# 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.

## Preseason
### Preseason All-CUSA team

Conference USA released their preseason all-CUSA team on July 16, 2018, with the Owls having one player selected.
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.
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 StadiumHouston, TX | ESPN+ | W 31–28 | 20,050 |
| September 1 | 11:00 a.m. | Houston* | Rice StadiumHouston, TX (rivalry) | CBSSN | L 27–45 | 26,390 |
| September 8 | 11:00 p.m. | at Hawaii* | Aloha StadiumHonolulu, HI | Stadium | L 29–43 | 23,112 |
| September 22 | 6:00 p.m. | at Southern Miss | M. M. Roberts StadiumHattiesburg, MS | ESPN+ | L 22–40 | 20,159 |
| September 29 | 2:30 p.m. | at Wake Forest* | BB&T FieldWinston-Salem, NC | ACCRSN | L 24–56 | 24,519 |
| October 6 | 6:00 p.m. | UTSA | Rice StadiumHouston, TX | ESPN3 | L 3–20 | 19,170 |
| October 13 | 12:00 p.m. | UAB | Rice StadiumHouston, TX | ESPN+ | L 0–42 | 18,916 |
| October 20 | 6:30 p.m. | at FIU | Riccardo Silva StadiumMiami, FL | ESPN+ | L 17–36 | 13,741 |
| October 27 | 3:00 p.m. | at North Texas | Apogee StadiumDenton, TX | ESPN+ | L 17–41 | 25,375 |
| November 3 | 2:30 p.m. | UTEP | Rice StadiumHouston, TX | ESPN3 | L 26–34 | 18,420 |
| November 10 | 6:00 p.m. | at Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet StadiumRuston, LA | ESPN+ | L 13–28 | 15,283 |
| November 17 | 6:30 p.m. | at No. 10 LSU* | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA | ESPNU | L 10–42 | 100,323 |
| November 24 | 12:00 p.m. | Old Dominion | Rice StadiumHouston, TX | ESPN+ | W 27–13 | 18,083 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time |||||||
    Schedule Source:

## 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 | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | 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. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "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 |