The source for Rice sports news

  • Football
    • Recruiting
    • Offer Tracker
    • Roster
    • Schedule
    • NFL Owls
  • Premium
    • Patreon
    • Season Preview
    • Join / FAQ
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Store
    • News
    • Basketball
    • Baseball
    • About
    • Contact
  • Login

26 Days: Owls hope to improve on 26 offensive touchdowns in 2018

July 30, 2018 By Matthew Bartlett

Scoring was not the forte for Rice Football last season. Returning production and a revamped offense promise to push that number higher in 2018.

Rice football scored 26 offensive touchdowns in 2018, roughly averaging out to 2.2 touchdowns per game. That’s not a great rate of return on 732 offensive plays. The Owls’ total scoring output was near the bottom of the barrel last season, but there is reason for hope moving forward. The Owls get the vast majority of that offensive production back and they’ll be adding more skill players to the mix.

Of the nine Owls that found the endzone last season eight of them are returning to South Main. The only departing scorer, quarterback Miklo Smalls, would have been buried on the depth anyways, so his four touchdowns gone isn’t all that impactful. Here’s how the rest of the scorers shake out:

Player Pos Rush Rec Pass
Nashon Ellerbe RB 6 0 0
Sam Glaesmann QB 3 0 3
Aaron Cephus WR 0 5 0
Austin Walter RB 4 1 0
Miklo Smalls QB 3 0 1
Jackson Tyner QB 1 0 2
Emmanuel Esukpa RB 1 0 0
Jordan Myers RB 1 0 0
Will Phillips WR 1 0 0
Total 20 6 6

Nashon Ellerbe, Austin Walter and Emmanuel Esukpa make up a rather deep backfield for the Owls. All three players got at least 55 carries last season and each averaged at least 4.5 yards per rush attempt. Whoever wins the starting job could be in for a massive workload this year which would include an increase in goal-to-go carries and, most likely, more touchdowns.

With Aaron Cephus on the outside and that versatility in the backfield Rice should reload and come out even stronger next season. A legitimate rushing attack works wonders for any passing game, which makes the installation of Bloomgren’s rushing schemes extremely important this fall. Whether it’s through the air or on the ground, the Owls are destined for more scores in 2018.


Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts
  • Can Scott Pera elevate Rice Basketball? November Q&A
  • Dominque Ennis, Rice Women’s Basketball drown TSU with threes
  • The Roost Podcast | Ep 169 – Rice Football is bowl bound!
  • Rice Football 2023: NFL Owls Week 12 Roundup

Filed Under: Featured, Football Tagged With: Countdown to kickoff, Rice Football

  1. Item 1
  2. Item 2
  3. Item 3
  4. Item 4
  5. Item 5
  • News: 2023 Rice Football Season Preview and Free Trials
  • “He’s a Bulldog”: Parker Smith’s Journey to Rice Baseball Ace
  • The Roost Podcast
  • Rice Basketball
  • How five UAB snapshots tell a Rice football story
Become a patron at Patreon!
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter