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The Roost Podcast | Ep. 10 – 2019 LA Tech Recap, UAB Preview

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Carter and Matthew work through the Louisiana Tech loss before transitioning to a preview of the UAB. Owls fans have reason for hope after a tough loss.

The Rice football offense came out fast, but went away quietly in the second half against Louisiana Tech. In Episode 10 Carter and Matthew talk further about why the Owls remain committed to the concept of Intellectual Brutality and what we should take away from the overtime defeat. Then they transition to the upcoming game against UAB. You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page.

Saturday’s game against UAB kicks off at Legion Field on Oct. 5 at 6:00 pm. Check out the written preview for more information and the film room study for a deeper dive on the Blazers.

Give a listen to Episode 10 below.

Episode 10 Notes

  • News and notes — With next week marking the midpoint of the season, we’re going to do a Q&A portion in next week’s show. Leave a question in the comments, on twitter (@TheRoostPod) or send us an email at [email protected].
  • Player updates — Wiley Green is the QB1 and Chris Barnes will assume both punting and kicking duties.
  • Breaking down the Louisiana Tech game — The good and the bad from both sides of the ball in what was a frustrating loss to Louisiana Tech. A few standout players get shoutouts and we take a look at what sort of things Rice has to clean up if they’re going to win a conference game soon.
  • Previewing the UAB game — Tyler Johnston and Spencer Brown are names to know for the Blazers who are relatively young on both sides of the ball. Despite being defending Conference USA Champs, UAB might actually be a better matchup for Rice than Louisiana Tech was last week.

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.

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Rice Football: Owls all in on Intellectual Brutality

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The Rice football offense hasn’t lived up to expectations yet in 2019, but Mike Bloomgren and his staff still believe they’re close to a breakthrough.

Mike Bloomgren isn’t one to shy away from conflict. An offensive line guru at heart, the second-year head coach has gone all in on the concept of Intellectual Brutality. At its core, the mantra relies on being tougher than the opponent in every respect, mentally and physically.

On defense, Rice is going to be relentless. They’re going to hit and hit some more. Coaches at schools the team played last season credited the Owls’ with that much, calling the Owls one of the most physical opponents they faced all season. Year 1 contained more growing pains than many on South Main would have hoped for, but the defensive effort was there even if the pieces weren’t fully in place.

This year the pieces on defense are there, and Rice has stormed out of the gates with zeal on that side of the ball. The Owls held C-USA’s top-scoring offense, Louisana Tech, to 17 points in regulation, but lost the game in overtime.

While the defense has been superb, the offense has drawn criticism. Committed to pounding the rock in the truest sense of the word, there is no trickeration or scheming. The Owls don’t beat around the bush. They come after their opponents with calculated aggression. But those calculations haven’t fully synced up just yet.

Close, but not close enough

If operated to perfection, the Rice offense works. Senior offensive lineman Brian Chaffin, who played with Bloomgren while the two were at Stanford, said the proof was evident in the Owls’ first two series. “I think the first quarter of the game we really shows what we can be,” he said, “We can go in big personnel… We can move the ball with the pass and we can get into goal line and get grimy, put everyone in the box and put them in a telephone booth and score touchdowns.”

For Chaffin, it’s not pie-in-the-sky optimism. He’s seen it happen in real life. At it’s best, Stanford averaged 37.8 points per game during the 2015 season with Bloomgren calling the shots. The jersey colors are different, but the scheme is more or less the same.

On their first two drives last Saturday the Owls racked up a combined 111 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6.9 yards per play. Things were looking as good as they have on that side of the ball this season.

When it’s wasn’t working, though, you saw a team that was held to three points in their final 10 drives in regulation.

In the team’s first meeting since that loss, Bloomgren iterated the plays where the Owls fell short. “I showed them 16 clips,” he said, “If any one of them goes the other way, we win the ballgame.”

Missed blocks. Poor coverage. Dropped passes. Wrong decisions. The list of woulda-coulda-shoulda is long after such a heartbreaking defeat. The scoring woes, understandably, stick out. As Bloomgren saw it, “We knew it was a very winnable game. We knew we put ourselves in position to [win] and we know we shot ourselves in the foot.”

