Last update
04/02/12 08:18 PM |
 SMU pix....
Tulane pix...
NU pix...
No
bowl....
 More UTEP pix...
Turner
Petersen's 44-yard TD run...
UH photos...
Tulsa
photos...
Marshall
photos...
Memphis
photos....
Video clip
of Jared's 48-yard INT return...
...annnd....sequence photos of Jared Williams'
pick six...
USM photos...
Baylor
photos....
Purdue
photos....
Justin Allen's
block photo sequence...
Rice-Texas
photo gallery....
Signing day
snapshots....
The 2010
season...
|
Blue
57, Gray 22
After slow start, big-play Blue explodes past Gray
X
CHARLES IN CHARGE --Senior
running back Charles Ross was at the top of his game as he surged for big play yardage
time after time in Friday evening's Blue- Gray game (PTH photo)
Redshirt QB Driphus Jacksonl tucks it under and runs in
second quarter of Friday's Blue- Gray game (PTH photo) |
HOUSTON (Mar. 31) – Led by the
not inconsiderable talents of junior QB Taylor McHargue and redshirt freshman
signal-caller Driphus Jackson, the Rice Blue team shook off a lackluster first quarter and
collectively put on their track shoes to surge to a 57-22 win over the Grays in Friday
night’s Spring Game.
While TMac showed sufficient cool and collective
to be presumed the starter going into August two-a-days, Driphus Jackson showed enough
upside potential to indicate he’ll nudge McHargue for playing time in the fall.
"Taylor McHargue was very confident in his game tonight, but Driphus was pushing
him," Rice head coach David Bailiff said afterwards. Behind the both of them, he
observed how the game was much more "procedurally clean" compared to most spring
endeavors.
Translation: there were much fewer offsides, procedure, missed assignments and
general bonehead moves than one might find in a typical spring game. That was so, even
though the offensive and defensive lines both featured a number of new faces – a
point of satisfaction for Coach Bailiff.
Continues...
Blues run away with
spring game, 57-22
(RiceOwls.com -- March 31)
Rice
winds down spring under the lights
(Owl Sports Watch -- Mar. 31)
Bailiff, Owls pleased with results of spring game
(Sports Radio 610 <Nate Griffin> -- March 31)
McHargue has edge as spring football wraps up
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- March 30)
Sam McGuffie shifts to new role
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- March 29)
SMU 27, Rice 24
Last-minute heroics fall just short as big defensive, special team plays not
enough to offset deficit on offense -- but it was that close
Jordan Taylor leaps to grab a Nick
Fanuzzi pass to get the Owls within 27-24 and set up last moment heroic play,
including successful onside kick, that almost, just about, but not quite, pulled off a
miraculous comeback win (PTH photo)
It
seemed just for the season to end like this
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Nov. 26)
Rice
rally falls short in loss to SMU
(Houston Chronicle -- Nov. 26)
DB says program headed in right direction
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Nov. 26)
SMU defeats Rice in last regular season game
(SMU Daily Campus -- Nov. 26)
June
Jones talks after SMU's win over Rice
(Fox Sports -- Nov. 26)
SMU runs past Rice, awaits bowl bid
(Washington Post/AP -- Nov. 26)
SMU gave Rice multiple chances to win
(Dallas SB Nation -- Nov. 26)
Converted SMU nose guard runs for 115 yards
(Sacramento Bee/The Sports Network -- Nov. 26)
Credit Rice with never giving up
(Dallas Morning News -- Nov. 26)
Win over SMU would close out season on a high note
DALLAS (Nov. 25) – Leaving aside the issue of whether a Rice victory
over SMU would mark a successful improvement over last year’s 4-8 campaign, or simply
muddy the waters further as to the Institute’s football future, one is constrained to
speculate on what might provide a winning combination for the Owls in Saturday’s
season-ender on the Hilltop.
Owlook
 |
The early, 11:00 a.m. start time hasn’t proven to be particularly kind to the
Owls over the years, but the main problem for them has been winning on the road the past
few seasons. Discounting the Owls’ 10-3, 2008 campaign, the Flock’s last league
road win was way back in November, 2007, right here at SMU, a 43-42 nailbiter won on a
last-second Rice field goal.
SMU’s fans, media pushers and coach June Jones like to preach of a Mustang
resurgence, and indeed the record would appear to reflect the same, at least to a degree.
Last season, the Mustangs won the C-USA western division crown before falling to
Central Florida in the league championship game. Their consolation prize was a berth in
the locally-held Armed Forces Bowl in which the Ponies fell to Army, 16-14, thus ending
the season at 7-7.
Continues....
Rice 19, Tulane 7
Tyler Smith saved the day for the
Rice offense in what was otherwise a very lackluster outing, amassing 145 yards in 25
carries and two TDs; here he pulls away, literally, from would-be Tulane tackler during
game-clinching touchdown drive (PTH photo)
TSmith, Boz provide just enough offense; defense holds ground, as Owls up
season home record to 4-1
HOUSTON (Sept. 19) – It’s nothing less than
appropriate to view Rice’s 19-7 victory over Tulane this Senior Day through
the looking glass of an optimist.
With the wind gusting and swirling and making mischief for both teams’
passing games, it was senior Rice running back Tyler Smith who hoisted the mail bag for
the Owls and provided the offensive spark that got them in or near the end zone enough times to cruise to a non-nail-biting win.
And with Tulane’s apparent conclusion that they had the superior athletes in order
to win by going right straight at the Owls on both sides of the ball, the Rice defense
stood tall and continuously repulsed what the Green Wave threw at them, rendering
bowling-ball running back Orleans Darkwa largely ineffective and putting enough pressure
on Tulane quarterback Ryan Griffin to keep him off balance for most of the game..
Too, one mustn't fail
to mention prominently the efforts of Chris Boswell, Rice’s sophomore Mr. Ice Man
place-kicker, who boomed two laser-shot field goals of 51 and 54 yards, both into the
roiling wind, making the margin of victory a bit more comfortable.
Nevertheless, although we all know that there are lies, damned
lies and statistics, today's stat sheet must
give pause to even the most pollyanna of Owl fans.
Continues...
Box score,
statistics....
SMU
game still meaningful to Owls
(Houston Chronicle -- Nov. 26)
Rice's
Smiths redefine commitment to family
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Nov. 26)
Mustangs
to take field against Owls, say farewell to seniors
(SMU Daily Campus -- Nov. 25)
Rice, SMU to
battle for Mayor's Cup
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Nov. 25)
Final pursuit perfect for Owls' Tyler Smith
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Nov. 25)
Rice,
winless on road, has nothing to lose
(Pony Stampede -- Nov. 25)
Owls
could surprise Mustangs
(Fox Sports Southwest -- Nov. 24)
Rice has chance to even league record
(Mustang Stampede -- Nov. 24)
Owls,
Mustangs tangle for Mayor's Cup
(Kansas City Star/The Sports Network -- Nov. 23)
This
year, Owls went through the motions
(SportsChatPlace.com -- Nov. 23)
SMU has worst turnover margin in the country
(Pony Stampede -- Nov. 23$)
SMU
wants to finish strong
(Dallas Morning News -- Nov. 23$)
Owls
say no bowl, no problem
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Nov. 21)
Owls, Mustangs to meet
for 88th time
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Nov. 21)
'It's exciting to win on Senior Day'
(RiceOwls.com -- Nov. 21)
This wasn't the
season the Owls hoped it would be
(Houston Press -- Nov. 21)
Zach
Line out for season with injury
(PonyStampede.com -- Nov. 21)
Boz
named C-USA special teams player of week
(ESPN.com -- Nov. 21)
Defense
plays better, but Green Wave falls to Rice
(New Orleans Times-Picayune -- Nov. 20)
Seniors
win final game at HRS
(Owl Sports Watch -- Nov. 20)
Rice
downs Tulane 19-7 on senior day
(Cypress Times -- Nov. 20)
Owls lose yardage battle, but win game
(USA Today/The Sports Network -- Nov. 20)
Owlvision postgame video clips
(RiceOwls.com -- Nov. 19)
Smith
carries Rice past Tulane in his last home game
(Houston Chronicle -- Nov. 19)
Seniors
spotlighted in Rice win over Tulane
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Nov. 19)
Tulane falls short at Rice, 19-7
(New Orleans Times-Picayune -- Nov. 19)
Smith, Boswell power Rice to win over Tulane
(YourHoustonNews.com -- Nov. 19)
Smith leads Rice past Tulane, 19-7
(ABC13.com/AP -- Nov. 19)
Boswell connects on 54-, 51-yarders for Rice
(Sacramento Bee/The Sports Network)
Owls aim toward salvaging season, starting
with win over Green Wave
HOUSTON (Nov. 17) – Saturday is Senior Day at Rice Stadium, when the
Rice Owls take on the Tulane Green Wave in the penultimate game of the season for both
teams, and, as neither of them are in the running for a bowl berth, each will be looking
for a big win to propel them into the postseason on a high note.
Owlook
|
As a crop of 2 5 Owl seniors suit up for the final home game
of their careers, it will be difficult for these erudite lads to avoid thoughts of what-
might-have-been. All but a couple of them were either a freshman or a redshirt freshman during the 2008 season, a ten-win
campaign which, as for now, stands as the high-water mark for Rice football on-field
success in the past 50 years.
Alas, it’s been a time of wandering in the desert in the inte rvening
years, and once again the Owls are looking to salvage a halfway
decent season out of the 2011 campaign by taking their last two games, starting Saturday
against the 2-9 Green Wave.
It is a Tulane team that started the season 2-and -1, but one which has lost its
last eight, the most recent being a 73-17 slaughter at the hands of the Houston Cougars
last Thursday in the Benzi Dome.
Continues....
Northwestern 28, Rice 6
Owls uncompetitive in yet another routine road loss
Scott Solomon was his usual reliable
self, and was able to nab the Owls' only sack on Northwestern QB Dan Persa for the day (Mackenzie McCluer photo)
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Not to belabor the point, but the gradual, but
seemingly inevitable, descent continues.
After staging an offensive field day in a 41-37 win the week before, the Rice Owl
offensive unit fell flat as a pancake against the Northwestern Wildcat defense Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Flock defensive unit appeared game but outmanned, allowing ‘Cat senior
quarterback Dan Persa a career day passing.
The result: a deceptively innocuous 28-6 win posted on the scoreboard for the Wildcats
– but it really wasn’t all that close.
After hanging with NU for the first ten minutes of the game, the Owls pretty
much disappeared on both sides of the ball. Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald had an
answer for why the Wildcats weren’t necessarily putting the hammer down from the
onset.
