Rice Owls stats, records, schedule, and standings

Rice Owls

NCAAF – C – USA

TEAM LEADERS

Rice Owls

2022 saw many challenges taking place at the collegiate athletics level. Several teams did not have the opportunity to participate because of a decision being made that they had no control over. In the middle of a pandemic, several players were happy to just get to play at all. The Rice Owl players from 2020 were just happy to get the five games in that they played.

Rice Owls Standings

The Rice Owls football team is one of the most talented and dedicated teams in the NCAAF. Despite facing tough competition, they have consistently maintained a strong standing in their conference, thanks in part to their impressive stats and record of success. With a well-rounded offense and a tenacious defense, the Owls have earned the respect of their opponents and the support of their fans. Whether they are playing at home or on the road, the Rice Owls are a force to be reckoned with.

Rice Owls Betting Trends

2020 Summary

What was supposed to be a big year for Rice turned into quite the struggle quickly. The team had to cancel/postpone their first four games due to COVID issues with both teams. With all of the protocols set forth, any slip-ups by these young college students resulted in their team having to cancel that week. A positive test would shut the team down for two weeks.

The Owls got to play their first game on October 24th against Middle Tennessee. Unfortunately, they would go on to lose this game 30-24 in double overtime. This may have been the greatest loss for these kids; not getting to win stinks, but for a lot of them, they got to play the game that has gotten them to where they are.

The team got to work the next week and defeated Southern Miss by a score of 30-6. Officially in the win column, the Owls thought they were in the clear. Unfortunately, they would have to cancel their next two games due to COVID protocol. November 21st, the team took on North Texas and lost 17-27.

After yet another cancellation, the team got to play nationally ranked Marshall. In a stunning upset, the Owls beat Marshall by a score of 20-0. They then followed that big win up, with a loss to UAB. While there was never a guarantee of a season in 2020, getting to play a little bit, even if it was not their best football, playing will always trump sitting.

Owls Key Players

Treshawn Chamberlain, a safety/linebacker hybrid, will be the top player to watch on the defensive side of the ball. He was third on the team in tackles in 2020, with eight of them coming in the biggest game of the year against Marshall. Chamberlain has seemed to progressively get better every season, and big things will be expected of the junior in 2021.

Khalan Griffin will be the team’s lead running back after obtaining the job in their third game last season. Griffin was able to accrue a team-leading 249 yards rushing. He had a season-high 78 yards on 20 carries in his first start against North Texas. If Griffin can continue to progressively get better, that offense could become a little more versatile.

Owls Key Additions and Subtractions

Immediately when you talk about additions to a team, coaching staffs come to mind. Marques Tuiasosopo is the newest offensive coordinator for the Owls. Prior to the Owls job, he was the offensive coordinator for the California Golden Bears. Tuiasosopo will also become the quarterback’s coach, which at Rice may be more complex than being the offensive coordinator.

One of the most significant subtractions will be the loss of Blaze Alldredge from the defensive side of the ball. An All-Conference linebacker in 2020, transferred to Missouri to play his final season. Due to COVID, all seniors were given one more year of eligibility, so he was able to transfer to Missouri as a grad student. He will definitely be missed.

Divisional Outlook

The West division of Conference USA will be tough this year. Rice will more than likely finish up somewhere in the middle of the pack this season. They are still young at several skill positions that need to just get game reps under their belt. Plus, UAB is still a dominant factor, winning the division two out of the last three seasons.

Because of COVID, several teams will be returning almost all of their starters from 2020. UTSA had a great season last year under their new head coach Jeff Traylor. If Rice is going to find a way to get into the mix atop this division, they will need to take down both UAB and UTSA.

Owls Offense

One of the biggest question marks for this team was at the quarterback position for 2021. The team has two viable options, Wiley Green and Luke McCaffrey. Green is in his fourth year at Rice and has yet to be the actual starting quarterback for the team. He has served as a backup for the first three years with making the occasional spot start.

McCaffrey is a transfer from Nebraska. While there, McCaffrey played in seven of their eight games and was named starter twice. While both guys seem to have made an impression on their teammates, at some point, someone is going to have to win the job. Being bigger, faster, and stronger always seems to play out, which makes McCaffrey a front runner for the job.

Owls Defense

The defense will return 10 starters from their 2020 campaign. The team only gave up 18.8 points per game and 342 yards per game, which was the lowest since 1999. If the defense can replicate these numbers or find a way to improve on them, Rice should be a contender in the conference.

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