HOUSTON The focus shifts from offseason to offseason, with roster evaluations influencing the intended targets on the recruiting trail. But in some years perspectives take on macro views, with an overriding program philosophy taking precedent over specific needs at tailback or tackle. The results of years of defensive futility suggested to Rice coach David Bailiff that the Owls...

HOUSTON The focus shifts from offseason to offseason, with roster evaluations influencing the intended targets on the recruiting trail. But in some years perspectives take on macro views, with an overriding program philosophy taking precedent over specific needs at tailback or tackle. The results of years of defensive futility suggested to Rice coach David Bailiff that the Owls...

Rice's Chris Jammer and Tyler Smith are back on a football practice field this week, joining a host of players form across the country in Tucson, Arizona for the first annual Casino Del Sol All Star game, which will be held at Kino Stadium in Tucson next Tuesday night.

Rice cornerback Bryce Callahan and wide receiver Mario Hull are among 26 freshmen who have been named the 2011 Sporting News Freshman All America Team. Callahan picked up a second honor when he was also named to Scout.com's FoxSportsNext 2011 Freshman All America team.

Rice cornerback Bryce Callahan, who led all FBS freshmen with six interceptions and was second with 15 passes defended, has been named to Phil Steele's 2011 All-Freshman second team as part of his annual list of honors teams which were released on Wednesday. He also joined Kyle Martens, Luke Willson, Scott Solomon, Chris Boswell and Jake Hicks in earning a place on Steele's All C-USA squad.

Rice senior punter Kyle Martens and senior defensive end Scott Solomon have been honored by Conference USA coaches by being named to the 2011 All C-USA Football Team which was announced on Tuesday.

And then there was one. With the announced dismissals of Chuck Driesbach and Rick LaFavers on Monday, Rice coach David Bailiff has just one remaining member from his original staff from 2007: linebackers coach Darrell Patterson. Driesbach, 59, and LaFavers, 38, joined Bailiff in the weeks following his Jan. 19 2007 hiring. Driesbach had served as assistant head coach, defensive...

Rice senior defensive end Scott Solomon, who tied the school career record for sacks, and senior linebacker Matt Nordstrom, who came to Rice as a walk-on but earned a scholarship with his play on the field, are among 12 student-athletes named to the 2011 C-USA Football All-Academic team, as selected in a vote of the league's Sports Information Directors.

It seemed just for the 2011 season to end like this, with Rice senior quarterback Nick Fanuzzi playing the role of Sisyphus, laboring to move an offense that had sputtered far more frequently than it had succeeded. The Owls' defense, good but not great, provided an opportunity by stopping SMU one final time midway through the fourth quarter. The Owls' special teams, solid yet unspectacular...

It seemed just for the 2011 season to end like this, with Rice senior quarterback Nick Fanuzzi playing the role of Sisyphus, laboring to move an offense that had sputtered far more frequently than it had succeeded. The Owls' defense, good but not great, provided an opportunity by stopping SMU one final time midway through the fourth quarter. The Owls' special teams, solid...

For a career spent pursuing redemption and escaping the shadow of his older brother, this final individual pursuit seems perfect for Tyler Smith. Once one of five running backs in the Owls' crowded backfield, Smith stands poised to become the fifth Rice tailback to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a single season. It will require a career day for the fifth-year senior from Cedar Park...

For a career spent pursuing redemption and escaping the shadow of his older brother, this final individual pursuit seems perfect for Tyler Smith. Once one of five running backs in the Owls' crowded backfield, Smith stands poised to become the fifth Rice tailback to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a single season. It will require a career day for the fifth-year senior from Cedar Park...

Rice senior defensive end Scott Solomon is one of 19 defensive ends who remain in contention for the 2011 Hendricks Award Watch List as members of the award's final Mid-Season Watch List, which was announced on Monday by the Ted Hendricks Foundation.

Rice sophomore kicker Chris Boswell has been honored by Conference USA as its Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the Owls 19-7 win over Tulane on Senior Day last Saturday at Rice Stadium.

Transcript from Rice University Football's weekly press conference. At the podium this week: head coach David Bailiff and seniors Tyler Smith (RB) and Scott Solomon (DE).

It certainly wasn't lost on Rice coach David Bailiff how poetic this moment seemed, how perfectly befitting a Hollywood script it was that he stood poised to share the postgame spotlight with two respected fifth-year seniors who had overcome their fair share of tribulations. It was Senior Day after all, and the perfect complement to Saturday's pregame festivities honoring 25 seniors...

It certainly wasn't lost on Rice coach David Bailiff how poetic this moment seemed, how perfectly befitting a Hollywood script it was that he stood poised to share the postgame spotlight with two respected fifth-year seniors who had overcome their fair share of tribulations. It was Senior Day after all, and the perfect complement to Saturday's pregame festivities honoring...

Ask Rice senior defensive end Scott Solomon to assess the legacy of the Class of 2007, the first for David Bailiff, and a nebulous answer follows. How does one easily reconcile four losing seasons against a magical 10-win campaign that concluded with a historic triumph in the 2008 Texas Bowl? Even now occasional moments of frustration yield to glorious memories of three years ago...

Rice coach David Bailiff had no issue discussing on Monday the angst that filled the Owls' locker room following their loss at Northwestern last Saturday, a loss that extinguished their faint postseason bowl hopes. His team, particularly the seniors, was saturated by disappointment and despair over the cementing of a third consecutive losing season. As Bailiff reviewed that 28-6...

Transcript from Rice University Football's weekly press conference. At the podium this week: head coach David Bailiff and seniors Jake Hicks (OL) and Xavier Webb (SAF).

Rice senior Nick Fanuzzi, who made a memorable return to the starting lineup while leading the Owls to a 41-37 win over UTEP has been named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week and was also recognized by the Manning Award as one of its eight "Stars of the Week".

The ball was placed perfectly on a figurative tee for Rice senior quarterback Nick Fanuzzi to bash with a swing of deserved boasting. His greatest collegiate moment had recently concluded, and Fanuzzi stood before the assembled media in a team meeting room awash in congratulations and lionized for the Owls' 41-37 victory over UTEP last Saturday. He had set a career standard...

The ball was placed perfectly on a figurative tee for Rice senior quarterback Nick Fanuzzi to bash with a swing of deserved boasting. His greatest collegiate moment had recently concluded, and Fanuzzi stood before the assembled media in a team meeting room awash in congratulations and lionized for the Owls' 41-37 victory over UTEP last Saturday. He had set a career standard for...

Transcript from Rice University Football's weekly press conference feature head coach David Bailiff and senior defensive lineman John Gioffre.

As far back as Monday, when Rice senior quarterback Nick Fanuzzi first observed UTEP on film, he figured a prolific performance was possible. The Miners could hardly be considered stout defensively, and their personnel appeared susceptible to the same matchups the Owls had struggled to exploit for lengthy stretches this season. As the week unfolded the Owls' confidence swelled,...