Continues....
Box score,
statistics....
Leach
says he's not serious about Tulane job
(New Orleans Times-Picayune -- Nov. 17)
Free tutorials available in Section 307
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Nov. 17)
Owls
lose to Northwestern, not going to bowl
(The Rice Thresher -- Nov. 17)
Owls
close out home slate against Tulane
(Kansas City Star/The Sports Network -- Nov. 16)
Wave
try to snap eight-game losing streak
(Austin American Statesman/AP -- Nov. 16)
Owls
again miss out on bowl eligibility
(Houston Chronicle -- Nov. 15)
Junior
LB Trent Mackey quarterbacks Tulane defense
(Tulane Hullaballoo -- Nov. 14)
Seniors
feeling brunt of a disappointing Rice season
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Nov. 14)
Tulane
hopes to break losing streak
(Tulane Hullaballoo -- Nov. 14)
Owls aim to
slow down Tulane's Darkwa
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Nov. 14)
Callahan
frosh NCAA picks leader
(YourHoustonNews.com -- Nov. 14)
Despite
team's record, Griffin deserves praise
(Tulane Hullaballoo -- Nov. 14)
Jeremy
Ebert puts name with Northwestern's best
(Chicago Sun-Times -- Nov. 13)
Rice-Northwestern video highlights
(Big Ten Network -- Nov. 13)
Owls
struggled on both sides of the football
(USA Today/The Sports Network -- Nov. 13)
Persa's
4 TD passes lead NU to 28-6 win over RIce
(The Daily Northwestern -- Nov. 13)
Rice
out of bowl chase with loss to Northwestern
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Nov. 12)
'We
couldn't get a drive going all day'
(Washington Post -- Nov. 12)
Rice trick play averts NU shutout
(ESPN.com -- Nov. 12)
Rice rolled by Northwestern
(Fox Sports Houston -- Nov. 12)
There was no denying the Wildcats on Saturday
(Chicago Tribune -- Nov. 12)
Northwestern
stomps Rice; 1 win away from bowl eligibility
(Chicago Sun-Times -- Nov. 12)
Persa, Ebert have big days in 28-6 NU romp
(SB Nation -- Nov. 12)
Persa-to-Ebert 90-yard TD helps Northwestern beat Rice
(Associated Press -- Nov. 12)
Northwestern's turnaround near completion
(ESPN.com -- Nov.12)
NU defense stifles Owls in season-best performance
(NUWildcats.com -- Nov. 12)
Boswell's kicks go the distance for Rice
(Houston Chronicle -- Nov. 12)
Though 1,200 miles apart, Rice-NU in many ways a neighborhood tiff
EVANSTON, Ill. (Nov. 10) – Google the terms "Rice vs.
Northwestern," and instead of link after link to football stories, the first thing
one encounters is link after link to earnest message board discussions – "which is the better school, Rice or Northwestern? I got admitted to both; which
should I attend?"
Owlook
|
Indeed, though the Big 10 school is larger in undergraduate
enrollment by a factor of nearly three to one, the schools have many similarities and
attract much the same kind of applicant. NU has edged out Rice in the U.S. News national
rankings the past few times out, but for many years before that the
edge was held on South Main.
The two institutions have something else much in common, and that is a very spotty historical record on the football field. Rice had the more storied early football
success, while NU’s only bowl appearance in history, prior to 1996, was the ‘49
Rose Bowl.
But then came the Gary Barnett Renaissance, when the Wildcats stormed to a 10-2
record during the 1995 season and finally made it back to Pasadena.
Since then, NU has won three Big Ten championships or co-championships and
has rendered itself bowl-eligible in seven out of
the last eight seasons.
Continues....
Northwestern
message boards...
Rice 41, UTEP 37
Andre Gautreaux, Randy Kitchens help Vance McDonald celebrate his
third-quarter touchdown reception to put Owls ahead, 27-24 (PTH photo)
Led by Fanuzzi's 400-yard passing onslaught, Owls refuse to let game get
away from them, win in thriller
Klein Kubiak comes down with huge fourth-quarter catch (Mark
Anderson photo) |
HOUSTON (Nov. 5) – The Rice Owls
won the paper war against the UTEP Miners quite convincingly here on this sun-dappled
Homecoming Day.
The Owl offense had its third-highest output of all time, garnering 671 yards and
outgaining their opponent by almost 300. Rice out first-downed UTEP, 30-14. The Owls
converted 13 of 20 third down attempts. They suffered zero turnovers. Penalties were
minimal. Time of possession was no contest.
And yet, the Feathered Flock needed every one of those yards, downs and minutes of
possession to stave off a UTEP team that appeared so charmed as to be able, almost, but
not quite, to steal a victory from the Owls.
As the third quarter clock wound down, Rice held an overwhelming statistical advantage,
and yet, amazingly, trailed on the scoreboard, 31-27. That was mainly because of two, long
touchdown bombs from UTEP’s Nick Lamaison to his wideout Mike Edwards, plus a chip
shot TD drive set up by a 70-yard Vernon Frazier kickoff return.
Continues.... Box score,
statistics....
Justin Allen blasts in low to the ground to sack UTEP
QB Lamaison in key early defensive play (Mark Anderson photo) |
It's
pick your poison for Owls
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Nov.
11)
Rice,
NU can both boast of perfect passing games
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Nov. 11)
NU
looks to avoid letdown
(Austin American- Statesman/AP -- Nov. 11)
Football
roundtable: Rice
(Daily Northwestern -- Nov. 11)
Persa
toughs out injuries
(Columbus, IN, Republic -- Nov. 11)
Beating midlevel C-USA team not easy as it sounds
(WNUR Radio -- Nov. 11)
Rice
isn't good; this shouldn't be hard
(Off-tackle Empire -- Nov. 11)
Spurned
by Stanford, Colter earns respect at NU
(Chicago Sun-Times -- Nov. 11)
Fanuzzi
has career day; Rice takes down UTEP
(Rice Thresher -- Nov. 11)
Persa
'poster guy for our program'
(Chicago Tribune -- Nov. 10)
Cat
backers have t-shirt message for Huskers
(OpposingView.com -- Nov. 10)
Fanuzzi
was fantastic last week for Rice
(Kansas City Star/The Sports Network -- Nov. 9)
Cats
looking for third straight win
(Chicago SB Nation -- Nov. 9)
Fitz responds to play theft claim
(Badger Nation -- Nov. 9)
Fitz
at Mon press conference talks about Owls
(NUWildcats -- Nov. 8)
Fanuzzi
delivers top performance
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Nov. 8)
No overconfidence
for Northwestern
(Chicago Daily Herald -- Nov. 8)
Persa
plans to play against Rice
(Houston Chronicle -- Nov. 8)
Personnel
shuffling doesn't slow Wildcats
(ESPN.com -- Nov. 8)
NU
said to have stolen Nebraska sideline signals
(ESPN Big 10 Blog -- Nov. 8)
Colter
doing it all for NU
(Chicago Tribune -- Nov. 8)
Dan
Persa expected to play this week
(ESPN Chicago -- Nov. 7)
Fanuzzi named
league offensive player of week
(CUSA.com -- Nov. 7)
NU players have
moved on to Rice
(Lake the Posts -- Nov. 7)
Fitzgerald: 'I
just felt it was time to go for the win'
(ESPN Big 10 blog -- Nov. 7)
Owls
have now won last eight November home games
(Houston Press -- Nov. 7)
This week:
Rice at Northwestern
(Houston Chronicle -- Nov. 6)
Owls erupt, pull away from UTEP
(Owl Sports Watch -- Nov. 6)
Kolter, Wildcats finally put
it all together
(Detroit Free Press -- Nov. 6)
Dan
Persa has shoulder injury, questionable
(Chicago Sun-Times -- Nov. 6)
Kolter
doing it all for NU
(South Bend Tribune -- Nov. 6)
Owls
keep bowl chances alive with win over UTEP
(Houston Chronicle -- Nov. 5)
Rice offense puts up career numbers against Miners
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Nov. 5)
Rice helmet stickers: offense rolls
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Nov. 5)
Steamed Price 'disgusted' Miners can't win in Houston
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Nov. 5)
Video highlights: Rice 41, UTEP 37
(Fox Sports -- Nov. 5)
Fanuzzi throws for career-high 405, three TDs in Owl win
(The Sports Network -- Nov. 5)
Fanuzzi sizzles as Owls end three-game losing streak
(Washington Post/AP -- Nov. 5)
Rice defeats UTEP in Homecoming thriller
(YourHoustonNews.com -- Nov. 5)
UTEP loses at Rice for third consecutive time
(The Prospector -- Nov. 5)
Whoa, slow down Rice; what's the hurry?
(KTSM News Channel 9 -- Nov. 5)
Owls, Miners both looking for consistent play as key
HOUSTON (Nov. 3) – Run the numbers, and the compar- isons disfavor the Rice
Owls. UTEP led the University of Houston most of the way in an early-season game in El
Paso before falling, 49-42, in the end, with a chance to tie as the clock ran out.
Owlook
|
Meanwhile, we all know what happened to the Owls at Jeppesen Stadium a week ago
today.
Saturday, again in El Paso, the Miners fostered a stout defensive effort to play the
Eastern-Division-leading USM Golden Eagles off their feet before fading in the stretch and
losing by 18 after giving up a couple of late touchdowns. That was the same Southern Miss
team that doubled up the Owls, 48-24, in Hattiesburg a few weeks ago.
But pardon the Owls and their fans if they don’t buckle at the knees over
the thought of taking on Los Mineros at Rice Stadium Saturday before what indubitably will
be a small, but supportive Homecoming crowd.
Continues....
Houston 73, Rice 34
Tyler Smith crosses goal at the end of his
record-breaking 97-yard touchdown run in third quarter against UH (PTH photo)
Rice's Tolu Akinwumi draws bead on loose football; he
wound up with the wet pigskin, and three plays later, Owls scored to take a 10-7
first-quarter lead (PTH photo) |
HOUSTON (Oct. 28) – Now, at least, we know what it would have
taken for the Rice Owls to have defeated the Houston Cougars on the grass of Robertson
Stadium Thursday night.
Noah’s Flood.
The rains came down, and then they abated. They started again, and then they stopped.
All the while, a nearly four-hours-long football game was being staged before 30,000-plus
Coog fans for whom the event was strictly fair weather.
