Next up for Rice football, a home game against Memphis. Here’s what head coach Scott Abell had to say about the matchup and a few depth chart notes.
Head coach Scott Abell 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 Memphis.
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 it’s much needed when you play your best opponents. You want to go into your Saturdays against your best opponents with momentum and confidence, and that we have coming out of Saturday. And we’ll need that. This is a Top 25 team and we’ll need to play with confidence. We’ll need to carry over that momentum from last Saturday into this week. That’s going to be important. It also enables us to be able to grow. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the confidence the program gained from the UConn win
They’re a complete football team. And for me, it starts in two areas. They run the ball really well and they defend the run really well. I think whenever you do that, you give your program a chance to win a lot of football games, and they’ve done that. They’re an established program. Coach Silverfield has done a fabulous job. He’s the a longstanding standing coach in our conference, and he’s won a ton of games. There’s a lot of 10 winning seasons around him. The formula of running the football, establishing a run game, defending the run. Once again, it’s not sexy out there when you talk about it, but it gives your program a chance to win a lot of football games and he’s done that. That’s what jumps off the tape to me. They’re very well-rounded. They good in every phase, but they do a great job of defending the run, and they do a really nice job of running the football. They can put points up, but they do a really nice job of running the football. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on what Memphis does well
They have designed runs for him. They have some read schemes for him as well, and he’ll take off in their passing game. And when they’ve done that, that’s probably to me when they’re most dangerous, because it forces you to get an extra hat to the game. If you’re gonna put your quarterback in a running situation, you gotta defend that a little bit different. They’re getting the running back involved in their blocking scheme somehow, someway. I think that’s a different challenge for our defense. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on Memphis QB Brendon Lewis
We’re going to have to be great tacklers. We’re going to have to be physical up front and we’re going to have to limit the big play. To me, that’s the key to [Friday]. How do we limit explosive plays? And can we control the football, can we control the tempo and the pace of this game? And I think they want to do the same. –Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the keys to beating Memphis
I feel like this Rice team, they’re playing like we got something to prove. The schedule right now, we’re blessed with having four straight home games. We don’t got to go nowhere. This is where we live at, we eat at, we sleep at, we breathe. Just being here and just planting our flag in the middle of the field and saying, whoever comes, they gotta come through us. I feel like we’re taking that personal. We don’t want to let nobody walk into our house and just do whatever they want, take whatever they want. It’s really a big pride thing. You can just see it. Guys in the weight room, guys on the practice field, guys are going harder. We only get one shot. Especially at a great team like this, you only get one shot. No second chances. – Safety Plae Wyatt on the program’s mentality heading into the Memphis game
Full Press Conference
Depth Chart
Depth Chart Notes
There is only one change to the official two-deep this week: John Long has been added back to the depth chart. He’s been out the last couple of weeks and his reinsertion points towards him being available on Friday. We’ll dig into that, as well the status of others like Braylen Walker who missed the UConn game in this week’s practice report, available to those subscribed to our Starting Lineup Tier on Patreon, which should be out later this week.
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McCaffrey tied a season-high in catches with three in the Commanders’ Monday Night Football game against the Chiefs, highlighted by this incredible toe-tapping grab:
Granson once again saw the bulk of his involvement come on special teams where he played 17 snaps compared to just nine on offense, the third lowest tally he’s had with the offense so far this season.
Boswell was a perfect 4-of-4 on his field goal tries against the Packers in Week 8, converting his lone extra point attempt, as well. He is 14-of-16 on field goals this season, including one blocked kick.
More Owls in the NFL
From practice squads to current free agents, there are other Owls on the cusp of returning to active rosters. Find more details on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.
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Fresh off the bye, Rice football rebounded with a double overtime win over UConn. We dig into how they got it done in this week’s episode of the Roost Podcast.
The version of the Rice football team that took the field on Saturday against UConn looked revitalized and ready, absorbing UConn’s advances and hanging tough for four quarters, and then some! In this week’s show we break down the win, talk about how the Owls got there and reassess what it means for the program’s growth moving forward. You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 217.
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Rice Football vs UConn Game Recap
Defensive miscues loom large early
Jon Kay’s impressive adjustments
The Quinton Jackson show and triple option wizardry
New wrinkles on offense
Hope for this team moving forward
Where can you find us?
The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s College Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner. If it’s happening in college football in Texas, we’re talking about it. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Rice football hosts Memphis on Halloween in a nationally televised matchup. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.
Both Rice football and Memphis posted thrilling come-from-behind wins in their most recent games. The Owls rallied to defeat UConn in double overtime, while the Tigers scored 17 unanswered fourth quarter points to beat South Florida. Now they square off in Houston on Halloween night. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and Memphis.
