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Rice Football 2022: Charlotte Game Week Practice Report

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Rice football hosts Charlotte this weekend in search of win number five. Here’s what we learned from practice this week.

Undefeated at home this season, Rice football returns to South Main as heavy favorites against Charlotte. The Owls won’t be taking the 49ers lightly, and have said as much, addressing some key concerns in practice this week.

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This week’s roundup focuses in on Juma Otoviano and the running back room, the trenches, and injuries as well as some individual highlights from the week.

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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Rice Football 2022: Charlotte presser quotes and depth chart

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Rice football hosts Charlotte this week. Here’s what Mike Bloomgren had to say about the matchup at hand and a few depth chart notes.

Head coach Mike Bloomgren and a pair of players met with the media for their customary weekly availability. They recapped the Louisiana Tech win and looked at the week ahead, detailing what they’re expecting to see when Charlotte takes the field.

More: Rice Football – Blue and Gray Preview Show

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

“Defensively, it was certainly not our best game. But, when all the chips were on the line, we found a way to end the game by denying them that two-point opportunity. Again, I chalk that up to all of the hits on the passer and being able to stop the run game all day long. A lot of good things went into that last play, I think.

I want to say this. After preparing for it  and watching it in-game, I don’t think Sonny Cumbie is just a good offensive, creative mind, I think he’s a great one. I think he did a phenomenal job and his kids played incredibly hard. The way that they came out in the first quarter was impressive. The way they fought on both sides of the ball and to jump out on us 10-0. Again, my hats off to what he his building there. But, once again, I’m glad we found a way to win the game.” – Mike Bloomgren on the challenges posed by Louisiana Tech

“I wish I could tell you some unbelievable speech. There were a couple of things that we tweaked at halftime and a couple of changes that we made, but there weren’t many to be quite honest. But in the second quarter, we drove down to the one-yard line and put the ball on the ground. So, it’s not like we weren’t moving the rock. To get the touchdown through the air to Luke [McCaffrey] was a big deal. I think there were a lot of things that went right for us to only be down 10-7 at halftime, including Sean Fresch’s pick in the end zone.

I went into the locker room very grateful to only be down three points with the way we played in the first half. We just had to come out and play our style of football. There’s not going to be a whole lot of magic. I’m very thankful that we were able to come out and execute better.” – Mike Bloomgren on offensive adjustments against Louisiana Tech

“It’s largely the same personnel that we’re gonna play in the Charlotte game again. The good thing about that for us is I think we’ve evolved a lot. We’ve grown a lot. So I welcome that opportunity. We know them well. We know how explosive those receivers are. And we all remember where we were. We were in the fourth quarter, up 10 points, with six minutes to play and [they went] right down the field… We didn’t perform overtime. So we know what the thing look like. But I do think we’re a very different team whereas their cast of characters is pretty similar.” – Mike Bloomgren on how this Charlotte team compares to last year’s team

“That overtime win had been something elusive in my career as a Rice Owl so you can believe I was breathing a sigh of relief and celebrating when we finally got that that elusive overtime win. I was almost in disbelief. It was just like, wow, like, here we came and we actually did it. So it’s awesome. I think another thing that came from it is we just build that confidence. I think last year it was tough on us because we went back to back overtime games and we lost both of them..

But now we’re seeing that even when we’re not performing to our standards on all three phases of the team, each phase stepped up at a certain time and put is in a position to win even with that little extra quarter we played. As much as you don’t want to be in that situation, it did do loads for our confidence.” – Defensive end Trey Schuman on winning in overtime

“At some point, I just realized it was bigger than me. We all came here to play football and win games. When we were trending in a bad direction early in my time here at Rice, I just wanted to find ways that I could impact the team off the field. And that just grew with working on our bonds and working on what we can do outside of football to get closer so that when we’re on the field we can just play lights out every play for each other.” – Running back Juma Otoviano on the team’s mentality

Depth Chart

Rice Football

Depth Chart Notes

Rice football did not release a depth chart prior to the FAU game, so this week’s updates account for two games’ worth of changes. First on offense, Tyson Thompson, who’s been out for several weeks with an injury, was replaced by Kobie Campbell as the Owls’ fourth wide receiver. Peyton Stevenson also saw his named added to the depth chart for the first time, as he’s been running in front of Rawson McNeil in the backup X role.

