Step-by-step, the Owls are improving — is a conference change what sparks a leap?
The first five years of the Mike Bloomgren era at Rice were defined by small steps forward. Take away the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign and the Owls increased their win total by one each year from 2018 through 2022. Thanks to a high APR score last season, the five-win Owls reached a bowl game for the first time since 2014.