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The Roost’s 2019 Rice Football coverage postseason survey

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The 2019 Rice Football season has come to an end and we’d like to know how we did. Please take a few minutes and consider leaving your feedback.

When Rice football knocked off UTEP to close their 2019 season on a three-game winning streak we wrapped up our second full season covering the team. The Roost isn’t going anywhere — we’ve got a host of fall sports in progress and baseball will be here before we know it — but we don’t want to miss an opportunity to reflect on the past several months.

Please consider filling out the brief survey below. Tell us what you like and what we can do better. Your candor is appreciated. The Roost wouldn’t be what it was without our members.

Lastly, this survey is being released on Giving Tuesday. This site, podcast and future projects are all self-funded. If you’ve enjoyed The Roost, please consider making a donation here or purchasing some gear at The Roost Shop.

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Rice Football 2019: Owls in the NFL Week 13 Update

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A big Thanksgiving day from former Rice Football defensive lineman Christian Covington led the way among the NFL Owls top performances in Week 13.

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

Week 13 results

Seahawks 37 (Ellerbee, Willson) – Vikings 30 (Sendejo)
Broncos 23 (Anderson, Callahan) – Chargers 20
Bills 26 – Cowboys 15 (Covington)
Steelers 20 (Boswell, McDonald) – Browns 13
Texans 28 (Gaines) – Patriots 22

Calvin Anderson, OT, Broncos

Anderson has yet to appear in a game for the Broncos this season. He was again listed among the team’s inactives this week. The Broncos travel to the Texans in Week 14.

Bryce Callahan, CB, Broncos

Callahan was placed on injured reserve earlier this season, never playing for the Broncos in 2019. He will be sidelined for the remainder of the year. The Broncos travel to the Texans in Week 14.

Christian Covington, DE, Cowboys

Covington matched his season-high four tackles on Thanksgiving against the Bills. He had one sack and two tackles for a loss as well as a quarterback hit, harassing quarterback Josh Allen in a losing effort. The Cowboys travel to the Bears for Thursday Night Football in Week 14.

Andrew Sendejo, Saf, Vikings

Sendejo did not register any stats in the Vikings Monday Night Football loss to the Seahawks. The Vikings host the Lions in Week 14.

Emmanuel Ellerbee, LB, Seahawks

Ellerbee was placed injured reserve prior to the start of the season. The Seahawks travel to the Rams on Sunday Night Football in Week 14.

Luke Willson, TE, Seahawks

Willson has missed the past two games, including Monday Night Football against the Vikings. His status going forward remains uncertain, The Seahawks travel to the Rams on Sunday Night Football in Week 14.

Chris Boswell, K, Steelers

Chris Boswell handled his business on Sunday, posting another perfect day from the field. Boswell made field goals from 29 yards and 39 yards as well as a pair of extra points. He’s hit 21-of-23 field goals this season and all 21 of his extra point tries. The Steelers travel to the Cardinals in Week 14.

Vance McDonald, TE, Steelers

McDonald caught every pass thrown his way in his Week 13, notching 21 yards on three receptions against the Browns. That was the second-most catches on the team, trailing only wideout James Washington who had four. The Steelers travel to the Cardinals in Week 14.

Phillip Gaines, CB, Texans

Gaines was placed on injured reserve following an ankle injury suffered during the Texans’ Week 8 game against the Colts. The Texans host the Broncos in Week 14.

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: Owls hope to ride momentum into 2020

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Rice football ended 2019 on a high note with a win over UTEP, setting the stage for what many expect to be a breakthrough 2020 season.

If you had walked into the Rice football locker room on Saturday evening, you’d have seen the full range of emotions. As players celebrated their third consecutive victory there were seniors who shed tears, arms draped around underclassmen while they processed the end of their own college careers.

Mike Bloomgren stood in the middle of it all. Elated by what this team had accomplished, all the while knowing when the wheels touched down in Houston early Sunday morning it would be time to get right back to work. They broke down the tape and had a full staff meeting, all before hosting a recruiting visit later that night. As the calendar turns to December, it’s still all hands on deck as they try to finalize the majority of the 2020 Rice Football recruiting class.

But before he could get to that tomorrow, Bloomgren stopped to process the here and now.

“That’s really what [this win] is all about,” Bloomgren said. “It’s about a group of men that made a decision. They made a decision to win their last three games and to do everything they could for each other to ensure that that happened. Today is the culmination of that. It’s the culmination of our 2019 season. It’s the start of something really cool too.”

The magnitude of what this team accomplished was sizable. No Rice team had won three-straight to close out a season since the 2013 squad that won the Conference USA championship.

More: Takeaways from Rice Football vs UTEP

And for the most part, they’re coming back. The defense will lose starting tackle Myles Adams. The offense will have to replace three grad transfer offensive lineman and quarterback Tom Stewart. The answer at quarterback might have been solved in the second half when JoVoni Johnson took over and scored his first two career touchdowns. If Rice can recruit and develop depth on the offensive line, they could bring back a fully stocked cupboard on both sides of the football next season.

