Rice football got 27 points from their leading kicker Will Harrison last season. He’ll need to up his game for the Owls in 2018.
The paltry amount of field goals Rice football attempted in 2017 is borderline unbelievable. If it seemed like the Owls didn’t attempt any field goals last season it’s because they averaged less than one field goal attempted per game. Their five total field goal attempts ranked dead last in the FBS.
The limited offensive production placed Rice near the bottom in PAT tries as well. Their 25 attempts (24 successful) were more only six programs in the nation.
It wasn’t that long ago that Rice fans were treated to the wonder leg of Chris Boswell. The former Rice star is kicking in the NFL for the Pittsburg Steelers, but he got his start with the Owls. From 2010 to 2013 he scored 359 points for the Owls, connecting on 65 field goals and knocking through 164 PATs.
The Rice specialists are going to need some help from the offense if those numbers are going to tick upwards in 2018. Regardless of whether its five or 25 field goal attempts, they’ll fall on the leg of sophomore kicker Will Harrison.
Harrison led the Owls’ kickers in attempts (four) while connecting on just two of his kicks. Those six points, combined with 21 PATs placed him fourth on the team in scoring with 27 points. Junior Hayden Tobola connected on his lone field goal attempt and added a pair of PATs while punter Jack Fox did not attempt any field goals, but knocked through his only PAT of 2017 in the season opener against Stanford.
Harrison made field goals one field goal of 36-yards against UTEP and a 31-yard kick against Houston. He missed a 43-yard attempt against Houston and had a 25-yard attempt blocked against Old Dominion, a game which Rice lost by three points.
