2020 Rice Owls football team explained

Mode:	football
Year:	2020
Team:	Rice Owls
Conference:	Conference USA
Division:	West Division
Short Conf:	C-USA
Record:	2–3
Conf Record:	2–3
Head Coach:	Mike Bloomgren
Hc Year:	3rd
Off Coach:	Jerry Mack
Oc Year:	3rd
Off Scheme:	Multiple
Def Coach:	Brian Smith
Dc Year:	3rd
Def Scheme:	Multiple 3–4
Stadium:	Rice Stadium

The 2020 Rice Owls football team represented Rice University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Owls played their home games at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas, and competed in the West Division of Conference USA (C–USA). They were led by third-year head coach Mike Bloomgren.

Preseason

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Chuck Bednarik Award^[1]	Blaze Alldredge	LB	SR
Fred Biletnikoff Award^[2]	Bradley Rozner	WR	RS JR
Butkus Award^[3]	Blaze Alldredge	LB	SR
Bronko Nagurski Trophy^[4]	Blaze Alldredge	LB	SR
Paul Hornung Award^[5]	Austin Trammell	WR	SR

C-USA media poll

The preseason poll will be released prior to the Conference USA media days sometime during summer 2020 via a virtual conference due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

West Division
	Louisiana Tech
	North Texas
	Rice
	Southern Miss
	UAB
	UTEP
	UTSA

East Division
	Charlotte
	FIU
	Florida Atlantic
	Marshall
	Middle Tennessee
	Old Dominion
	Western Kentucky

Preseason All–C-USA teams

The Preseason team will be released during the Virtual Media Day to be held in the summer of 2020.

Recruiting class

References:^[6] ^[7] |}

Schedule

Rice had games scheduled against Lamar, Louisiana Tech, LSU, UTEP, and UTSA which were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[8] ^[9]

^[10]

Game summaries

Middle Tennessee

style=	Pregame line!	style=	Over/under
RICE −4	48.5^[11]

Statistics	Middle Tennessee	Rice
First downs	22	26
Total yards	451	425
Rushing yards	118	183
Passing yards	333	242
Turnovers	1	3
Time of possession	27:03	32:57

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Middle Tennessee	Passing	Asher O'Hara	24/33, 333 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing	Asher O'Hara	22 carries, 69 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving	CJ Windham	7 receptions, 109 yards, 1 TD
Rice	Passing	Mike Collins	18/35, 242 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing	Juma Otoviano	20 carries, 84 yards
Receiving		3 receptions, 76 yards, 2 TDs

At Southern Miss

style=	Pregame line!	style=	Over/under
RICE −1	59^[12]

Statistics	Rice	Southern Miss
First downs	22	11
Total yards	412	269
Rushing yards	179	100
Passing yards	233	169
Turnovers	1	3
Time of possession	36:52	23:08

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Rice	Passing	Mike Collins	12/17, 233 yards, 4 TDs
Rushing	Juma Otoviano	25 carries, 111 yards
Receiving	Austin Trammell	7 receptions, 143 yards, 3 TDs
Southern Miss	Passing	Jack Abraham	12/17, 112 yards, 1 INT
Rushing		11 carries, 71 yards
Receiving	Antoine Robinson	3 receptions, 41 yards

At North Texas

style=	Pregame line!	style=	Over/under
UNT –1.5	65^[13]

Statistics	Rice	North Texas
First downs	23	17
Total yards	376	389
Rushing yards	49	269
Passing yards	327	120
Turnovers	2	0
Time of possession	36:25	23:35

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Rice	Passing	Mike Collins	23/34, 327 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing	Khalan Griffin	20 carries, 72 yards
Receiving	Austin Trammell	6 receptions, 116 yards, 1 TD
North Texas	Passing		9/20, 120 yards, 1 TD
Rushing		19 carries, 102 yards, 1 TD
Receiving	Austin Ogunmakin	3 receptions, 60 yards

At Marshall

style=	Pregame line!	style=	Over/under
MARSH –23.5	46.5^[14]

Statistics	Rice	Marshall
First downs	17	19
Total yards	213	245
Rushing yards	127	80
Passing yards	86	165
Turnovers	1	5
Time of possession	36:26	23:34

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Rice	Passing	JoVoni Johnson	10/14, 86 yards
Rushing	Ari Broussard	19 carries, 62 yards
Receiving	Jake Bailey	7 receptions, 57 yards
Marshall	Passing		18/35, 165 yards, 5 INTs
Rushing	Brenden Knox	20 carries, 76 yards
Receiving	Talik Keaton	7 receptions, 48 yards

UAB

style=	Pregame line!	style=	Over/under
UAB –7	42.5^[15]

Statistics	UAB	Rice
First downs	13	20
Total yards	354	232
Rushing yards	137	66
Passing yards	217	166
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	22:42	37:18

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UAB	Passing	Tyler Johnson III	9/18, 217 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing	Tyler Johnson III	7 carries, 41 yards
Receiving		1 reception, 63 yards, 1 TD
Rice	Passing	JoVoni Johnson	17/23, 139 yards, 1 TD
Rushing	Khalan Griffin	14 carries, 34 yards
Receiving	Jake Bailey	7 receptions, 72 yards

Notes and References

Web site: 2020 Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List. July 13, 2020 . July 23, 2020.
Web site: 2020 Biletnikoff Award Watch List. July 16, 2020 . July 23, 2020.
Web site: The Butkus Award 2020 Collegiate Watch List. July 20, 2020. July 23, 2020. August 20, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100820080704/http://www.thebutkusaward.com/watchlist/view.aspx?t=c. dead.
Web site: 2020 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List Unveiled. July 21, 2020 . July 23, 2020.
Web site: 50 Players Named to 2020 Paul Hornung Award Watch List . July 23, 2020 . July 23, 2020 . July 23, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200723213433/https://www.louisvillesports.org/ph-article/50-players-named-to-2020-paul-hornung-award-watch-list/ . dead .
Web site: Owls Add 17 During Early Signing Period . Rice Owls . 27 May 2020 . en.
Web site: Owls Add Four to 2020 Recruiting Haul . Rice Owls . 27 May 2020 . en.
Web site: Talty . John . SEC moves to conference-only 2020 schedule, pushes back start of season. AL.com. 30 July 2020.
Web site: Football Opener with Lamar Cancelled . Rice Athletic Department . August 21, 2020 . August 22, 2020.
Web site: 2020 Football Schedule . Rice Owls . August 22, 2020 . en.
Web site: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders vs Rice Owls . Odds Shark . 2 January 2021 . en.
Web site: Rice Owls vs Southern Miss Golden Eagles . Odds Shark . 2 January 2021 . en.
Web site: Rice Owls vs North Texas Mean Green . Odds Shark . 2 January 2021 . en.
Web site: Rice Owls vs Marshall Thundering Herd Prediction, 12/5/2020 College Football Pick, Tips and Odds . www.docsports.com . 2 January 2021.
Web site: UAB Blazers vs Rice Owls . Odds Shark . 2 January 2021 . en.