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The Roost Podcast | Ep. 19 – 2019 North Texas Review, UTEP Preview

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Rice Football earned their second straight win, upsetting North Texas at home in Week 13. Carter and Matthew break down the win and preview UTEP.

A win on Senior Day made for positive vibes and an upbeat locker room this week. Rice football has their first winning streak under Mike Bloomgren and has their eyes on fulfilling the 3-0 challenged handed to them by former NFL coach Rex Ryan when visited the team during the previous bye week. More on how the team go to this point and reasons to believe these recent changes could bring sustained success.

You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, Give a listen to Episode 19 below.


Episode 19 Notes

  • Rice Athletics updates —  Rice Basketball had a whirlwind of a week. The men took two of three in the Bahamas Showcase with their only loss coming to the tournament champion Liberty Flames. The women dropped their second road contest of the season falling in lopsided fashion to Oklahoma State before rebounding against McNeese State on Wednesday. Volleyball dropped a heartbreaker to WKU.
  • North Texas Review — Rice has won back-to-back games despite not scoring any points after halftime. Carter and Matthew discuss the big picture offensive adjustments, the play of true freshman walk-on center Isaac Klarkowski, and the stunning defensive performance of Treshawn Chamberlain and the secondary against one of the best quarterbacks in Conference USA history.
  • UTEP Preview — For the second time this season, Rice football enters a game as a favorite. The Owls won’t let their momentum catch them off guard. Instead, the focus this week is sustained production on offense and containing the dual-threat abilities of UTEP quarterback Kai Locksley.

Where can you find us?

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Rice Football: Center Isaac Klarkowski latest of Owls’ walk-on successes

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For Rice football, recruiting efforts go well beyond scholarship players. Freshman center Isaac Klarkowski is the latest in a growing line of walk-on successes.

It’s harder for Rice football to win than it is for some other state schools with deep pockets and fewer academic restrictions. Head coach Mike Bloomgren knew that when he took the job; he faced similar constraints in his prior stint at Stanford. To compete against the schools who don’t face those challenges, Bloomgren and his staff were going to need to find unique advantages.

When walk-on center Isaac Klarkowski took the first snap in the Owls’ most recent game against North Texas, one of those advantages was thrust into the spotlight.  Finding and/or equipping walk-on players like Klarkowski, Chris Barnes and Tre’shon Devones — all of whom started against North Texas — is something Rice football likes to think they do better than most. The results so far speak for themselves.

A team that had their fair share of struggles protecting the quarterback this season with their staters healthy didn’t seem perturbed by the last-minute substitution in the heart of the offensive line. Instead, the low-profile, scout team defensive lineman became the hero of the Owls’ first home win of the 2019 season.

There were plenty of places and people Bloomgren could have keyed in on following his team’s win on Senior Day. The most notable was probably Treshawn Chamberlain, who arguably won the game with a stadium-shaking endzone pass break up. But Bloomgren opened his comments on the win with a nod to Klarkowski.

“I know many of you might not have known his name until he started on Saturday,” Bloomgren said. “He is a walk-on true freshman from Green Bay, Wisconsin who joined our team three days before camp. We’re sure glad he did.”

Klarkowski had a tough decision to make on his way out of high school. An All-State wrester from the midwest, he was entertaining multiple Big Ten wrestling scholarship offers when he got the call from Rice. Suddenly he was faced with a decision, which ultimately ended up with a commitment to play for the Owls with no scholarship promised.

Preview: Rice Football vs UTEP in Week 14

The out of state product is studying mechanical engineering with aspirations of working for NASA, who sets up shop not far from Rice campus. Klarkowski wants to be a rocket scientist and he’s a D1 caliber athlete. Somehow, someway, programs around the country didn’t prioritize him to the same degree Rice did.

The intelligence was crucial to his big moment on Saturday. With starter Shea Baker sick with the flu and backup Brian Chaffin injured, Klarkowski wasn’t notified he would officially be the guy until Saturday. He didn’t take first-team or second-team reps during the week when the team implemented their game plan.

Klarkowski’s training came by way of a crash course hotel room session with Chaffin. Arguably as well versed in this offense as any of the coaches, Chaffin’s fifth year in Bloomgren’s system gave him ample knowledge to impart. The pair moved the beds to the side of the room and drilled down on every play. That process took less than an hour. Then Klarkowski strapped on his pads and took the field to snap the ball for the very first time in a college game.

