Next up for Rice Football: a road trip to face East Carolina. Here’s what head coach Scott Abell had to say about the matchup and a few depth chart notes.
Head coach Scott Abell and a set of players met with the media for their customary weekly availability. They recapped the UTSA game and looked ahead at their upcoming matchup with East Carolina.
Roost Podcast: Rice Football vs UTSA Game Recap
We touch on those items, then dig into the Rice football depth chart and what the team looks like heading into the weekend. First, the quotes:
Press Conference Quotes
I thought we did a lot of good things in our option game. We probably didn’t throw the ball as efficiently as we need to… That probably falls as much on me. I’m not sure I got us in the right rhythm in the passing game early enough, and because I didn’t get us in a rhythm in the passing game early enough then when it was time when we needed it, we didn’t execute at a high level. It starts with me. I’ve got to find a rhythm for us in all phases of our game, not just our option game, our ability to affect the game with our passing game, because I think we can do that this year.” – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the offense against UTSA
The difference will be the pace of play that they want to play with, and the key is for all of us, whatever pace you want to play, when the defense disrupts that it becomes a problem. So our goal is, how do we disrupt it? Make them uncomfortable in the pace they want to play? The same thing happens for us offensively. There’s a pace we want to play and if we get forced out of that pace that becomes uncomfortable. I think one of the goals when you’re playing an up-tempo style of offense is how do you make them work for it? How do you slow them down? And that will be a goal. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the pace of play against East Carolina
I think he’s a really talented football player. He fits out system. He can run. He’s physical and that means he can guard receivers. We need our safeties to be a little bit of everything. They’ve got to fit our run game. They need to cover talented receivers in the passing game and that’s not always easy. We were really excited when we were able to attract AJ here. Great to see him playing at such a high level.- Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the play of safety AJ Brown
You can get lost in the ups and downs, the 1-and-4, but I look at it as we’re the best 1-4 team in the country. We gotta go every week to go prove that. I think that’s the great thing about football; it’s just having the opportunity to go and prove, no matter what anybody says, what the stats say. Everybody in this building truly believes, and I think that’s the biggest thing. Nobody’s quitting. Nobody’s in that locker room being toxic or anything. Everybody’s coming together for that goal. – Quarterback Jacurri Brown on the mentality of the program right now
Definitely being prepared to move fast, line up fast, and next play mentality. I feel like we are good at that, being in situations and reacting fast. ECU is definitely gonna run tempo at us. We saw it in the last game. It’s something that we’re going to practice, obviously, and we’re going to be prepared. – Safety AJ Brown on the ECU offense
Press Conference
Depth Chart
Depth Chart Notes
For the first time since his injury in fall camp, tight end Preston Zinter has returned to the depth chart. He made his season debut against UTSA and is back on top his position group once again. Also listed with the starters again on offense is tackle Luke Miller, who did not start against UTSA, but did rejoin the tackle rotation as he worked his way back from injury.
The rest of the depth chart on that side of the ball remains unchanged, but which slots are able to go won’t be determined until later this week in practice. Make sure you’re subscribed to our Starting Lineup Tier on Patreon to get the full details on those injuries, as well as other key practice notes.
On defense, Seth Clarke takes over the starting spot from the injure Chibby Nwajuaku at rush end and captain Daveon Hook is back as the starter at viper. The rest of the two-deep is in line with last week.
The most notable change might be the OR designation at place kicker. Enock Gota has struggled this season and Abell said postgame on Saturday against UTSA the team would explore alternatives at the position.