Building from a strong base, the 2020 Rice football team is full of players who refuse to succumb to the status quo. “[We] just want to keep going. keep growing, continue to be better and continue to help our team be better,” team captain Austin Trammell said after the game. Junior linebacker Blaze Alldredge echoed those words, hoping the team could “carry this momentum into the offseason and develop into even better players for next year.”

Momentum, talent and a desire to be better from top to bottom. The makings of something special are being assembled on South Main. Year three of the Mike Bloomgren era is already off to a great start.

But first, it’s time to celebrate. “I’m proud to be their coach, I know that much,” Bloomgren said, content to enjoy the present before the future arrives. After all, the process demands it.

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Rice Football: 2019 Redshirt report for returning players

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The 2019 Rice Football season is in the books and the time to look ahead has arrived. Here’s a snapshot of returning players and their redshirt status.

More: Takeaways from Rice Football’s win over UTEP in Week 14

The official participation records for Rice football indicate the following players participated in the number of games shown below. Year classifications reflect the current season. For instance, Antonio Montero just finished his sophomore season, playing in all 12 games.

NO NAME POS YR Participation
1 Montero, Antonio LB So. 12
17 Chamberlain, Treshawn S So. 12
88 Pitre III, August WR So. 12
10 Orji, Kenneth DE Rs. So. 12
18 Thornton, Tyrae CB Rs. So. 12
23 Richardson, Isaiah S Rs. So. 12
58 Baker, Shea OL Rs. So. 12
82 Bull, Jaeger TE Rs. So. 12
7 Myers, Jordan TE Rs. Jr. 12
92 Garcia, Elijah DT Rs. Jr. 12
48 Doddridge, Jacob DE Rs. Fr. 12
2 Rozner, Brad WR Jr. 12
3 Smith, Naeem S Jr. 12
10 Trammell, Austin WR Jr. 12
20 Nyakwol, George S Jr. 12
46 Grammer, Garrett LB Jr. 12
55 Alldredge, Blaze LB Jr. 12
87 Bradley, Jack TE Fr. 12
96 Carroll, De’Braylon DT Fr. 12
97 Bickham, Adrian DE Fr. 12
4 Calderon, Prudy S So. 11
34 Riddle, Campbell LS So. 11
5 Newsome, Dasharm S Rs. Jr. 11
52 Hubbard, JaVante DT Rs. Jr. 11
18 French, Robert TE Rs. Fr. 11
71 Servin, Clay OL Rs. Fr. 11
91 Enechukwu, Ikenna DT Rs. Fr. 11
11 Bailey, Jake WR Fr. 11
19 Devones, Tre’shon CB Fr. 11
25 Harrison, Will K Rs. So. 10
15 Bird, Andrew CB Rs. Fr. 10
30 Broussard, Ari RB Rs. Fr. 10
85 Suckley, Brendan FB Rs. Fr. 10
9 Lockhart, Kirk S Fr. 10
77 Osuji, Uzoma OL Rs. Jr. 9
11 Valentine, Cameron DT Rs. Fr. 9
16 Hoban, Zach K Fr. 9
7 Schuman, Trey DE Rs. So. 8
33 Ekpe, Anthony DE Rs. Jr. 8
22 White, Jason CB Rs. Fr. 8
8 Montgomery, Cameron RB Rs. So. 7
5 Green, Wiley QB Rs. Fr. 7
37 Grams, Jacob S Rs. So. 5
44 Page, Kebreyun DE So. 4
73 Garcia, Cole OL So. 4
24 McCord, Miles CB So. 4
63 Peterson, Brandt OL Rs. So. 4
3 Johnson , JoVoni QB Fr. 4
57 Morrison, Myron LB Fr. 4
13 Knipe, Zane WR Fr. 4
94 Pearcy, Josh DE Fr. 4
14 Landrum, Joshua CB Fr. 4
21 Otoviano, Juma RB So. 3
29 Anigbogu, Chike S Fr. 3
95 Floyd, Izeya DT Fr. 3
22 King, Jawan RB Fr. 3
59 Johnson III, Jerry OL Fr. 3
26 Henry, Hunter S Fr. 3
72 Jones, Hunter OL Fr. 3
12 Conrad, Austin WR Rs. So. 2
75 Ferraro, Derek OL Rs. Fr. 2
54 Klarkowski, Issac OL Fr. 2
79 Riddle, Regan OL Fr. 2
19 Marshman, Evan QB Rs. So. 1
80 Sanchez, Jonathan TE Rs. So. 1
31 Sams, Matthew S Rs. Fr. 1
6 Battley, JaQuez LB So. 0
89 Adams, Miles DE So. 0
16 Blosser, Robbie QB Rs. So. 0
15 Boudreaux, Chris WR Rs. Fr. 0
17 Towns, Parker QB Rs. Fr. 0
35 Armstrong, Luke FB Rs. Fr. 0
85 McQuarry, Nicholas K Rs. Fr. 0
27 Noriega, Ayden RB Fr. 0
38 Palmer, Jashon WR Fr. 0
41 Braden, Garrett LB Fr. 0
50 Hanley, Hunter LB Fr. 0
51 Martinez, Will OL Fr. 0
56 Lahlouh, Edmond LB Fr. 0
67 Hughes, Connor OL Fr. 0
74 Wagman, Nick OL Fr. 0
84 Mecom, Bennett TE Fr. 0
91 Mendes, Charlie P Fr. 0

2020 Outlook

Special teams player and reserve safety Jacob Grams was the only one player to see action in exactly five games this season. Every other player seemed to have a clearly delineated usage, playing either seven or more games or four or fewer.