And the bizarre thing about it was, at least by our count, when the rain was
coming down at an intensity greater than a drizzle, the Owls outscored their cross-town
rivals, 31-24. When the rain stopped, and in so doing removed a figurative thorn from
Achilles’ Heel, the wizened old magician Case Keenum was unstoppable, outgunning the
Flock 49-3, all seven touchdowns coming by way of the air, most of them long bombs against
single man-to-man ‘coverage.’
The record-breaking, sixth-year Houston signal caller sure
didn’t like playing in that thunderstorm that started to crash
down early in the first quarter, though. And neither, apparently, did the U of H defense.
Continues.... Box
score, statistics....
Ed. note: We will not be linking to stories posted
by the El Paso Times, which is part of a media group contracted with Righthaven,
LLC, a law firm which mines the internet for alleged copyright infringements by
small-time bloggers and web sites; then files peremptory lawsuits.
'Wild
Owl' breaks out of offense's cage
(Houston Chronicle -- Nov. 5)
This game a
virtual 'must' for Miner bowl hopes
(MinerRush.com -- Nov. 4)
Coogs
send Owls back to pre-school
(The Rice Thresher -- Nov. 4)
Did Coogs run it up
on Owls?
(Houston Press -- Nov. 3)
Miners want to keep bowl momentum
building
(KHOU.com/AP -- Nov. 3)
Injuries
taking toll on Rice offense
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Nov. 3)
Tall
Owl receivers try to cut down on 'MA's
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Nov. 3)
Former
Rice long snapper Pontbriand excels in NFL
(Your Houston News -- Nov. 3)
Inconsistency
byword for Owl, Miner offense, defense
(Kansas City Star/TSN -- Nov. 2)
Price
says he has permit to shoot Owls
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Nov. 2)
Owls are running out of chances
(Owl Sports Watch -- Nov. 2)
Miners
looking for rare win against Owls
(The Prospector -- Nov. 1)
Recent Rice-UTEP
meetings have been mostlyh cliff-hangers
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Nov. 1)
Price on Rice:
'They're very well-coached'
(UTEPMiners.com -- Nov. 1)
Loss
puts Rice in familiar position
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Oct. 31)
A Case of
awesomeness (sic)
(The Daily Cougar -- Oct. 31)
McGuffie
will visit docs about sprained ankle
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Oct. 31)
DB:
Edge goes to Fanuzzi at QB
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Oct. 31)
Boswell among Groza Award's stars of the week
(RiceOwls.com -- Oct. 31)
Owls' Jayson Carter lets heart make up for size
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Oct. 29)
Where
does latest loss rank among worst in Bailiff era?
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Oct. 28)
Keenum:
'I hate rain games; this is terrible'
(San Francisco Chronicle/AP -- Oct. 28)
With
that defensive set, Rice was asking for it
(Fox Sports Houston -- Oct. 28)
Owls will
be seeking to regain self-respect
(Houston Press -- Oct. 28)
Tyler
Smith's career performance wasted in loss to Houston
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Oct. 28)
Owls execute, just can't keep up with Cougars
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Oct. 28)
No.
18 Houston's Keenum has 9 TD passes, breaks record
(Washington Post/AP -- Oct. 28)
The
greatest gunslinger of them all?
(ESPN.com -- Oct. 28)
RIce
needs 4-0 from here on out for bowl
(YourHoustonNews.com -- Oct. 28)
Coogs
erase all that Rice work
(Houston CultureMap -- Oct. 28)
Records
galore in this year's Bucket game
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 28)
Rice
offense can't keep up with Houston
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Oct. 27)
Keenum breaks record in UH rout of Rice
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 27)
Cougars, Owls meet again, but for how much longer?
(Fox Sports Houston -- Oct. 27)
'We've got to be physical'
Owls will need fast start to survive Coog
attack
HOUSTON (Oct. 26) – When the 2-5 Rice Owls line up against the
undefeated Houston Cougars at Robertson Stadium Thursday evening, to a man, they’ll
be fully aware of just how tough a task they’ll be facing.
Owlook
|
Against the Owls, the number-18-ranked Cougars will be looking to go 8-0, which
would match their best shot out of the starting gates in school history.
The stars have aligned perfectly for the Coogs all season. On the road, they appear to
be just another team; yet they always seem to find a way to win. They’ve played but
three road games so far – against mighty North Texas, Lousiana Tech, and UTEP.
Against UNT, they trailed in the first half before extending their lead late. At
Louisiana Tech, they staged a simply amazing comeback to win in the final seconds, 35-34
after trailing 34-7 late in the third quarter. And in El Paso, they trailed most of the
game before prevailing 49-42.
Continues....
Tulsa 38,
Rice 20
Paul Porras set a
career high with 15 tackles against Tulsa (PTH photo)
x
Early Rice turnover-fest spots Tulsa
17-0 lead; Owls spend rest of game playing catch-up, fall short
Vance McDonald drags a Tulsa defender for extra yardage (PTH
photo) |
HOUSTON (Oct. 23) – Well, first question has to be: who was
that damned doctor who cleared Taylor McHargue to play Saturday night, anyway?
Just before kickoff, we asked T Mac where he was and he said,
"Lesotho." Asked him what year it was and he said, "1634." When he
came off the field after the first interception, we asked him who he was trying to hit and
he said, "Sammy the Owl. Durn it. Missed him."
Of course we kid, but when things go downhill so fast as they did when the Rice Owls
teed it up against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane Saturday evening, laughter is the best
medicine. Pretty much the only medicine.
Obviously despite being cleared to play after suffering what the docs termed
"concussion-like symptoms" late in the Marshall game the week before, Taylor
McHargue was engaged in an out-of-body experience as he started in this debacle, in which
three, immediate turnovers – two picks and a fumble – resulted in 17 quick Tulsa
points, a deficit that the Owls chased manfully and determinedly the rest of the evening,
although eventually falling, 38-20.
Continues....
Box score,
statistics....
Rice
tries to tag UH, claim Bucket
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 27)
Keenum,
Houston simultaneously climbing ladders
(Fox Sports -- Oct. 27)
High-octane
Cougars try to stay perfect
(Washington Post/AP -- Oct. 27)
UH
averaging more points in first half than Rice in games
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Oct. 27)
Last November looks less and less like design
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Oct. 27)
Rice
hoping to keep up with fast-paced Cougars
(Woodlands Online -- Oct. 27)
'You
never know what's going to happen'
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Oct. 26)
Memorable
moments from Bucket rivalry
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Oct. 26)
Bucket
game faces uncertain future if UH leaves C-USA
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 26)
Sumlin uses video to push UH to perfect season
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 26)
Rice
earns high marks in annual grad rates report
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 25)
Bucket
game carries great meaning for UH, Rice
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 25)
TMac's problems at QB all psychological
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Oct. 25)
Bailiff keeping ID of starting QB a secret
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 25)
If you thought the Bayou Bucket was odd...
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Oct. 25)
Coogs look to match best start in school history
(CBSSports.com -- Oct. 25)
Rice-Houston an underrated matchup
(BleacherReport.com -- Oct. 25)
'I
eat at Buffalo Wild Wings'
(Fox Sports Houston -- Oct. 25)
Dillard:
'We think we could have done more'
(Your Houston News -- Oct. 25)
A
look at the past five Bayou Bucket games
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 24)
'They said they
wanted to see our second quarterback'
(Houston Press -- Oct. 24)
UH outscoring foe 175-31 in last three home games
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 24)
Turnovers
waste defensive effort
(Owl Sports Watch -- Oct. 23)
TU
shows UT the GJ it lost
(Tulsa World -- Oct. 23)
That
was Tulsa's fifth straight over Owls
(Tulsa World -- Oct. 23)
There
was only so much Nick Fanuzzi could do
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Oct.
22)
Early miscues lead to 38-20 loss to Tulsa
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 22)
Tulsa hangs on after fast start
(Tulsa World -- Oct. 22)
Kinne,
Carter lead Hurricane over Rice
(Fox23.com -- Oct. 22)
Tulsa controls tempo in win over Rice
(NewsOn6.com -- Oct. 22)
Tulsa's ugly helmets boggle the eye, mind
(LostLettermen.com -- Oct. 22)
Tulsa gets third straight win as Rice falls
(Washington Post/AP -- Oct. 22)
Rice
quickly fell behind 17-0 and never recovered
(YourHoustonNews.com -- Oct. 22)
Tulsa time....
Under less controversial guidance, Hurricane heads for South Main
Sammy the Owl shows dismay as his team's lead unravels in
the final minutes at Marshall (Marcus Constantino photo) |
HOUSTON (Oct. 19) – The first thing to bear in mind about the
Tulsa Golden Hurricane, the Rice Owls' home opponent this week, is that Todd Graham is no
longer at the coaching helm.
Owlook
|
With the former Tulsa mentor's move to the University of
Pittsburgh this season, a lot of the steam has been taken out of the late spat between
certain supporters of the two schools. But that's largely beside the point.
Todd Graham was uniformly successful against the Owls, leading Tulsa to four straight
wins, only one of them being halfway close. Excepting Rice's 10-win, 2008 season as an
outlier (in which Graham's team earned a 63-28 blowout win over the Owls), the Flock's
trend arrow has been steadily pointing downward ever since Graham's 2006, single-year
tenure as the Rice coach. Meanwhile, Tulsa's, under Graham's tutelage, was trending
steadily up and up – that is, until he and Penni hit the road once again.
Going into this game, though, the two teams appear to be on more or less an even
plane. Tulsa is 3-3, with blowout losses incurred against three Top 10 teams -- No. 1
Oklahoma, No. 5 Boise State and No. 9 Oklahoma State -- in the first four weeks of the
season . And their three wins were against three teams that Rice very likely would have
gone 3-0 against, as well – North Texas, Tulane and UAB.
Continues....
Littlest
Owl ready to soar.... A
safety who plays cello...
x
Marshall 24, Rice 20
Rice reserve wide receiver Mario Hull makes circus catch of
TMac pass to keep Owl third quarter touchdown drive alive (Photo by Marcus Constantino)
Determined second-half rally fails to win the day as early ill-preparedness, sloppy
play yield unwarranted deficit; late fumble, injury allow Marshall back in the door
Scott Solomon pulls down MU quarterback Graham during
third quarter of Rice-Marshall game (Marcus Constantino photo) |
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. (Oct. 16) – It would have been easy enough
to chalk up Rice's painful, 24-20 loss here Saturday to a single play, that being the
strip of the football out of the hands of the Owls' Sam McGuffie by Marshall's
all-everything defender Vinnie Curry.
It would have been obvious, as well, to ascribe the Flock's inability to overcome
the late deficit with a score of their own due to a day-ending slap on the side of the
helmet to Owl quarterback Taylor McHargue, who, alternating with Wild Owl Turner Petersen,
brought back Rice from a 14-0 deficit to a 20-17 lead.
