The Roost Podcast

It might be a slow time in the college football calendar, but the Roost Pod's back to keep you locked in on Rice football! Matt and Carter run through the Owls' handful of additions during the February Signing Day, then run through a position-by-position look at the roster as it stands right now. Which positions are we bullish on? Which are we nervous about? What are we looking forward to in the spring? Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

One last pod to put a bow on the 2022 season, because you can't talk college football anywhere (including here on the Roost Pod) without talking a little 'crootin! Matt and Carter are here to break down the class that Rice signed in late December, from high school prospects to junior college players to transfer portal travelers. How much does bringing in JT Daniels raise Rice's ceiling in the AAC in 2023? What positions of need were filled? Where might the Owls look to shore up this class in February or through further portal additions? Plus, the underrated but massive news that for maybe the first time ever, Rice was able to have a few high school signees enroll early. All that and more, and thanks for sticking with us this season! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

The 2022 Rice Football season comes to an end, in much the same way it existed for most of the way: brief, glorious moments of excitement and optimism, surrounded by inconsistency and frustration. Matt and Carter are back for the season's final Roost Podcast, breaking down the Owls' 38-24 loss to old conference foe Southern Miss in the LendingTree Bowl. Were there are bright spots in a game that featured Rice giving up an all-time bowl record in rushing yards to Frank Gore Jr? Does this change our outlook on 2023 at all?  Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

It's official—Rice is headed to Mobile for the LendingTree Bowl! But before we dive into that, Matt and Carter are back on this week's Roost Pod for the 4th Annual (?!?!?!?!?!) Roosties! Forget traditional postseason superlatives here: we're not talking Team MVP—we're talking MVT (Most Valuable Transfer). And Favorite Plays! And Plays We Maybe Wish Hadn't Happened Like They Did! Those categories (well, along those lines) and more, all in this episode. Don't Forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

The Owls dropped a tough one in their regular season finale, playing competitively despite a depleted offense but unable to hang on at the end. It's a story we've heard too many times this year, and Matt and Carter are here to help you swallow the bitter pill of Rice's final C-USA conference game in this episode of the Roost Podcast. Where does the team go from here? Is bowl eligibility at certainty at 5-7 thanks to APR? How does that affect the calculus of whether to retain this coaching staff in the AAC in 2023? These are complicated, confusing questions . . . much like this Rice football season was. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Two weeks in a row?! Somebody's got it out for Rice Football, and it might be Zeus. Or Thor. The Roost Podcast is back this week, and Matt and Carter are here to (reluctantly) take you through another game that started with a quarterback injury and ended with a blowout. Are there any positives to take from this one? To what dire depths has the quarterback room delved? Is there any remaining hopeful for bowl eligibility (spoiler: yes! though maybe not in the way you're imagining)? Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

One shot at bowl eligibility down, two more to go. Matt's flying solo on this week's Roost Podcast, talking about the Owls' frustrating—in more ways than one—loss to the Hilltoppers in Bowling Green. Where does the team go at QB with TJ hurt? Is there any cure for Rice's turnover woes? For the defense's miserable showings against third-and-long?  Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Well, another not-so-pretty win—but after last week, Matt and Carter aren't taking anything for granted on this week's Roost Podcast. Rice is 5-4 after a thrilling shootout against UTEP. Were any of our concerns eased after the Charlotte loss? How do we feel about TJ McMahon? About the defense? Plus, our deepest, sincerest apologies and condolences to Christian VanSickle. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

We're not sure if this is the most depressing episode of the Roost Podcast episode ever but . . . it's probably close. Matt and Carter are here to lead you through an audio therapy session after Rice's embarrassing blowout loss to an awful Charlotte team. Get through it with us, and then none of us ever have to think about this game again. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Another messy game, another close final—but Rice pulls this one out! And it was a lot more exciting to watch as well! So Matt and Carter are back on this week's Roost Podcast to break down a wild overtime win over Louisiana Tech in Ruston. Should we be concerned about the defense? Did the offense turn a corner for good in the second half? Plus, the first coach firing in C-USA this year! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Well, that was . . . not fun. Matt and Carter are here (reluctantly) breaking down Rice's downer of a loss to FAU in Boca on this week's Roost Podcast. What went wrong? What optimism is there to take forward? How does this affect our season outlook for Rice Football going forward? All that and more! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

It's another victory pod! On this week's Roost Podcast, Matt and Carter break down Rice's win over UAB, their second in as many seasons (and their second win as a double-digit dog this season). How does this season's win over the Blazers compare to last year's? How does it set up the Owls entering the bye week and the rest of conference play? All that and more! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Well, that was a crummy way to end an otherwise encouraging performance. The Roost Podcast is back with Matt and Carter here to talk through Rice's tough loss at crosstown rival Houston. Despite the late heartbreaker, they're feeling more confident than ever about this team heading into conference play. We break down all the reasons for it in this episode! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

VICTORY POD! Matt and Carter were pumped to record this week's Roost Podcast, with the Owls coming off a dominant 33-21 win over Louisiana in Rice Stadium, ending the Cajuns' national-best winning streak. Where does this rank among victories in the Bloomgren era? How does it inform our expectations going forward? Is Luke McCaffrey the best McCaffrey ever (we're biased but we say yes)? Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Victory podcast! Coming off a blowout loss in Week 1, the Owls turned the tables for a big victory over McNeese State in the home opener at Rice Stadium. Matt and Carter are back on the Roost Podcast this week, breaking down the biggest win (as far as points go) under this coaching staff at Rice. What were the biggest moments? Who was most impressive? Are there any takeaways (good or bad) from such a thorough victory? All that and more this week! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Well, that . . . wasn't fun! We're all eager to put Rice's season opener against USC in the rearview mirror after an injury to starting QB Wiley Green and three (three!) pick sixes, so Matt and Carter are here on this week's Roost Podcast to turn the page for you. Are there any positives or negatives—anything at all—that'll be predictive for the Owls going forward? What's our outlook on the team now, and what updates (if any) are there on injuries? All that and more! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

It's finally game week! Rice opens the 2022 football season Saturday at the LA Coliseum against USC, and Matt's here on this week's Roost Podcast with Yogi Roth, who'll be calling the game on Pac-12 Network. Will the Trojans' influx of transfers with Lincoln Riley vault them into instant contention? What areas of the roster are still in need of improvement? Who are the names to know besides Jordan Addison and Caleb Williams? All that and more!  Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Our last pod before game week arrives! With news of Wiley Green being named the starter at quarterback for the third time in four season openers breaking right before recording, it's time for Matt and Carter to break down the Rice offense for 2022 in this week's Roost Podcast. Will Green take the Owls to new heights, aided by a bevy of playmakers at WR and a veteran OL? Will the running game provide efficiency and explosiveness (or at least one)? Will a lack of depth at TE be a fatal flaw or a minor issue? Plus, more What's More Likely. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

The 2022 college football seasons is almost here, and it's finally time for the Roost Podcast to do our full previews of this year's Rice football team! Matt and Carter start things off in this episode by talking all things defense. Who are the likely starters and primary backups at each unit? Which positions do we feel good about, and which are going to need guys to step up? Plus, several rounds of What's More Likely?, and our overall outlook on the Owls' defense for this season. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Matt's hosting solo for the final Opponent Preview of 2022 (which means football is right around the corner!), bringing in Hunter Bailey of the Charlotte Observer to talk—guess who—Charlotte football. Can a revamped defensive staff get better results after the 49ers spent most of 2021 getting torched? Can sixth-year QB Chris Reynolds lead the offense to new heights? All that and more! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Fall camp is here! We'll check in our how things are shaping up for Rice Football soon, but for now, our old friend Eric Henry of Underdog Dynasty drops by to talk all things C-USA as usual. After a Media Days recap, we're playing a game of Make Your Case, where Eric and Matt have to take sides on a statement and Carter gets to play judge. Will UTSA repeat as conference champs? Does Louisiana Tech make a bowl? Mean Green to the championship game? Some of these are easier to argue for than others . . . . Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