These five players who redshirted this season could be in line to either start or see significantly more playing time in 2020. Several others like corner will be more heavily involved after their redshirt year as well.

  •  QB JoVoni Johnson – 4 games (1 start) – Scored his first two career touchdowns in the season finale against UTEP. Provided a spark to the Rice offense and will be in the mix to be the starting quarterback next fall.
  • OG Cole Garcia – Started last season but was moved to reserve action with the influx of grad transfers on the offensive line. He proved to be a quality depth piece and could be in the line to start or see more action depending on how the line shakes out next season.
  • RB Juma Otoviano – Had surgery during the season and could be a candidate for a medical redshirt this year. Assuming health, he’ll be a prime candidate to be a breakout player for the Owls in some form or fashion in 2020.
  • P Charlie Mendes – With both Adam Nunez and Chris Barnes out of eligibility, the freshman is the obvious candidate to fill their shoes. He punted well in the spring and the fall and has high expectations of him entering what should be his first season as a starter.
  • Saf Chike Anigbogu – Anigbogu drew rave reviews throughout the fall with his consistent performances in practice. Rice football is deep at the safety position, but he’ll see much more action on special teams in 2020 if nothing else.
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Conference USA Football 2019: Week 14 C-USA Roundup

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Rice football capped off their year with a third straight win while the Conference USA Football Championship game was set, without a complex tiebreaker.

Team Week 14 Result Record
Charlotte at Old Dominion W, 38-22 7-5 (5-3)
FAU* vs Southern Miss W, 34-17 9-3 (7-1)
FIU at Marshall L, 30-27 (OT) 6-6 (3-5)
LA Tech vs UTSA W, 41-27 9-3 (6-2)
Marshall vs FIU W, 30-27 (OT) 8-4 (6-2)
MTSU at WKU L, 31-26 4-8 (3-5)
North Texas vs UAB L, 26-21 4-8 (3-5)
Old Dominion vs Charlotte L, 38-22 1-11 (0-8)
Rice at UTEP W, 30-16 3-9 (3-5)
Southern Miss at FAU L, 34-17 7-5 (5-3)
UAB* vs North Texas W, 26-21 9-3 (6-2)
UTEP vs Rice L, 30-16 1-11 (0-8)
UTSA at LA Tech L, 41-27 4-8 (3-5)
WKU vs MTSU W, 31-26 8-4 (6-2)
*Clinched Conference USA Football Championship Game berths

Notable Week 14 results – Standings

Make it three!

It took a while for Rice football to get the monkey off their backs, but once they did the results seemed worth the wait. The Owls closed out the season on a three-game winning streak, dispatching Middle Tennesee and North Texas before closing out the year with a road win over UTEP. Rice football looks to be headed in the right direction.

Conference USA avoids tiebreaker drama

After changing the tiebreaker rules in the middle of the week, Conference USA could have found themselves in a tough spot had they had to enforce the newly minted rules on less than six days notice. With Southern Miss losing to FAU on the road, there was no three-team tie to break, making all the drama of the late change for naught.

And then there were two

C-USA East champ FAU will host C-USA West champ UAB will meet in the championship game next weekend. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network with the opening kickoff set for 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. CT. FAU was picked to finish third in the East in the preseason with three first place votes. UAB was picked to finish fourth in the West in the preseason with two first place votes.

Week 15 storylines

Hot seat watch

UTEP and Old Dominion end the season as the only C-USA teams without a conference win, both went 1-11 with their singular victories over non-FBS teams. UTEP headman Dana Dimel might be in better shape as he’s in Year 2 of a challenging rebuild. Bobby Wilder at Old Dominion is one to watch. After leading the Monarchs to a program-best 10-win season in 2016, they’ve regressed in his next three subsequent season, with the 1-win mark the programs worst-ever finish, by three games.

UTSA’s Frank Wilson and Middle Tennessee’s Rick Stockstill are two others who have had their names come up in those discussions this season. There’s a good chance one, if not multiple C-USA programs have a new man at the helm for the 2020 season.

Will Skip Holtz give answers?

Louisiana Tech was undefeated in conference play and the clear front runner to win the West before the program suspended quarterback J’Mar Smith and lead receiver Adrian Hardy. The two games missed, both losses, proved to be impactful, knocking the Bulldogs out of first place. The fanbase is understandably upset. Will there be a satisfactory resolution to this? Or will fans have to live with a promising season derailed by “internal discipline”.

Bowl season is right around the corner

Conference USA won the Bowl Challenge Cup last year, winning four of their program’s six bowl games. The conference has eight bowl-eligible squads this season, with 6-6 FIU the only team who might have to sweat the selection process should the total of eligible teams exceed the total amount of slots. Regardless, it should be another busy bowl season for C-USA.

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