But mistakes are made, and injuries happen, and this Rice loss, its 14th out of its
last 15 games on the road, had its genesis in events occurring much earlier in the game,
and well before the kickoff, for that matter.
The Owls came out sloppy on offense and ill-prepared on defense, as the
one-dimensional Herd quarterback, first-time starter A. J. Graham, befuddled the Rice
defenders with the same simple running play over and over again, garnering 94 yards
rushing in the first half as the West Virginians stormed out to a 14-0 early lead.
Continues.... Box score,
statistics.... Flashback:
The heart of Sam McGuffie....
Passing
game get a big boost from Eagle Lake's Hull
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 22)
Rice
opens divisional play against Tulsa
(Bleacher Report -- Oct. 22)
Tulsa seniors look to create their own legacy
(Tulsa World -- Oct. 22)
Don't let that Tulsa record fool you
(Houston Press -- Oct. 22)
Upholding a Kubiak family tradition
(RiceOwls.com -- Oct. 21)
New
details on stadium upgrade plans
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 21)
Five things: Rice-Tulsa
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Oct. 21)
Adversity is strengthening Tulsa
(Inside Tulsa Sports -- Oct. 21)
Tulsa
118th out of 120 in pass defense
(Tulsa World -- Oct. 20)
Tulsa hopes for another streak to close season
(Tulsa World -- Oct. 20)
Tulsa
might not need any luck to defeat Owls
(NewsOn6.com -- Oct. 20)
Sources:
Rice plans $40 million stadium renovation
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 19)
Owls
might be undefeated at home, but that should change
(Kansas City Star/The Sports Network -- Oct. 19)
Fourth-quarter
meltdowns haunt Rice
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 19)
Tulsa
vulnerable in vertical passing game
(Tulsa World -- Oct. 19)
Tulsa's
Sears becoming threat at WR
(Tulsa World -- Oct. 19)
Touchdown Club to host Bayou Bucket breakfast
(RiceOwls.com -- Oct. 18)
Travis
Bradshaw feature
(RiceOwls.com -- Oct. 18)
TMac,
Jam, Kitchens all cleared to play -- TMac with gloves
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Oct. 18)
McHargue cleared to play after concussion-like symptoms
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 18)
This weesk: Tula
at Rice
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Oct. 17)
Rice
weighs all QB options -- including a freshman
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Oct. 17)
Inability
to close out wins haunting Owls
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Oct. 17)
Turnovers
still an issue for Hurricane
(Tulsa World -- Oct. 17)
MK's Rice midseason report card
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Oct. 17)
Rice gives one away
(Owl Sports Watch -- Oct. 16)
Ground
game, defense lifts Herd to win
(Huntington Herald-Dispatch -- Oct. 16)
Curry's
emotional week ends with a win
(WV Gazette -- Oct. 16)
Herd
comeback beats Rice
(Beckley Register-Herald -- Oct. 16)
This Rice
team is not great, but not Memphis bad
(WV Gazette -- Oct.16)
MU's
Curry played with heavy heart
(Beckley Register-Herald -- Oct. 16)
Herd
holds off Rice, 24-20
(Parkersburg News and Sentinel -- Oct. 16)
Curry's
strength shines through
(Huntington Herald-Dispatch -- Oct. 16)
McGuffie's
fumble proves costly for Rice in loss
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 15)
Two field goals in the red
zone; 2-of-12 3rd down conversions
(ESPN.com -- Oct. 15)
Rice
just needed to hold onto the football
(WV Metro News -- Oct. 15)
Marshall
comeback beats Rice on Homecoming
(WSAZ.com -- Oct. 15)
Rice-Marshall live
updates from Huntington
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Oct. 15)
Owls attempt to break road hex at Marshall
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (Oct. 13) -- The Rice Owls, winners of exactly one out
of their last 14 road games, travel to the hollers of West Virginia this weekend in an
attempt to break a vicious circle that has dogged them since the beginning of the 2009
season.
Owlook
|
Whether this is a good place to cut the knot of road loss after road loss is
an open question. Huntington is perhaps the least accessible of all the Owls’ road
destinations, what with at least one changeover flight to Charleston, WV, and then a 70
mile trip down the interstate. The Owls lost here in their only previous sojourn, that being a 2007 visit by a Chase Clement and James Casey-paced team.
But matters appear to be a bit in a state of flux surrounding the Marshall eleven.
First off, it seems there’s a quarterback controversy brewing in Huntington.
Quarterback Rakeem Cato, who started the first six games of the season, will step aside in
favor of redshirt sophomore A.J. Graham, MU head coach Doc Holliday announced Tuesday.
"We've got certain standards and expectations that we expect every player
to live up to and if they don't they sit and watch with me and the other guys play,"
Coach Holliday told local news media. "A.J. will start Saturday."
Continues....
Marshall
message boards....
Marshall week
Rice 28, Memphis 6
Rice DL Jared Williams secures interception
and shifts into high gear en route to 48-yard TD return which broke the game open in the
third quarter, putting Owls up, 21-3 (PTH photo)
x
Owls get first league win as defense dominates,
offense shows signs of life
Rice DL was in Memphis quarterback's grill all day (PTH
photo) |
HOUSTON (Oct. 9) – If it were not an outright righting of the
ship, at least it was a hard tack in the right direction.
The Rice defense returned to a state of full consciousness, while the offense
managed to show an occasional, albeit arhythmic, pulse, as the Owls methodically ground
down an already hamburger-meat Memphis team, 28-6, before 14,179 fans at Rice
Stadium here Saturday.
The somewhat injury-depleted Owl defenders returned to the form they showed the first
two games of the season in a narrow loss to Texas and a thrilling win
over Purdue, holding the Tiger offensive attack to nary a touchdown, the
first time an Owl team has accomplished that feat since a season-opening 38-0 defeat over
Nevada-Las Vegas in, let’s see, when was that.... 1995.
Seems like only yesterday.
Meanwhile, the Rice offensive game, while exhibiting some of the alarming
tendencies shown in their last two blowout losses, managed to cobble
together three touchdown drives before letting the air out of the tires with a 28-3 lead
late in the third quarter.
Continues....
Box
score, statistics...
Rice
shooting for .500 mark
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 15)
Special teams the key for Rice
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Oct. 15)
Herd
tries to bounce back against Owls
(Parkersburg News and Sentinel -- Oct. 15)
Marshall needs to get offense
in gear
(Charleston Gazette -- Oct. 15)
(Insert
tired cliche headline here)
(Bluefield Daily Telegraph -- Oct. 15)
Brown makes hits
for the Herd
(Huntington Herald-Dispatch -- Oct. 15)
Solly:
'I turn on a switch and I can't really turn it off'
(Huntington Herald-Dispatch -- Oct. 14)
Six
Owls earn mid-season honors
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Oct. 14)
Herd's
schedule was rough; Rice's rougher
(Beckley Register-Herald -- Oct. 14)
Depth paying dividends for
Owls
(West Virginia Gazette -- Oct. 13)
Herd
and Owls in similar positions
(West Virginia Metro News -- Oct. 13)
Owls,
Herd both trying to keep pace
(Austin American-Statesman/AP -- Oct. 13)
Not
long ago, Rice won 10 games
(Huntington Herald-Dispatch -- Oct. 13)
Owls
striving to learn to win on the road
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 12)
Marshall
to give soph Graham his shot at QB
(Beckley Register-Herald -- Oct. 12)
A.J. handed
the keys
(West Virginia Gazette -- Oct. 12)
Can't accuse
Rice of playing watered-down schedule
(West Virginia Gazette -- Oct. 11)
Like Herd, Owls have one of league's top DEs
(Beckley Register-Herald -- Oct. 11)
DB
pleased with progress on defense
(West U. Examiner -- Oct. 11)
Owl
DL putting hurt on opponents
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Oct. 10)
Six games
down, six to go
(Huntington Herald-Dispatch -- Oct. 10)
From here,
MU won't face super defenses
(Charleston Gazette -- Oct. 10)
Rice
offense must improve
(YourHoustonNews.com -- Oct. 10)
Owls stumble
to victory
(Houston Press -- Oct. 10)
Defense
provides spark in win over Memphis
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Oct. 9)
Memphis serves cure for Rice blues
(Owl Sports Watch -- Oct. 9)
Williams
sparks Rice to big win over Memphis
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 8)
Defense powers Rice past Memphis
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Oct. 8)
Rice hands Memphis 15th straight league loss
(Memphis Commercial Appeal -- Oct. 8)
Rice rolls past Memphis, 28-6
(Newsday/AP -- Oct. 8)
Owl 'D' doesn't allow TD for first time since '95
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Oct. 8)
McHargue, Peterson pace Owls to easy win over Memphis
(USA Today/The Sports Network -- Oct. 8)
Rice defense stifles Memphis in 28-6 victory
(West University Examiner -- Oct. 8)
Descent continues as Tigers manhandled in Houston
(Memphis Flyer -- Oct. 8)
Backs against the wall?
Fresh from two bad road losses, Owls return to friendly confines
hoping to make statement against a 1-4 Memphis team
HOUSTON (Oct. 6) – The Rice Owls' 11:30 a.m. Saturday tilt with the visiting
Memphis Tigers may not necessarily be of the "must- win" variety. Instead, not
to put any pressure on the guys or anything, but this one has to be chalked up as more of
a "must-not- lose-and-if-you-do- just-keep-walkin’" kind of game.
The Tigers come to Rice Stadium with a 1-4 record, 0-1 in conference play, but
they've won all of two games total in this season and the last
under head coach Larry Porter.
Memphis enters the game on a 14-game C-USA losing streak. The
Tigers’ last conference win was 35-20 over UTEP on Oct. 10, 2009. Without
belaboring the issue, it may be fairly said that their statistical results are much closer
to the bottom of the heap than to the top.
Owlook
|
Be that as it may, they come into the game with at least something in the way of
momentum, despite last week's narrow, 38-31 loss to Middle Tennessee State. And yes,
that's the same Middle Tennessee State that took the Purdue Boilermakers to the last
second in a two-point loss on the road at West Lafayette.
Memphis roared out to a 17-0 lead before the Blue Raiders came from behind in
the fourth quarter, scoring three late Tds to eke out the win. The Tigers seemingly had a
win in the palms of their hands, but let it slip away.
Continues....
