Sports

Rice turns over First Responder Bowl to Texas State, 45-21

Until Dec. 26’s Servpro First Responder Bowl against Texas State University, Rice Football had not committed seven turnovers in a single game since 2007. Despite a strong first half with three Owl touchdowns, the team lost momentum in the second half and let 21 Texas State points go unanswered. The final score was 45-21 in the Bobcats’ favor, with Rice dropping to 6-7 to end the 2023 season.

Quarterback JT Daniels announces medical retirement

Rice Football quarterback JT Daniels is medically retiring after suffering multiple concussions, according to a report from Pete Thamel of ESPN. Daniels, who played his last game Nov. 4 against Southern Methodist University, told ESPN he made the decision in conjunction with his doctors. His retirement begins immediately, meaning Daniels is unable to play in the Owls’ bowl game later this month.

Will Rice denies Wiess of Powderpuff championship repeat

The Intramural Powderpuff tournament came to an exciting end Nov. 18 as Will Rice College defeated Wiess College 7-0, scoring with barely a minute left in the championship game. 

Rice Rugby’s intellectual brutality results in dominance

Rugby is a particularly underrepresented sport in the United States. Only four Division 1 universities field varsity rugby teams, and the sport’s organization for American professional play, Major League Rugby, had its inaugural season just five years ago. It is not surprising, then, that many students at Rice are unaware that the university’s club rugby team is one of the best in the nation. 

Going bowling: Rice extends season with hard-fought win over FAU

Rice Football head coach Mike Bloomgren found himself covered in Gatorade, sweat and champagne within a matter of minutes following Saturday’s 24-21 win over the Florida Atlantic University Owls. The victory secured a second consecutive year of bowl eligibility for Rice, whose players, coaches and fans celebrated accordingly.

11-15-2023 Editorial Cartoon: "Owl-American"

“We really should learn how to play defense.“

COLUMN: Offensive woes interfering with Rice’s quest for bowl status

After falling to 4-6 following an ugly 34-14 loss to the University of Texas at San Antonio on Saturday, Rice Football finds itself in a tough situation. The Owls must win their remaining two games in order to qualify for a bowl game. But after a shaky few weeks, there are real doubts about the capabilities of Rice, specifically on offense.

Ransom-Goelz finds his fit on and off the field

“First few game challenges? Just finding where I fit, really.”

Rice WBB outrace Wildcats, lose to Horned Frogs over weekend

Rice Women’s Basketball is now 2-1 following two road games this past week against Abilene Christian University and Texas Christian University. The Owls defeated ACU 69-58 Thursday evening in a game where the Owls maintained the lead over the Wildcats for the entire 40 minutes of the game. However, the Owls’ early undefeated start to the season ended on Sunday when they were defeated 67-42 by TCU. The loss to the Horned Frogs also broke the Owls’ 13-game win streak against non-conference opponents, which dated back to the 2021-22 season. 

‘Rice of the North’ spoils MBB opening weekend

Last Friday, Rice Men’s Basketball hosted Harvard University in the second game of their season. Despite a late comeback, the Owls were unable to overcome an early 18-point deficit and lost to the “Rice of the North,” 76-89.

Mustangs trample Owls Saturday as Daniels leaves early

A promising 3-2 start to the season has gradually slipped away from Rice Football, who fell to the Southern Methodist University Mustangs 36-31 Saturday, Nov. 4 at Rice Stadium. The Owls have now suffered back-to-back losses in conference games at home while their status as bowl game contenders hangs in the balance.

11-08-2023 Editorial Cartoon: "Owl-American"

“Everything is falling Apart!“

Volleyball extends win streak to four over weekend

Rice Volleyball won both of their games against Tulane University last weekend, extending their win streak to four games. The Owls defeated the Green Wave 3-1 at home on both Friday and Saturday, boosting their overall record to 17-7 and their record against conference play to 11-3. Head coach Genny Volpe said she is pleased with the team’s performance and is focused on improving the team’s consistency.

Rice Women’s Basketball prepares for challenging season

The Rice Women’s basketball team started its 2023 season Nov. 6 with a 70-38 win against Houston Christian University, but the Owls’ season will only intensify from there. While the team’s American Athletic Conference debut isn’t until Jan. 3, 2024, head coach Lindsay Edmonds will stick to the team’s “Win the Day” mantra as her squad adjusts to their new rivals after leaving the Conference-USA last year. Edmonds, who is entering her third year leading Rice’s program, said that she’s excited about the move to the “more prestigious” conference.

New team, same dream: Men’s Basketball aims to impress

The start of November means that basketball season is officially here. After a long off-season, men’s basketball head coach Scott Pera is ready to start his seventh season at the helm of the Owls.

11-01-2023 Editorial Cartoon: "Owl-American"

Record-breaking performance brightens Golf's poor fall slate

It’s been a semester of swinging and missing for golf as they’ve placed in the bottom half of all but one invitational they’ve competed at. Golf started off the fall slate of tournaments with two average performances at the Argent Financial Classic, finishing tenth out of 16 teams (+6), and finishing 15th out of 22 teams (+22) at the Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational.

Soccer season ends with loss

The Owls lost to the University of Texas at San Antonio 2-0 on Thursday in their last game of the season on Senior Night. Out of the twelve teams in the American Athletic Conference for women’s soccer, Rice was one of four to not qualify for the AAC Women’s Soccer Championship tournament, finishing their season with a 1-7-1 conference record and 3-13-2 overall record, not winning a game at home. 

Column: Rice can stop the Pony Express

Saturday’s game against Southern Methodist University will be Rice Football’s final game against old Southwest Conference foes in 2023. The Owls will take the field with a 4-4 record, not having won at home since September, while the Mustangs seek to extend their four-game win streak and improve to 7-2 on the season. 

Owls drowned by the Green Wave in latest AAC loss

“We came up short” has become an all-too-familiar refrain for Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren, who uttered this four-word statement again following a 30-28 loss to the No. 22 Tulane Green Wave on Saturday evening at Rice Stadium. The defeat dropped the Owls to 4-4 on the season.