The offensive line is the same as it was deployed last week, although officially slightly altered from the FAU game. At running back, Juma Otoviano has jumped into the mix, and will most likely see an enlarged role this week (stay tuned for this week’s practice notes for me on that front, available to our subscribers).

On defense, there were no official changes. The depth chart is a mirror image of that version which the Owls announced prior to the FAU game.

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Rice Football 2022: NFL Owls Week 7 Roundup

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Rice Football is well represented on 2022 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action in Week 7.

There are former Rice football players scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player.

Team NFL Owl(s) Week 7 Result Week 8
Denver Broncos Calvin Anderson (OL) vs Jets L, 16-9 at Jaguars
Detroit Lions Jack Fox (P) at Cowboys L. 24-6 vs Dolphins
Indianapolis Colts Kylen Granson (TE) at Titans L.19-10 vs Commanders
LA Chargers Bryce Callahan (DB)
Christian Covington (DL)		 vs Seahawks L, 37-23 — BYE —
Pittsburgh Steelers Chris Boswell (PK) at Miami (SNF) L, 16-10 at Eagles
Seattle Seahawks Myles Adams (DL) at Chargers W. 37-23 vs Giants
Tampa Bay Bucs Nick Leverett (OL) at Panthers L, 21-3 vs Ravens

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OT, Broncos

Anderson did not get the start this week, but was part of the rotation along the Broncos offensive line against the Jets. He played 20 percent of the offensive snaps, his second highest amount this season.

Kylen Gransen – TE, Colts

Gransen caught his only target on Sunday against the Titans, hauling in a six-yard reception.

Nick Leverett – OT, Buccaneers

Leverett saw his most extensive usage of the season this past weekend, playing 20 snaps in the Bucs’ Week 7 game against the Panthers. It was his first action with the offense this year.

Defense

Myles Adams – DL, Seahawks

Adams was active but didn’t record any tackles in the Seahawks ‘ Week 7 win over the Chargers.

Bryce Callahan – CB, Chargers

Callahan made two tackles in the Chargers’ loss to the Seahawks on Sunday. He’s up to 19 tackles on the season.

Christian Covington – DL, Chargers

Covington was inactive again on Sunday for the Chargers’ matchup with the Seahawks. He’s been back and forth between activations since being signed to the active roster earlier this season.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

While Fox and the Lions were on bye last week, Fox was rewarded with a brand new contract, making him the NFL’s highest-paid punter. Fox delivered on Sunday with three punts, including a long of 54 yards.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell had a relatively quiet weekend, converting his lone field goal attempt from 45 yards, also knocking through his only extra point attempt.

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 detail on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 130 Rice Football vs LA Tech Recap

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Rice football rallied to top Louisiana Tech, but it was far from a perfect showing. What did we learn about this team in their grueling overtime win?

It was stressful from start to finish, but Rice football walked away from Ruston with a much-needed overtime win over Louisiana Tech. Did the Owls get lucky? Or have they turned a corner on offense after several attempts to get that side of the ball going? We discuss all that and more in this week’s show.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 130.

Episode Notes

Housekeeping

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Rice Football vs LA Tech game recap

  • The Rice defense was leaky, but survived
  • Luke McCaffrey balls out and is snubbed from Offensive Player of the Week Honors
  • TJ McMahon quietly had a really, really good game
  • The running game prospered under Juma Otoviano
  • What adjustments can they make moving forward to keep this going?
  • One quick note on Charlotte and the dismissal of head coach Will Healy.

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

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Rice Football 2022 Game Preview: Charlotte

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Rice football returns home this week seeking revenge against Charlotte after last year’s overtime loss. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

Rice football rallied in overtime last weekend, beating Louisiana Tech 42-41 to earn their fourth win of the season. Charlotte was not as fortunate, getting blasted at home by FIU by a final score of 34-15 in a game that did not seem nearly as close. Here’s everything you need to know about this week’s game.

Kickoff time | 1:00 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 Charlotte 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

Rice provided themselves more breathing room in their quest to return to the postseason last weekend with its overtime win. The Owls aren’t quite in a must-win scenario at home this weekend, but there’s no denying this is one of the more favorable matchups the team will face down the stretch, at least one paper.

On the other hand, Charlotte finds itself in the midst of uncertainty. Once thought of as a rising star in the coaching world, Will Healy and the program slid backward this season. He was dismissed on Sunday, the first Conference USA coaching change in this hiring cycle.