USM 48, Rice 24
Bryce Callahan makes a move as he emerges with his one of two interceptions
against USM (Bobbie McDuffie photo)
Rice seizes third-quarter lead with 96-yard TD fumble return,
but then roof caves in as Owls fall back on old habits, vulnerabilities
HATTIESBURG (Oct. 1) – The University of Southern Mississippi Golden
Eagles gave the Rice Owls tools enough to plant a victory garden here Saturday, but when
chips were down, the Owls regressed to the mean. The result: a
demoralizing 48-24 loss at M. M. Rogers Stadium Saturday night that’ll have Owl fans,
and one would expect coaches and players, scratching their heads
long into the night.
Early on, the Rice defense showed newfound opportunism in
turning two forced fumble recoveries into touchdown returns, plus nabbing two interceptions by Bryce Callahan that would’a, could’a,
should’a added to Southern Miss misery – but didn’t.
In the end, it was the same old Owls; that same frustrating Rice team that continues to
lose demonstrated talent down a worm-hole somewhere, or something. It was the same
disappointing game plan that failed to take advantage of the opponent’s
vulnerabilities, failed to anticipate obvious schemes that were be employed against the
Owls, and, once implemented with great success by the opponent, failed to make mid-course
corrections to neutralize them.
Still, chalking up this loss to ineptitude or lack of preparation is
insufficient to explain the entire circumstances.
Continues...
Box
score, statistics....
This
time around, Owls worst in rushing defense
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 8)
Tigers
hope Rhodes' return can help ground game
(Memphis Commercial Appeal -- Oct. 8)
Rice-Memphis:
MK's 5 things to watch
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Oct. 7)
School
days students ready for Rice-UM matchup
(YourHoustonNews.com -- Oct. 7)
Owls
outplayed in second half; USM doubles up Rice
(The Rice Thresher -- Oct. 7)
Owls heavy favorite in league home opener
(Austin American-Statesman -- Oct. 7)
Memphis
receiver targets first-down markers
(Memphis Commercial Appeal -- Oct. 6)
Porter needs to pull out every motivational trick
(Memphis Flyer -- Oct. 5)
Rice,
Memphis both looking for first league win
(Kansas City Star /The Sports Network -- Oct. 5)
Tigers showed improvement in narrow loss to MTSU
(GoTigersGo.com -- Oct. 5)
Turnovers bouncing way of Memphis defense
(Memphis Commercial Appeal -- Oct. 5)
Porter: 'We were ready to play this game'
(The Daily Helmsman -- Oct. 4)
Rice
looking ahead to Memphis
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Oct. 4)
Owls turn eye toward shoring up OL
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Oct. 4)
Rice-Southern
Miss video highlights
(Fox Sports Houston -- Oct. 4)
Fans
fed up with Tiger football
(MyFoxMemphis -- Oct. 3)
Rice hopes to
maintain Memphis league losing streak
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Oct. 3)
Coach
Porter looks ahead to Rice game
(MyFoxMemphis.com -- Oct. 3)
Tigers showed life in loss to MTSU
(MemphisFlyer.com -- Oct. 3)
Rhodes back at practice for Memphsi
(Memphis Commercial Appeal -- Oct. 3)
Owls' self-destruction comes in many forms
(Houston Press -- Oct. 3)
Half
good not good enough
(Owl Sports Watch -- Oct. 2)
Eagles
overcome mistakes, roll late
(Jackson Clarion-Ledger -- Oct. 2)
Rice falls on the road at USM
(Cypress Times -- Oct. 2)
Eagles own this one as USM sets yardage record
(Hattiesburg American -- Oct. 2)
USM wanted to run the ball, and did
(Hattiesburg American -- Oct. 2)
Southern Miss takes over in third quarter
(Macon Telegraph -- Oct. 2)
Defense was zoned in on McGuffie
(Hattiesburg American -- Oct. 2)
Hot and cold Davis ends up on fire
(Hattiesburg American -- Oct. 2)
Wheaton's return one of many big USM plays
(Jackson Clarion-Ledger -- Oct. 2)
Rice falters in second half as Southern Miss rolls
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 1)
USM
kept chewing up big gains on ground
(ESPN/AP -- Oct. 1)
Third-quarter scoring flurry keys USM victory
(Biloxi Sun-Herald -- Oct. 1)
HOUSTON (Sept.29) – The Rice
Owls travel to downtown greater metropolitan Hattiesburg Saturday for their conference
opener against the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (6:30 p.m.; CSS).
Owlook
|
Rice stands 1-and-2 thus far against a rugged nonconference
slate featuring one Big 10 and two Big 12 foes, and it could be argued fairly that the
Owls, thus far, have held serve, their having narrowly defeated Purdue at home while
losing handily to Texas and Baylor – both teams nationally ranked -- on the road.
But the ultimate in holding serve would be to emerge from this
Southern Miss game with a 2-2 record, 1-and-0 in conference. A win Saturday would position
the Owls well for a successful run through their C-USA schedule.
The Eagles are on
something of a hot streak, having defeated the University of Virginia on the road last
Saturday,. 30-24, to extend their record to 3-1 on the season. And Eagle sensibilities are
still smarting over the fact that USM is 0-and-2 lifetime against the Owls, having lost
45-40 in a shootout against Chase Clement & Co. at Rice Stadium in 2008, while the
year before coughing up the pill seven times in a 31-29 upset loss to the Owls at home.
That was David Bailiff's first win as head man for the Owls.
Continues.... Lagniappe: Rice-USM
'08 game page....
USM message boards....
Rice-USM Gameday
Central....
Soph RB Turner Petersen gets it in high gear
Rice sophomore running back
Turner Petersen, here shown crossing the goal after a breakaway 36-yard TD run against
Tulane last season, has gone to the head of the class among the Owls' classy stable of
running backs. Against Baylor last week he led all Owl rushers with 51 yards,
averaging 7.3 yard per carry. Here is our
video of his Monday press luncheon interview (PTH photo)
Baylor 56, Rice 31
OK, ENOUGH OF THIS GUY-- Baylor offense proved unstoppable
against Owls, as long as RG3 was at the controls (Mark Anderson photo)
Owl receiver Vance McDonald led the team with 5 catches
on the night; here he leaves a dreadlocked Baylor tackler in his dust (MA photo) |
WACO (Sept. 24) – Things were looking up as the Rice Owls
forced a punt on Baylor’s first possession here Saturday, and then immediately
commenced to pushing the ball down the field.
But a dropped pass or two was all it took to stall the Owls’ drive, and Chris
Boswell’s 55-yard field goal attempt, though it had plenty of distance, appeared to graze the upright as it fell just wide left.
That’s when the walls caved in for Rice, because that’s when Robert Griffin
III got good and cranked up for the Baylor Bears.
At the end of the day, the Heisman-hopeful quarterback had thrown five touchdown
passes and added another one on the ground as the homestanding Bruins coasted to a 56-31
victory over the Owls after having taken a 28-0 lead one play deep into the second
quarter.
Continues....
Box score,
statistics....
Five
things: Rice at Southern Miss
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Oct. 1)
McHargue coming of age with Rice offense
(Houston Chronicle -- Oct. 1)
Bailiff returns to site of his first win at Rice
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Oct. 1)
Close to a must-win for Eagles today
(Hattiesburg American -- Oct. 1)
Owls,
Eagles have similar goals
(Biloxi Sun-Herald -- Oct. 1)
Southern
Miss looks to end skid against Rice
(Huntsville Times -- Oct. 1)
Rice
hits road in hopes of win over USM
(SB Nation Houston -- Oct. 1)
Baylor
runs Owls out of Waco
(The Rice Thresher -- Sept. 30)
The
defensive back who plays cello
(KHOU-TV -- Sept. 30)
Eagle challenge: Improve ground game
(Jackson Clarion-Ledger -- Sept. 30)
Golden Eagles seek first win versus Rice
(USM Student Printz -- Sept. 29)
RB Petersen succeeds in latest role for Rice
(Houston Chronicle -- Sept. 29)
Bolden's health key to USM offensive awakening
(Biloxi Sun-Herald -- Sept. 29)
'The main thing for the D line is to get pressure'
(Hattiesburg American -- Sept. 29)
Improved play at corner gives USM a boost
(Jackson Clarion-Ledger -- Sept. 29)
USM
needs to play well against Rice
(Hattiesburg American -- Sept. 29)
New
defensive scheme helping out USM
(Birmingham News al.com -- Sept. 28)
Owl
offense has shown improvement each week
(Kansas City Star/The Sports Network -- Sept. 28)
Golden Eagles must find way to reduce penalties
(Hattiesburg American -- Sept. 28)
New Mexico youth makes Owls his team
(Cypress Times -- Sept.28)
USM receiver Balentine blossoms
(Jackson Clarion-Ledger -- Sept. 28)
C-USA considers merging with MWC to get BCS bid
(Houston Chronicle -- Sept. 27)
USM tackles leader Willliams likely out for season
(Jackson Clarion-Ledger -- Sept. 27)
Coach Bailiff's Tuesday morning radio interview
(1560theGame.com -- Sept. 27)
Golden
Eagles want to steam Rice
(Biloxi Sun-Herald -- Sept. 27)
5
things we learned from the Virginia victory
(USM Student Printz -- Sept. 27)
Passing
game to thank for big road win
(Gulflive.com -- Sept. 27)
Don't downplay USM win over Virginia
(Hattiesburg American -- Sept. 27)
Fedora
saw a lot to like in road win
(Jackson Clarion-Ledger -- Sept. 27)
Griffin
dazzles against overmatched Owls
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Sept. 26)
Air
show key for USM against Rice
(Hattiesburg American -- Sept. 26)
Fedora: 'They're going to come in here feeling pretty good'
(USMEagles.com -- Sept. 26)
Bears
didn't need any help Saturday night
(Owl Sports Watch -- Sept. 26)
How
will Bret Favre do as TV analyst?
(Hattiesburg American -- Sept. 26)
Big
plays boost Eagles to upset victory
(Jackson Clarion-Ledger -- Sept. 25)
Three-and-out
to start second half didn't help a bit
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Sept. 25)
Griffin,
Baylor too much for Rice
(Houston Chronicle -- Sept. 25)
Baylor romps as Griffin keeps throwing strikes
(Fort Worth Star-Telegram -- Sept. 25)
Amazing
numbers keep piling up for Griffin
(Killeen Daily Herald -- Sept. 25)
Griffin
again shines in old Southwest showdown
(The Baylor Lariat -- Sept. 25)
Baylor races past Rice
(Cypress Times -- Sept. 25)
Owls score flurry of late points, but can't stop Griffin
(Your Houston News -- Sept. 25)
Griffin
throws Baylor past Rice
(Los Angeles Times/The Sports Network -- Sept. 24)
Griffin: 13
touchdowns, 12 incompletions -- on the season
(ESPN/AP -- Sept. 24)
Owls
couldn't slow Griffin, nor match his production
(Associated Press -- Sept. 24)
Another insane performance by Griffin
(CBSSports.com -- Sept. 24)
Is Robert Griffin the Big 12's best player?