Kickoff time | 6:00 PM CT Venue | Rice Stadium – Houston, TX TV | ESPN2 (Viewing Guide) Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)
Sizing up the Contenders
A week removed from a head-scratching loss at UAB, Memphis kept its American Conference championship hopes alive with a gutsy home win over South Florida. The Tigers aren’t out of the woods, yet, though. Every win counts and they need another over the Owls if they want to play for that conference title.
Rice football is equally invested in the outcome of this one, with a potential bowl bid hanging in the balance. Knocking off Memphis would put the Owls one win away from a postseason trip in head coach Scott Abell’s debut season.
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Last Time Out
Make sure you check out The Roost Podcast every week this season as we review the Owls’ most recent game, breaking down the key moments, decisions and their impact on the outlook of the program moving forward.
Series History
All Time | Memphis leads, 3-2 Last Five | Memphis leads, 3-2 Last Meeting | Away 2024, Memphis won 27-20
In their most recent games, the Memphis defense has struggled mightily to get off the field. They allowed UAB to convert 9-of-13 on third down and USF to convert 12-of-18. Rice wants nothing more than to control the pace of this game and grind out drives, keeping an explosive Memphis offense off the field to prevent Lewis and company from making game-changing plays.
The more direct path to prevent the Owls from controlling the game script is to force Rice into third-and-long situations and avoid extended drives. Rice has proven they’re at their best offensively when they’re able to possess the football and stack play after play of incremental gains. Memphis can’t allow Rice to dictate the pace.
Rice X-Factor | Stay Balanced
Coming into this past weekend, Memphis boasted the best rush defense in the American Conference, technically. The Tigers had shut down some largely unimpressive rushing offenses before they were roughed up on the ground by UAB (219 yards, 1 touchdown) and run through by South Florida (295 yards, 3 touchdowns).
This is a defense that has been susceptible through the air and while the Owls might be tempted to air it out against a secondary that has been up and down, there’s enough proof that the run game can work against the Tigers.
Rice quarterback Chase Jenkins threw for a career high 191 yards against UConn, but that probably doesn’t happen without a career day from Quinton Jackson, who had a career-best 168 yards on the ground to keep the offense on schedule. Running the ball keeps this offense moving.
Injury Report (Subscribers only)
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One Final Thing
Oddsmakers pegged Rice football as a 3.5 win team coming into the season. The Owls have surpassed those expectations with four games still to play. And while the journey has been bumpy, the results don’t feel fluky. This is a young team, visibly growing as the year progresses. The future is bright, but if you’ve heard a single sound bit from Abell, he has no intentions of punting on the 2025 season as they lay the foundation for that eventual success.
During the offseason, we posited on The Roost Podcast that the unique scheme would give the Owls a shot to upset a conference frontrunner. That hasn’t happened yet, but Rice played Navy within one score and just topped a UConn team that checks in at No. 59 nationally in Bill Connelly’s SP+ metrics. Memphis sits at No. 31, much better than the Huskies, but not infallible; just ask UAB.
Add in a short week and getting to play at home, and you’ve got the ingredients for an eventful night on South Main. Perhaps things get a little spooky for the visitors. The Rice football team that took the field this past Saturday looked more than capable of putting a scare into just about anyone in this echelon of the sport.
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UConn scored first. Rice Football scored last with running back Quinton Jackson clinching a walk-off win in double overtime to lift the Owls over the Huskies.
A tale of two halves, plus a little extra, ended in a thrilling Rice football victory. The two teams combined to score 38 points in the first half, 10 in the second half and 17 in overtime. No points were more important than Quinton Jackson’s 23-yard run in the second and final overtime period, securing the Owls’ victory.
“Two weeks ago, we left San Antonio kind of battered and bruised. Our egos were beat up. Our bodies were beat up,” head coach Scott Abell said. “Today speaks so much volumes of our locker room, our players our staff. Incredibly proud of them. What a great win for our program here at home.”
Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:
Corner Room Concerns
The Rice football corner room was an open point of concern entering the bye week. The indefinite suspension of top corner Khary Crump days following the UTSA contest, which featured the Owls’ other starter Omari Porter being briefly sent to the bench for allowing a big play, signaled trouble at the position that had little proven depth behind them.
Then UConn hit an 80-yard touchdown pass on their first play from scrimmage.
Huskies’ receiver Skyler Bell beat Porter one-on-one, catching the ball in stride at full speed in the open field. From there, it was a race to the pylon against the rest of the Owls’ secondary, a race that Bell won.
Linebacker Andrew Awe said it best during the Owls’ off week. The defense is schemed in such a way that players have to make the plays assigned to them. At some point, the players have to make the plays. To be completely fair to that unit, there were some good moments like Jerrick Harper’s red zone swat to deny UConn on a fade late in the second quarter.
The reality of the situation is sobering. After a coaching change and transfer portal attrition, there wasn’t much that could have been done. With Crump gone and no reinforcements coming, this room is going to be the focal point for opposing offenses the rest of the way.
Unforced Errors and Mental Mistakes
Given the heightened focus, Rice absolutely cannot allow the situation to worsen by committing unforced errors. UConn’s first quarter touchdown was explainable — a man got beaten. Their second quarter scores? Both came on walk-in receptions with no Rice defender in the area to offer any sort of challenge.
On the first bust, UConn back Cam Edwards was left wide open when Porter moved inside to cover the tight end, who was also being shadowed by Jack Kane. That left two men on the tight end and none on Edwards, who waltzed in for six. A minute later, Jerrick Harper passed his man off to the help behind him. Except there was no help and the receiver galloped free into the endzone for another gimme touchdown.
Getting out-talented is something that’s hard to scheme around. Both of those plays were execution busts, something that cannot happen if there’s already reason for concern given the personnel issues.
Additionally, Rice was flagged for having 12 men on the field coming out of a timeout. Later, they squandered a chance at points before halftime by attempting a deep shot play on third and long. That ball fell incomplete, leaving Rice outside of field goal range on fourth and medium.
None of those singular mistakes cost Rice the game, but in aggregate they made for quite a large mountain the Owls had to overcome. Fortunately, those issues were sparse in the second half. Defensive coordinator Jon Kay ratcheted up the pressure and made UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano uncomfortable and that proved to be the difference.
New Wrinkles and Fresh Legs
Given a bye week to regroup and reassess, the offensive design Rice football put on display this past Saturday was masterful. Jenkins was effective as a runner and a thrower, but it was his ability to make good reads and keep the offense on schedule that kept this train on the tracks.
Rice racked up 296 of offense in the first half alone, roughly 60 yards short of their season-best totals against an FBS when they tallied 353 yards in four quarters against Charlotte. They hit the high-points of what had worked for them to this point, mixing in traditional and option run schemes with short passes to keep the defense honest.
With a productive base offense moving the ball, head coach Scott Abell was able to incorporate some new elements that caught UConn off guard. Some two-back sets produced productive runs. The offense lined Jackson out wide in a diamond formation for a couple of quick screens.
None was more impressive than Jackson’s long touchdown reception — which has to be specified because he also had a breakaway touchdown on the ground — late in the second quarter.
The base concept was one of the Owls’ staple triple-option plays, which they’ve run numerous times this season. Jenkins faked the ball to the back and took a step to his right, appearing to be setting up to continue to option on a roll out with slot Aaron Turner trailing him for the pitch. Instead, Jenkins took one step to get the defense to bite, reversed field, and tossed it long to Jackson, who had turned his fake into a wheel route. Jackson took it the rest of the way.
This play call was glorious. Triple option concept, but the wheel route surprises everyone and @RiceFootball strikes through the air.pic.twitter.com/S3pikTR3dc
That run, and the overtime clincher, were part of a standout performance from Jackson, who finished the game with 248 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns.
“If he’s not conference player of the week or national recognized player of the week, people aren’t paying attention,” Abell said after the game.
Jackson tried to modestly deflect the praise to his teammates, crediting their efforts for the big day the offense had as a whole. In his eyes, the entire mentality of the unit had shifted.
“I think we’re out there having fun. I think the past few weeks, we weren’t’ having fun, we were thinking too much, trying not to make mistakes, playing scared,” he said. “I think this week we went out there and just let it loose. We didn’t have nothing to lose.”
Changing the Narrative
Oh how much difference can one week make. Heading into the bye this was a team in crisis, reeling from injuries and riding a three-game losing streak. Now the Owls are feisty again, winning for the second time this season as a double-digit underdog, this time against a team that beat a Power conference opponent seven days before they landed in Houston.
“We needed a win. I don’t hide from that,” Abell said. “I knew that we had this capability in us. It’s just win was it going to hit? And that’s a real good football team we beat.”
The win came in what was truly a complete overall team performance. The defense was tremendous in the second half and the end of overtime. Special teams contributed some important field position swings late. The offense made big plays when they needed to most, looking as consistent and confident as they had all season.
“I felt like truly for the first time you saw a lot of trust and confidence in some of the things that we were trying to get done. Some of the things that we’ve done a lot this year and we’ve just missed on a couple things,” Abell said. “Today, they trusted each other. They trusted the concepts and the game plan. They executed in phenomenally.”
Digging Deeper
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