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Rice Football: Scattershooting final practice of fall camp (8/23)

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Rice Football fall camp is officially in the books. Here a few final thoughts before the Owls transition to game prep for their Week 1 opponent, Army.

Quarterback

There will be a definitive QB1 when Rice opens their season next Friday. Coach Mike Bloomgren won’t make an official reveal until his pre-game press conference on Tuesday, but there hasn’t been any indication that incumbent starter Wiley Green has lost any ground. Green worked exclusively with the first team in the team’s final mock game and looked sharp, hitting Bradley Rozner on a back shoulder throw in the front corner of the endzone from 15 yards out.

It’s possible Bloomgren leaves the door open for the backup to play, similar to Jackson Tyner’s brief insertion into the offense against Prairie View A&M last season. We’ll have to wait and see how that is handled.

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Two beyond the two-deep

Two guys have caught my eye throughout camp that don’t figure to have a spot on the two-deep depth chart. Rice likes to use packages, so just because you don’t see their name listed with the starters or reserves doesn’t mean they won’t have an impact in the fall.

Robert French has emerged as an interesting slot weapon. Especially with the thin receiving corps, there could be an opportunity for him to take on a meaningful role in this offense. He’s developed into one of the most reliable seam stretching options on offense.

Isaac Klarkowski has become the starting center on the second team. The former wrestler looks at home with the ball in his hands and has taken to the position well. “I think we’re going to find a role for him, ultimately,” Bloomgren said. For the time being, he’ll be the third option after Chaffin and Baker at center.

Ending on a high note

The last snap of practice came from victory formation. There was hooting and hollering as Wiley Green took the knee, signifying the end of fall camp. The final play had long been scripted by Bloomgren and the coaching staff

“We think our job as coaches is to prepare them for everything that’s going to come up,” Bloomgren said. “Taking a knee on the best play in football, which is victory. Then going and singing the Alma Mater with our fans and going into the locker room and being part of a victorious locker room. It’s all the things that we want to do. So we practice them all.”

More: Projected 2-Deep depth chart after fall camp

This staff has been intentional about recruiting players from winning programs and instilling a winning culture at Rice. It might have been a bit cheesy, but it was a nice touch.

This is the final practice update from fall camp. Future practice updates (that includes the final depth chart projection linked above) will be reserved for site members. Becoming a member is 100% FREE and takes 30 seconds. You can register here.

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Rice Football Season Ticket Giveaway from The Roost

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Rice Football Season Tickets

We’re one week away from the Rice Football season opener against Army. Today marks the Owls’ big push to meet their annual season ticket sales goal in one day. In light of that initiative (and our love for all things Owls), The Roost is giving away one set of Rice Football season tickets FOR FREE to one lucky person who purchases a copy of The Roost’s 2019 Rice Football Season Preview TODAY (August 23).

Buy Now

What’s included?

  • 143 pages
  • Insight on every single player on the Rice roster
  • Projected depth charts
  • Breakout freshmen to watch
  • Position profiles with depth chart projections
  • Exclusive feature with head coach Mike Bloomgren on the progress of “The Process” at South Main
  • Deep dives on every Rice opponent and all 14 CUSA teams supported by plugged-in local experts
  • Returning statistical leaders for every CUSA team
  • Detailed Rice and Conference USA schedules
  • Computer, mobile and tablet-accessible
  • Check out a sample here

What people are saying

We surveyed people who had already purchased the Preview. Here’s what they liked most…

  • “Roster breakdown by position – this was an excellent guide to understanding where the team is and who are newcomers to watch.”
  • “I loved the breakdown of all the teams. It gave me a great view of what Conference USA will be like this season.”
  • “Overall loved the complete review of the Owls and their chances for 2019”
  • “Player profile write-ups”
  • “The information on the individual players and depth chart”
  • “It was awesome. Everything!”
  • “It is awesome. Tons of information.”
  • “Good insights and data”
  • “All of it!”

 

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Rice Football: New wide receivers hope to make their mark in 2019

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The Rice Football receiving corps is one of the biggest unknowns the Owls face entering 2019. Can the new faces rise to the challenge?

Nebulous might be the most appropriate word to describe the Rice football receiving corps entering the 2019 season.

There are a few things we do know. Austin Trammell will once again be the leader in the room and contend for the team leading in receptions. There will be a quarterback to get them the football.

But for every certainty, there are more questions. Who will fill the void left by Austin Walter and Aaron Cephus? Can the offense stretch the field and utilize the deep ball? How many players are trustworthy enough to be regular members of the rotation?

The answers to all of those questions lay in a collection of pass catchers who, outside of Trammell, have yet to play meaningful Division 1 football. Bradley Rozner, August Pitre III and Zane Knipe have practiced primarily with the first team during fall camp. That trio has combined for zero catches at Rice.

Rice Football

**Chart taken from 2019 Rice Football Season Preview**

But, and there’s a rather significant but, the lack of proven production doesn’t mean the outlook for 2019 is dismal, just uncertain.

Rozner led all Junior College players last season with 13 touchdown receptions. August Pitre might have the best vertical reach on the team, something Rice will utilize heavily in the redzone. As for Knipe, Bloomgren himself said the freshman “moves at a different speed than most humans.” Unproven, but intriguing.