It starts up front

Precision is the bedrock of this offense. Offensive line coach Joe Ashfield, another Rice football leader who was with Bloomgren in Palo Alto, can point to the specific moments where his unit had breakdowns.

Ashfield called the Louisiana Tech game “as physical a game that we’ve had since I’ve been here.” He was proud of how his guys handled the pass rush and commended the entire unit on their ferocious blocking in the running game. But he did note there were a few plays where four of the five linemen did the right thing while the fifth man didn’t. Those were the plays, he said, were “really frustrating.”

The offense is complicated, featuring a playbook significantly thicker than most of the teams Rice will face on a given Saturday. The responsibilities put on starting quarterback Wiley Green and each offensive player are large. The opportunities for pitfalls will always be there, making the margin for error slim. For a team that prides itself on being disciplined, that’s one frontier they haven’t mastered.

What happens next?

It seems Rice football has two choices. They can push for perfection — eliminating the errors while remaining committed to their scheme. Or they can pivot to something new.

Reflecting on his unit’s respectable, but not quite perfect outing, Ashfield remained confident. “That last step, the smallest step to take, is the hardest step,” he said, “I just don’t know how long it’s going to take to overcome it. So you just keep working.”

At this point, the Owls feel they’ve come too far to do anything else. There’s no magic bullet, but early returns indicate the team might be closer than their winless record currently indicates.

“You can’t get any closer than that,” Bloomgren mused following the most recent loss. Acknowledging his team needs to learn how to win. “We’ve got to find a way and I really believe that when we break through, it will be habit forming.”

More: Rice Football game preview for Week 6 vs UAB

There’s no better time than the present. Rice takes on defending Conference USA champion UAB this coming weekend. The Blazers blanked the Owls 42-0 last year and haven’t lost a home game since their program was reinstated in 2017. A win, regardless the circumstances, would be loud.

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Rice Football 2019: Week 6 UAB Press Conference quotes

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Rice Football head coach Mike Bloomgren made his final comments on the Louisiana Tech game as the Owls move onward to UAB in Week 6.

More: Rice Football game preview for Week 6 vs UAB

Defensive tackle Elijah Garcia and newly minted placekicker and team captain Chris Barnes joined head coach Mike Bloomgren at the podium on Tuesday. The trio made closing comments on the Louisiana Tech game and looked ahead to their Week 6 game against UAB.

From Mike Bloomgren

On the leadership of Aston Walter…

“I thought Aston Walter had a heck of a day. He ran for a career-high 112 yards on 20 carries. He scored our first two touchdowns and I noticed that he was the leading rusher in the conference. As I’ve talked about Aston before, he’s so good right now in his role. The things that he does without the ball are phenomenal. The leadership he is providing for our team as a sixth-year senior has been great. So, I’m really pleased with how Aston’s performing.”

On the play of the defense…

“Defensively, we’re playing at a really high level right now. That’s the bottom line. We’ve given ourselves a chance to be in those games in the fourth quarter because of the ferocious way that our defense is playing. I think that they are really playing in a relentless manner; swarming to the ball and you know what? We’re still going to ask them for more.”

On UAB and Bill Clark…

“Bill Clark is a heck of a football coach. I’ve known him since 1997. I respect everything that he has done at every stop along the way. But, what he’s done since taking that program back from the ashes has been phenomenal. Nothing short of phenomenal. Winning the conference last year. This year they are still a very, very good football team and I just appreciate the way that he coaches. I appreciate the way he pushes his guys. I appreciate that when you watch their defense –the effort that they play with.”

On the team’s belief right now…

“I know what Las Vegas said. I know we were an 8.5-point underdog. I know people say that LA Tech’s the number one team in Conference USA. But, our team feels like that was an upset because we knew we could play with them. We knew that we could win that game.”

From DT Elijah Garcia

On responding from the shutout at home against UAB last season..

