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Rice Football 2023: Texas Southern presser quotes and depth chart

September 12, 2023 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice football hosts Texas Southern 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 set of players met with the media for their customary weekly availability. They recapped last week’s game and looked ahead at their upcoming matchup with Texas Southern.

Listen Now: The Roost Pod – Breaking down Rice Football vs Houston

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

“We were our worst enemy, and we know its always going to be about us, but it was very clear in the film that we made mistakes. We committed penalties that put us in tough situations. No surprises there, but it was very evident that we weren’t playing the same way with the same focus that we were in the first half.” – Mike Bloomgren on areas to improve after Houston

“I told our guys that as you look at that film of them playing Toledo last week that’s not the team we’re going to see. We’re going to see a team that’s incredibly fired up to be playing in Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas and every one of them believes they should be sitting in these team meeting room chairs. They believe they’re good enough and should have had the opportunity that our players have and they’re going to try to prove it. The fact of the matter is several of those guys have been on FBS rosters before and frankly some of them are good enough to be on a team like this.” – Mike Bloomgren on preparing to play Texas Southern 

“It’s a kill or be killed mentality. That’s how I live my life and how this whole team lives their lives on [short yardage and goal line]. We do the meeting and we always play Stone Cold Steven Austin before we install it. It gets the mood going. Anytime we line up, we know they did not do a whole practice just for that scenario and we know that anyone that lines up, we’re going to beat them.” – Center Braedon Nutter on the teams’ success in short yardage situations

“I think in the first game I was just working the gears a little bit, getting back to me. I think I needed to settle down and get back to me and know who I am and play with that supreme confidence as [corners coach Jeremy] Modkins always tells us corners… I would say I had a decent game. I think I can do way better and I think I will put that on display these next games coming up.” – Corner Sean Fresch on his growth this year

Depth Chart

Rice Football

Depth Chart Notes

Just like last week, there were no changes to the official depth chart. That marks three straight games with more or less the same two-deep, a nod to how fortunate the Owls have been with injuries and how well the team has played as a whole. There hasn’t been the need for too many “promotions” and “demotions” although we will hit some key updates with playing time and rotations later this week.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Filed Under: Archive, Football Tagged With: Braedon Nutter, depth chart, Mike Bloomgren, press conference notes, Rice Football, Sean Fresch

The Roost Podcast | Ep 159 – Rice Football takes down Houston

September 12, 2023 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice Football knocks off Houston for the first time in 12 years, a marquee win for head coach Mike Bloomgren. Let’s unpack the big game.

More than an hour after the final whistle, the Rice football scoreboard was still on. 43-41 it read, Owls over Cougars in double overtime. The win was historic for a myriad of reasons. Matthew and Carter unpack those reasons in this week’s podcast, starting with a fun first half, then a rough second half before a thrilling finish,

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 159.

Follow @TheRoostPod

Episode Notes

DCTF

The Roost Podcast is now part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner.

Homefield

We’re thrilled to partner with Homefield Apparel, the premier proprietor of college football clothing. First-time buyers can use the code ROOST for 15% off their order. The Owls hoodie is a personal favorite. Shop the Rice collection or pick up something else (or both)!

Patreon

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Recapping Rice Football vs Houston

  • JT Daniels was awseome
  • What worked for the Rice offense in the first half and why did it stop?
  • Are we concerned about the running game? It’s complicated.
  • The defense made a stop when it needed it most
  • Rush and coverage were effective for most of the night
  • The significance of the win

Where can you find us?

The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Filed Under: Archive, Football, Podcast Tagged With: game recap, podcast, Rice Football

Rice Football 2023: NFL Owls Week 1 Roundup

September 11, 2023 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice Football is well represented on 2023 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action in Week 1.

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 1 Result Week 2
Denver Broncos Elijah Garcia (DL) vs Raiders L, 17-16 vs Commanders
Detroit Lions Jack Fox (P) at Chiefs (TNF) W, 21-20 vs Seahawks
Indianapolis Colts Kylen Granson (TE) vs Jaguars L, 31-21 at Texans
New England Patriots Calvin Anderson (OL) vs Eagles L, 25-20 vs Dolphins
Pittsburgh Steelers Chris Boswell (PK) vs 49ers L, 30-7 vs Browns (MNF)
Seattle Seahawks Myles Adams (DL) vs Rams L, 30-13 at Lions
Tampa Bay Bucs Nick Leverett (OL) at Vikings W, 20-17 vs Bears

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OT, Patriots

Anderson made his first start of the season at right tackle for the Patriots.

