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How do FBS/FCS Schedule Changes impact Rice Football? All-American Q&A

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All-American Level subscribers on our Patreon page get access to a monthly Q&A with me. Here’s our July edition, focusing on scheduling changes.

Q. James Madison has told the CAA that it intends to try to play football as an independent this year and is trying to put together a group of schools from the Sun Belt and CUSA to play this year.  All would be close by including App State, Liberty, Marshall, Charlotte, probably ODU and other schools to play 8 games within day trip range.  Could this be the beginning of the end of the Sun Belt and CUSA as currently arranged and a reorganization that would greatly cut travel costs for all.  Does JMU have a chance to pull this off and how will it affect Rice?

A. First off, I love that we’re starting with realignment and some wide-ranging college football discussions. Let’s dive in.

I don’t see any way that James Madison’s upcoming football schedule directly impacts the future of Conference USA. But (and it’s a rather crucial but), I think the ramifications of scheduling in 2020 could impact what schedules look like in 2021 and possibly beyond. The more unconventional this season becomes, the more it changes the future.

The more examples we see of regionalized schedules working the harder it will be for Conference USA to continue justifying a flight from Norfolk, VA to El Paso, TX.

The Roost Podcast: Listen now to our Extended Offseason Interview Series

Now, I wouldn’t bet on a clean reorganization of G5 conferences and the upper tier of the FCS. As much sense as it would make to split the Sun Belt and C-USA along East and West, the practicalities of making it happen seem impossibly difficult to navigate unless the financial situations of both conferences change. If someone can convince media partners they’d rather televise Marshall v JMU instead of FAU vs UTEP, that might escalate conversations.

And then there’s Rice. We talked with Aaron Coleman with the Runnin’ With the Herd Podcast on The Roost Podcast last week. He actually hit on the fact that Huntington, WV is only six hours further from Houston than El Paso. Bizarre.

The Owls lack a key bargaining chip to improve their status for the time being, the best they can hope for is a continued ascent of the football program under Bloomgren with some facilities improvements (primarily on Rice Stadium) forthcoming. If they can do that, they’ll be an attractive suitor with all of this finally does hit the fan.

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Rice Baseball: 2020 Summer Ball July 27 Update

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Current, former and incoming Rice baseball players are participating in Summer Ball leagues around the country. Here’s the latest on those Owls.

First a quick note on rosters. I’ve tracked down all players that I could find with listed statistics, but I know there are others playing ball this summer. If you come across information on anyone else associated with Rice baseball playing summer ball, please send it my way. You can leave it in the comments or send it to me some other way. Thanks!

Hitters

Guy Garibay’s tremendous summer marches on at a breakneck pace. The Premier League stats aren’t completely up to date yet, but the Rice baseball signee will likely push his summer average up above .400 after an RBI-filled weekend. He’s hitting with power and spraying the ball all over the yard. It’s going to be nice when he brings that bat with him to Reckling Park.

Among the other Owls with strong weeks, Ben Dukes doubled his hit total for the summer, picking up four hits in seven at bats. Nathan Becker continues to rake and Cullen Hannigan notched his first home run.

Hitting Stats

Pitchers

There isn’t much to report this week on the pitching front. Ryan Rickett and AC Plum each made appearances. Plum added a few strikeouts in a three-inning outing but was tagged for two runs and three walks over the course of the outing.

Pitching Stats

*All stats as of July 27 taken from league and team websites. Not all players listed have complete stats and some have no official stats listed at all.

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Rice Baseball: Injuries plague MLB Owls in restart

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The injury bug has not been kind to the Rice Baseball alums in the MLB. Tyler Duffey was the first Owl to make his mark in 2020.

The first weekend of the 2020 MLB season is in the books and it didn’t contain many highlights from Rice baseball alums at the next level. Early season injuries have kept the Owls from making their mark on 2020 so far, with the notable exception of Twins reliever Tyler Duffey.

Tyler Duffey – Minnesota Twins

Duffey was the first of the Owls to make his 2020 debut. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning in the Twins 10-5 Opening Day victory over the Chicago White Sox. He threw 13 pitches (11 strikes), striking out two and allowing one hit.

It was a good night at the office for Duffey, who made  Tim Anderson and two-time All Star Yasmani Grandal look silly with some impressive punch outs.