The Opponent Previews roll on, with Matt (flying solo this week) joined by Adrian Broaddus to talk (for the last time???) UTEP. Where can QB Gavin Hardison take the Miners after last year's surprising bowl season? How do they adjust to the portal departure of star WR Jacob Cowing? Can the defense stay in the top five of the conference after a strong showing last year? All that and more! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

The 2022 Opponent Previews roll on with UTSA, and this week on the Roost Podcast, Matt and Carter are joined by (friend of the pod? frequent guest? infrequent third host?) Jared Kalmus of Alamodome Audible. Where do the Roadrunners go from here after last year's stellar conference championship season? How do they replace an entire defense's worth of super seniors? What are reasonable expectations as the program prepares to enter the AAC? All that and more! Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe!

The Opponent Previews for 2022 march on, as Kevin Fielder of Owls247 joins Matt and Carter on this week's Roost Podcast to talk upcoming Rice football opponent/current and future conference mate, FAU. We finally found a C-USA team that already knows who their QB is gonna be! What's the feeling on coach Willie Taggart right now? Which units on offense and defense are settled, and which ones are in flux? Plus, looking forward to when Rice, FAU, and Temple are all in the AAC and can finally decide which is the superior Owl-mascot school (it's Rice). All that and more! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

It's the middle of summer, so presumably all of our Opponent Previews for Rice Football in 2022 here on the Roost Podcast will just be look-aheads with no breaking news—oh! Sorry, we've just gotten word that the best head coach in the conference has retired out of the blue. So UAB beat writer and friend of the pod Evan Dudley joins Matt and Carter this week to preview the Blazers. How will Bill Clark's sudden medical retirement affect the team this year and going forward into the AAC? Will the defense be as ferocious as ever? Does ANYONE in the conference have the QB position settled yet? All that and more! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

The 2022 Opponent Previews series continues this week with Louisiana Tech. Ben Carlisle of Bleed Tech Blue joins Matt and Carter this week to talk all things Bulldogs football. With Skip Holtz out after nine seasons, what is new coach Sonny Cumbie bringing to Ruston? Will an influx of transfers and an aggressive new style beef up the defense? Does *anyone* in C-USA have a quarterback? All that and more! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Is it really time for the opponent previews already?? Even though we're in the June doldrums of college football, the season fast approaches. Carter was out this week, but Matt welcomes Matthew Brune of 247 and Dave Campbell back to the show to preview the North Texas Mean Green for this week's Roost Podcast. Is it the same old song and dance for Seth Littrell's squad? Do they finally have a quarterback in the post-Mason Fine era (not that we Rice fans would know anything about struggling to find a quarterback)? Answers to those questions and more! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

With only one more season to go with the sinking ship of C-USA, what do Rice fans have to look forward to in the American Athletic Conference? On this week's Roost Podcast, Matt and Carter are joined by Kelly Comarda from Fear the Wave, himself a former Tulane baseball player, to talk all things AAC. How are the rivalries? Who's stepping into the void left by Cincinnati/UH/UCF? Is this going Back to the Future by recreating late-aughts Conference USA? All that and more! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

After some quick news (the Transfer Portal makes decommitments hard to track!), Matt and Carter are joined on this week's Roost Podcast by former Rice basketball standout and sharpshooter Carl Pierre. Carl takes us through his journey from UMass to Rice, the ups and downs of a college basketball season, and what's next for him after concluding his career with the Owls. Plus, dad jokes and trash talk! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