Kylen Gransen – TE, Colts

Gransen finished second on the team in receptions in Week 1 and third in targets, hauling in four passes for 39 yards against the Jaguars. Only leading receiver Michael Pittman was more involved in the offense through the air.

Nick Leverett – OT, Buccaneers

Leverett was active but did not play for the Bucs’ in their Week 1 victory over the Vikings.

Defense

Myles Adams – DL, Seahawks

Adams saw a few snaps on defense in the Seahawks in Week 1 against the Rams, but did not record any stats.

Elijah Garcia – DL, Broncos

Garcia had a pair of tackles in the Broncos’ Week 1 loss to the Raiders. He saw some early action in the redzone, too.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox was instrumental in the Lions’ upset win over the Chiefs on opening night. He punted five times, pinning Kansas City inside the 20 on three separate occasions and registering a long of 61 yards on his longest punt of the night.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell’s action on Sunday was short and sweet. He was called upon once to convert an extra point try following the Steelers’ long touchdown of the afternoon and did so without incident. He did not attempt any other kicks.

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.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Filed Under: Archive, Football Tagged With: NFL Owls, Rice Football

Rice Football 2023 Game Preview: Texas Southern

September 10, 2023 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice football hosts Texas Southern this weekend in an intracity matchup. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

Rice football enters Week 3 riding high after an upset win over Houston to kick off their first of seven home games at Rice Stadium this season. Texas Southern was less fortunate, getting thumped by Toledo on the road 71-3. Here’s everything you need to know about this week’s matchup between Rice and Texas Southern.

Kickoff time | 6:00 PM CT
Venue | Historic Rice Stadium – Houston, Texas
TV | ESPN+ (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs Texas Southern 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.

Sizing up the contenders

Texas Southern is in the opening days of what is shaping up to be another challenging season. The Tigers were able to keep pace with the Owls when these two teams met up in 2021, but there’s not a lot at stake for the visitors this time around with expectations fairly limited. The same can not be said for Rice, which will be expected to win this game and win it comfortably after last weekend’s landmark victory.

Series History

All Time | Rice leads, 1-0
Last Five | Rice leads, 1-0
Last Meeting | Home 2021, Rice won 48-34

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Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Daniels – 42/68 (61.8 percent), 550 yards, 4TD, 3 INT
Rushing | Connors – 16 carries, 71 yards (4.4 yards per carry), 0 TD / Alexander – 7 carries, 17 yards (2.4 yards per carry), 3 TD
Receiving | McCaffrey – 9 receptions, 121 yards (13.4 yds/rec), 3 TDs / Walker – 6 receptions, 116 yards (19.3 yds/rec), 1 TD
Tackles | Wyatt – 14 / Fresch, Morrison – 12/ Coco, Conti, Pearcy, Taylor – 10
Pass Breakups | Fresch – 4 / Devones, Jean – 2 / Wyatt, Narcisse – 1
Interceptions | Devones – 1

Texas Southern Stat Notables

Passing | Body – 18/38 (47.4 percent), 286 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT
Rushing | Owens – 16 carries, 141 yards (8.8 yards per carry), 1 TD / Howard – 20  carries, 76 yards (3.8 ypc), 0 TD
Receiving | Davis – 7 receptions, 120 yards (17.1 yards per reception), 1 TD / Johnson – 10 receptions, 87 yards (8.7 yds/rec), 0 TD
Tackles | Williams – 25 / Henderson – 18 / Bogerty, Noel – 15
Pass Breakups | Henderson, Player, Williams – 1
Interceptions | Williams – 1

Texas Southern X-Factor | Take the ball away

Turnovers have been a problem for Rice football and were almost their undoing against Houston last weekend. The Owls led by 28 points before JT Daniels through a redzone interception and the Owls fumbled a later possession away, allowing the down-and-out Cougars to stick around and put the result in doubt late.

That’s the same formula Texas Southern will have to replicate if they want to have a chance to compete against a more athletic team on both sides of the ball. Rice corner Tre’shon Devones said it well in his postgame comments, “We can only beat ourselves at this point.”

Texas Southern needs to force the issue, play aggressively and take risks. If they can get Rice to cough up the football they can make this one interesting.

Rice X-Factor | Limit mistakes

In the same vein, Rice football has to make this as formulaic of a game as possible. Finding a way to have success on the ground would be a plus, but as long as the Owls can protect the football and play fundamentally sound, they should win this game.

