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Rice Football: First Third of the Season Grades

September 19, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

Here’s our Rice football report card for every position group through four games, doing our best to provide an honest assessment of the Owls so far.

A Thursday night tilt against Charlotte gives Rice football a chance to catch it’s collective breath on Saturday and rest up before a suddenly pivotal game against Navy this coming weekend. It’s also marks the completion of the first third of the season’s game, providing a natural check-in point on the program as head coach Scott Abell works to rebuild it in his image.

From the starting quarterback to the secondary, here’s our evaluation of where things stand through four games and one standout at each position who deserves some extra recognition.

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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Recent Posts
  • The Roost Podcast | Ep 213 – Rice Football rolls past Charlotte
  • Rice Football 2025 Game Preview: Navy
  • American Conference Football 2025: Week 4 Roundup
  • Rice Football: First Third of the Season Grades

Filed Under: Featured, Football, Premium Tagged With: Aaron Turner, Alex Bacchetta, Andrew Awe, Chase Jenkins, Daveon Hook, Drayden Dickmann, Enoch Gota, Khary Crump, Marcus Williams, Michael Daley, Omari Porter, Peyton Stevenson, Plae Wyatt, Quinton Jackson, Rice Football, Tony Anyanwu, Ty Morris

Rice Football Races Past Charlotte in Prime Time

September 18, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice Football improved to 3-1 for the first time since 2001, dispatching the Charlotte 49ers in a prime time win on national television.

With the nation watching, Rice football put their gun-choice option offense on display on Thursday night, grinding out a road win over Charlotte in head coach Scott Abell’s American Conference debut. The Owls improved to 3-1 on the season.

“It’s exciting. It shows the world, it shows everyone that it’s different this year for Rice,” said senior linebacker Andrew Awe. “A lot of times [in the past] when we were down, we were down and out. But this year it’s different. We’re a contender for conference this year. We play hard every snap.”

Awe’s 11 tackles led the team and paced a defense that racked up six sacks and nine tackles for a loss. Turning in another solid performance in which many were, understandably, fixated on the new offense. Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

Hello, America

Rice football was the standalone game on Thursday night on ESPN, giving anyone slightly curious about the Owls’ new offensive scheme the chance to flip on the game — on their TV, not via a streaming service — and take in the option attack. Rice did not waste the opportunity to showcase it.

After allowing a field goal on defense, the Rice offense took the field and calmly marched 75 yards down the field in nine plays, churning through 4:26 on the clock and ending in the endzone. Rice attempted just two passes, the second of which was a pop pass over the top of the run-hunting defense for a score.

Good luck staying run-committed when @RiceFootball can sneak in a pass in the right moment… pic.twitter.com/MA5ydSJzHK

— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) September 19, 2025

Charlotte entered the game allowing more than 4.5 yards per carry against FBS opponents, so there was expectation that Rice would be able to find success on the ground. On the opening drive, it was Quinton Jackson who ripped through the defense and drove the offense down the field. Quarterback Chase Jenkins would enter the fray a few drives later, cutting back for a massive 34-yard scamper just before halftime.

Chase Jenkins with a house call! pic.twitter.com/dJexoicq4P

— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) September 19, 2025

For those onlookers who wanted to see what this Rice football offense could be, those two drives showcased it at its best. However…

With the Good, Comes the Bad

A run-first offense looks brilliant when it works, but what happened between the Owls’ first half touchdown drives showcased the dangers that come with building an offense that often eschews the passing game. Those two scoring drives accounted for 15 plays and 150 yards, but they were bookends to three consecutive three-and-outs — nine plays, 14 yards.

The difference between 10 yards per play and roughly 1.5 yards per play was palpable.

Abell didn’t seem overtly concerned. He mentioned they’d tried more triple option concepts on those drives that didn’t work before pivoting to different components of the offense. “It’s kind of just football, right?” Abell remarked. “At time they’re going to stop us. They’re going to force us to punt. And that’s okay. We’ve been good on special teams all year. We’ve been good on defense.”

And while it wouldn’t ever be used as an excuse, it’s hard not to connect Charlotte’s consecutive scoring drives to open the second quarter with a Rice defense given very little breathing room by it’s counterpart on the other side of the field. Charlotte ran 40 plays before halftime. Rice ran 24. That’s too many plays to ask a defense to defend without missing a step.

More: Join the Conversation on The Roost Discord

The negative play is a very real threat to this offense. Rice had a second-half drive torpedoed with a holding penalty that put them in second and long. They settled for a 55-yard field goal, which Enoch Gota pushed just right. That’s not a special teams problem; that’s a flaw inherent to this offense.

Offense Clicks and Finds Redemption

Fortunately those woes would prove to not be fatal on Thursday. Rice opened the second half with a 75-yard touchdown drive to go up by two scores and was much more successful moving the sticks in the second half.

After closing the second quarter with a touchdown drive, they marched down the field to open the third quarter with another 75-yard scoring progression. They outscored Charlotte 14-3 in the middle eight, seizing control of the game.

“We did a good job responding before the first half ended and we came out in the third quarter rolling,” running back Daelen Alexander said. “I think we showed in the third quarter what we can do with the offense, fully.”

