The source for Rice sports news

  • Football
    • Recruiting
    • Offer Tracker
    • Roster
    • Schedule
    • NFL Owls
  • Premium
    • Patreon
    • Season Preview
    • Join / FAQ
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Store
    • News
    • Basketball
    • Baseball
    • About
    • Contact
  • Login

Owls raise the ceiling and the floor with 2019 recruiting class

February 11, 2019 By Matthew Bartlett

National Signing Day marked the completion of the 2019 Rice Football recruiting class. The new Owls will be met with both excitement and expectation.

Mike Bloomgren stood in front of a microphone on National Signing Day and couldn’t help but smile when he talked about the 2019 Rice football recruiting class. He has to smile. He has to give those cliched axioms. “We have addressed everything we wanted to,” he said. “We’re a year better everywhere.”

But for this team, and this recruiting class, Bloomgren’s words were much more than platitudes. That’s because the 2019 class marked a significant change. It marked the official tipping point between Year 0 and the heart of the Mike Bloomgren era.

The second-year head coach isn’t an excuse maker. He carries himself with a humble confidence, celebrating the good times and vowing to push his staff and his team through the bad. And now this team is his team.

“Two-thirds of the team are guys that we brought in,” Bloomgren acknowledged “[the 2018 and 2019 signing classes] knew the expectation when they walked in the door.” For a man who has preached Process in his first year at South Main, the rubber is beginning to meet the road.

It’s no secret Bloomgren inherited a blank slate. The roster and the direction of the Rice football program were handed to him by athletic director Joe Karlgaard when the first-time head coach was hired away from Stanford following the 2017 season. Bloomgren crafted a plan and set it in motion.

Rice Football

A lot has transpired since. Rice opened their 2018 season against Prairie View. After winning that game in thrilling fashion, the Owls put up strong performances in the next two games against Houston and Hawaii, both losses. Both defeats highlighted some glaring issues with the roster Bloomgren inherited — it wasn’t fast enough, strong enough or deep enough, not by a longshot.

In the weeks that followed Rice would win just one more game. Injuries ravaged the quarterback room and finding consistent performers on the defensive side of the ball was a weekly challenge. Freshmen, several recruited by Bloomgren in his first signing class at Rice, became stars.

Prudy Calderon and Antonio Montero built names for themselves on defense. Wiley Green, Cole Garcia and Juma Otoviano paved the way for the Owls’ climactic send-off win over Old Dominion. Despite the two-win record, there were pieces. There just needed to be more of them.

Bloomgren cut to the chase. “We need to raise the ceiling of talent on both sides of the ball all across this program, but we’ve also got to raise the floor.” He said, “We’re doing that right now.” The turnover on the roster has been hard to miss. Rice started six upperclassmen against Old Dominion — two of those will return to the roster in 2019: safety George Nyakwol and defensive tackle Myles Adams.

I love that we actually have competition. The way it’s supposed to be in college football.Mike Bloomgren

With the youth movement comes both challenge and opportunity. The incoming class has proof the team is going to start whoever earns each spot on Saturday. They’ll be competing for jobs out of the gate, something that can and must push the incumbents to work harder. “I love that we actually have competition. The way it’s supposed to be in college football,” remarked Bloomgren.

Competition. Process. Results. The wheels set in motion more than a year ago will continue to turn as the newest Owls make their way to campus, some in the spring, others in the summer. No matter when they arrive, they’ll each be asked to push themselves and this program further and harder than ever before. For Bloomgren and his staff, the future is now.

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

Recent Posts
  • “So Many Things to Address”: Rice Baseball and David Pierce Embark on Crucial Offseason
  • Rice Baseball season ends with AAC Tournament loss to FAU
  • Rice Baseball falls to UTSA in AAC Tournament Opener
  • 2025 AAC Baseball Tournament: Preview, schedule, how to watch

Filed Under: Football, Archive, Featured, Football Recruiting Tagged With: Mike Bloomgren, National Signing Day, Rice Football, Rice Football recruiting

Mortal Kombat, finishing strong and final thoughts on the 2018 season

November 29, 2018 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice football struggled through a difficult 2018 season, finally breaking through and ending the year on an all-important high note.

