Tag: Rice Owls

Oct 26, 2024; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Rice Owls quarterback Drew Devillier (5) throws a pass against the Connecticut Huskies in the second half at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Davidson’s Scott Abell named head coach at Rice

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Rice named Davidson’s Scott Abell as the school’s 20th head football coach on Tuesday.

Abell, who will formally be introduced on Wednesday, effectively replaces Mike Bloomgren after the latter was relieved of his duties last. Associate head coach Pete Alamar assumed the interim position for the rest of the season.

“After spending time with Scott throughout this process, it was clear that we had found the right leader for our program,” Rice vice president and director of athletics Tommy McClelland said. “He has had an immediate impact on every program he has coached and is passionate about developing winners on and off the field. He is the right person to lead Rice football into a new era of success. I am thrilled to welcome Scott and his family to Rice.”

Abell, 54, posted a 47-28 record during his seven seasons with the Wildcats.

“I cannot imagine a more ideal time or fit for myself, my family, and the future of Rice Football,” Abell said. “Today begins the journey, as we pursue championships. Go Owls!”

Bloomgren, 47, posted a 24-52 record with the Owls.

–Field Level Media

Oct 28, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Rice Owls head coach Mike Bloomgren argues about the time clock in the second half against the Tulane Green Wave at Rice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Rice seeks redemption in First Responder Bowl vs. Texas State

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Rice coach Mike Bloomgren says his players can still remember how empty they felt after losing to Southern Miss last December in the Lending Tree Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

“They came to work every day over the last year with the mindset to not only return to a bowl but return as champions,” he said. “That determination drove them to close the season with wins in our last two games to earn this opportunity.”

That opportunity occurs on Tuesday in Dallas, where the Owls will play Texas State in the First Responder Bowl.

Rice finished 6-6 with some clear ups and downs. There was a 43-41 overtime win over city rival Houston on Sept. 9 and a near-miss at home in late October against then-No. 22 Tulane, the Owls losing 30-28. That was part of a three-game losing streak that dropped them to 4-6.

But Rice came through with season-ending wins over Charlotte and Florida Atlantic to earn consecutive bowl bids for just the third time in school history. It’s the first time that’s occurred since Rice played in the Armed Forces, Liberty and Hawaii Bowls from 2012-14.

The Owls will turn to backup AJ Padgett at quarterback for the second straight bowl game. Padgett sat behind JT Daniels most of the season before Daniels was forced to medically retire due to repeated concussions.

Padgett went 24 of 37 for 255 yards and three touchdowns with an interception in the win over Florida Atlantic. He’s 61 of 96 on the year for 636 yards with seven scores and three picks. Running back Dean Connors compiled 1,102 yards from scrimmage, 707 on the ground, and Luke McCaffrey caught 68 passes for 963 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Texas State (7-5) is bowling for the first time in its 12-year FBS tenure. First-year coach G.J. Kinne earned a contract extension on Thursday for turning things around with a fast-tempo offense and an aggressive defense and tying the program record for most wins in an FBS season.

“We’re proud of the team reaching a bowl game and excited for all of Bobcat Nation to celebrate this great moment for our program but we believe we can win championships at Texas State,” Kinne said. “Our goal is to continue to take the program to new heights.”

Kinne, who last year guided Incarnate Word to the FCS semifinals, has shown he can work magic with quarterbacks. Former Auburn QB TJ Finley triggered the Bobcats’ attack to 36 points per game, throwing for 3,287 yards with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Finley threw for 368 yards and three scores in Texas State’s 52-44 win over South Alabama that closed the regular season.

But the Bobcats can also hit you with the running game as Ismail Mahdi rushed for 1,209 yards and 10 scores, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. Three different receivers caught at least 52 passes, led by Joey Hobert’s 71.

Rice and Texas State have met four times, all in Houston, and have split the meetings.

–Field Level Media

Oct 13, 2023; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Tulane Green Wave quarterback Michael Pratt (7) signals prior to the snap against the Memphis Tigers during the first half at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Rice seeking statement win against No. 22 Tulane

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Tulane is off to a good start in trying to win its second consecutive American Athletic Conference championship.

Rice is trying to stay in contention for the title in its first season in the AAC as it hosts the No. 22 Green Wave (6-1, 3-0) on Saturday in Houston.

Tulane is in a three-way tie for first while the Owls (4-3, 2-1) are coming off their most lopsided conference victory in 10 years — a 42-10 win at Tulsa on Oct. 19.

The Green Wave appeared headed to a lopsided victory of their own last Saturday when they took a 21-0 halftime lead against visiting North Texas but saw the Mean Green pull even before Michael Pratt ran for a tie-breaking touchdown with 2:34 left to produce a 35-28 victory.

“I do like the fact that we finished and that we were put in a bad situation and we came out of it with a win,” Tulane coach Willie Fritz said. “That’s good, but you never know how these games are going to play out.”

Pratt, who also threw three touchdown passes, was named the AAC’s Offensive Player of the Week for a second time this season.

The Green Wave needed every one of his scores to hold off North Texas’ second-half surge.

In the first half, the Tulane defense ended three UNT possessions with fourth-down stops, forced two punts and recovered a fumble. In the second half, it allowed four consecutive touchdowns before getting another fourth-down stop as time expired.

“We need to play better on defense throughout the whole game,” Fritz said. “We played really well in the first half. We’ve just to continue for the whole ballgame.”

Rice had what coach Mike Bloomgren called “as complete a win as we’ve had against any FBS opponent” against Tulsa.

It was the Owls’ largest margin of victory in a conference game since a 52-14 victory against Louisiana Tech on Nov. 14, 2013.

The defense forced three turnovers and benefited from an offense that produced three touchdown drives of less than a minute each in the first half and two others that each ate more than eight minutes of clock in the second half.

“When you can do that,” Bloomgren said, “it makes the defense’s job easier.”

JT Daniels passed for 342 yards and two touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown. Dean Connors had 120 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just nine carries.

Rice, which left Conference USA to join the AAC, knows this game will demonstrate how it matches up against one of the top teams in its new league.

“This is not the kind of football team we played in our conference last year,” Bloomgren said of the Green Wave. “This is a team that looks a lot more like Texas or Houston.”

The Owls, who didn’t turn the ball over last week, hope to repeat the type of execution that enabled them to outgain Tulsa 512-294 and possess the ball for nearly 34 minutes.

“In order to beat Tulane, who’s a really solid team,” Connors said, “we’re going to have to do that all over again and do it better.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 2, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars defensive back Malik Fleming (15) reacts after a play during the fourth quarter against the UTSA Roadrunners at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Rice upends rival Houston in 2OT to win Bayou Bucket

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Daelen Alexander had both touchdowns in overtime, including the deciding 1-yard run and 2-point conversion, as Rice upset crosstown rival Houston 43-41 on Saturday at Rice Stadium to capture the Bayou Bucket for the first time since 2010.

Donovan Smith hit Matthew Golden with a 2-yard touchdown pass in the Cougars’ possession in the first overtime. Rice responded with a 3-yard run by Alexander to send the game to a second extra period.

Alexander then ran for a 1-yard touchdown and added the winning 2-point conversion to force Houston to match Rice’s production. Smith scored on a 2-yard run but couldn’t connect with Golden on the conversion pass.

JT Daniels passed for 401 yards and three TDs for the Owls (1-1). Smith countered with 260 yards and two scores passing and three TDs on the ground.

The first half belonged to the Owls, who scored the game’s first 28 points and led 28-7 at the half.

But Houston responded, racking up three touchdowns over the final 14-plus minutes and tying the game on a 1-yard plunge by Smith with 15 seconds to play in regulation.

The Owls opened the game with a bang, scoring on Daniels’ 10-yard scoring pass to Luke McCaffrey at the 10:11 mark of the first quarter.

Rice then took advantage of an interception of Smith at the UH 39 to push its lead to 14-0 when Alexander crashed in from the 1 on fourth down with 4:15 to play in the first period.

Rice’s rousing start continued with a 32-yard Daniels-to-McCaffrey TD pass with 3 minutes to play in the opening quarter that staked its advantage to 21-0.

The Owls added to their lead on Daniels’ third TD pass of the first half, this one from 15 yards to Braylen Walker at the 8:32 mark of the second at the end of a 92-yard, 11-play march.

The Cougars finally found the end zone on a 10-yard pass from Smith to Golden with 2:42 to play until halftime.

Houston cut its deficit to 28-14 on Smith’s 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter. Stacy Sneed scored on a 14-yard run with 3:46 to play before Smith completed the stirring comeback with his second 1-yard TD run with 15 seconds remaining.

Houston was a 7.5-point favorite.

–Field Level Media

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Casey Cain (88), Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Jake Majors (65) and Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) celebrate after Ewers touch down during the Texas Longhorns game against Baylor on Friday, Nov. 25, 2022.

No. 11 Texas kicks off season of high expectations with Rice

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No. 11 Texas isn’t afraid to say expectations are sky-high in Austin.

The Longhorns begin the 2023 season at home against Rice on Saturday afternoon in what’s expected to be searing Texas conditions.

It’s the Longhorns’ most anticipated season in years. Expectations are built on an upward trajectory under third-year coach Steve Sarkisian, a handful of talented players and depth not seen on a Texas team since its most recent run to the national title game in 2009.

“I do think we’re pretty good. Now we need to go play like it,” Sarkisian said.

Texas was 8-5 last season, ending with a loss to Washington in the Valero Alamo Bowl. The totality of the 2022 season was a huge step forward from Sarkisian’s first year when the Longhorns struggled to win five games. Texas’ losses in 2022 were all by seven points or fewer, including home defeats by one point to Alabama and by seven to eventual CFP finalist TCU.

Alabama awaits next week, but Texas insists the team is focused on one at a time.

Texas has been picked as the favorite to win the Big 12 Conference for the first time since 2009 as the Longhorns take on an even more hated role in their final year in the Big 12 before moving to the Southeastern Conference in 2024.

Sarkisian on Monday echoed the team’s preseason stance of “embracing the hate.”

“You can’t just sit back and keep taking punches and it’s just OK,” Sarkisian said. “At some point you have to go hunt and punch back and fight back. Every time we take the field, our opponents are going to get our best shot.”

Expect nothing less from Rice, which was 5-8 last year and went to a bowl for the first time since 2014. The Owls had a losing regular-season record but played in the postseason due to the team’s high APR rate and when there were not enough teams that reached the six-win bowl-eligibility threshold.

“We’ll get challenged by Rice in two ways most notably,” Sarkisian said. “One, their style of play. Like I said it’s very intricate in all three phases and they’ve got really good coaches. Then by the way they play – they play hard, they play tough. They’re relentless that way. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Rice is in its first season in the American Athletic Conference after leaving Conference USA on July 1. Owls coach Mike Bloomgren said this year’s team is his best in his six-year tenure at the school.

“You always want progress,” Bloomgren said. “We all want it faster, too. Maybe that didn’t happen for a variety of reasons. But here we are in Year 6 with our best football team yet – playing the best competition we’ll ever get to play.”

The Owls will have at least one player that’s uber-familiar with the Longhorns. Quarterback JT Daniels will be making his third career start in a game at Texas. His first was in 2018 as a freshman at USC. His second was last year with West Virginia, which was his third school following a stop at Georgia.

It’s the 97th time the two programs have faced each other, with Texas owning a 74-21-1 advantage. The Longhorns have won 15 straight against the Owls and 43 of their past 44 contests against Rice dating to 1966.

–Field Level Media

Sep 18, 2021; Austin, Texas; Texas Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson (5) goes airborne after being tripped up by Rice Owl defenders during the first quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Gutierrez-USA TODAY Sports

Coming off loss, Texas runs roughshod over Rice

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Bijan Robinson racked up 127 yards rushing and scored three touchdowns, and Casey Thompson passed for two scores in the final 1:38 of the first half as host Texas rebounded from a loss a week ago by thrashing undermanned Rice 58-0 on Saturday in Austin, Texas.

Robinson scored on runs on 6, 7 and 62 yards in in the first two quarters as the Longhorns (2-1) bounced back from a poor performance at Arkansas by walloping their former Southwest Conference rival. Texas has now defeated the Owls 15 straight times and shut out an opponent for the first time since early in the 2017 season.

Much of the discussion heading up to the game centered on the Longhorns’ starting quarterback switch from Hudson Card to Thompson, but Texas’ domination on the ground made that all but a moot point. Thompson started and hit on 15 of 18 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.

The Longhorns had 241 yards rushing in the first two quarters alone and ended up with a 620-284 edge in total yards, including a 427-156 advantage on the ground.

Roschon Johnson finished with 112 yards on only three carries for Texas.

The Owls (0-3) were forced to play the final two-plus quarters with third-string quarterback Jake Constantine under center after starter Luke McCaffrey and backup Wiley Green suffered injuries.

Rice has been outscored 140-24 in its first three games. Its first two losses were to Arkansas and Houston.

Robinson got the Longhorns’ scoring started with a 6-yard run at the 10:21 mark of the first quarter. Johnson, a former quarterback, then added a 72-yard touchdown run out of the wildcat formation with 1:33 to play in the period.

Texas’ special teams contributed to the rout as well as Keilan Robinson blocked a Rice punt that bounced through the end zone for a safety to push the Longhorns’ lead to 16-0 on the final play of the first quarter.

Thompson hit Jared Wiley and Xavier Worthy for 20 and 13 yards, respectively, in the final minutes of the half to put Texas up 44-0 at halftime.

Texas added a 65-yard TD run by Keilan Robinson and a 17-yard touchdown rush by Jonathon Brooks in the third quarter.

–Field Level Media

Quarterback Casey Thompson warms up before Texas's game against Louisiana at Darrell K. Royal Stadium on Sept. 4, 2021. Aem Ut Louisiana 53

Texas swaps QBs after loss, awaits Rice

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Texas entertains winless Rice in a matchup of former longtime Southwest Conference rivals on Saturday in Austin, Texas.

The Longhorns (1-1) hit reset in the aftermath of a 40-21 loss at unranked Arkansas last week that nudged Texas out of the Top 25.

Texas allowed the Razorbacks, picked to finish next to last in the Southeastern Conference’s six-team West Division, to rush for 333 yards.

The Longhorns’ offense, which looked powerful and proficient in a season-opening win over then-No. 23 Louisiana on Sept. 4, struggled under redshirt freshman starting quarterback Hudson Card, gaining just 163 total yards through the first three quarters.

Two short fourth-quarter scoring runs by backup signal caller Casey Thompson were just window-dressing for Texas.

Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian is giving Thompson a shot at the starting job and expects his team to bounce back this week.

“The natural knee-jerk reaction is the sky is falling and we’ve got to change everything,” Sarkisian said. “We’ve got a system and we’ve got coaches who have stood the test of time. We’ll rely on that and the players will continue to buy into that.

“At the end of the day, nobody wants to lose. Everybody wants to win, but we’ve got to get our mindset to we hate to lose more than we want to win.”

Sarkisian is rolling with Thompson against Rice.

The Owls (0-2) head to Austin after a 44-7 loss at home to Houston on Saturday, losing to their crosstown rival for the sixth straight time. Rice managed just 212 yards of total offense in the defeat, including only 86 yards passing.

Rice came into the Houston game with high hopes, build from a 38-17 loss at Arkansas in its season opener that was tied until the fourth quarter.

“I’m a little shell-shocked,” Rice coach Mike Bloomgren said after the loss. “It was not at all the way I thought the (Houston) game would go. I thought we would fight them tooth and nail, and that’s not the way it went.”

Transfer quarterback Luke McCaffrey hit Jordan Myers for a 5-yard second-quarter TD pass that cut the Owls’ deficit to 17-7 but Rice did not score again. McCaffrey made his first career start for the Owls.

Saturday’s game is the 96th all-time meeting between the two former SWC rivals and the first since 2019. Texas holds a 73-21-1 advantage in the series and has captured 14 straight wins against the Owls.