Brock Holt – Milwaukee Brewers

Holt signed with the Brewers this offseason after spending the entirety of his career before that with the Boston Red Sox. A sprained ankle has hindered him from making his debut. He did not play in the Brewers opening series against the Chicago Cubs, which they dropped 2-1.

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

All signs point to Rendon making his Angels debut, but the World Series Champ did not appear in the first three games of the Halos four-game series with the Oakland Athletics. Rendon has been battling an oblique injury but has thus far avoided a stint on the injured list.

Jon Duplantier – Arizona Diamondback

Jon Duplantier made his MLB debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks last season. He started this year in the Diamondbacks 60-man player pool, but off the 30 man roster as he works back from injury. There is no clear timetable for his return.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Late July 2021 recruiting updates

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The 2021 Rice Football recruiting class is sticking near the top of the Conference USA ranks. Here’s the latest of a few of the Owls targets.

I touched base with several members of the 2021 class who currently hold Rice Football offers. Featured below are updates from safety Joshua Williams, defensive end Tommy Dunn Jr. and center Ezra Oyetade.

Saf Joshua Williams

Rice offered Linden, AL safety Joshua Williams on June 24. Less than three weeks later he released his Top 5 which featured Rice, as well as Army, Navy, Yale and Georgia State. He said academics are a big piece of his decision-making process. He also holds offers from in-state schools like Troy and South Alabama.

With everything being virtual these days, Williams says he’s been thinking harder than ever about each of his opportunities. At this point, he says he understands what each of his top schools is like on paper, all that’s left is to find the right connection that offers from “that family feel.”

Ideally, he’s still hoping to make a decision before the fall. The ever-changing timetable regarding high school sports could impact that timetable, but if Williams finds the right fit, I’d expect him to make the call.

DE Tommy Dunn Jr

Tommy Dunn was among the last waves of recruits to make it to Rice in person for an official visit before things shut down. That was his only official visit so far and it left a strong impression. The Garland, TX native loved Houston and praised the atmosphere and the environment on campus.

He went so far as to give a nod to the photo and graphics team for making him feel at home with some of the personalized graphics and images. Rice pulls out all the stops to make their targets comfortable, and the Owls definitely did that with Dunn. He’s stayed in touch with a few schools during the last few months including virtual tours with UTSA and Navy.

C Ezra Oyetade

The battle for Ezra Oyetade, who 247 Sports has dubbed the nation’s No. 1 center, has been fierce from the beginning. Rice was the very first D1 school to offer Oyetade and it’s given them a spot in the race. He says he stays in touch with the staff and has liked what he’s seen from Rice so far. Although official visits have been squashed by the recruiting restrictions he’s checking in on a variety of schools.

Since Rice offered in January, Oyetade has picked up offers from Vanderbilt, Houston, UCF, Arizona State, Missouri, Memphis and others. Being first and being local are points in the Owls favor as they continue to keep themselves in the mix.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep. 43 – Marshall Football Preview with Aaron Coleman

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The Roost Podcast welcomes Aaron Coleman who covers Marshall football with the Runnin’ With the Herd Podcast to break down their upcoming season.

July is almost over and, according to the schedule, the start of the 2020 season is just around the corner. After visiting with folks that cover each team in Conference USA West, the podcast ventured to the other side of the conference this week. We’re excited to welcome Aaron Coleman who covers all things Marshall football with the Runnin’ With the Herd Podcast. Aaron gives us his insight into the recent transfer of quarterback Isaiah Green and what to expect from the Herd this year.

You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to our chat with Aaron Coleman on Episode 43.

Episode 43 Notes

  • Housekeeping — Thanks to all of you who have followed the show on Twitter and left a review on iTunes. It’s quick, but it makes a difference. Make sure you check out the Runnin’ With the Herd Podcast on Twitter and let him know if you enjoyed having him on the pod.
  • Rice/COVID-19 Updates — The vast majority of Rice football players have returned to campus for mandatory workouts this week. There are a few still on their way, but the Owls have the bulk of their roster back on campus and are doing their workouts in a socially-distant way.
  • Aaron Coleman joins the show — Aaron walked us through what’s turned into a relatively eventful offseason for Marshall and gave us this inside scoop on the latest happenings with the Herd including:
    • The “mild seat” and the plateau of Doc Holliday’s tenure
    • Options at QB with the departure of Isaiah Green
    • Marshall’s sneaky good defensive front seven
    • Brenden Knox’s rise from fourth string to star

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

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

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