Jean.

From a personnel standpoint, an ugly game with lot of running and field position battles was much preferred to an aerial back-and-forth against the Roadrunners and star quarterback Frank Harris.

Rice did get an ugly game, but the weather wasn’t at fault.

Quarterback Wiley Green was injured on the Owls’ second possession, getting blasted from behind and fumbling in the process. UTSA recovered and scored their second-consecutive touchdown on as many plays.

The Owls’ defense opened the game three-and-out and Green hit Bradley Rozner on a slant to get Rice out of the shadow of their own endzone. Then the drive stalled on fourth and one, Rice punted, and the tumultuous sequence of injuries and turnovers commenced.

Turnovers fall, but it’s not enough

At some point, the turnovers that have plagued Rice football this season were going to stop, or at the very least, they would slow down. Despite the Owls’ issues with protecting the football, tipped passes and fumbles from a myriad of different players seemed unlikely to persist forever. Despite the injuries and bad weather, Rice did a good job protecting the football against UTSA.

In their first 10 games, Rice won the turnover battle twice. They were +5 against McNeese and +1 against UAB. They won both games. Against FBS opponents, Rice hadn’t forced more than two turnovers in a game this season whereas they’d produced at least three giveaways four times.

The Roost Podcast: Stay tuned for the game recap this week – Rice Football vs UTSA

Against UTSA, Rice forced two turnovers. George Nykawol knocked the ball out himself and Myron Morrison made a play in coverage to intercept Frank Harris.

The Owls’ first turnover on offense came on a play in which Green was injured, with pressure coming unblocked off the edge. It’s not excusable by any means, but it wasn’t a lapse by a ballcarrier or decision-maker, the Achilles’ heel of the offense to this point. That came the very next drive when Kobie Campbell put the ball on the deck.

The third turnover came on an errant pass from Itraish, who was subsequently benched for true freshman AJ Padgett. That gave Rice a minus differential in the turnover margin once again.

It all comes down to quarterback, again

Watching Green leave with an injury with TJ McMahon standing on the sideline, already ruled out, was a gut punch for a Rice offense that has taken such large strides this season. Trailing at home with a backup, backup quarterback, there were two plays that highlighted what could have been.

With Shawqi Itraish at quarterback early in the second quarter and Rice trailing 21-0, Isaiah Esdale burst through double coverage on the far side of the field. He had seven yards on both defenders and plenty of green grass in front of him. It was a walk in touchdown. Itraish underthrew all three players, incomplete. Rice got no points on the drive.

Following a turnover by the Roadrunners shortly after, Rice dialed up a double reverse pass. The ball was tossed back to Itraish who had Bradley Rozner wide open down the field. He couldn’t release the ball quick enough, throwing it into the ground. Once more, no points.

It’s not all Itraish’s fault, but these two moments do highlight the challenges of calling an offense in the rain with your third string redshirt freshman quarterback at the controls. It’s hard. And you can’t miss your opportunities. On Saturday, Rice did and the result was, unfortunately, predictable.

The silver lining, if there was one, was an intriguing debut by true freshman AJ Padgett. He connected on a 43-yard touchdown pass to Bradley Rozner on fourth down in the fourth quarter. Could he see action in the season finale against UTSA? At this point, anything seems feasible.

One more?

As soon as the clock hit zero at Rice Stadium a few weeks ago, securing an upset for the visiting Charlotte 49ers, it seemed more likely than not that the Owls would find themselves here.

Defeating Western Kentucky or UTSA didn’t seem completely far-fetched, but the wiggle-room in the Owls’ search for six wins had evaporated. They needed to win one of their final three to reach that mark, but that stretch included games against the top three teams in the standings.

Now, it all comes down to this. Rice sits at 5-6, losers of back-to-back games for the first time this season. They travel to North Texas next weekend, in need of that final elusive win to clinch bowl eligibility for the first time since 2014.

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Death, Taxes, Wiley Green and injuries

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Rice Football 2022 Game Preview: Louisiana

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Rice football takes on the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns as non-conference play continues. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

Fresh off their first win of the 2022 season, Rice football looks to establish a winning streak in their final home game of nonconference play. The 1-1 Owls host the 2-0 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns under the direction of first-year head coach Michael Desormeaux. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup.

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

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs Louisiana 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

A win for Rice football on Saturday would give the Owls a winning record through three games for the first time under head coach Mike Bloomgren. It would also put the program on strong footing to reach a bowl game by ensuring no worse than a 2-2 split in nonconference play with a challenge against crosstown rival Houston looming.