–Field Level Media

Dec 5, 2020; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman leads the team onto the field before the game against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

KJ Jefferson rallies Arkansas past Rice

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KJ Jefferson accounted for three touchdowns and Jalen Catalon recorded two interceptions as Arkansas opened its season with a 38-17 come-from-behind win Saturday against visiting Rice in Fayetteville, Ark.

Jefferson completed 12 of 21 passes for 128 yards with one touchdown and one interception and carried eight times for 51 yards and two scores. Trelon Smith rushed 22 times for 102 yards and a score.

Owls quarterback Wiley Green was intercepted three times and was 12-of-25 passing for 152 yards. He threw a touchdown pass to August Pitre III, who had four catches for a game-high 97 yards.

Arkansas (1-0) opened the scoring midway through the first quarter. Jefferson took off up the middle untouched for a 34-yard TD run.

Rice (0-1) responded with a 25-yard field goal by Collin Riccitelli early in the second and then took the lead on Jordan Myers’ 1-yard TD run with 4:19 to go in the half.

The Owls carried that 10-7 advantage into halftime and extended the lead to 17-7 early in the third when Green found a wide-open Pitre for a 41-yard TD strike.

Rice’s ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, giving Arkansas good field position, and the Razorbacks took advantage six plays later by scoring on Jefferson’s 5-yard run.

The Owls appeared ready to counter with points of their own, but the Razorbacks stuffed Myers on a fourth-and-1 run at the Arkansas 18. The hosts then drove down the field for a 34-yard field goal by Cam Little to tie it at 17-17.

Early in the fourth quarter, Catalon intercepted Green and returned it 39 yards (helped by a Rice penalty) to put the ball on the Rice 4. Smith capitalized by plunging in from 2 yards out with 12:44 left to give the Razorbacks their first lead of the second half.

Jefferson’s 9-yard TD pass to Tyson Morris with 4:07 to go extended the advantage to 31-17 and Arkansas went on to improve to 14-1 in its last 15 home openers.

–Field Level Media

Dec 5, 2020; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson (1) runs against the Missouri Tigers during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Razorbacks look to take step forward, starting vs. Rice

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Last season’s 3-7 record actually marked a step in the right direction for Arkansas, which aims to take a bigger step forward this season, beginning with Saturday’s home game against Rice.

The Razorbacks posted identical 2-10 records in 2018 and 2019 – when they were 0-16 in the SEC — before notching three wins in coach Sam Pittman’s first season — a shortened 10-game campaign, all against SEC competition.

Arkansas no longer has quarterback Feleipe Franks (now with the Atlanta Falcons), so it is time for redshirt sophomore KJ Jefferson to take over behind center.

Jefferson has appeared in eight games (two starts) in his two seasons with the Razorbacks, completing 47.2 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and an interception. He also has 58 carries for 125 yards and four scores.

“My teammates have instilled a lot of confidence in me,” Jefferson said earlier this offseason. “I feel the confidence will take you a long way and help you overcome adversity as well.

“I feel like my teammates have just pushed me with, ‘I know KJ, you can do this. We need you in certain situations. Be big here. We need you to be a big-time quarterback.’”

Jefferson will have the luxury of a veteran offensive line that returns all five starters, as well as Trelon Smith, the team’s leading rusher a season ago with 710 yards, a 5.3-yard average and five scores. Treylon Burks, who led the squad with 51 catches, 820 receiving yards and seven TD catches, could have a big season as well.

On defense, Arkansas returns nine starters from a unit that struggled down the stretch. During last year’s season-ending four-game losing streak, the Razorbacks allowed 48 points per game. Grant Morgan and Bumper Pool, the team’s leading tacklers from last season, return to spearhead a solid linebacking corps.

Rice, which went 2-3 during last season’s shortened campaign, is expected to play two quarterbacks on Saturday: Wiley Green and Luke McCaffrey.

“Right now, I think the best chance for us to win this game and going forward is for both of them to utilize their talents for our football team,” Owls coach Mike Bloomgren said.

Rice is hoping for an improved rushing attack in 2021, as the team managed just 2.8 yards per carry last season with only one rushing touchdown on 216 attempts.

–Field Level Media