In seven of Rice Football’s first 12 games season they found themselves in a two-score game entering the fourth quarter. Excluding blowouts by Southern Miss, Wake Forest, UAB, and LSU Rice was in the game in the fourth quarter more often than they weren’t.

Just once this year did they take a lead into the final frame; they led Old Dominion 20-13 entering the fourth quarter, set up by one of Juma Otoviano‘s long touchdown runs. That touchdown proved to be the difference. In the final week of the regular season Mike Bloomgren’s team had found a way finish.

Bloomgren’s relief and excitement were expressed with an allusion to a classic, but an unexpected source of entertainment: Mortal Kombat.

Upon seeing the game once again within reach in the fourth quarter, Bloomgren couldn’t help but envision the video game in his mind. “You know when his head’s spinning and it’s like ‘finish him'”, Bloomgren recalled with anticipation, “Today we finished him. And you have to do that. You have to have that desire, that want to. You have to believe when you put up those four fingers in the fourth quarter that’s the way it’s going to go. Hey, we’re going to end this thing, together.”

And they did. When the clock hit 0:00 Rice had their first conference win under Mike Bloomgren. It took months to find the right formula, but they got it done. Now all they have to do is replicate it going forward in a new season, with some new players and new expectations.

This could be the new normal,” Bloomgren said wistfully before doubling down on his team’s performance in their final game of the season.”It’s the future of Rice football. It’s intellectual brutality. It’s pound the rock, control the clock and play great defense. And it’s everything we talk about on display today by everyone who touched the field for us. And it’s exciting.”

The difference between one win and two wins doesn’t mean a whole lot for boxscore scouts. There is plenty of progress to be made on that front at South Main. When this coaching staff, this team and the fanbase looks back at 2018 they’ll see the two wins and wish there were more. There will be, in time.

In their final Saturday before the offseason began this team learned how to finish. That alone is reason to believe the best is yet to come.

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

Recent Posts
  • “So Many Things to Address”: Rice Baseball and David Pierce Embark on Crucial Offseason
  • Rice Baseball season ends with AAC Tournament loss to FAU
  • Rice Baseball falls to UTSA in AAC Tournament Opener
  • 2025 AAC Baseball Tournament: Preview, schedule, how to watch

Filed Under: Football, Archive, Featured Tagged With: Mike Bloomgren, Rice Football

3 Big questions entering the offseason

November 28, 2018 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice football proved they’re on the right track, closing out the 2018 season with a win. What questions remain entering a long offseason for the Owls?

1. Can the coaching staff produce back to back stud recruiting classes?

Mike Bloomgren couldn’t stop raving about the freshman class during fall camp prior to the season. He said the hit rate on these guys was tremendous and he wasn’t wrong. Wiley Green, Juma Otoviano, Cole Garcia, Antonio Montero, Prudy Calderon, Tyrae Thornton and several others played significant roles for this team in their first years of college ball.

The trajectory of this program will be set by how well Bloomgren and his staff build on that first successful class. If they can find a few more gems in the 2019 group they’ll take the talent level at Rice through a step change. More talent creates more competition which leads to better players and better results. The recruiting formula starts with talent.

Don’t mistake the need for a second strong class with a search for stars. Just because a signee or recruit doesn’t have the best grades on 247 or Rivals doesn’t mean he’s not the right fit for this system and this scheme. Trust the process. Through one abbreviated cycle the staff has proven they can find the guys they need.

2. What will the offensive line look like in Year 2 under Mike Bloomgren?

It took the Rice offensive line much longer to gel than anyone on the staff would have hoped. The constant flurry of changing parts and shaky play prompted the insertion of young players down the line, eventually solidifying into a starting five of Uzoma Osuji, Cole Garcia, Shea Baker, Joseph Dill and Sam Pierce.

Pierce and Dill won’t return next year and Osuji will see competition at the left tackle position from freshman Clay Servin who started while Osuji was out with injury. That leaves Garcia and Baker as two relatively sure-things in another mix of players and combinations.

The inconsistency of the offensive line was a major inhibitor to the offense in 2018. The way this unit gels in the spring and continues to develop this fall will be an important barometer for how quickly the offense can continue to progress in Year 2.

3. Who will be the playmakers on offense in 2019?

Entering the 2018 season Emmanuel Esukpa and Aaron Cephus were tabbed by most as the most likely playmakers on the offense. Both had their moments and were instrumental in the development of the offense throughout the year, but by the end of the season, there were different faces carrying the load.