Every walk on doesn’t turn into a starter. In actually, the hit rate leans heavily toward microscopic. But as more players like Klarkowski show up, it might be time to give credit to where credit is due. Rice football has a way with walk-ons. And those walk-ons just helped win some important football games.

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Rice Football 2019: Week 14 UTEP Press Conference quotes

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Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren discussed the Owls’ Senior Day win over North Texas and the upcoming game against UTEP in Week 14.

More: Rice Football game preview for Week 14 vs UTEP

Defensive tackle Myles Adams and wide receiver Bradley Rozner joined Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren at the podium on Tuesday. The trio discussed their second-straight win, which came last Saturday over North Texas, and previewed their upcoming season finale against UTEP.

From Mike Bloomgren

On the win over North Texas…

“Saturday’s win was a really big deal for our team. It was just huge and as we continue to build the culture around this program, it takes wins like we had on Saturday to continue to advance it. To continue to build the confidence in these coaches and this program. So, I’m really happy that we were able to do that. We talked all week about starting fast. As we always say, start fast, stay focused and finish strong. I thought for the most part, we did that in all three phases. We didn’t get the production that we wanted out of the offense in the second half. But we had a really good first half.”

On the impact a third-straight win would have on the program…

“The last thing we looked at when we challenged them in the bye week to win the last three [games] and to really get some momentum going. For the seniors to leave their mark and end with a winning streak, something that hasn’t happened here since 2014. To leave this place better than they found it for the seniors.

For the people who are coming back, it sets the tone for the offseason. It’s going to be a grind. It’s going to be a grind every day with Hans Straub. So why not go into it with a three-game winning streak and all of the optimism in the world for the 2020 season? Not to look ahead at all but the reality is that anytime you win your last game, everything feels better. You have momentum in recruiting. There’s some great graduate transfer targets that we’re after right now. Every little bit helps. So that’s what we can control. We can control going 1-0 this week by preparing like crazy.”

On injuries and the plan at quarterback this week…

“Good news from an injury standpoint — everybody who played in the last game is still available in this one. Nobody has been ruled out and JoVoni [Johnson] and Juma [Otoviano] have not been ruled out either so we could have both of them available as well. Tom Stewart will be the starting quarterback.”

On true freshman walk-on center Isaac Klarkowski…

“At the very least, he’s going to be a backup in our program. He has earned our trust. I don’t see any time where we would ever say that we don’t trust Issac. The news came at 11:30 on Friday morning that we may not have Shea Baker available. It would be a game-time decision… We were really low on options. We got to a point where we all thought that (Issac) was our best one because of how smart he is, how well he’s done in the crossover work in the scrimmages in the bye week. By the end of practice on Friday, I looked at Coach (Jerry) Mack and said that I’ll be able to sleep tonight. I know he’s going to do fine.”

From DT Myles Adams

On the team’s mindset entering their finale against UTEP…

“I’m not focusing on the fact that this is the last game, I’m just focusing on the fact that we need to not try to take the foot off the gas because what we’ve been preaching the last two weeks is going all gas, no breaks. Just because it’s the end of the season [it doesn’t mean] we need to step up our efforts at all. We’ve been putting in work this whole season. It’s just that we got two wins in the last two weeks. So I’m preaching to the young guys to just stay focused.”

From WR Bradley Rozner

On the team’s mindset entering their finale against UTEP…

“The challenge is to finish strong. Obviously we need to stay focused. We really haven’t done much. All we’ve done really is win two games, so what this game really means is [we can be] headed into the offseason with the right mindset, that we can win games, that we can have a winning streak and this program really can be successful.”

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Rice Football 2019 Game Preview: Week 14 vs UTEP

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Rice Football will take a winning streak into their 2019 finale against the UTEP Miners. How to watch, stats to know, x-factor picks for both teams and more.

Fresh off a slew of program firsts, Rice football is riding high. The Owls are in the midst of their first winning streak since 2016 and their first C-USA West win of the Mike Bloomgren era. They achieved both with a Senior Day win over North Texas in Week 12. Buoyed by a defense that continues to make highlight-reel plays, Rice is aiming to finish strong.

UTEP was less fortunate. The Miners feel for the tenth consecutive time last week, succumbing to a New Mexico State team that had yet to beat an FBS team this season. Here’s what you need to know about UTEP and Rice before their season-ending showdown in the desert.

