Rice football has a new quarterback again, sort of. Former starter Shawn Stankavage has been cleared to play against Louisiana Tech in Week 11.
Shawn Stanakavage went down in the Owls’ game against UAB and returned to the field with a boot on his foot. Redshirt freshman Evan Marshman took over the offense for the next seven-ish quarters of the season before suffering a hand injury that will keep him sidelined for the rest of the 2018 season.
Marshman ceded the job to true freshman Wiley Green who started the last two games against North Texas and UTEP. Green has a lot of raw talent and continues to show promise, throwing for more than 300 yards and two touchdowns against the Miners. As one of the last healthy passers remaining on the roster, Green was expected to be the starter for the remainder of the season.
Then the Rice coaching staff got some unexpected, but welcome, good news. Stankavage, the Owls’ original QB1 who had been written off as lost for the season, returned to practice on Monday. He’s expected to participate fully in team drills on Tuesday and through the rest of the week.
“He’s worked his butt off,” said Mike Bloomgren who affirmed he doesn’t believe starters should lose their job to injury. Stankavage has been on the field during practice, in the meetings and doing everything to prepare short of putting on a helmet. The limitation was his body, which has healed at a rate that caught most everyone around the program off guard. That might be the first welcomed surprise the Owls have received this season.
For Stankavage, it’s one more opportunity to play college football. In seven appearances for Rice this season he threw nine touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’ll be trusted with the reigns from this point forward and tasked with moving an offense that has been hot and cold all season. If he can turn the corner, this offense might too.