Wiley Green, Austin Walter, Austin Trammell and Juma Otoviano became fixtures and various points of the season, ending the year as go-to players to a much greater degree than even some of the coaching staff might have expected.

Who steps up in 2019? It could be some of those same leaders. Green and Otoviano will both be sophomore and Trammell will be back for his junior season, too. But there are also players like Brendan Harmon, August Pitre and D’Angelo Ellis who saw their roles severely limited by injury as well as incoming recruits like running back Jawan King and wide receiver Zane Knipe. There are a lot of options. It will be interesting to see who emerges to move this offense forward.

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

Recent Posts
  • “So Many Things to Address”: Rice Baseball and David Pierce Embark on Crucial Offseason
  • Rice Baseball season ends with AAC Tournament loss to FAU
  • Rice Baseball falls to UTSA in AAC Tournament Opener
  • 2025 AAC Baseball Tournament: Preview, schedule, how to watch

Filed Under: Football, Archive, Featured Tagged With: Juma Otoviano, Mike Bloomgren, Rice Football, Wiley Green

Rice Football: Owls soar over Old Dominion for first CUSA win

November 24, 2018 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice football ended the 2018 season with an exclamation point, taking down Old Dominion on Senior Day for Mike Bloomgren’s first Conference USA win.

Rice scored two touchdowns in the first half. Old Dominion didn’t crack the endzone until the third quarter. Another stout defensive performance by the Owls parlayed with a few big-time plays from surprise starter Wiley Green sent the Owls into halftime with a 13-6 lead. They never looked back.

After falling behind 3-0 in the first quarter Rice rallied to outscore Old Dominion 20-7 over the remainder of the contest. On Senior Day with the weight of a potential second consecutive 1-win season overhead, Rice responded with their most complete performance of 2018.

1. Winner, winner

Rice started and ended the season with wins, the first time the Owls have bookended a year with victories since 2015. It was the Owls’ first conference win since they defeated UTEP on Sep. 9, 2017, their first home conference win since beating UTEP in 2016 and their first win over a CUSA East opponent since defeating Charlotte in 2016.

For Mike Bloomgren, the victory represents his second as a head coach and his first conference win with the Rice Owls. It was a long time coming, but the Owls can hold their heads high entering the offseason.

2. Let’s get big

There were more than a few naysayers when newly named head coach Mike Bloomgren advocated for Intellectual Brutality on South Main. The Owls were going to bring back the old days of power football in a sport dominated by the spread passing attack.

Early returns were frustrating. The offensive line took several games to gel, and it wasn’t until freshman Clay Servin and Cole Garcia won starting jobs that things began to slow down for the front five. It took a full season to work out the kinks, but the end result has been exactly what Bloomgren wanted in the trenches.

Rice lined up in the jumbo package in critical short yardage situations three times against LSU, converting all three attempts. They pulled out the stacked box again twice against Old Dominion and picked up two fourth down conversions on two tries. The Owls also scored their first touchdown of the day without a single receiver split out wide.

https://twitter.com/swcroundup/status/1066400713528483840

They’ve done it with power runs, play action and a variety of creative playcalling. But most importantly, they’ve stacked the box and made one yard an automatic conversion. If this offense can do that consistently, they’re going to burn the clock and start to take over football games.

3. Rice is going to miss Austin Walter, but they have weapons to fill the void

Saturday marked the final time do-it-all playmaker Austin Walter will wear a Rice uniform. The Owls’ leading rusher and 400+ yard receiver capped off his career with a tremendous senior season, ending it with an exclamation point against Old Dominion. Walter finished the game with three receptions for 24 yards and two carries for seven yards.

The hole left by Walter in this offense is massive and will have to be filled by a handful of different players next season. Through the air, the Owls will need someone to step up. Freshman receivers Brendan Harmon and August Pitre were kept off the field for the bulk of the 2018 season with injuries. Both of those players, and a new face or two are going to be asked to play a meaningful role on the offense next season.

On the ground, Austin’s brother Aston Walter plans to return for one more season, pending a petition to the NCAA. The man to watch, though, is freshman running back Juma Otoviano. The Owls’ wildcat quarterback this year, will undoubtedly be given a more prominent role.

