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Rice Football 2020: Owls in the NFL Week 8 Update

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Rice Football is well represented on 2020 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action in Week 8.

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

Week 8 results

Pittsburgh (Boswell, McDonald) def. Baltimore, 28-24
Las Vegas def. Cleveland (Sendejo), 16-6
Cincinnati (Covington) def. Tennessee, 31-20
Denver (Anderson, Callahan) def. Los Angeles Chargers, 31-30
Indianapolis def. Detroit (Fox), 41-21
Houston (Gaines) — BYE
Seattle (Willson) def. San Francisco, 37-27

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OT, Broncos

Anderson remained actively involved on the special teams units in the Broncos’ Week 8 victory over the  Chargers, playing five total snaps. The Broncos visit the Falcons in Week 9.

Vance McDonald – TE, Steelers

McDonald was held without a catch for only the second time this season. He started the Steelers’ Week 8 victory over the Ravens, playing 40 percent of the offensive snaps. The Steelers visit the Cowboys in Week 9.

Luke Willson – TE, Seahawks

As usual, Willson was primarily in the game as a blocker on offense and a special teams player. He filled both roles again on Sunday, contributing to the Seahawks’ win over the 49ers. The Seahawks visit the Bills in Week 9.

Defense and Special Teams

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell did not attempt a field goal for the first time this season in the Steelers’ win over the Ravens. Instead, he saw the field exclusively for extra points, of which he converted all four of his attempts. The Steelers visit the Cowboys in Week 9.

Bryce Callahan – CB, Broncos

Covington was all over the field in the Broncos’ big win over the Chargers on Sunday. He picked off his second pass of the season, returned a punt and registered three tackles.

The Broncos visit the Falcons in Week 9.

Christian Covington – DL, Bengals

Covington has been a staple on the Bengals’ defensive front this season, grabbing ahold of a starting job in Week 4 and holding it into Cincinnati’s upcoming bye week. He had four tackles in their Week 8 over the Titans. The Bengals are on a bye in Week 9.

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox was busy against the Colts in Week 8. The league-leading punter booted a long of 59 yards, averaging 52.4 yards per punt on five attempts. The Lions visit the Vikings in Week 9.

Phillip Gaines – CB, Texans

The Texans were on bye in Week 8. They visit the Jaguars in Week 9.

Andrew Sendejo – Saf, Browns

Sendejo had fives tackles against the Raiders in Week 8, marking the three-straight games with at least five tackles this season. The Browns are on a bye in Week 9.

More Owls in the NFL

From practice squads to current free agents, there are others 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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Rice Football 2020 Game Preview: UTSA Roadrunners

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Fresh off their first win, Rice football returns to Houston in Week 10 to face UTSA. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

Rice football bounced back (bad pun intended) from a rough loss to Middle Tennessee with an emphatic win over Southern Miss on the road. The victory marked the first over Southern Miss in Hattiesburg since 2014 and put the Owls back into the think of the C-USA West standings.

UTSA had a less-than-stellar week, falling to FAU on the road and failing to get into the endzone. After winning their first three, the Roadrunners have dropped four of their last five contests.

Broadcast Info

Kickoff time | 2:30 PM CT
Venu | Rice Stadium – Houston, Tx
TV | ESPN3 (Streaming)
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs UTSA on Episode 59 of The Roost Podcast which will be released on Thursday. 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.)

Visual Preview

Make sure you check out Inside the Hedges, a weekly show with myself and former Rice football quarterback Taylor McHargue. Watch it live on Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m. here or watch it at your leisure on the Rice Athletics Youtube page.

Join the Conversation

What are your keys to victory this week? What pitfalls must the Owls avoid? Did you like that third down call? Share your thoughts on the matchup on the forum and make sure you tune in Saturday for our live game blog keeping track of every score and key moment.

Sizing up the contenders

A Rice win would push the Owls’ record to 2-1 and tie them for UAB for the top spot in the West, keeping them at least one game in front of Louisiana Tech in the loss column. After a long wait to start the season and a heartbreaking opening loss, Rice could control their own destiny once again.

UTSA is on the verge of losing all the momentum they had from their fast start, making a win over a surging Rice squad imperative for the Roadrunners. A win would be the first C-USA road victory for new head coach Jeff Traylor.

Series History

All Time | UTSA leads 5-3
Last Five | UTSA leads 5-0
Last Meeting | Away 2019, UTSA won 31-27

Rice Stat Notables

Passing | Collins – 30/52 (57.7 percent), 475 yards passing, 8 TD, 1 INT
Rushing | Otoviano – 45 carries, 195 yards (4.3 yards per carry)
Receiving | Trammell – 10 receptions, 219 yards (21.9 yards per reception), 5 TD | Bailey – 5 receptions, 67 yards (13.4 yards per reception), 1 TD
Tackles | Alldredge – 21, Montero – 17, Garcia – 13
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Devones – 1 PBU / McCord – 1 INT

UTSA Stat Notables

Passing | Harris – 93/160 (58.1), 895 yards passing, 4 TD, 4 INT
Rushing | McCormick – 171 carries, 921 yards (5.4 yards per carry), 7 TD
Receiving | Cephus – 40 receptions, 386 yards (9.6 yards per reception), 3 TD | Franklin – 32 receptions, 390 yards (12.2 yards per reception), 4 TD
Tackles | Wisdom – 63, Ligan – 52, Harmanson – 49
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Mayfield – 6 PBU / Wisdom – 2 INT

UTSA X-Factor | Keep Rice honest

Rice knows UTSA is going to attempt to pound the rock with Sincere McCormick, and winning on the ground would be huge for the Roadrunners’ chances, but connecting on explosive plays through the air could be the determining factor.

Frank Harris might not be an elite downfield passer, but Rice has allowed chunk plays through the air in each of their first two games. His ability to find pockets in the secondary will keep Rice from loading the box to stop McCormick. No passing threat, no reason to leave themselves vulnerable to the most explosive player on the UTSA offense.

UTSA is going to need to hit some deep shots. If they don’t, it’s going to be hard to keep the offense on the field and score with any level of consistency.

Rice X-Factor | Stop Sincere

UTSA is 3-1 when running back Sincere McCormick scores a touchdown this season. They’re 2-0 when he rushes for more than 150 yards, a feat he’s achieved twice. When he touches the football at least 23 times, UTSA is a perfect 3-0.

It really is that simple. If Rice can limit McCormick, they shut down the UTSA offense. Rice has been stingy on the ground through its first two games.

Middle Tennessee running back Chaton Mobley averaged 2.4 yards per carry and dual-threat quarterback Asher Ohara averaged 3.1, reaching 71 rushing yards including overtime. Southern Miss’ lead back Frank Gore Jr. had 71 yards on 11 carries, but was kept in check by the lopsided score and held in check for most of the game.

Injury Report (Subscribers only)

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Need More?

The Roost’s 2020 Rice Football Season Preview has four pages dedicated to every opponent the Owls face. There are depth charts, important new arrivals and depth chart breakdowns for every team in Conference USA. Better yet, it’s not just speculation, each profile was created with insight from local experts who cover those teams day in and day out. Pick up your copy today and get four pages and more than 1,000 words on every foe.

Pick ‘Em Contest

If you haven’t yet, make sure you submit your entry for The Roost’s weekly pick’em challenge. Choose an answer to each of the six questions below and submit them on the forum thread to enter.

  1. Which team has more rushing yards?
    Rice / UTSA (or tie)
  2. What will be the combined point total?
    Over 49.5 / Under 49.5
  3. Will Rice commit more than four accepted penalties?
    Yes / No
  4. Will either team score on defense or special teams?
    Yes / No
  5. Who leads at halftime?
    Rice / UTSA
  6. Who wins?
    Rice / UTSA

One Final Thing

The narrative of a single season doesn’t often hang on a single game, but the Owls’ shortened 2020 campaign feels like it’s hit the highs and the lows of the emotional roller coaster through two weeks. Is the team as good as they looked against Southern Miss or are the issues showcased in the loss to Middle Tennessee too much to overcome with consistency? Another game will give us some answers.

It’s going to be hard not to react to either extreme. A win would put Rice (at least mathematically) tied atop the C-USA West standings with one fewer loss than Louisiana Tech, should the Bulldogs win. A loss would put Rice closer to the bottom half of the division in a home game where they’ll most likely be favorites to win.

Either way, the repercussions from this game in what is currently a six-game season, will carry weight. The Owls control their own destiny. All they have to do now is execute.

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Conference USA Football 2020: Week 9 C-USA Roundup

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Conference USA Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron in Week 9.

