Saturday evening in Mobile, AL presented an opportunity an entire Rice roster and coaching regime envisioned for years. The bowl-starved Owls hadn’t participated in a postseason game since 2014, but that all changed over the weekend when Rice battled former C-USA rival Southern Miss in the 2022 LendingTree Bowl.
It was the first bowl game for head coach Mike Bloomgren, who wrapped up his fifth year directing the Owls. It was also the first bowl game for players like running back Cameron Montgomery, whose time at Rice extends back to 2017, and for players like guard Shea Baker, who started his 54th consecutive game for the program in Mobile.