Once again, after a slower start, the final stat sheet looks rather impressive for the Rice offense. The Owls had three different players with at least 70 yards rushing and probably could have stretched those totals further if they hadn’t ratcheted things down in the final frame. Quinton Jackson rushed for 80 yards. Alexander and 73 yards and two touchdowns. Jenkins ran for 71 yards and a score. All three averaged north of 6.7 yards per carry.

He Just Wins

Scott Abell was hired because he’d won at places where it was historically hard to win. There was tremendous optimism (and expectation) that he’d be able to bring winning to South Main, but even the most ardent believers probably didn’t see this coming. With the win over Charlotte on Thursday, Rice improved to 3-1 the season. It’s the first 3-1 start for Rice football since 2001.

But that’s not all. Abell became the first coach to open their Rice tenure 3-1 since Bo Hagan did so in 1967. The win was the first win Rice football has ever had in their American Conference opener, falling in their first two tries since moving to the league. In fact, Rice hadn’t won a conference opener on the road since 2017.

The statistics like that are plentiful. They all painted slightly different variations of a reality that’s becoming more believable with each passing weekend. Rice football might just be in a different place than they’ve been in quite some time and Abell is the unquestioned catalyst.

“I’m not surprised, but I am very proud of this team and this group,” Abell said. “I’m proud of where we are. I’m not surprised, and for those who are seeing this for the first time, we’re just at the beginning of this. Stay tuned. There’s more to come. And I look forward to what’s next for us.”

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Getting Off the Field

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Recent Posts
  • The Roost Podcast | Ep 213 – Rice Football rolls past Charlotte
  • Rice Football 2025 Game Preview: Navy
  • American Conference Football 2025: Week 4 Roundup
  • Rice Football: First Third of the Season Grades

Filed Under: Archive, Football, Premium Tagged With: Andrew Awe, Chase Jenkins, Daelen Alexander, game recap, Khary Crump, Marcus Williams, Quinton Jackson, Rice Football

Rice Football knocks off Louisiana in Scott Abell’s Debut

August 30, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

Head coach Scott Abell and Rice Football made a statement in their season opener, knocking off Louisiana in their first-ever game at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium.

Following months of intrigue, the Gun-Choice offense took center stage at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium on Saturday night as Rice football put their new scheme on display for the world to see. Head coach Scott Abell didn’t look overmatched in his first ever game as an FBS head coach, guiding his program to their first road win since 2023 and their first win in a season opening game since 2018.

More: 2025 Rice Football Preseason Superlatives

“It feels great. I think for me, I’m not surprised. I’m incredibly excited for our guys and I’m proud, but I’m not surprised,” Abell said. “I thought we had a good game plan coming into this. We thought we could move the football. We thought we could control the clock. I’m not surprised, but to get a win on the road against such a quality program… to come here into their home stadium and get that kind of gritty win, that makes me as the head coach here incredibly proud of players.”

Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

Option Offense As Advertised

The first Rice football drive of the Scott Abell era featured a pair of first downs, one on a pop-pass/sweep by Drayden Dickmann and another on a punishing run up the middle from Daelen Alexander. A busted third-down play quelled the momentum and led to a punt, but the full potency of the Owls’ dynamic attack was revealed in full on their ensuing possession.

Following a field goal by Louisiana, Rice marched down the field on 13 plays, driving 72 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Landon Ransom got the first touch. Alexander, the next. Then Quinton Jackson and then Tyson Thompson. Rice willed the ball into the redzone only for the buzzer to sound, ending the first quarter. Jackson kept it on the next play and took it down to the one. Then Jackson walked into the endzone untouched.

Aaron Turner was the next Owl to get into the endzone, taking an end-around to the pylon and sneaking the ball across the line. Turner’s score is a masterclass in why this offense can be so effective. The defense sees so many bells and whistles on this run, but Turner is just moving at full speed across the formation and racing his man to the endzone.

Here's the Aaron Turner touchdown. Look how simple Turner's concept is, but how intricate it looks to the defense at the same time. It's wonderful.pic.twitter.com/6Wk5F3STVZ

— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) August 31, 2025

It wasn’t a perfect debut. The second half showcased some of the issues when a run-based attack gets behind schedule with a couple of three-and-outs on the offense, which looked awkward when forced into third-and-long situations.

How much of that changes when Jenkins and this staff have more experience in those scenarios remains to be seen. Abell pointed toward the opportunities now afforded to them with actual game film under their belts. “You gotta learn how to win first,” Abell said. “And that was a great step toward that tonight.”

Daelen Alexander is Back

Midway through practice two years ago, Daelen Alexander emerged from obscurity, earning a role as the Owls’ goal line back after an injury in the middle of a practice period thrust the then-freshman into the spotlight. He dazzled in that role, scoring five touchdowns on 18 rush attempts before an injury cut his season short.

Alexander lost all of the 2024 season with another injury, landing him back in the middle of a crowded running back room in a new offense. Quinton Jackson emerged as the clear RB1 immediately upon Abell’s arrival, but Alexander wasn’t solidified as the team’s RB2 until midway through fall camp.