“It’s a payback man. I mean, they shut us out here and it would be a treat to go and do that over there on their home field. So that’s, that’s the mindset this weekend. We want to get after it just like we did last week.”

From P/K Chris Barnes

On how he’s handled the transition to punting and kicking duties…

“[It’s] Just focusing on what you’re doing at that point, whether its kicking field goals or punting, just focusing on your technique and trusting the guys in front of you. Campbell Riddle is a fantastic snapper, he’s been giving us great snaps all year so I trust him. I trust all the blocking. And Adam [Nunez] is a great holder, too. I just trust those guys and it kinda makes things a little easier.”

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Rice Football 2019 Game Preview: Week 6 vs UAB

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Rice Football hits the road in search of their first road win Saturday against UAB. How to watch, stats to know, x-factor picks for both teams and more.

On Saturday Rice football will square off with UAB in the Owls’ first road test in conference play. Rice is still looking for their first victory of the season after falling in overtime to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs last weekend. Despite never trailing in regulation, the Owls were unable to close things out at home.

The test won’t be any easier this week against a UAB squad coming off their first defeat of the young season. The Blazers weren’t able to must much in the way of offense, falling on the road to Western Kentucky, 20-13.

Both teams are 0-1 in Conference USA action. One will take home their first conference victory this weekend. Here’s what you need to know about both teams prior to their Week 6 game.

Broadcast Info

Kickoff time | 6:00 PM CT
Venu | Legion Field – Birmingham, Al
TV | ESPN+ (Streaming ($))
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio Preview

We’ll preview the UAB game on Episode 10 of The Roost Podcast which will be released on Wednesday. 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

Rice has fallen just short too many times to count. The Owls have discovered a formula to keep things close — physical defense and methodical offensive attacks. Finishing has been the struggle. Rice needs to find whatever switch they need to flip this week. If they can do that, the Owls could be a dangerous team in the second half of the season.

UAB has had quite a different road. Rather than face a slew of Power 5 teams like Rice, the Blazers whipped through a slate of relatively weak foes in nonconference play. The defending Conference USA champs’ toughest test came last week; they lost. Nevertheless, Bill Clark’s squad didn’t raise the trophy a year ago on accident. UAB will be out to prove last week was an aberration, not the norm.

Series History

All Time | UAB leads 4-3
Last Five | UAB leads 3-2
Last Meeting | Home 2018, UAB 42-0

Rice Stat Notables

Passing | Green – 37/64 (57.8 percent), 387 yards passing, 0 TD, 0 INT
Rushing | Walter – 76 carries, 293 yards (3.9 yards per carry), 3 TD
Receiving | Rozner – 20 receptions, 314 yards (15.7 yards per reception)
Tackles | Alldredge – 42, Montero – 33, Chamberlain – 32
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Thornton – 5 PBU, no team interceptions

UAB Stat Notables

Passing | Johnston – 63/101 (62.4), 927 yards passing, 8 TD, 6 INT
Rushing | Brown – 78 carries, 262 yards (3.4 yards per carry), 5 TD
Receiving | Watkins – 15 receptions, 289 yards (19.3 yards per reception), 3 TD
Tackles | Wilder – 25, Boler – 20, Moll – 19
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Marino – 2 PBU, no team interceptions

UAB X-Factor | Winning the line of scrimmage

Spencer Brown is one of the best running backs in Conference USA, but he’s averaging 3.4 yards per carry, the 21st best mark in the conference. As capable as Brown is, a relatively young offensive line hasn’t done enough up front to open up room for him to operate.

The status of senior center Lee Dufour, injured in practice last week, is up in the air. If he can’t go for the Blazers their ability to win against a stingy Rice defensive front would be made much more challenging.

Regardless of Dufour’s status, if the Owls can force UAB to be one dimensional, they’re going to be better off. Quarterback Tyler Johnston attempted a season-high 31 passes last week and threw a season-high four interceptions.