That might be easier said than done though. Rice hasn’t played a turnover-free football game since Week 2 of 2022 against McNeese State, a span of 13 consecutive games with at least one turnover. Running backs, wide receivers and quarterbacks have all been culpable over that stretch. It’s a team problem that needs to be fixed. Saturday would be the perfect time do so.

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One Final Thing

While Rice football hasn’t won a game quite as significant as the Houston game to this point under Bloomgren, they have had a few big victories along the way. What the Owls have lacked is any sort of reliable consistency from week to week.

This program is not too far removed from losing to a Charlotte team with an interim head coach to take any game for granted, regardless who lines up on the other side of the field.

That’s what will make Saturday so intriguing for this team. If they can hold serve against Texas Southern they’ll enter their final nonconference game against UConn with a winning record as they ready for their first-ever AAC game. Now isn’t the time to look ahead, but it is the time to prove you can succeed where your feet are and take care of business one snap at a time and one game at a time.

Rice football needs to replicate its fast start against Houston and extend its success into the second half and through its conclusion, proving they’ve learned from their hiccups and can make the necessary adjustments to elevate their level of play. If they can do that, a special season could be underway.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Filed Under: Featured, Football, Premium Tagged With: Game preview, Rice Football

“An environment you’ll never forget”: Rice Football reacts to UH win

September 10, 2023 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice football earned a monumental program victory on Saturday, upsetting Houston to win the Bayou Bucket and sending South Main into celebration.

On Saturday night in the Brian Patterson Center, Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren and his players attempted to put into words the significance of the Owls’ double-overtime victory over the University of Houston.

There were the obvious talking points — Rice’s first victory in the series in eight tries, the first win over Houston since 2010 and the first Power 5 victory for Rice since 2013 — but the emotions emanating from South Main transcended what could be easily described.

“The quietest guys were jumping around and screaming,” corner Tre’shon Devones said, attempting to describe the postgame locker room. “I think I saw new personalities from people I’ve never seen before. You have guys that have only said like two or three words since I’ve been here and now they’re just jumping around, screaming. Some of them have some good dance moves. I didn’t know that either.”

“It was just an environment you’ll never forget.”

Bloomgren and his staff have been searching for a moment like this since he was hired prior to the 2018 season. Since his arrival, Rice had lost to Houston by final scores of 45-27, 44-7 and 34-27.

On Saturday, the Owls broke through. Rice scored 28 unanswered points, allowed 35 points in a row, and then stopped Houston on a two-point try in the fourth quarter to seal the monumental win that, for many on South Main, went beyond words.

“How beautiful is football, right?” wide receiver Luke McCaffrey asked with an almost stunned smile.

The win will go down as the most significant of the Bloomgren era to date.  “We’ve been close a lot of times,” Bloomgren admitted. On Saturday, they finished.

When asked to pinpoint what made this team different and what made this game unique, Bloomgren pointed to the unity he saw in his players. “This isn’t just about today, it’s not just about this week of prep, it’s all the things we do,” he said. “This is the cumulative effect of a bunch of guys making the decision to fight for each other. It’s a great result and really cool for this program.”

And how much fun was the post-game celebration? Bloomgren likened it to “a club that I don’t go to anymore,” laughing and smiling as he worked to keep his traditional even-keel demeanor.

Bloomgren talked about the progression he’s seen the program go through under his tenure at the Owls’ helm. From losing big to losing small to winning small and, hopefully, to soon winning big. Whether or not Saturday’s win counts in the small or big category is in the eye of the beholder, but nobody in the room seemed to care which it was as they hoisted the Bayou Bucket trophy high.

But it was after that raucous celebration and euphoric locker room that the why finally began to crystalize. When Devones took his turn at the microphone he shared a difference he saw in this team that he gleaned through the midst of the celebrations.

“The difference between now and then,” Devones said of prior Rice teams he’s been on, “Today when we won, we had people going around already thinking about things we can get better at. That’s a real stepping stone that I’ve seen. That just goes to show the mentality of the team now.”

“Yeah, we’re okay with winning, but this needs to be the standard now.”

There are no current games scheduled between Rice and Houston, although both administrations have publically expressed their desire to keep the series going. Regardless of when the next Bucket is played, though, a new high has been reached. If the Owls can turn that mountaintop into the new standard they’ll be more than ready to defend their trophy the next time they meet the Cougars.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Filed Under: Archive, Football Tagged With: Luke McCaffrey, Rice Football, Tre'shon Devones

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