With Carter out for the week, Matt's flying solo on this week's Roost Podcast—or would be, without the help of our buddy Mike Craven from Dave Campbell's Texas Football! He and Matt talk about putting preview magazines together, the process of covering more than a dozen teams at once, the outlook for the G5 teams in Texas, and and more! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Spring practice is over for Rice football in 2022, and before the long summer doldrums of college football begin, the Roost Pod is back to run down the storylines from spring ball for the Owls. Matt and Carter play a game of True or False with a series of post-spring statements. Will Rice have a top defensive line in the conference? Will the breakout spring contributors have serious roles in the fall? Quarterback??? All this and more! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

The Roost Pod is back this week, and we've got now-former Owls safety Naeem Smith on the show! Matt and Carter run through some news items before Naeem joins to talk his journey from JUCO to South Main, memories from his time at Rice, the draft prep process, and more, including . . . the art of podcasting? We're getting meta out here, y'all!  Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Spring practice is in full swing now for Rice Football, so Matt and Carter are back on this week's pod to talk news, including scheduling and Jake Bailey to the Portal, plus the state of the depth chart. Then, friend of the pod and Rice's pan-sports play-by-play polymath JP Heath stops by. He gives us his thoughts on Rice Men's Basketball's season, plus the start of the Jose Cruz Jr. era for Owls baseball. It's buzzer beaters, Wayne Graham stories, and more! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Our proper offseason schedule begins! Rice Football is starting spring practice, so it looks like the Roost Podcast has to start gearing up for the 2022 season as well. Matt and Carter are here to give you some coaching and scheduling news before discussing the state of the team as the spring kicks off. What are our questions about the team, and what are our DEFCON levels of concern about those questions? Once again, we manage to talk ourselves into a more optimistic state over the course of the podcast. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

It's the first Roost Podcast of 2022! Matt and Carter are back to talk you through the additions Rice Football has made to the roster since the Early Signing Period in December, how these additions impact the roster, and a few other roster news items (including the move of Luke McCaffrey from QB to WR). This is just a taste, but we'll be back in a few weeks when the Owls start spring practice! Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe!

It's the final Roost Podcast of 2021, and we're here to talk that most vital of off-season CFB topics: crootin'! Join Matt and Carter as they walk through Rice's small but mighty class of HS, JUCO, and FBS transfer players. What spots are still left to fill? Which players could make an immediate impact? All that and more! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

It's the—wait, is this for real??—THIRD Annual Roosties, celebrating the best, worst, most fun, and most memorable players, games, and moments from the 2021 season. You don't want to hear Matt and Carter do a whole Roost Podcast episode on boring traditional awards like Offensive and Defensive MVP (Matt's got all that and more covered on the site!); you want the Roosties! So settle in (for an efficient hour!) and listen to your hosts debate awards like Best Play, Most Head Scratching Moment, and Player You'll Miss the Most. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

100% fitting that Rice's final outing of the season was a weird game in which the Owls did not end the game with the same QB they began it with—but this time they won! So Rice finishes the season 4–8, and Matt and Carter are here to break it down on the Roost Podcast. They talk through the Louisiana Tech game, then talk big picture season thoughts, including grading the 2021 team on offense, defense, and special teams. Spoiler alert: for the first team in the history of this podcast, the offense gets the best grade!  Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Listen, no one wants to talk about a loss to UTEP. Carter was so horrified he bailed on this week's pod altogether (jk he's with family and has bad internet access). So Matt called in friend of the pod Eric Henry from Underdog Dynasty, who's always ready to talk all things C-USA so that we don't have to dwell on another Rice loss. Will Eric still be our friend when we leave him for greener pastures in the AAC? We hope so!  Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