More: Join the Conversation on The Roost Discord

In the Owls’ opener, Jackson and Alexander operated as an effective one-two punch with Alexander’s power playing off Jenkins’ quickness to great effect. Alexander carried the ball nine 15 times for 74 yards, boasting a sturdy 4.9 yards per attempt. More impressive still, those runs were bruising runs, going through defenders and propelling them backwards.

His most important runs of the game came quite some time later when he bulldozed through defenders again to move the chains on third down in the redzone. That setup up a crucial fourth and one that could have proved to be the game-winner had a mishandled snap squashed the chance.

The preseason excitement around the tandem of freshmen running backs Tyvonn Byars and D’Andre Hardeman was well deserved — and they will get their turn in this deep stable of backs — but Rice football has a clear one-two punch right now.

Defensive Line Shines Bright

As deep as the defensive line was purported to be, there was always an unspoken expectation that this unit would only truly have the chance to make the leap from good to great if an alpha emerged. It’s still quite early in the season, but Joseph Mutombo threw his hat into the ring on Saturday night.

Mutombo altered the outlook of the first Louisiana drive by winning his rep and thumping Cajuns’ quarterback Walker Howard who was flagged for intentional grounding on the play. On the next drive, Mutombo flew into the face of Howard again, forcing a panicked deep throw which Jack Kane stepped in front of for the Owls’ first interception of the season. Official statistics credit Mutombo with one sack of the Owls’ three sacks and the only hurry in the game.

The rest of the line did their part, too. Tony Anyanwu made his first big play as an Owl on the next possession, knocking the ball from Walker’s hands for a fumble. Blake Boenisch fell on it to take possession back for Rice. Three drives in and Rice football got three big plays by the line on their way to a two-score lead on the road.

Some of the defensive numbers will appear a bit inflated when paired opposite an offense that is going to naturally minimized possessions for their opponents. Nonetheless, allowing one touchdown and 12 total points in your season opener against an FBS team is quite a strong statement from a unit that entered the season with relatively high expectations.

It’s also quite fitting that it was the defense that slammed the door with edge Michael Daley tipping the final pass at the line of scrimmage to thwart the Cajuns’ late rally attempt. Daley, the latest in a growing line of defenders to make a big play in a big moment, was ecstatic. “It was amazing. It goes to show the kind of guys that we have on this football team,” he said. “We have a lot of great players that can make big plays in big-time moments.”

Proof of Concept, Passed

The biggest question entering this game was not whether or not Rice would win, although that was certainly a very important unknown needing to be answered. No, the quandary truly being tested in Lafayette, LA was whether or not this offense would work. Would all the misdirection and jazz actually prove to be an efficient way of moving the football against an FBS-caliber defense.

Answer: Yes.

Now, all the caveats of a Week 1 game against a team without any film of this offense being run at Rice are valid. However, its undeniable these concepts have some juice and warrant further inspection. Cue a rivalry game against Houston in what currently is the last Bayou Bucket game scheduled between the two crosstown teams.

Athletic Director Tommy McClelland went off the beaten path when he hired an FCS head coach running a “Gun Option Choice” at a small private school in North Carolina. The hire wasn’t “safe” or “conventional” by any means. But it just might work.

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It’s all about the YAC

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Recent Posts
  • The Roost Podcast | Ep 213 – Rice Football rolls past Charlotte
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Filed Under: Archive, Football, Premium Tagged With: Aaron Turner, Blake Boenisch, Chase Jenkins, Daelen Alexander, Drayden Dickmann, game recap, Jack Kane, Joseph Mutombo, Landon Ransom, Michael Daley, Quinton Jackson, Rice Football, Tony Anyanwu, Tyson Thompson

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
  • The Roost Podcast | Ep 213 – Rice Football rolls past Charlotte
  • Rice Football 2025 Game Preview: Navy
  • American Conference Football 2025: Week 4 Roundup
  • Rice Football: First Third of the Season Grades

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

2025 Rice Football Season Preview: Running Back

August 22, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

Next up in our 2025 Rice Football Season Preview: running back. Here’s our breakdown of the Owls’ plans for the group this season.

A new offense brings with it a myriad of differing outlooks for key position groups, few of which will enter the upcoming 2025 Rice Football season with as much expectation as the running back room. The focal point of a scheme that has led the nation in rushing frequently when head coach Scott Abell was at Davidson, the Owls’ backs are going to be leaned on to carry a significant load in this offense.

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

This piece is part of our 2025 Rice Football Season Preview. Get access to it, as well as all other preview posts such as positional breakdowns, depth chart and schedule analysis and more when you subscribe on Patreon today. 

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** Photo credit: Maria Lysaker **

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Recent Posts
  • The Roost Podcast | Ep 213 – Rice Football rolls past Charlotte
  • Rice Football 2025 Game Preview: Navy
  • American Conference Football 2025: Week 4 Roundup
  • Rice Football: First Third of the Season Grades

Filed Under: Archive, Football, Premium Tagged With: 2025 Rice Football Season Preview, Carson Morgan, D'Andre Hardeman, Daelen Alexander, Quinton Jackson, Rice Football, Ryan Butler, Tyvonn Byars

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