Getting on the same page

Despite the growing pains the offense experienced during the spring and into fall camp, quarterback Wiley Green says he isn’t concerned with the wide receiver room at all. “You can just go across the board in the receiver room, and everybody stepped up,” Green relayed, “From a quarterback standpoint makes it really easy for us. We can spread the ball out wherever we want to.”

Green didn’t emerge as the starter until late last fall, meaning that unless a player was on the scout team last August, they had little time to work with Green and develop that rhythm. Pitre and Rozner were both with the team during the spring, gaining meaningful reps with Green prior to camp.

Rozner has benefited from that extra time as much, if not more so, than anyone else. When he left the JUCO ranks to come to Rice he was handed the additional challenge of learning a new offense. The Owls’ scheme is complex, with plenty of verbiage that at times sounds like a foreign language. Several months into his studies, things are beginning to come together.

“As an offense, we definitely improved from the spring,” Rozner expressed. “I think it’s easy to see that we’re definitely more physical up front and moving the ball down the field.”

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TODAY ONLY (8/23) | Win Rice Football Season Tickets
Not so secret weapons

The emergence of two talented freshmen has driven the uptick in offensive production. Jake Bailey was a highly regarded member of the 2019 recruiting class, the highest ranked player according to 247 Sports who had signed with Rice during the Mike Bloomgren era.

Zane Knipe might have had fewer accolades, but this high school track star was highly regarded by the staff during the recruiting process. Once he got to campus, those expectations were realized quickly.

Knipe started working with the first team on the very first day of fall camp. Bailey was mixed in over the next two weeks. Both players have speed and athleticism and the ability to kick things into an extra gear, turning 5-yard gains into big plays.

Rozner, who’s assumed one of the starting jobs on the outside, can’t believe how impactful the young duo has been thus far. “[Bailey is] so quick, the way he can get in and out of cuts and Zane [Knipe], he can just fly down the field so fast. They’re both insane.”

Then there are guys like Rhett Cardwell and Chris Boudreaux who have had their moments during camp. Each should be a reliable depth piece for the Owls in 2019.

None of those preseason reps will matter as much as the snaps each of these receivers will take this fall. For now, everyone will do their best to refine their craft and increase their understanding of the offense. Rice has options, but they’ll need answers when the time comes to take on Army on August 30.

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The Roost Podcast | Episode 4 – 2019 Rice Football defense preview

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Give a listen to Episode 4 of The Roost Podcast. Carter and Matthew are back, breaking down the 2019 Rice football defense.

After walking through the schedule in Episode 1 and the offense in Episode 2, Carter and Matthew have turned their attention to special teams in Episode 3 and now defense for Episode 4. With fall camp still underway, there’s plenty of time to go back and catch what you’ve missed so far before we turn our attention to Army and game previews in a few weeks.

Give a listen to Episode 4 below.


Episode 4 Notes

  • Defensive line — Despite losing two important starters at the position to the Transfer Portal, there’s plenty of ammo returning in 2019. That includes true freshman De’Braylon Carroll who could force his way onto the field sooner rather than later.
  • Linebacker — The tandem of Blaze Alldredge and Antonio Montero is going to be special, but the depth behind them is equally exciting.
  • Safety — JUCO transfer Naeem Smith and a few experienced hands in Prudy Calderon, Treshawn Chamberlain and George Nyakwol make this another strong spot.
  • Corner — Redshirt freshman Andrew Bird has locked down a starting spot, but the rest of the depth chart is fluid. Could a freshman force their way into the mix here?
  • Carter and Matthew each give a potential defensive MVP and a sleeper to watch for in the 2019 season

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.

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The Roost Giveaway winner and preseason update

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Thank you to all who participated in The Roost’s preseason giveaway. Congratulations to Mark Jones, the winner the 2019 giveaway. Mark will receive some gear from us!

Didn’t win but still want cool stuff? The Roost Shop is open. Use the code ROOST for 10% off all orders made before the Owls season opener against Army.

The response was overwhelming, which we assume means you:

  1. Like free stuff
  2. Like what we’re doing at The Roost

The 2019 Rice Football Season Preview has been the focal point of our offseason coverage. We received some meaningful feedback in our giveaway survey from the simple question: what did you like about the Preview?

Here were some of the responses:

  • “Roster breakdown by position – this was an excellent guide to understanding where the team is and who are newcomers to watch.”
  • “I loved the breakdown of all the teams. It gave me a great view of what Conference USA will be like this season.”
  • “Overall loved the complete review of the Owls and their chances for 2019”
  • “Player profile write-ups”
  • “The information on the individual players and depth chart”
  • “It was awesome. Everything!”
  • “It is awesome. Tons of information.”
  • “Good insights and data”
  • “All of it!”

The asking price is $12.99. We published this believing that good analysis and information is worth paying. All content on the website is free and we pay our own bills. The hard work has been done, all you have to do is download and read, (which many of you have already done. Thank you!)

We remain confident this is the most comprehensive, complete source of Rice Football information for 2019. This is only the beginning. There will continue to be daily updates on the Owls and a few more surprises in store with our coverage this fall.

We hope you’ll support The Roost and pick up your copy today.

Buy Now

 

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