Rice Owls Football

In 2023, the Rice Owls football team from Rice University joined the American Athletic Conference (AAC) for the first time. Coached by Mike Bloomgren, they played their home games at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas. This marked their sixth season under Bloomgren's leadership.

Rice Owls Football Team Introduction

The Rice Owls football program, representing Rice University, plays American football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. They're part of the American Athletic Conference. Rice Stadium, erected in 1950, is where the Owls play their home games. Despite their small size, Rice competes fiercely. With the second-smallest undergraduate enrollment in FBS, only ahead of Tulsa, they showcase determination and skill on the gridiron.

Rice Owls Football Team History

Rice University's football journey began in 1912, after its establishment, joining the Southwest Conference (SWC) three years later. Despite early success, by the 1960s, Rice faced challenges due to size discrepancies in the SWC. Under coach Jess Neely, they competed against much larger schools, struggling for wins until Fred Goldsmith's tenure in 1989. Goldsmith's successor, Ken Hatfield, faced mixed results. Todd Graham's brief stint led to Rice's first bowl game in 35 years in 2006. David Bailiff later coached Rice to three bowl appearances and their first 10-win seasons in fifty years.

Rice Owls Football Team Coaches

Head Coach Profile

Michael Scott Bloomgren, born on January 25, 1977, is an American football coach leading Rice University's football team. He began coaching after playing tight end at Culver–Stockton College. Bloomgren graduated magna cum laude from Florida State University in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in sports management. He later earned a master's degree in higher education administration from the University of Alabama and served as a graduate assistant. Bloomgren held coaching positions at Catawba College, Delta State University, and Stanford before becoming Rice's head coach in 2017, succeeding David Bailiff.

Rice Owls Football Team Stadium

Rice Stadium, located on the Rice University campus in Houston, Texas, has been the home of the Rice Owls football team since 1950. It's renowned for hosting events like John F. Kennedy's historic speech in 1962 and Super Bowl VIII in 1974. Architecturally, it's praised for its modern design with excellent sightlines for football games. Upgrades in 2006 included switching to FieldTurf and adding a modern scoreboard. Despite some upper-deck seating issues, it remains a popular venue for high school football games and concerts. Historically, it also hosted the University of Houston Cougars and the Houston Oilers before they moved to the Astrodome.

Rice Owls Football Team Rivals

SMU

Rice and SMU were in the same conference from 1918 to 2012 and have played 90 times by 2012, with SMU leading 48–41–1. The rivalry stems from private schools in the Southwest Conference, located in Texas's largest cities (Houston and Dallas), and being top private universities in Texas. As of 2017, SMU leads the series 48–41–1.

Houston

Rice and Houston have a rivalry called the Bayou Bucket Classic, where they play for a trophy called the Bayou Bucket, founded by former Rice player Fred Curry. The schools are five miles apart in Houston. Houston leads the series 33–12 as of 2023.

Texas

Rice and Texas have a long rivalry dating back to the Southwest Conference. Texas had 28 straight wins from 1966 to 1993, the sixth-longest streak against a single opponent in college football history. Rice upset Texas in 1994, but Texas has dominated since. They still play nearly every year. Texas leads the series 72–21–1 as of the end of the 2017 season.

Rice Owls Football Team Record and Stats

Conference championships

Rice has won eight conference championships, five outright and three shared.

Division championships

The team has won 2 division championships

Rice Owls Football Team Roster

Current Players:

Jordan Campbell (DE)

Dean Connors (RB)

Sean Fresch (CB)

Kobie Campbell (WR)

JoVoni Johnson-McCray (WR)

Ty Morris (LB)

Colin Giffen (FB)

Marcus Williams (SAF)

Coleman Bennett (RB)

Josh Pearcy (OLB)

DJ Arkansas (LB)

Drayden Dickmann (WR)

Chike Anigbogu (S)

Elijah Mojarro (TE)

Joseph Mutombo (DL)

Matt Sykes (WR)

Chase Jenkins (QB)

Peyton Stevenson (S)

Moh Bility (CB)

Chris Conti (LB)

Tyson Thompson (WR)

Lloyd McFarquhar (CB)

AJ Padgett (QB)

Lamont Narcisse (CB)

E.J. Warner (QB)

Boden Groen (TE)

Joshua Williams (SAF)

Tim Horn (K)

Shawqi Itraish (QB)

Quinton Jackson (RB)

Chibby Nwajuaku (DL)

Max Ahoia (CB)

Landon Ransom-Goelz (WR)

Chali Taylor (LB)

Ichmael Joseph (SAF)

Arden Napier (WR)

Daelen Alexander (RB)

Ashton Ojiaku (S)

Jamarion Clark (CB)

Ryan Guillo (WR)

Jonathan Jean (S)

Conor Hunt (P)

Jeremiah Williams (CB)

JaBari Ellison (WR)

AJ Stephens (DB)

Christian Francisco (RB)

Gabriel Taylor (SAF)

Andrew Awe (LB)

Enock Gota (K)

Daveon Hook (SAF)

Micah Barnett (FB)

Elroyal Morris III (DL)

Tyson Flowers (SAF)

Reese Keeney (K/P)

Myron Morrison (LB)

Michael Amico (RB)

Zach Adams (K)

Kenny Seymour Jr (LB)

Plae Wyatt (SAF)

Cooper King (LB)

Chris Bruce (S)

Coleman Coco (DE)

Colby Connell (DS)

Demone Green (DL)

Christian Edgar (S)

Wyatt Freeman (DS)

Michael Daley (DE)

Izeya Floyd (DL)

Patrick Valent (OL)

Ethan Broughman (LB)

Jalen Hargrove (DL)

Braedon Nutter (OL)

Beau Barton (LB)

Netane Fehoko (OL)

Nate Bledsoe (OL)

Blaise Tita (LB)

Aquantis Clemmons (DL)

Peyton Farmer (OL)

Hudson Perroni (OL)

Trace Norfleet (OL)

Phillip Gallegos (OL)

Luke Needham (OL)

Isaiah Gonzalez (OL)

Spencer Cassell (OL)

Lavel Dumont (OL)

Brad Baur (OL)

Michael Larbie (DL)

Blake Boenisch (DL)

Miguel Cedeno (OL)

Captains and Leaders:

Captain: Dean Connors (RB)

Captain: Elijah Mojarro (TE)

Leader: Sean Fresch (CB)

Leader: Colin Giffen (FB)

Leader: Marcus Williams (SAF)

Rice Owls Football Team Schedule

Sun, Sep 1: vs Sam Houston at 3:30 AM (Tickets as low as $31)

Sat, Sep 7: vs Texas Southern (Time TBD, Tickets as low as $28)

Sat, Sep 14: at Houston (Time TBD, Tickets as low as $19)

Sat, Sep 21: at Army (Time TBD, Tickets as low as $34)

Sat, Sep 28: vs Charlotte (Time TBD, Tickets as low as $31)

Sat, Oct 12: vs UTSA (Time TBD, Tickets as low as $35)

Sat, Oct 19: at Tulane (Time TBD, Tickets as low as $13)

Sat, Oct 26: at UConn (Time TBD, Tickets as low as $12)

Sat, Nov 2: vs Navy (Time TBD, Tickets as low as $35)

Fri, Nov 8: at Memphis (Time TBD, Tickets as low as $44)

Sat, Nov 23: at UAB (Time TBD, Tickets as low as $29)

Sat, Nov 30: vs South Florida (Time TBD, Tickets as low as $34)