(ESPN.com -- Sept. 24)
![baylor57prog473[1] (2).jpg (218850 bytes)](baylor57prog4731_2.jpg)
Owls renew one of Southwest's
oldest rivalries as they try to slow down Heisman candidate Griffin
HOUSTON (Sept. 22) – When the Rice Owls downed the defending Sugar
Bowl Champion Baylor Bears, 20-0, at Rice Stadium that November afternoon in
1957, it marked, already then, the 38th time that those two teams had gotten together to
tangle on the football field.
Rice's win clinched a league championship for the Owls in
’57, and along with it, an automatic berth in the Cotton Bowl against Navy.
Owlook
|
In this, Rice’s 100th season of
annual football wars, the old rivals meet again for the 79th time
Saturday at Baylor’s Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, and in this year’s version of
the 17th-ranked Bears, the Owls look to be facing one of the more
talented groups of Baylor boys than they’ve seen in many a season.
In fact it could be argued reasonably that there have
only been a couple or three Baylor teams of comparable ability to come down the pike in
the 50-plus years since that 1957 tussle.
Continues....
'Uncharacteristic' linebacker
Latest Owl defensive hero
shows true grit, having
made long journey home
Senior Rice linebacker Justin Allen: 'I
wanted to be a Rice Owl from the beginning' (PTH photo) |
HOUSTON (Sept. 20) – "Do you have a couple of hours?"
Rice senior linebacker Justin Allen had just been asked to describe the circuitous
journey he took in his college football career, beginning as a schoolboy in the Central
Texas town of Leander, venturing all the way to a place called Moscow to
play division one football at the University of Idaho, and then, after a
couple of years’ success there, finding himself amid what must be considered his
natural domain, that of our Institute on South Main Street.
The thing is, it seems, he wanted to be a Rice Owl all along.
And he had ample antecedents to warrant such a decision. His grandfather, Frank
Allen was a two year letterman for the Owls in 1949 and 1950 – a couple of the finest
teams ever to don the blue and gray. The 1949 Owls won the Southwest Conference
championship and the 1950 Cotton Bowl with a 10-1 record – which subsequently led to
the move from old Rice Field, capacity 37,000, to the then brand spanking new, 72,000-seat
Rice Stadium.
Continues....
Sights and sounds of Rice-Purdue home
opener...
Rice 24, Purdue 22
(Photo by Mark Anderson)
Two evenly-matched teams duke it out, as
highlights, mistakes on both sides keep it close; game boils down to last second FG try
blocked by Owls' Justin Allen for the win
Rice DE Scott Solomon puts the heat on his Purdue blocker
(Mark Anderson photo) |
HOUSTON (Sept. 11) -- To everyone in the stands at Rice
Stadium Saturday -- and we do mean everyone -- it appeared the Rice Owls' goose was
cooked.
Down 24-22 as the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Purdue
Boilermakers were lining up for what appeared to be a chip shot field goal, something
their All-American placekicker, Carson Wiggs, could nail in his sleep.
"I'm sure everyone in the stadium thought it was over," Owl linebacker Justin
Allen said afterwards. But he and his teammates had something else in mind. First, they
exorted the crowd in the home west stands but their flapping arms appeared to raise barely
a murmur. Face it, this game was over, although it frankly never should have come to that
point.
Rice had executed two textbook touchdown drives to sandwich the halftime break, moved
the ball late, overcome horrible field position throughout the game, and kept the
Boilermakers out of the end zone the entire second half.
But they also missed a sure pick-six, fumbled away a third-and-one deep in Purdue
territory, and executed a tepid set of called plays late in the game which appeared
designed much more to try to avoid losing than to wrest this game away from their
opponents.
Continues... Box score, statistics....
McHargue
still growing as Rice faces Baylor
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Sept. 24)
Linebackers
Allen, Nwosu lead way for 1-1 Rice
(Houston Chronicle -- Sept. 24)
Bear
defense will try to build on first shutout since '95
(Washington Post/AP -- Sept. 24)
Griffin, Baylor bring
challenges to Rice
(Woodlandsonline.com -- Sept. 24)
Bears to
battle Rice
(BearsIllustrated.com -- Sept. 24)
Baylor
plays Rice, another non-marquee draw
(The Daily Oklahoman -- Sept. 24)
An old
Southwest Conference rivalry dusted off
(Macon Telegraph/The Sports Network -- Sept. 22)
Rice
at Baylor: what you need to know
(Dallas Morning News -- Sept. 22)
It
will be a wild one in Waco
(Fox Sports Southwest -- Sept. 22)
RG
on board with Banowsky game plan
(MyFoxHouston.com <MB> -- Sept. 21)
Owls
have big defensive test against Baylor
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Sept. 21)
Frazier, Kubiak carve own paths with Owls
(Tomball News -- Sept. 21)
No. 17 Bears set sights on Owls
(Los Angeles Times/The Sports Network -- Sept. 21)
Owl
LB Briggs close to returning
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Sept. 21)
Baylor
defense making big strides in new year
(The Baylor Lariat -- Sept. 21)
Rice
draws task to try and contain Baylor's Griffin
(Houston Chronicle -- Sept. 20)
Griffin
will try and bolster Heisman campaign
(CBSSports.com -- Sept. 20)
Lightning stopped game, but not Bears
(The Baylor Lariat -- Sept. 20)
Griffin creating Heisman buzz in Waco
(WFAA Sports -- Sept. 20)
Grifffin back of all trades
(BaylorBears.com/Sports Illustrated -- Sept. 20)
Rice travels
this week to No. 17 Baylor
(Houston Chronicle -- Sept. 19)
'They're just a tough, intelligent, scrappy team'
(BaylorBears.com -- Sept. 19)
Owls
knocked off a no. 8 Baylor team as 20-point dog in '91
(YouTube video)
Bears face old SWC rival Rice
(BaylorFans.com -- Sept. 19)
Rain adds
joy to, cuts minutes from, Baylor-SFA game
(The Baylor Lariat -- Sept. 18)
Baylor climbs to
17th in AP poll
(BaylorBears.com -- Sept. 18)
Pur-don't!
Owls block last-second FG to win
(The Rice Thresher -- Sept. 15)
Rice
delivers kick in gut to Boilermakers
(Chicago Sun-Times -- Sept. 13)
Reversal of fortune: Boilermakers fall at Rice
(GackSports.com -- Sept. 13)
One arm through a tiny crack in the Purdue line
(OldGoldFreePress.com -- Sept. 13)
Owls go for
the drama and come out with win
(Houston Press -- Sept. 12)
Purdue coach's optimism remanis after loss
(Lafayette Journal and Courier -- Sept. 12)
Purdue athletics site faces difficulties with fan responses
(Purdue Exponent -- Sept. 12)
Father,
son enjoy Rice football experience
(River Oaks Examiner -- Sept. 12)
Rice gets big-time ESPN love
(Houston CultureMap.com -- Sept. 12)
Victory
could signal beginning of big things
(West U. Examiner -- Sept. 12)
Maegle
never sniffed Top Plays -- Justin Allen did
(HoustonCultureMap.com -- Sept. 11)
A miracle is what they got
(Owl Sports Watch -- Sept. 11)
Rice
breaks BCS skid with 24-22 win over Purdue
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Sept. 10)
Rice
blocks last-second field goal to upset Purdue
(Houston Chronicle -- Sept. 10)
Hope
defends questionable calls
(Lafayette Journal and Courier -- Sept. 11)
Grading
the Boilermakers
(Lafayette Journal and Courier -- Sept. 11)
'We
should be jumping up and down and hugging'
(Herald-Bulletin.com -- Sept. 10)
One frankly Bailiff didn't deserve
(Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette -- Sept. 10)
Purdue proving to be own worst enemy
(Lafayette Journal and Courier -- Sept. 10)
Rice blocks field goal to beat Purdue
(Lafayette Journal and Courier -- Sept. 10)
Owls hold on to top Purdue
(USA Today -- Sept. 10)
CBS video of blocked
field goal attempt
(CBS College Sports/You Tube -- Sept. 10)
Blocked field goal
attempt -- view from the student section
(YouTube video -- Sept. 10)
Purdue-Rice
video recap
(CBS Sports -- Sept. 10)
An absolutely demoralizing loss on all levels
(HammerandRails.com -- Sept. 10)
There are really bad losses, and then...
(Indianapolis Star -- Sept. 11)
Purdue post-game
interview video
(PurdueBoilermakers.com/YouTube -- Sept. 10)
Bad taste in the mouth and loss due to missed opportunity
(Purdue Exponent -- Sept. 10)
Purdue coach opted to play it safe
(Purdue Exponent -- Sept. 10)
Blocked FG was all Owls needed
(SB Nation -- Sept. 10)
Video of MOB complete halftime show at UT....
Rice home opener on tap
Owls, Boilermakers both in dire need of win to augment bowl hopes
HOUSTON (Sept. 8) – Let’s not belabor the point, but just a whole
heck of a lot is riding upon the outcome of the Rice Owls’ Saturday home opener
against the Purdue Boilermakers.
Owlook
|
What with Rice’s being the only Division 1 team in the land to have scheduled
all of its non-conference games against BCS automatic-qualifier schools – and
opponents Baylor, Northwestern and this week’s foe not exactly slated to experience
off-years this season – at least one win against the non-league AQs would appear to
be imperative, in order for the Owls to have a realistic chance to get to a bowl game in
2011.
Prognosticators say the Owls’ best opportunity for that win is coming up at
2:30 this Saturday afternoon, as the Flock tees up against the Boilermakers under
glaringly clear skies and the thermometer expected to read in the upper 90s.
After losing its last six games of the 2010 campaign, Purdue opened at home with
a narrow, 27-24, escape over Sun Belt entrant Middle Tennessee State. The Blue Raiders
aren’t exactly chopped liver, though, having been to bowl games in the past two
seasons (GoDaddy.com
in ‘10; New Orleans Bowl in ‘09 with a 10-3 season record and a league
championship.)
Continues...
Purdue message
board links....
Texas 34, Rice 9
Owls hang in for better than a half, but miscues, sloppy play
eventually allow Texas to run away
FRUSTRATION AMID A SEA OF ORANGE -- Rookie Rice assistant
coach Adrian Mayes reflects the frustration felt by so many of those wearing tiny dots of
blue amid the sea of orange at DKR Texas Memorial Stadium Saturday evening (Mark
Anderson photo)
Rice's Randy Kitchens leaps in attempt to haul in fade
pattern on third and goal -- close, but no cigar (Mark Anderson photo) |
AUSTIN (Sept. 4) -- Five minutes deep into the third quarter
Saturday night, the Rice Owls were driving, looking at a first and goal from the Texas
eight yard line while facing only a 13-6 deficit.
At the point, anyone paying the remotest attention among the 101,000 fans in
attendance at DKR Memorial Stadium at the season opener both teams could have admitted
that the score easily might, in fact ought, have been reversed.
For it was simply the presence of bone-head errors, one after another, which had
prevented the Owls from converting crisp drives into touchdowns instead of three pointers,
while allowing Texas to escape from cliffhanger movie scenes more than once.
As painful as it is to recount, the litany of miscues is part of the record of
the game. A few key ones:
–After the Owls’ first play from scrimmage netted eight yards to the
Texas 40 on a quick pass from Taylor McHargue to Tyler Smith, the ensuing snap sails two
feet over the head of TMac, who was forced to smother the ball for a 14-yard loss,
effectively killing a promising potential drive.
–Moments later, it’s first and ten at the Texas 42 and the
Owls are driving after Charles Ross set them up with a 43-yard kickoff return. After the
first down play, an Owl lineman is called for a silly personal foul and the Owls are
looking at second and 25. Drive over.
Continues.... UT video highlights....
Box score....
Personal
touch lured Eddington to Rice
(Houston Chronicle -- Sept. 10)
Nwosu, Allen not resting on solid game against Texas
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Sept. 10)
13
years later, Boilers, Owls finish 2-game series
(Indianapolis Star -- Sept. 10)
Purdue
will be feeling the heat in Houston
(Chicago Sun-Times -- Sept. 10)
Former
Purdue commitment in Rice backfield
(Lafayette Journal and Courier -- Sept. 10)
Rice
needs win against Purdue to avoid 0-2 start
(Houston Chronicle -- Sept. 9)
Purdue
players say they can stand the Houston heat
(Lafayette Journal and Courier -- Sept. 9)
Rice
tries to end BCS skid in home opener
(Chicago Tribune/AP -- Sept. 9)
Purdue
at Rice: the return game
(Indianapolis Star -- Sept. 9)
Rice
seeks win number one Saturday
(Houston Press -- Sept. 9)
Opportunities
squandered, Owls fall
(The Rice Thresher -- Sept. 8)
Strength
of Purdue's offense lies in its running game
(Owl Sports Watch -- Sept. 8)
'He's been running the same defense forever'
(Lafayette Journal and Courier -- Sept. 8)
How will
the Rice band mock Purdue?
(Indianapolis Star -- Sept. 8)
Purdue defense strives for improvement
Lafayette Journal and Courier -- Sept. 8)
Siller
hopes to help Purdue bully past Rice
(Fort Wayne News-Sentinel -- Sept. 8)Boilermakers
How the Boilermakers can dismantle the Owls
(The Bleacher Report -- Sept. 8)
Great opportunity for Boilers to build confidence
(ESPN -- Sept. 8)
Purdue-Rice
first clash since '98
(Kansas City Star/The Sports Network -- Sept. 7)
Five
Purdue-Rice early storylines
(Indianapolis Star -- Sept. 7)
Rice game a must-win if Boilers are to bowl
(HammerandRails.com -- Sept. 7)
Boilers to stay hot in Houston
(Purdue Exponent -- Sept. 7)
Marve could be added to Purdue's Rice mix
(Lafayette Journal and Courier -- Sept. 7)
Purdue
not playing Rice by accident
(Fort Wayne News-Sentinel -- Sept. 6)
Boilers head out to Houston in first road trip
(PurdueBoilermakers.com -- Sept. 6)
Boilermakers proved they could finish game in the fourth
(Houston Chronicle/AP -- Sept. 6)
Last
Purdue-Rice was Brees' coming-out party
(Purdue Exponent -- Sept. 6)
Purdue
not worried about style points yet
(Fort Wayne News-Sentinel -- Sept. 5)
Longhorns
still have plenty of question marks
(The Daily Texan -- Sept. 5)
Purdue shines as opportunity to win for Owls
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Sept. 5)
Breaking down the good, bad, ugly: Purdue-MTSU
(Bleacher Report -- Sept. 5)
Purdue coaches see room for improvement
(BoilerStation.com -- Sept. 5)
TerBush looks to improve against Rice
(Purdue Exponent -- Sept. 5)
MOB
takes shot at A&M, Perry
(Fox Sports Southwest -- Sept. 5)
Observations from Rice-UT game
(Dallas Morning News -- Sept. 4)
40
years of having fun
(Your Houston News -- Sept. 4)
Self-inflicted wounds prove
lethal
(Owl Sports Watch -- Sept. 4)
Horns
click on trick plays
(Horns Nation/ESPN -- Sept. 4)
UT
shows offensive twists in 34-9 win over RIce
(Houston Chronicle -- Sept. 4)
Longhorns wear down feisty Rice
(Austin American Statesman -- Sept. 4)
Rice's loss abetted by missed opportunities
(Houston Chronicle -- Sept. 4)
Longhorns finish strong in opener
(SB Nation -- Sept. 4)
Owls fail to take advantage in loss to Longhorns
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Sept. 4)
"Wasn't
a dominating win, but we're just looking for win"
(Fort Worth Star-Telegram -- Sept. 4)
Owls can't hold off Texas surge
(Cypress Times -- Sept. 4)
Not dominating, but still a win for Texas
(Horns Nation -- Sept. 4)
Freshmen make statement for Longhorns
(Horns Naton/ESPN -- Sept. 4)
Owl eyes on Texas
Rice kicks off season against familiar foe
HOUSTON (Sept. 1) – Well, here we go again. The Rice Owls, victims in
41 of their last 42 tilts with the University of Texas, gamely travel to Austin Saturday
for their 2011 season opener against a typically talented, but uncharacteristically
question- mark-filled Longhorn team.
Owlook
|
With kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m., and the temperature on the field of Darrell K.
Royal Texas Memorial Stadium at that point likely not to exceed, oh, 101 or 102 degrees,
history alone tells us that this will be nothing but another steamy walk in the pasture
for Bevo.
Surely both the Rolex and white oxford cloth-clad frats and the the Kmart
t-shirt-garbed pickup truck alumni alike should be able safely to repair to their
respective watering holes for a cooling-off session by, say, midway in the third quarter.
Or will they?
Continues.... Rice
2011 off-season page (spring, Signing Day, fall)....
Secondary
becomes primary focus for Owls
(Houston Chronicle -- Sept. 3)
Fresh
season, fresh start for Texas
(Houston Chronicle -- Sept. 3)
Longhorns
have been rebuilt; now show it
(Fort Worth Star-Telegram -- Sept. 3)
Owls find themselves in role
reversal
(Owl Sports Watch -- Sept. 2)
Things
you won't see Saturday night
(Austin American Statesman -- Sept. 2)
Horns'
new beginning: out with old, in with new
(Austin American Statesman -- Sept. 2)
Mack
Brown opens new Network era
(SB Nation -- Sept. 2)
Three
Owls Horns will have to watch
(Austin American Statesman -- Sept. 2)
Five
questions for Horns vs. Rice
(Austin American Statesman -- Sept. 2)
What
if Owls had their own TV network?
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Sept. 2)
Special
teams, defense key for Owls
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Sept. 2)
Texas hopes to start rebound against Owls
(Houston Chronicle/AP -- Sept. 2)
Texas
- Rice: Breaking down the matchups
(Bleacher Report -- Sept. 2)
What
you need to know before the opener
(Dallas Morning News -- Sept. 1)
Anything less than
bowl game will be upsetting
(Rice Thresher -- Sept. 1)
Why
Texas will cover the spread
(Bleacher Report -- Sept. 1)
Rice's
McHargue wants to pick up where he left off
(Austin American Statesman -- Sept. 1)
Texas vs. Rice: Meet the opponent
(Burnt Orange Nation -- Sept. 1)
Fans wonder whether Gilbert has the right stuff
(Austin American Statesman -- Sept. 1)
Rice may not be the usual pushover
(Austin American Statesman -- Sept. 1)
Gideon looking to close career on good note
(The Daily Texan -- Sept. 1)
Can
Rice ever achieve small-school success?
(Austin American Statesman -- Aug. 31)
Owls
will challenge before UT athleticism wins out
(Barking Carnival -- Aug. 31)
Rice
plays a uniquely tough non-conference schedule
(Houston Chronicle -- Aug. 31)
New
position, coordinator but Okafor means to wreak havoc
(The Daily Texasn -- Aug. 31)
ESPN Rice-Texas pregame review
(ESPN.com -- Aug. 31)
Coogs, Owls
hope to soar to the top
(Houston Press -- Aug. 31)
MK
gives his game-by-game take on the season
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Aug. 30)
Texas' season of redemption is finally here
(BleacherReport.com -- Aug. 30)
McGuffie finds comfort zone
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Aug. 30)
McGuff's confidence at all-time high
(College Football Fantasy Insider -- Aug. 30)
Seniors,
depth boost Owls' hope for season
(The Woodlands Online -- Aug. 29)
TMac ready for second start against Texas
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Aug. 29)
DB: Taking questions, taking calls
(Houston Chronicle <JD> -- Aug. 29)
Owls, DB school Rice foreign students in the game
(Rice University Video)
Mystery
Horns about to be revealed
(Austin American Statesman -- Aug. 28)
Injuries, losses aren't worrying Bailiff, Owls
(Fox Sports Houston <MK> -- Aug. 27)
TCook gets nothing but
net from upper deck
(Klein Kubiak Twitter Video)
Owls looking for the right formula
(Los Angeles Times -- Aug. 24)
Applewhite:
'We're just trying to create competition'
(Austin American-Statesman -- Aug. 22)
Owls
counting days til showdown in Austin
(The Rice Thresher -- Aug. 22)
|
Latest headlines...