Broadcast Info

Kickoff time | 2:00 PM CT
Venu | Sun Bowl – El Paso, Tx
TV | ESPN3 (Streaming)
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio Preview

We’ll preview the UTEP game on Episode 19 of The Roost Podcast which will be released on Thursday. Find us on the podcast page or wherever you like to listen to podcasts. (And consider leaving us a 5-star review while you’re at it.)

Sizing up the contenders

Mike Bloomgren and Dana Dimel both took over their respective programs during the same offseason. It’s been a tough road for both headmen, but to this point, Dimel has one notable upper hand. UTEP beat Rice in Houston last year, marking the only win for Dimel’s crew in his first season.

Each team has a win over an FCS squad in that time. UTEP beat Houston Baptist to open its 2019 campaign. Rice beat Prairie View at the start of last season, the first win of Bloomgren’s tenure. In total, though, Rice has four wins to UTEP’s two with the Owls’ tripling the Miners’ C-USA victories in that span.

Both programs can show quantitative improvement in the win column with a win on Saturday. UTEP can move from a one-win 2018 to a two-win 2019 with Rice hoping to go from 2-11 to 3-9. For two programs which haven’t done as much winning as they’d have liked to so far, the difference made by a single win would be huge.

Series History

All Time | Rice leads 14-8
Last Five | Rice leads 3-2
Last Meeting | Home 2018, UTEP won 34-26

Rice Stat Notables

Passing | Stewart – 84/137 (61.3 percent), 939 yards passing, 7 TD, 1 INT
Rushing | Walter – 129 carries, 622 yards (4.8 yards per carry), 7 TD
Receiving | Rozner – 52 receptions, 751 yards (14.4 yards per reception), 5 TD | Trammell – 56 receptions, 672 yards (12.0 yards per reception), 3 TD
Tackles | Alldredge – 88, Montero – 72, Chamberlain – 60
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Nyakwol – 6 PBU, Smith/Chamberlain – 2 INT

UTEP Stat Notables

Passing | Locksley – 95/169 (56.2), 1229 yards passing, 5 TD, 5 INT
Rushing | Hughes – 154 carries, 653 yards (4.2 yards per carry), 12 TD
Receiving | Cowing – 24 receptions, 494 yards (20.6 yards per reception), 3 TD | Wolf – 32 receptions, 397 yards (12.4 yards per reception), 2 TD
Tackles | Lewis – 93, Rogers – 68, Hynson – 54
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Caldwell – 11 PBU, Ross – 2 INT

UTEP X-Factor | Weathering the early storm

The Rice offense has been at its best in the first half over their last two wins. Rice scored 75 points in the first halves of their first nine games, all losses. In their two wins, they’ve scored 51 points before the break.

The offensive explosion hasn’t been without its drawbacks. Rice hasn’t scored a point in the second half of a game since October. Middle Tennessee and North Texas, neither of which is known for their defensive prowess, were able to shut the Owls out in the second half.

UTEP isn’t going to blow anyone away with their defense, but recent history suggests they might not have to play their best game to keep the game close. If the Miners can keep the game close before the halftime whistle and make the necessary adjustments, they’ll have a punchers chance.

Rice X-Factor | Winning on third down

The Owls have seen their third down successes slow down after halftime in each of their last two wins. Rice saw their conversion rate drop from 50 percent to 38 percent in the two halves of the Middle Tennessee game. They experienced a similar dip against North Texas, falling from 44 percent before the break to 38 percent afterward.

In totality, Rice converted seven third downs on 16 tries in each of their last two games. That’s better than their 5.1 conversions per game average entering the winning stretch, but a 37 percent season clip makes it extremely difficult to sustain offensive production.

With their defense playing as well as it’s been in the past several weeks, a few more drive-extending plays could give Rice some much-needed breathing room down the stretch.

Injury Report

Center Shea Baker missed the North Texas game as the flu ran rampant through the Rice locker room. True freshman walk-on Isaac Klarkowski started in his place. Baker is expected to be back in action this week, along with a healthy running back Aston Walter who could not finish the North Texas game after giving it a go early on.

The availability of defensive ends Anthony Ekpe and Trey Schuman is in question. Ekpe seemed closer than Schuman last week, but neither played. There’s a possibility Ekpe can go for the season finale.

Running back Juma Otoviano and quarterback JoVoni Johnson were both kept out of last week’s game as they recovered from lower body injuries. Their return to the field seems plausible this week, but their status will be something we’ll track closely this week.