Otoviano was given his first career start against Old Dominion. Entering the game with 140 yards rushing in his collegiate career, Otoviano exploded for a career-best 224 yards. His day was highlighted by two breakaway touchdowns — the longest an 80-yard scamper — the longest score for Rice this season. His second touchdown was “only” 62 yards.

Juma Otoviano takes it 80 yards all the way home!!!@RiceFootball is on top 20-13. pic.twitter.com/CxcbvjLxFI

— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) November 24, 2018

4. Wiley Green is the future at the quarterback position

During practice this week Bloomgren hinted we might see a heavy dosage of freshman quarterback Wiley Green. In three appearances this season Green threw for 525 yards and three touchdowns with four interceptions and a touchdown on the ground.

The rationale for Green’s return to the bench was two-fold. First, Bloomgren refused to let his starting quarterback be Wally Pipped. He reinserted Shawn Stankavage back into the lineup as soon as he was healthy enough to play. Stankavage started twice, throwing for 216 yards and one touchdown with three interceptions against Louisiana Tech and 101 yards against LSU.

Second, the newly instituted redshirt rule allows players to play four games and still retain four years of eligibility. After sitting in the Owls’ past two contests Green will keep his redshirt.

All the maneuvering aside, Green doesn’t look to be relinquishing the starting job anytime soon. He threw for 96 yards with a rushing touchdown against Old Dominion before leaving the game with an injury midway through the third quarter. Green gives this offense a downfield threat with surprising mobility, opening up lanes for the Owls’ talented running backs. Green should be the presumptive favorite to be the starter heading into 2019.

5. The team that played ODU on Saturday should have won a few more games

Work in progress has been the tagline for the Rice football team through the 2018 season. Changing a culture and rebuilding from the ground up takes time, something not commonly afforded in today’s sports landscape. This team took several steps forward, a few more steps backward before finally arriving at the end of the road at 2-11.

To some extent there is truth in Bill Parcell’s most infamous one-liner: “You are what your record says you are.” The final line on the 2018 season says Rice is a 2-win football team. That’s a far cry from where this staff wants it to be, but it’s already twice as far as last year’s 1-win squad.

The truth buried in the wins and losses hides a lot of the growing pains it took for this squad to arrive where they’re at today. The team that beat Old Dominion on Saturday had the benefit of a full season of seasoning, experience and growth.

If Rice had the chance to replay this campaign with the knowledge and practice they’ve picked up along the way they probably pick up a few more wins, but that’s not how this game works. You get one shot, then it’s on to the next. Rice is better than their 2-win record and the building blocks are in place for significant improvement in their record going forward — something the Owls hope to bear out on the field in 2019 and beyond.

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

Recent Posts
  • “So Many Things to Address”: Rice Baseball and David Pierce Embark on Crucial Offseason
  • Rice Baseball season ends with AAC Tournament loss to FAU
  • Rice Baseball falls to UTSA in AAC Tournament Opener
  • 2025 AAC Baseball Tournament: Preview, schedule, how to watch

Filed Under: Football, Archive, Featured Tagged With: Juma Otoviano, Mike Bloomgren, Rice Football, Wiley Green

Saying thanks to the Owls’ seniors

November 22, 2018 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice football says thanks to 20 seniors that put their heart and soul into this program. They will be formally recognized on Senior Day against Old Dominion.

On Senior Day the Owls will recognize 20 players from a variety of places and roles in the Rice football program. All 20 of those players have already or will graduate with degrees. That’s a tremendous accomplishment of which head coach Mike Bloomgren and the staff take much pride.

Austin Walter is one of several players that will be missed next year and beyond. His on-field efforts have energized an offense that needed a spark. “It’s bittersweet,” said Walter as he reminisced on his last game wearing blue and grey, “This has probably been my best statistical year, but I’m not as happy because I wanted to leave a legacy as a team.”

One win through the first 12 games of the season doesn’t adequately portray the importance of what Walter and others have done to build this culture. They’ve led well through a coaching change and set up the younger classes for success down the road. “Looking back at it, there’s nothing I regret,” recounted Walter.

