2018 Rice Owls football team

The 2018 Rice Owls football team represented Rice University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Owls played their home games at the Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas, and competed in the West Division of Conference USA (C–USA). They were led by first-year head coach Mike Bloomgren. They finished the season 2–11, 1–7 in C-USA play to finish in a tie for sixth place in the West Division.

2018 Rice Owls football
Conference	Conference USA
	West Division
2018 record	2–11 (1–7 C-USA)
Head coach	Mike Bloomgren (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Jerry Mack (1st season)
Defensive coordinator	Brian Smith (1st season)
Home stadium	Rice Stadium (Capacity: 47,000)

2018 Conference USA football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Middle Tennessee x		7	–	1					8	–	6
Marshall		6	–	2					9	–	4
FIU		6	–	2					9	–	4
Charlotte		4	–	4					5	–	7
Florida Atlantic		3	–	5					5	–	7
Old Dominion		2	–	6					4	–	8
Western Kentucky		2	–	6					3	–	9
West Division
UAB x$		7	–	1					11	–	3
North Texas		5	–	3					9	–	4
Louisiana Tech		5	–	3					8	–	5
Southern Miss		5	–	3					6	–	5
UTSA		2	–	6					3	–	9
UTEP		1	–	7					1	–	11
Rice		1	–	7					2	–	11
Championship: UAB 27, Middle Tennessee 25
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions

Previous season

The Owls finished the 2017 season 1–11, 1–7 in C-USA play to finish in sixth place in the West Division.

On November 27, head coach David Bailiff was fired.[1] He finished at Rice with an 11-year record of 57–80.

Preseason

Preseason All-CUSA team

Conference USA released their preseason all-CUSA team on July 16, 2018, with the Owls having one player selected.[2]

Special teams

Jack Fox – P

Preseason media poll

Conference USA released their preseason media poll on July 17, 2018, with the Owls predicted to finish in a tie for sixth place in the West Division.[3]

West Division
Predicted finish	Team
1	North Texas
2	Louisiana Tech
3	UAB
4	Southern Miss
5	UTSA
T–6	Rice
T–6	UTEP

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 25	6:00 p.m.	Prairie View A&M*	Rice Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN+	W 31–28	20,050
September 1	11:00 a.m.	Houston*	Rice Stadium Houston, TX (Bayou Bucket Classic)	CBSSN	L 27–45	26,390
September 8	11:00 p.m.	at Hawaii*	Aloha Stadium Honolulu, HI	Stadium	L 29–43	23,112
September 22	6:00 p.m.	at Southern Miss	M. M. Roberts Stadium Hattiesburg, MS	ESPN+	L 22–40	20,159
September 29	2:30 p.m.	at Wake Forest*	BB&T Field Winston-Salem, NC	ACCRSN	L 24–56	24,519
October 6	6:00 p.m.	UTSA	Rice Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN3	L 3–20	19,170
October 13	12:00 p.m.	UAB	Rice Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN+	L 0–42	18,916
October 20	6:30 p.m.	at FIU	Riccardo Silva Stadium Miami, FL	ESPN+	L 17–36	13,741
October 27	3:00 p.m.	at North Texas	Apogee Stadium Denton, TX	ESPN+	L 17–41	25,375
November 3	2:30 p.m.	UTEP	Rice Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN3	L 26–34	18,420
November 10	6:00 p.m.	at Louisiana Tech	Joe Aillet Stadium Ruston, LA	ESPN+	L 13–28	15,283
November 17	6:30 p.m.	at No. 10 LSU*	Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, LA	ESPNU	L 10–42	100,323
November 24	12:00 p.m.	Old Dominion	Rice Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN+	W 27–13	18,083
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Schedule Source:[4]

Game summaries

Prairie View A&M

	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	21	7	0	28
Owls	13	6	0	12	31

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP PVAM Rice 1 4:29 14 86 7:52 Rice Austin Walker 10-yard touchdown run, Jack Fox kick good 0 7 1 1:53 3 44 0:57 Rice Emmanuel Esukpa 15-yard touchdown run, Jack Fox kick failed 0 13 2 11:03 9 60 4:09 Rice 33-yard field goal by Jack Fox 0 16 2 9:06 6 75 1:57 PVAM Zarrian Holcomb 20-yard touchdown reception from Jalen Morton, Zach Elder kick good 7 16 2 4:17 10 47 4:49 Rice 36-yard field goal by Haden Tobola 7 19 2 1:33 7 69 2:44 PVAM Jose Medrano 2-yard touchdown reception from Jalen Morton, Zach Elder kick good 14 19 2 0:06 4 69 0:34 PVAM Tristen Wallace 20-yard touchdown reception from Jalen Morton, Zach Elder kick good 21 19 3 8:05 8 94 3:04 PVAM Bernard Good 27-yard touchdown run, Zach Elder kick good 28 19 4 11:46 4 25 1:53 Rice Austin Walter 8-yard touchdown run, Jack Fox kick good 28 26 4 10:15 Rice PVAM rush for loss of 31 yards, team safety 28 28 4 0:00 9 52 4:28 Rice 23-yard field goal by Jack Fox 28 31 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 28 31

Houston

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cougars	3	14	14	14	45
Owls	7	17	3	0	27

at Hawaii

	1	2	3	4	Total
Owls	7	3	3	16	29
Rainbow Warriors	14	7	7	15	43

at Southern Miss

	1	2	3	4	Total
Owls	8	7	0	7	22
Golden Eagles	10	14	10	6	40

at Wake Forest

	1	2	3	4	Total
Owls	0	3	14	7	24
Demon Deacons	21	21	14	0	56

UTSA

	1	2	3	4	Total
Roadrunners	3	10	0	7	20
Owls	0	0	3	0	3

UAB

	1	2	3	4	Total
Blazers	14	14	14	0	42
Owls	0	0	0	0	0

at FIU

	1	2	3	4	Total
Owls	7	3	7	0	17
Panthers	0	16	10	10	36

at North Texas

	1	2	3	4	Total
Owls	7	3	7	0	17
Mean Green	10	7	3	21	41

UTEP

	1	2	3	4	Total
Miners	7	20	7	0	34
Owls	0	3	7	16	26

at Louisiana Tech

	1	2	3	4	Total
Owls	0	3	7	3	13
Bulldogs	0	7	14	7	28

at LSU

	1	2	3	4	Total
Owls	0	3	0	7	10
No. 10 Tigers	14	14	7	7	42

Old Dominion

	1	2	3	4	Total
Monarchs	3	3	7	0	13
Owls	6	7	7	7	27

References

1. Hill, Glynn A. (November 27, 2017). "Rice fires football coach David Bailiff". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
2. http://conferenceusa.com/news/2018/7/16/football-fb-2018-preseason-awards.aspx
3. http://conferenceusa.com/news/2018/7/17/football-fb-preseason-media-poll.aspx
4. "2018 Rice Owls Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved April 5, 2018.