Rice X-Factor | Third down

What eventually doomed Rice against Louisiana Tech last week was of their own doing. The Owls could not stay on the field and sustain drives. They converted 4-of-16 third downs (including 2-of-11 in the second half), half the number of third down conversions they managed a week prior against Baylor.

Whether its more aggression, better run blocking or a higher level of play from quarterback Wiley Green, Rice is going to have to find a way to win on third down.

This has been a sticking point for the team since Bloomgren’s arrival. The Owls were dead last in third down conversion rate last year (28.7 percent) and enter the UAB game 12th in the conference (32.4 percent). If they can solve this problem, they’ll open up the offense significantly.

Injury Report

Freshman receiver Zane Knipe got off the injury list and made his collegiate debut last week against Louisiana Tech. While he should be set going forward, the status of fullback Reagan Williams remains in limbo. Bloomgren wasn’t confident he would be back this soon, but we’ll be monitoring the situation going forward. Stay tuned here for updates later in the 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. Will Rice commit more than four accepted penalties?
    Yes / No
  2. How many third downs will UAB convert?
    Over 8.5 / Under 8.5
  3. Which team registers the longest play from scrimmage?
    Rice / UAB
  4. Will Wiley Green throw at least one touchdown pass?
    Yes / No
  5. How many total yards will the Rice defense allow?
    Over 365 / Under 365
  6. Who wins?
    Rice / UAB

One Final Thing

Anything can happen in Conference USA. The talent differential between the top teams in the conference and the lower-tiered squads is slimmed than in the Power 5 conferences. At this point in the season, it’s still too early to decipher who belongs with the top dogs anyways.

Coaching and execution are where games are won and lost. Mike Bloomgren and his staff have been hard at work preparing a gameplan capable of taking down the Blazers. Members of the staff were up through the later hours of Sunday morning following last week’s loss, literally not sleeping until they found answers.

The Owls are committed to finding a breakthrough. The groundwork has been laid. All that’s left is to put the pieces together for four quarters.

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Rice Football 2019: Owls in the NFL Week 4 Update

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Former Rice football Luke Wilson made his return to the field on Sunday and helped the Seahawks win. Here’s how other NFL Owls fared in Week 4.

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

Week 4 results

Eagles 34 (Sendejo) – Packers 27 
Saints 12 – Cowboys 10 (Covington)
Jaguars 26 – Broncos 24 (Callahan)
Seahawks 27 (Wilson, Ellerbee) – Cardinals 10
Steelers 27 (Boswell, McDonald) – Bengals 3
Panthers 16 – Texans 10 (Gaines) 

Chris Boswell, K, Steelers

Boswell remains perfect on the season. He connected on three extra points and a pair of field goals (including a long of 49 yards) on Monday Night Football against the Bengals. The Steelers host the Ravens in Week 5.

Bryce Callahan, CB, Broncos

Callahan was inactive for the Broncos’ Week 4 game with the Jaguars. He’s still waiting to make his 2019 debut with the team. The Broncos visit the Chargers in Week 5.

Christian Covington, DE, Cowboys

Covington picked up two tackles (one solo) against the Saints on Sunday Night Football. The Cowboys host the Packers in Week 5.

Emmanuel Ellerbee, LB, Seahawks

Ellerbee was placed injured reserve prior to the start of the season. The Seahawks host the Rams in Week 5.

Phillip Gaines, CB, Texans

Gaines made his first tackle as a Houston Texan on Sunday, finishing with two tackles (one for a loss) in the loss to the Panthers. The Texans host the Falcons in Week 5.

Vance McDonald, TE, Steelers

McDonald was inactive against the Bengals with a shoulder injury. The Steelers host the Ravens in Week 5.

Andrew Sendejo, Saf, Eagles

Sendejo finished second on the team in tackles in the Eagles’ Thursday night win over the Packers. He had one tackle for a loss and a pass break up. The Eagles host the Jets in Week 5.

Luke Willson, TE, Seahawks

Willson signed with the Seahawks last week and made his mark on the field immediately. In his first action of the year, Willson grabbed two balls for 26 yards including a long reception of 17 yards. The Seahawks host the Rams in Week 5.

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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