On the other side of the ball, Louisiana was a perennial 10+ win team under former head coach Billy Napier, now at Florida. But expectations haven’t fallen much even though there’s been a change in leadership. This game could serve as one step closer to a fourth consecutive double-digit win season for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Series History

All Time | Louisiana leads, 3-2
Last Five | Louisiana leads, 3-2
Last Meeting | Home 1989, Louisiana won 18-3

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Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | McMahon – 26/44 (59.1 percent), 339 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT / Green – 8/13 (61.5 percent), 69 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Rushing | Montgomery – 10 carries, 100 yards (10.0 yards per carry), 0 TD / Broussard – 32 carries, 96 yards (3.0 yards per carry), 3 TD
Receiving | Rozner – 4 receptions, 107 yards (26.8 yds/rec), 2 TD / McCaffrey – 9 receptions, 97 yards (10.8 yds/rec), 0 TD
Tackles | Lockhart – 9 / M. Williams, Morrison – 8 / Fresch – 7
Pass Breakups | Dunbar, Narcisse, Morrison – 1
Interceptions | Taylor, Chamberlain – 1

Louisiana Notables

Passing | Fields – 23/41 (56.1 percent), 314 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT / Wooldridge – 19/24 (79.2 percent), 237 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Rushing | Smith – 18 carries, 74 yards (4.1 yards per carry), 1 TD / Kibodi – 14 carries, 63 yards (4.5 ypc), 0 TD
Receiving | Stephens Jr. – 3 receptions, 103 yards (34.3 yards per reception), 1 TD / Jefferson – 5 receptions, 80 yards (16.0 yds/rec), 1 TD
Tackles | Ossai, Pedescleaux – 12 /  Six others tied with six
Pass Breakups | Bishop – 2 / Garror, Jones, Trahan – 1
Interceptions | Five tied with one

Louisiana X-Factor | Corrall the pass

Rice football had a big day through the air against McNeese State, helping to unlock the run game and making the Owls’ offensive attack look as lethal as it has looked in quite some time. Rice is going to run the football and remains committed to the ground game, but forcing the Owls to rely solely on their running game and eliminating big pass plays is a must.

Louisiana allowed 4.3 yards per attempt in a 24-7 win over Southeastern Louisiana and 6.2 yards per attempt against Eastern Michigan. Rice averaged 9.0 yards per attempt in their win over McNeese this past weekend. Everything else was working when the aerial attack was pacing the offensive attack. What happens if it’s not working to that degree? Can Rice still create explosive plays and score?

Rice X-Factor | Stay on schedule

Rice was faced with 16 third down attempts in each of their first two games. The Owls converted five of 16 against USC and then doubled their efficiency, converting 10 of 16 against McNeese State. It was no coincidence their point total exploded from 14 to 52 in that small two-game sample.

Scoring 50+ points a game isn’t sustainable, but for Rice, staying on schedule and controlling the football is part of the roadmap to get there. The Owls were able to generate explosive plays against McNeese State, but will be in for a tougher test against Louisiana. When those big plays are limited, they’ll need to find a way to move the chains.

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One Final Thing

Rice football has yet to play any team that’s truly in their weight class. USC is currently ranked in the Top 10 nationally and McNeese is now an 0-2 FCS squad. Louisiana looks to be the most evenly matched opponent of the first three games, but most measures have the Ragin’ Cajuns a good bit better than the Owls. For example, SP+ tabs Rice as the 120th best team in the country. Louisiana sits at 61.

Against USC, we learned that the offense can be productive when they’re avoiding mistakes and playing well up front. Against McNeese, we learned that Rice can dominate an inferior opponent, particularly in the trenches. What can we learn about the Owls this week?

More: Path to six — charting Rice football’s course to a bowl berth ($)

A loss wouldn’t disqualify this team from their objectives, but it would require five conference wins to reach .500 and a six-win season rather than four. Conversely, a win would be massive, most likely checking in near the top of the Owls’ best wins under Bloomgren to date.  Either way, it will be a good litmus test to determine where this program stands with conference play looming in just a few weeks.


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Rice Football 2022: McNeese State Game Week Practice Report

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Rice football will play its home opener this coming weekend against McNeese State. Here’s what we learned from this week’s practices.

As he’s said in prior years, head coach Mike Bloomgren reiterated expectations this week that his team would take a big step forward between Game 1 and Game 2. When asked Thursday if he’d seen that progression, he seemed elated. “They’ve been focused. They’ve been great. They’ve given it in the heat. They’ve worked their butts off,” he said about his team.

With four days of practice in the books and a more manageable opponent looming in McNeese State, the mood around South Main remained upbeat this week. Here are a few important takeaways from practice this week and a couple of nuggets on how Rice football might choose to attack this coming Saturday.

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Rice Football 2022 Fall Camp Notebook 5: Defense rebounds in Scrimmage 2

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The Rice football defense bounces back in their final scrimmage of fall camp which ended with a quarterback decision looming in the near future.

If the Rice football offense won the first scrimmage, the defense delivered the equalizing blow on Saturday night. In some ways, it marked a fitting end to fall camp, which featured a fairly balanced level of play from both sides of the ball.

More: Rice Football Preseason Preview Series

Rice has roughly two weeks before they open their season against USC. What did we learn from this final scrimmage and when will a starting quarterback be named? We now have a firm timeline for when that decision will be announced.

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