The wins have been hard to come but head coach Mike Bloomgren is confident the effort of players like Walter have not been put forth in vain. He believes the ripple effects of their labor will go well beyond the on-field product in 2018. “I don’t know if I can articulate how much I’ve appreciated these seniors and how much they’ve done to help advance our mission,” he said, speaking confidently of the leadership and cultural foundation this class has built into the Rice program.

Each of the 20 members being recognized Saturday has made their mark on this program. Some will look to further their playing careers at the next level, many will look elsewhere. Regardless of where their next step will take them, thank you, seniors, for all you’ve done for Rice Football.

Players being recognized on Senior Day

Lawrence Cimino – cornerback

  • 5 career appearances (none in 2018)
  • Earned scholarship for 2018 season

Jorian Clark – cornerback

  • Played in 11 of 12 games in 2018 with two starts
  • 2018 stats: 17 tackles, two pass breakups

Josh Cummings – cornerback

  • Played in 11 of 12 games in 2018 with no starts
  • 2018 stats: 5 tackles

Brandon Douglas-Dotson – cornerback

  • Played in 11 of 12 games in 2018 with nine starts
  • 2018 stats: 13 tackles (2 TFL), two pass breakups

Jack Fox – punter/specialist

  • Played all 12 games in 2018 with 12 starts
  • 2018 stats: 45.6 average punt distance, 25 inside the 20, 24 punts of 50+ yards, 5-of-12 field goals, 20-of-20 PATs

Giovani Gentosi – fullback

  • Graduate transfer from UCLA
  • Played all 12 games in 2018 with three starts
  • 2018 stats: six carries for 39 yards, four receptions for 27 yards

Parker Hanusa – defensive lineman

  • Played 11 of 12 games in 2018 with no starts
  • 2018 stats: 13 tackles

Cameron Johnson – wide receiver

  • 9 career appearances (none in 2018)
  • Former walk on who earned a scholarship

Trevor Long – wide receiver / special teams

  • 16 career appearances (none in 2018)

Clayton Malcomb – long snapper

  • 10 career appearances (none in 2018)

Andrew Mike

  • Graduate transfer from Florida
  • 2018 stats: 5 appearances

Martin Nwakamma – linebacker

  • Played in 11 of 12 games in 2018 with four starts
  • 2018 stats: 14 tackles (2 TFL), one fumble recovery, one pass breakup

Sam Pierce – offensive line

  • Played all 12 games in 2018 with 12 starts
  • One of eight players to start every game for Rice this season

Graysen Schantz – defensive end

  • Played all 12 games in 2018 with 12 starts
  • 2018 stats: 48 tackles (4 TFL), one fumble recovery

Shawn Stankavage – quarterback

  • Played in 9 games of 12 games in 2018 with 9 starts
  • 2018 stats: 1,328 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, 10 interceptions

Samuel Stewart – running back

  • 28 career appearances (none in 2018)
  • 1605 career all-purpose yards, 10 touchdowns

Carl Thompson – defensive line

  • 18 career appearances (none in 2018)
  • 32 career tackles, 1.5 sacks

Haden Tobola – kicker/specialist

  • 9 appearances in 2018 with no starts
  • 2018 stats: 10-of-11 field goals, career-long 51-yards vs LSU

Austin Walter – running back / wide receiver

  • 12 appearances in 2018 with 4 starts
  • 2018 stats: 557 rushing yards, 501 receiving yards, six total touchdowns

Brady Wright – defensive end

  • 11 appearances in 2018 with no starts
  • 2018 stats: two tackles
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts
  • “So Many Things to Address”: Rice Baseball and David Pierce Embark on Crucial Offseason
  • Rice Baseball season ends with AAC Tournament loss to FAU
  • Rice Baseball falls to UTSA in AAC Tournament Opener
  • 2025 AAC Baseball Tournament: Preview, schedule, how to watch

Filed Under: Football, Featured Tagged With: Austin Walter, jack fox, Mike Bloomgren, Rice Football

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • Next Page »
  1. Item 1
  2. Item 2
  3. Item 3
  4. Item 4
  5. Item 5
  • Jack Ben-Shoshan, Rice Baseball
  • Rice Football
  • Rice Baseball, David Pierce
  • Rice Football
  • “He’s a Bulldog”: Parker Smith’s Journey to Rice Baseball Ace
Become a patron at Patreon!
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter