(Photo Credit: Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Key Players Returning:
WR Luke McCaffrey, WR Brad Rozner, OG John Long, OT Clay Servin, OT Ethan Onianwa, LB Chris Conti, LB Myron Morrison, LB Josh Pearcy, CB Jordan Dunbar, CB/PR Sean Fresch, SS Gabe Taylor, KR Dean Connors and PT Conor Hunt.
Key Players Departing:
QB TJ McMahon, RB Cameron Montgomery, OC Shea Baker, OG John Hughes, DE Ikenna Enechukwu, DE Trey Schuman, LB Treshawn Chamberlain, FS George Kyakwol, FS Kirk Lockhart and PK Christian VanSickl.
Top 10 Recruits:
Blue Chip Recruits: QB JT Daniels (West Virginia transfer).
3 Star Recruits: WR Matt Sykes (UCLA transfer), OT Brant Banks (Nebraska transfer), ATH Ashton Ojiaku (Richmond, Texas), LB Ty Morris (Houston, Texas), OT Lavel Dumont (Toledo transfer), DL Joseph Mutombo (Keller, Texas), OL Hudson Perroni (Houston, Texas), WR Drayden Dickmann (Georgetown, Texas) and OT Peyton Farmer (Missouri City, Texas).
2022 Results:
G01 @ USC L 14-66
G02 MCNEESE W 52-10
G03 LOUISIANA W 33-21
G04 @ Houston L 27-34
G05 UAB W 28-24
G06 @ FAU L 14-17
G07 @ Louisiana Tech W 42-41
G08 CHARLOTTE L 23-56
G09 UTEP W 37-30
G10 @ Western Kentucky L 10-45
G11 UTSA L 7-41
G12 @ North Texas L 17-21
Team Info:
2022 Overall: 5-7 (7th in CUSA West)
Home: 4-2
Away: 1-5
Neutral: 0-0
CUSA: 3-5
Non-CUSA: 2-2
Head Coach: Mike Bloomgren
Rice: 16-39
Career: 16-39
Bowls: 0-1
Returning Statistical Leaders:
Passing: AJ Padgett (39-77, 634 yards, 50.6%, 8.2 avg., 5 TD, 1 INT)
Rushing: Juma Otoviano (71 car., 403 yards, 5.7 avg., 1 TD)
Receiving: Luke McCaffrey (58 rec., 723 yards, 12.5 avg., 6 TD)
TD’s Scoring: Ari Broussard (9)
Sacks: Josh Pearcy (6.5)
Tackles: Chris Conti (75)
Interceptions: Myron Morrison/Gabe Taylor (2)
Pass Deflections: Jordan Dunbar (10)
Tackles For Loss: Josh Pearcy (10)
Forced Fumbles: Gabe Taylor (2)
Kick Returns: Juma Otoviano (12 ret., 215 yards, 17.9 avg., 0 TD)
Punt Returns: Sean Fresch (10 ret.,103 yards, 10.3 avg., 0 TD)
Kicking: None
Punting: Conor Hunt (49 ret., 2007 yards, 41.0 avg., 10 in20)
Projected Offensive Starters:
QB: 18 JT Daniels (GR/TR)
RB: 00 Dean Connors (JR/TR)
WR: 2 Bradley Rozner (GR/TR)
WR: 4 Cedric Patterson III (GR/TR)
WR: 10 Luke McCaffrey (RS SR/TR)
TE: 87 Jack Bradley (SR)
LT: 71 Clay Servin (RS SR)
LG: 77 Brant Banks (RS JR/TR)
OC: 52 Braedon Nutter (RS JR)
RG: 73 Lavei Dumont (RS SR/TR)
RT: 78 Ethan Onianwa (RS SO)
KR: 00 Dean Connors (JR/TR)
PK: 15 Tim Horn (RS JR/TR)
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 44 Coleman Coco (RS JR/TR)
NT: 50 Izeya Floyd (RS JR)
DE: 55 De’Braylon Carroll (RS JR)
LB: 12 Josh Pearcy (RS JR)
LB: 33 Myron Morrison (RS JR)
LB: 11 Chris Conti (SR/TR)
LB: 41 Plae Wyatt (RS SO)
CB: 3 Jordan Dunbar (RS JR)
CB: 1 Sean Fresch (RS JR)
FS: 22 Jonathan Jean (RS SO)
SS: 26 Gabe Taylor (SR JR)
PR: 11 Tyson Thompson (JR/TR)
PT: 18 Conor Hunt (SR/TR)
Team Grades
Offense
Quarterbacks: B
Running Backs: C
Wide Receivers: B
Offensive Line: B
Defense
Defensive Line: B
Linebackers: B
Secondary: B
Special Teams
Kick Returners: C
Punt Returners: B
Kicking: C
Punting: C
Schedule:
09/02 @ Texas Longhorns | Rice trails the series 21-74-1. The Owls lost (0-58) the last meeting between schools in 2021.
09/09 HOUSTON COUGARS | Rice trails the series 11-33. The Owls are 0-5 since 2013 and their lasts series win (34-31) was in 2010.
09/16 TEXAS SOUTHERN TiGERS | First meeting between schools.
09/23 @ South Florida Bulls | First meeting between schools.
09/30 EAST CAROLINA PIRATES | The series is tied 2-2. The Owls won (62-38) the last meeting between schools in 2010.
10/07 CONNECTICUT HUSKIES | First meeting between schools.
10/19 @ Tulsa Golden Hurricane | Rice trails the series 8-10-1. The Owls won (30- 27 OT) the last meeting between schools in 2013.
10/28 TULANE OWLS | Rice leads the series 20-15-1. The Owls won (17-13) the last meeting between schools in 2013.
11/04 SMU MUSTANGS | Rice trails the series 41-48-1. The Owls won (36-14) the last meeting between schools in 2012.
11/11 @ UTSA Roadrunners | Rice trails the series 3-7. The Owls are 2-7 since 2013 and their last series win (17-7) was in 2014.
11/18 @ Charlotte 49ers | The series is tied 2-2. Last season’s 23-56 loss was their first home loss of the series and their last series win (22-21) was in 2016.
11/25 FAU OWLS | The series is tied 2-2. Last season’s 14-17 loss was the first meeting between schools since 2016.
Predictions:
Home: 5-2
Away: 3-2
Neutral: 0-0
AAC: 5-3
Non-AAC: 3-1
Overall: 8-4 (6th in AAC)
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