Team Week 9 Result Week 10
Charlotte at Duke L, 53-19 at MTSU
FAU vs UTSA W, 24-3 vs WKU
FIU vs Marshall CANCELED at UTEP
LA Tech vs UAB W, 37-34 (OT) at North Texas
Marshall at FIU CANCELED vs UMass
MTSU — OFF —  — vs Charlotte
North Texas at UTEP CANCELED vs LA Tech
Rice at Southern Miss W, 30-6 vs UTSA
Southern Miss vs Rice L, 30-6 vs N Alabama
UAB at Louisiana Tech L, 37-34 (OT) — OFF —
UTEP vs North Texas CANCELED vs FIU
UTSA at FAU L, 24-3 at Rice
WKU at BYU L, 41-10 at FAU

Notable Week 9 results – Standings

That didn’t last long

Week 8 marked the first time this season that Conference USA had no games canceled and all teams planning to play this season underway. That brief honeymoon lasted a few days before two Week 9 games were canceled, including a highly contentious postponement between North Texas and UTEP.

Welcome to the win column

Rice football shook the rust off quickly. Following an overtime loss to Middle Tennessee, Rice crushed a downtrodden Southern Miss squad on their third head coach of the season. The Owls kept Southern Miss out of the endzone, allowing just two field goals. That marks the first time Southern Miss has failed to score a touchdown in a game since 2014.

Wild, wild west

Marshall still holds a commanding lead in the East, but C-USA west is officially wide open thanks to Louisiana Tech’s overtime victory over UAB in Week 9. Now four teams: UAB, Louisiana Tech, UTSA and Rice have records of .500 or better in conference play. If things stay tight, a yet to be officially rescheduled UAB visit to Rice could have division title implications.

Week 10 storylines

One is better than none

Marshall has dealt with the impacts of 2020 scheduling as well as could be expected. The Thundering Herd added a game against UMass midseason which, although it should be an easy win, will have the added bonus of keeping Marshall from another multi-week bye, an oddity multiple C-USA teams have already had to deal with to this point.

Texas-sized tussle

When Rice and UTSA met last season the two teams were a combined 1-10 against their other 11 FBS opponents. It was a race to the bottom of the conference standings. This time around, the winner will keep themselves among the leaders in the West. What a difference one year can make.

At the bottom

With Rice picking up their first victory in Week 9 against Southern Miss, there are only two remaining teams without a conference win: FIU and UTEP. One of those will be walking away a victor next week when FIU visits El Paso, assuming that game is played as scheduled.

Rice Football Opponent Scouting Report

A weekly update on who the Owls will be playing this season including updates on key storylines, injuries and more.

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Rice Football: Austin Trammell’s explosion leads Owls to new heights

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Rice football team captain Austin Trammell scorched the field at M.M. Roberts Stadium, setting career bests in the Owls’ big road win.

To some extent, Austin Trammell walked into M.M. Roberts Stadium as the last man standing. A team captain and an unquestioned leader of the 2020 Rice football team, his peers in the receiving room were not yet able to hold a candle to what he had accomplished over his collegiate career.

There was talent waiting in the wings. Jake Bailey is one of the highest-rated recruits in school history. Andrew Mason is coming off a historic high school career in Tennessee. But neither had scored a touchdown in a college game. Mason had yet to catch his first collegiate pass.

Mason had two catches against Southern Miss for 44 yards. That included a nice adjustment to give a scrambling Mike Collins and outlet for a 33-yard gain. Jake Bailey snagged three balls, including his first career touchdown reception. The future is bright for both of the Owls’ up-and-coming receivers.

But Trammell, he went above and beyond.

Trammell exploded for three touchdowns, seven receptions and 143 yards. The touchdown outburst was one-shy of his season total from a year ago and marked a career-high for a single game. The receiving yards were also a career high and the third time he’s surpassed the century mark in his four-year Rice football career.

On a day when he knew the offense would need him to burn bright, he went supernova.

More: All treats, no tricks: Rice Football crushes Southern Miss on Halloween

“He never surprises me,” head coach Mike Bloomgren said of Trammell, “but gosh he came through in a big, big way tonight.”

In a way, Trammell was merely picking up where he left off. The Owls’ veteran receiver did not catch a pass until the fourth quarter in the team’s previous game against Middle Tennessee. He promptly ripped off three consecutive catches, including the go-ahead touchdown and a two-point conversion.

Thanks in large part to Trammell’s dazzling last five quarters, Rice has scored 30 points in back-to-back games for the first time in his Rice career. The offense is starting to take flight and Trammell is at its center.

Trammell did offer one additional insight into his mindest entering his career game. “If we win our one on ones, we’re going to win the game,” he told his fellow wideouts during the week. He won. Bailey won. Mason won. And Trammell’s prediction turned prophetic: Rice won.