It's the 100th episode of the Roost Podcast! Our deepest gratitude to our listeners to sticking with us this long. Matt and Carter are here to celebrate by uh . . . sighing their way through another loss and discussing the wisdom of a head coaching change. Unfortunately there's not something more fun to talk about—but at least you get to hear Carter rant! And that's what you're all here for, right? . . . Right?   Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Well, for a second straight week, Rice lost in overtime by a score of 30ish to 24, so for a second straight week, the Roost Podcast is here to break down an overtime loss. What went well? What went wrong? Will this team every make any sense? Matt and Carter don't have all the answers, but they're here to talk you through it anyway. They always feel a little better after recording, so maybe you'll feel a little better after listening. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Rice Football remains bafflingly inconsistent in 2021, and Matt and Carter are back on this week's Roost Podcast to do the audio version of the shrug emoji right along with you. An extended Dungeons & Dragons metaphor may or may not occur. Plus, Rice's soon-to-be-former conference is reported to be adding some members, and the list is . . . well, it's something. All that and more! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Did that just happen? Did Rice just upset a conference contender on the road as a 20+ point underdog with a third string QB and a bunch of defensive starters out . . . for the second year in a row? Y'all, they did! And Matt and Carter are here on this week's Roost Podcast to break it down for you. How did the Owls pull this off? Does it mean something positive going forward (PLEASE)? Does it foretell more clarity and consistency at the QB position (lol probably not)? All that and more! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Rice might have played a football game this weekend so we're here on the Roost Podcast to deal with that as quickly as possible in order to get to the real news: It looks like Rice is getting a new conference! A better conference, even! What a world! It's been a weekend of great and terrible things for Rice athletics, so Matt and Carter are here to take you through it all (mostly the good). Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Rice Football was off this week, but the Roost Pod takes no breaks! (Except for Carter, who was also off this week.) So Matt hops on with friend of the pod Eric Henry of Underdog Dynasty, for another State of C-USA pod! Matt and Eric cover the conference from top to bottom, East to West, leaving no stone unturned. They ask the important questions, including the most important one of all: "Is . . . is UTEP actually good?" Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Well, it was a journey to get here, but Rice is 2-3 entering its bye week and coming off two straight wins! So Matt and Carter are here on this week's Roost Podcast to break down a second consecutive home win, from the breakdowns on special teams to the repeated big plays by the defense and timely flashes from the offense. How does Rice look and where does the team stand, heading into a break before season-defining road trips to San Antonio and Birmingham? All that and more! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Not as pretty as you'd have hoped, but a win's a win's a win, and Rice Football got one in the W column this weekend, so of course the Roost Pod is here to celebrate with you! Join Matt and Carter as they break down Rices dominant offense and uh, suspect defense (???) from 48-34 win in the Owls' first-ever meeting with Texas Southern. Do we have a quarterback? Is there real reason to worry about the defense? All that and more! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Maybe you wish you could forget Rice's game against Texas from this past Saturday. We do too! But the Roost Podcast must march on, as Matt and Carter search through the dregs of this game to find any possible shred of positivity. The Owls still have everything ahead of them, and your hosts are here to break down what's at stake and where they go from this. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!  

Well . . . that wasn't pretty. But your faithful hosts Matt and Carter are here on this week's Roost Podcast to close the book on an ugly Bayou Bucket. What went wrong? What went right? Did *anything* go right? The outlook to this point in the season hasn't been rosy, but what conclusions can we draw right now? All that and more, plus a short look ahead to this weekend's showdown in Austin with a . . . confusing Texas team. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Well, that was . . . disappointing but encouraging? In some ways? Matt and Carter are here on this week's Roost Podcast to break down Rice's season-opening loss to Arkansas. Topics including the defense's dominant start, some reasons for optimism on offense, and the oddities of the quarterback situation. Then, a very brief look ahead to the Bayou Bucket game. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

IT'S GAME WEEK Y'ALL! Rice kicks off the season (and its mini-SWC opening slate) with a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks this weekend, and Matt and Carter are here on this week's Roost Podcast to breakdown the match-ups for you. Then Matt is joined by Tom Murphy of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette to talk even more in-depth about the Razorbacks. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!