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Series History

All Time | Rice leads, 2-1
Last Five | Rice leads, 2-1
Last Meeting | Road 2021, Rice lost 31-24 (OT)

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Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | McMahon – 113/191 (59.2 percent), 1485 yards, 13 TD, 10 INT
Rushing | Montgomery – 41 carries, 298 yards (7.3 yards per carry), 0 TD / Broussard – 91 carries, 251 yards (2.8 yards per carry), 9 TD
Receiving | McCaffrey – 43 receptions, 555 yards (12.9 yds/rec), 5 TD / Rozner – 22 receptions, 474 yards (21.6 yds/rec), 5 TDs / Esdale – 19 receptions, 239 yards (12.6 yds/rec), 0 TD
Tackles | Conti – 44 / Morrison – 40 / Taylor – 30
Pass Breakups | Dunbar – 5  / Morrison, Fresch – 3 / Taylor, Narcisse – 2 
Interceptions | Taylor – 2 / Morrison, Nyakwol, Chamberlain, Fresch – 1

Charlotte Notables

Passing | Reynolds – 120/191 (62.8  percent), 1545 yards, 14 TD, 9 INT
Rushing | Byrd – 87 carries, 354 yards (4.1 yards per carry), 3 TD / McEachern  –  56 carries, 256 yards (4.6 ypc), 1 TD
Receiving | Spencer – 38 receptions, 718 yards (18.9 yards per reception), 4 TD / DuBose – 42 receptions, 501 yards (11.9 yds/rec), 7 TD / Tucker – 35 receptions. 321 yards (9.2 yds/rec), 5 TDs
Tackles | Jones – 56 / Bemah – 43 / Rogers – 37
Pass Breakups | Jones – 2 / Five others tied with 1
Interceptions | Jones – 2 / Three others tied with 1

Charlotte X-Factor | Be efficient

Charlotte does not have a great pass defense. They’re dreadful against the run and they don’t run the ball well themselves either, what they do excel at is throwing the football. Quarterback Chris Reynolds is the heart and soul of this team. If he’s on, the 49ers will have a chance. If he’s not — like he wasn’t against FIU where he threw three interceptions and no touchdowns — this team won’t have a chance.

In their lone victory this season, Reynolds threw for 401 yards and five touchdowns, completing 72.1 percent of his passes. He averaged 9.3 yards per attempt. In their closest defeat, on October 1 against UTEP, he threw for four scores, averaging 9.4 yards per attempt. Charlotte had one final possession to potentially win that game but Reyolds was intercepted.

Reynolds won’t be perfect — it would be hard to be pristine given the heavy load he’ll be asked to carry — but he can be good. If Reynolds picks his spots and can be efficient, Charlotte will have a shot.

Rice X-Factor | Stop turning it over

Rice football leads Conference USA in turnovers per game. None of the programs in the top four (Louisiana Tech, UTEP and Charlotte) have better than .500 records on the season. Rice has largely won in spite of their turnover issues, which continued last weekend against Louisiana Tech where TJ McMahon did not throw an interception, but the team lost three fumbles.

The Owls will be heavy favorites against the 1-7 49ers this coming weekend. Games against teams that don’t seem that evenly matched can swing in an instant with turnovers. Rice football has yet to put a complete game together this season despite owning a winning record.

If they can hold onto the football, not only should they win this game, but they’ll be able to demonstrate a proof-of-concept for the program moving forward. If the offense can find a rhythm, the entire team will find more success.

Injury Report (Subscribers only)

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One Final Thing

Every win counts the same in the final tally, but Rice has won two very different kinds of game so far this year. Against McNeese and Louisiana, Rice won fairly handily. The UL game wasn’t perfect, but both sides of the ball played well and the game ended with a comfortable margin down the stretch.

In the Owls’ other pair of wins (vs UAB and at Louisiana Tech) heart attack moments were plentiful as the offense struggled to produce consistently and the defense gave up big plays that kep the game close from wire to wire.

Some of that is opponent based — UAB is much better than McNeese State — but much of it was Rice-oriented. The Owls have been erratic when it comes to their starts to their games this season, sometimes coming out strong while otherwise taking a quarter or more to get things into gear. Rice should have some wiggle room against Charlotte on Saturday, but to some degree, they still are in need of a prove-it game for themselves.

Rice football believes they can be a better team than the one they’ve put on the field over the last month. They’re probably right. If they can take that next step and produce that high-caliber level play, the rest of the seams starts looking much rosier with two wins between them and a return to a bowl game.

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