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All treats, no tricks: Rice Football crushes Southern Miss on Halloween

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Rice Football put together a complete team performance as the Owls took down Southern Miss on the road for their first win of the 2020 season.

There was plenty of frustration following Rice football’s season-opening loss to Middle Tennessee. The Owls did so many things well, but mental lapses and killer turnovers ended in a heartbreaking defeat.

The Owls took out all of that angst against Southern Miss. From the opening kickoff, Rice dominated Southern Miss. The atmosphere of The Rock turned quiet quickly as Rice found success on offense and defense, scoring points and forcing turnovers in what looked to be one of the most complete team performances of the Mike Bloomgren era.

The win moves Rice to 1-1 on the season, staying a perfect 1-0 against teams from the C-USA West. Here are a few immediate thoughts with an exciting nugget for our subscribers on the end.

Defense starts start strong

You couldn’t have asked for a much better start on defense than Rice got on Saturday, especially considering the circumstances. Neither Kirk Lockhart or Treshawn Chamberlain made the trip to Hattiesburg, further depleting a secondary already running low on bodies.

Southern Miss didn’t waste any time, going straight at the Rice secondary early in the game. It was true freshman Gabe Taylor with a fourth down breakup to stop the Golden Eagles’ first drive. On the second drive, Miles McCord picked off Southern Miss quarterback Jack Abraham, his first career interception.

The defense gave up yards, 85 total on the first two Southern Miss drives, but no points. That’s a recipe for success, especially with so many important pieces absent.

The third Southern Miss drive went three and out as the clock ran out to end the first quarter. Rice has now held their last 11 opponents scoreless on their first possession of the game and has not allowed a point in the first quarter this season.

Seem good? Here’s the first half drive chart for the Southern Miss offense: Downs, Interception, 3-and-Out, Fumble, Field Goal, Fumble, 3-and-Out, Field Goal.

Offensive explosion

It was fairly evident things were off to a good start when Rice ripped off first downs on four consecutive plays on the way to a 14-play scoring drive in the first quarter. The Collin Riccitelli field goal marked the fifth consecutive game in which Rice had scored first, but settling for three points after first and goal from the five was disappointing.

From that point onward, Rice didn’t squander many possessions. Mike Collins hit Austin Trammell for a 72-yard touchdown on the following possession.

The very next play, Collins found Jake Bailey for a 25-yard touchdown reception.

Rice averaged 17.9 points per game last season. Despite the loss of so many receivers, the addition of Collins and strong play from the offensive line have elevated this offense to heights previously unknown in the Bloomgren era. Rice has scored 64 points in their first two games. For reference, it took the Owls five games to reach that point threshold in 2019.

Takeaways help

Both the defense and the offense had fantastic outings against Southern Miss, but those strong days were amplified by takeaways. After losing the turnover battle 3-1 against Middle Tennessee, Rice had three takeaways on Saturday to one for Southern Miss. Better still, Rice scored 17 points on possessions immediately following a Southern Miss turnover.

The Owls’ lone misstep came at the end of the second quarter. The Rice punt coverage unit bumped into return man Jordan Myers, causing a fumble. The mistake cost Rice three points before half, not nearly as damaging as it could have been.

Turnovers amplify production. If the Rice offense wasn’t clicking, they wouldn’t have proven as impactful as they ended up becoming. Combing those turnovers with a dangerous offensive attack proved too much for Southern Miss to handle.

All gas no breaks

The lack of aggressiveness in overtime last week against Middle Tennessee proved costly when Riccitelli’s kick sailed just a few inches too close to the post. There wasn’t an ounce of passivity in the gameplan the Owls’ employed on Saturday. Rice had their foot on the gas from the first possession and never waived.

The team was playing so well that Bloomgren elected to call timeouts to give the team another chance at points in the final minute before halftime. The move would backfire when the Owls’ fumbled on what looked to be a mistake from the coverage unit, but the message was clear: we’re not slowing down.

You saw that aggressiveness repeatedly. Following a special teams fumble from Southern Miss, Collins immediately went to the endzone and found Jake Bailey for a touchdown. Rice rolled the dice on fourth down early in the second half, failing to convert, but showing the intent to go for the jugular and put the game out of reach.

There were execution problems, but no one can accuse this team of playing it too conservative or too safe. And the results, well, Rice picked up its first win in Hattiesburg since 2014 and move to 1-1 on the season.

Digging deeper

Every week we’ll have a stat, storyline or key learning from the game reserved for our subscribers.

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