Rice Football: Is 2021 when Owls return to the postseason?

Rice Football had some moments in 2020, can the Owls put it all together and get back to a bowl game in 2021?

Rice Football had the first four games of their 2021 season canceled and it was unknown how much football the Owls were going to be able to play. In total, Rice had six games on its schedule get canceled and that would usually mean that it is a giant question mark heading into the season. However, in Owls’ five games played last season, there was a lot of optimism that you can take from the season.

In the first game the Owls were able to play, they fell in a double overtime game to MTSU, but then rebounded and took care of business vs Southern Miss. After their biggest loss of the season to North Texas, Rice pulled off the signature moment thus far in the Mike Bloomgreen era and knocked off undefeated and ranked opponent Marshall. Rice not only knocked off Marshall, but they shut them out and that showed the progress that the defense has made during Bloomgren’s time with the program. Rice finished the season coming within five points of upsetting eventual C-USA champion UAB.

Those last two games of the season are what’s giving fans of this program some hope that they are not far away from being able to compete for a conference title.

The defense should once again be very solid under Bloomgren and the offense should look a lot more modern with the hiring of former Washington Huskies quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo.

Rice football is going to be throwing the ball down the field a lot more often than they have in the past and that will make them a more complete football team. Every team in Conference USA better be on notice when playing the Rice Owls.