Need More?

The Roost’s 2019 Rice Football Season Preview has four pages dedicated to every opponent the Owls face. There are depth chart, important new arrivals and depth chart breakdowns for each foe. Better yet, it’s not just speculation, each profile was created with insight from local experts who cover those teams day in and day out. Pick up your copy today and get four pages and more than 1,000 words on every foe.

Pick ‘Em Contest

If you haven’t yet, make sure you submit your entry for The Roost’s weekly pick’em challenge. Choose an answer to each of the six questions below and submit them on the forum thread to enter.

  1. How many points does Rice score after halftime?
    Over 7.5 / Under 7.5
  2. Will either team have a touchdown play of longer than 35 yards?
    Yes / No
  3. How many sacks will the Rice defense register?
    Over 3.5 / Under 3.5
  4. Which team has more pass break ups?
    Rice / UTEP (or tie)
  5. Will UTEP lead at any point during the first half?
    Yes / No
  6. Who wins?
    Rice / UTEP
  7. Bonus (3 pts)
    How many points does Rice score? (Must be exact score)

One Final Thing

Saturday marks the second time this season Rice football has been the oddsmaker’s favorite to win. The other instance came on the road against UTSA, a game Rice led in the final minutes of the fourth quarter but was unable to close out.

Rice has learned a lot this season. Beating UTEP would be proof they’ve taken those lessons to heart. It was Dimel himself who said during Conference USA Media Days that a coach should be measured by his ability to win the games he is “supposed to win”.

Winning on the road in conference is never easy, but Rice has done that already this season. Beating UTEP would be proof of this team taking that next step and moving further into the process. Plus, a three-game winning streak entering 2020 would do wonders for the team this offseason.

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

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Rice Football 2019: Owls in the NFL Week 12 Update

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A game-winning field goal from former Rice Football kicker Chris Boswell highlighted the top moments from the NFL Owls in action during Week 12.

There are former Rice football players scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player.

Week 12 results

Vikings (Sendejo) — BYE
Bills 20 – Broncos 3 (Anderson, Callahan)
Patriots 13 – Cowboys 9 (Covington)
Seahawks 17 (Ellerbee, Willson) – Eagles 9
Steelers 16 (Boswell, McDonald) – Bengals 10
Texans 20 (Gaines) – Colts 17

Calvin Anderson, OT, Broncos

Anderson remained inactive this week, delaying his first action with the Broncos for another week. He has yet to play since being signed from the Jets practice squad earlier this year. The Broncos host the Chargers in Week 13.

Bryce Callahan, CB, Broncos

Callahan was placed on injured reserve earlier this season, never playing for the Broncos in 2019. He will be sidelined for the remainder of the year. The Broncos host the Chargers in Week 13.

Christian Covington, DE, Cowboys

Covington notched four tackles against the Patriots, the most he’s tallied in any one game since joining the Cowboys during the offseason. The Cowboys host the Bills on Thanksgiving in Week 13.

Andrew Sendejo, Saf, Vikings

The Vikings were on bye in Week 12. They visit the Seahawks on Monday Night Football in Week 13.

Emmanuel Ellerbee, LB, Seahawks

Ellerbee was placed injured reserve prior to the start of the season. The Seahawks host the Vikings on Monday Night Football in Week 13.

Luke Willson, TE, Seahawks

Even with the bye week to recover, Willson was ruled out prior to the Seahawks’ Sunday win over the Eagles. His status going forward remains in question. The Seahawks host the Vikings on Monday Night Football in Week 13.

Chris Boswell, K, Steelers

Chris Boswell was busy on Sunday. The Steelers’ placekicker connected on three kicks, including what proved to be the game-winning 47-yard blast midway through the fourth quarter. He also knocked through the team’s lone extra-point attempt. The Steelers host the Browns in Week 13.

Vance McDonald, TE, Steelers

McDonald didn’t see much action on Sunday, catching the only pass thrown his way for one yard. The Steelers host the Browns in Week 13.

Phillip Gaines, CB, Texans

Gaines was placed on injured reserve following an ankle injury suffered during the Texans’ Week 8 game against the Colts. The Texans host the Patriots on Sunday Night Football in Week 13.

More Owls in the NFL

From practice squads to current free agents, there are others Owls on the cusp of returning to active rosters. Find more detail on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.

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