Blue runs away from Gray; Rice winds down spring (Mar. 31); McHargue has
edge (Mar. 30)
Ricefootball.net
search
Latest
NCAA scores, stats
RiceOwlsdotCom
on Twitter
| Blue-Gray
game postgame video |
 Phillip Gaines
'We’re
going to have a lot more three and outs this year; we’re going to have a lot more
sacks this year; we’re going to be up in the offense's face a lot more this year' |
 Paul
Porras
'We’re playing more
aggressively; we’re not worrying too much about making mistakes; rather than making
plays' |
 Charles
Ross
'We haven't talked about it much yet with
the coaches, but we're definitely going to get some returns this year' |
 Lovett Gibson
'I’ve been playing with
Driphus for seven or eight years. He was my high school quarter- back, and I just love him
to death' |
 Coach Bailiff
'I’m most excited about
that young offensive line. They just keep getting better. Every rep is important to
them as they grow -- but they're really talented' |
| SMU
postgame press briefing |
 Coach Bailiff
'When we got the onside kick, we thought we
were going to go out and get this win, and we just fell a little short; the defense kept
us in that game' |
 Nick Fanuzzi
'Our defense and special teams did a great
job all game long; they were keeping us in the game; we just came up a couple yards short' |
 Scott Solomon
'I'm just glad I was part of this team; I
was inspired by them; the whole team did play for the right reasons; that's what I
appreciate the most' |
SMU week
press luncheon |
 Coach Bailiff
'We've got to play solid in all phases. We have to protect the quarterback better this
week than we did last week against Tulane' |
 Scott Solomon
'We're going to have to prepare just like we
would any other game, and try to be 1-0. We can't let the emotions and everything get in
the way' |
 Tyler Smith
'We have a lot of depth at the running back
position. We had a good rotation among the running backs until injury plagued us' |
| Tulane
post- game briefing |
 Tyler Smith
'It was all down to trusting what we were
coached to do. Pushing through it and going out to play all day, and win our one on
ones... we pushed through it and came out with a win' |
 Coach Bailiff
'It was really exciting to see this football
team win with seniors on Senior Day... For their last home game, it gave them a lot of
motivation for when we got on the road and go play SMU' |
 Scott Solomon
'It's amazing to have the seniors make those
plays. It's a lot of fun to have those days, especially on a day like this. Its good to
end it like this' |
 Chris Boswell
'I'm just happy to help out my team whenever
they call my name. Whenever they yell score I'm going out there and trying to get
points...' |
| Tulane
week press luncheon |
 Coach Bailiff
'We played extremely, extremely hard.
Obviously, you want to go up there and get a win but I was pleased with how our young men
played. The one thing
they've never done is quit' |
 Xavier Webb
'We're a very aggressive defense. That
leaves one-on-one situations. If that one person doesn't make play, then it opens up for a
big play for the offense' |
 Jake Hicks
'It hurts to lose a chance at a bowl game.
But I think we've reached a level of maturity on this football team to where we can handle
those kind of setbacks and still go out and win' |
| Northwestern
week press luncheon |
 Coach Bailiff
'Northwestern will be a challenge for us in
Big 10 country. We understand (Dan) Persa may be hurt but the other young man (Kain
Colter) is a fabulous athlete' |
 John Gioffre
'You got to try and beat the guy who's lined
up against you, that's the biggest thing. We've shown that we can hang with those big
football teams and high-powered offenses' |
| UTEP
postgame press briefing |
 Coach Bailiff
'The different changes the offensive staff
was throwing at them kept them off balance. Some of the mis- matches in man that
we've been looking for, we got today' |
 Nick Fanuzzi
'Great win for us. We were just very
confident that that if we executed what we needed to do we could come out with a win, and
that's exactly what we did today' |
| UTEP
week press luncheon |
 Coach Bailiff
'We still have to get everybody on the same
page every snap. We have these smart guys and we have to make that a strength that we are
doing everything together' |
 Turner Petersen
'I think 170+ yards on the ground and even
more in the air, a huge game, is definitely something that hasn't been seen yet' |
 Michael Smith
'Understanding that our goals are still out
there for us to achieve. Four more wins and we have that six-win mark, that bowl game mark
that we want' |
| U of H
postgame |
 Coach Bailiff
'It is disheartening to lose a game, but it
also means we need to be strong upfront. We did a good job early, but we were getting good
pressure that we couldn't maintain' |
 Tyler Smith
'Hopefully we can carry the Wild Owl out
throughout the rest of the season'
|
 Justin Allen
'Keenum knows the offense like the back of
his hand – I think he's, what, 28 now? I hope he'd know their offense by now. And he
runs it great' |
| U of H
week press luncheon |
![11tulsadbsnap1[1].jpg (21416 bytes)](11tulsadbsnap11.jpg) Coach Bailiff
'Houston is an incredible football team.
Offensively, everyone knows what Keenum can do and Bryce Bell. I can promise you when they
played tag when they played `tag, you're it,' they were never `it.' |
![11tulsajgsnap2[1].jpg (22758 bytes)](11tulsajgsnap21.jpg) John Gioffre
'Cross town rivalry, my senior year, it's
pretty big for me. I know a lot of people over there. I've got a lot of friends, I know a
lot of the team, but then again, when is a game not big?' |
![11uhwkdavonallensnap3[1].jpg (21555 bytes)](11uhwkdavonallensnap31.jpg) Davon Allen
'We face adversity every day. I think that's
another thing we have to tackle and just look at and be able to keep our priorities in
order, and be able to get the best outcome we can' |
| Tulsa
postgame press briefing |
 Coach Bailiff
'That's a tough way to start; but we hung in there...I've got to get these kids in the
right spots; we've got to make a quick turnaround' |
 Nick Fanuzzi
'Nobody likes losing these games, but this
definitely gives us some momentum to take into next week; it's just a matter of getting
together and playing as a team' |
 Paul Porras
'We're definitely moving in the right
direction on defense; if we buckle down and study the film we should do well' |
| Tulsa
week press luncheon |
 Coach Bailiff
'It's never just one play. You look at that game and the oppor- tunities we had throughout
the game to score some points and make some stops, I was really proud of our team's
effort' |
 Turner Petersen
'Everybody just wants to make that play, get
that first down, get the ball down the field, get one more touchdown. We really need to
focus on settling down' |
 Justin Allen
'We have six games we can all look forward
to and play our best and still accomplish all our goals that we set at the beginning of
the season' |
| Marshall
week press luncheon |
 Coach Bailiff
'I thought offensively we still have to do a
better job protecting. We have to do a better job of opening seams in the lane... we have
to get it to where we can establish the run' |
 Luke Willson
'It was frustrating at times Saturday...but
after watching the film I know that it's a lot of things that are really fixable, and that
we're really close to exploding in that breakout game'' |
 Scott
Solomon
'We've got to keep up the confidence ...
because confident players are play- makers, and the more confident you are, the more plays
you make' |
| Memphis
postgame interviews |
 Coach Bailiff
'They bent a couple of times, but didn't break even after a
turn- over ... Offensively, we've still got to figure out a way to get into more of
a rhythm. We have a lot of talent over there' |
 Jared Williams
'It felt great to be in the end zone again
with your team all around you. As coach said, it was a big momentum builder for the team
coming into the second half' |
 Tyler Smith
'I really need to work on my leadership,
being consisent... we have a lot of seniors; we know we have the talent. It all
comes down to that core leadership' |
| Memphis
week press luncheon |
 Coach Bailiff
'I didn't have them ready to play.
Offensively, we were not in rhythm from start to finish. I thought defensively the first
half we played very average' |
 Jake Hicks
'The thing that really hurt more than
getting stalled out in those first drives was having those turnovers right after the
defense had the takeaway. That is a big part of the o-line' |
 Xavier Webb
'You just have to continue to work hard. You
have to try to learn from your mistakes week after week. You have to find ways to focus
better and find ways to get off the field' |
| USM week
press luncheon |
 Coach Bailiff
'Look at what Baylor has been able to do offensively to TCU and Stephen F. Austin ... TCU
is still a pretty good defense. I think we have a pretty good defense' |
 John Gioffre
'That was a fist-fight...
They are a physical team. We played them last year, just a battle in the trenches. A lot
of that was just trying to play to that level. You can't get pushed around out there' |
 Turner Petersen
'I think the running game is definitely coming along. It is
definitely something we wish to improve on. It's just a matter of time before we are
clicking on all cylinders' |
| Baylor
week press luncheon |
 Coach Bailiff
'Phil Bennett has given them a lot of
stability, defensively... (RG3) is one of the few players who can give ground to gain
ground; one of the most exciting players I've ever been around' |
 Randy Kitchens
'The receiving corps is a group that's
willing to do what is asked... we're looking forward to unleashing it all' |
 Justin Allen
'We're going to take a look at the TCU tape;
we run the same type of defense... now we know what we can do, what we're capable of' |
| Purdue
postgame interviews |
 Justin Allen
'I saw it was a little more open than it
should have been...I just took advantage ... I'm sure everyone in the stadium thought it
was over, but that's not the way we play' |
 Coach Bailiff
'The defense gave up a field goal in the
second half and there was a safety. That was it. That says volumes about how hard our
defensive coaches worked...'' |
 Taylor McHargue
'My stomach was up in my throat because it shouldn't have
been that close. We had done some things to ourselves offensively that we have to
eliminate' |
 Scott Solomon
'When it came down to that field goal and we
were, 'hey we are going to block this.' Sure enough that's what happened' |
| Purdue
week press briefing |
 Coach Bailiff
'A lot to take from this one. A lot to build
on. We are a good football team. We are looking forward to eliminating the mistakes we
made this week...' |
 Kyle Martens
'Obviously we were disappointed; it was a
tough loss for us... going into two-a-days, we just knew we were going to win' |
 Chris Boswell
'My high school coach sent me some tape... I
went back to my same motions; you can see a difference' |
| More
Media Day videos |
 Randy Kitchens
'It's time to do it; the expectation is to win this year' |
 Chris Jammer
'Coach Thurmond hasn't forgotten what it's like to be a player' |
 Michael Smith
'Texas makes you want to play harder... a
lot of mental preparation goes into that game' |
 John Gioffre
'This is going to be - in my opinion -- the
strongest, fastest, fiercest Rice Owl team that we've seen in a long time' |
| Day One
DB comments |
 Coach Bailiff
'We've got three solid corners; we just need
to make sure we've got other bodies there who can cover' |
| Media
Day videos |
 Travis Bradshaw
'During spring, the way the corners played
was exciting... those big points we gave up last year still sit in the back of our minds' |
 Taylor McHargue
'If I take care of the ball, this offense
can go a long way... they're all capable of being the guy for us' |
 Coach Bailiff
'These two a days will be a war to determine
what our team's personality will be... we've got a lot of guys who can make this season
special' |
 Sam McGuffie
'This year I've trained myself so that I can
line up wherever...I know the plays, and I'm ready mentally' |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Next game:
