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Owls on pace to improve passing stats amidst quarterback shuffle

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Rice football played four quarterbacks last season and four quarterbacks in 2018. Even in challenging circumstances, the Owls are finding positive results.

In fall camp head coach Mike Bloomgren said he’d love to see one guy grab control of the starting quarterback job and carry it through the season. Vanderbilt transfer Shawn Stankavage looked to be that guy early on, but an injury suffered against UAB forced Bloomgren and the offensive staff to go further down the depth chart.

Evan Marshman started against FIU. Wiley Green will start against North Texas. Jackson Tyner’s turnover concerns have kept him as a reserve player for the time being, but he’ll be in the mix alongside some former high school quarterbacks that have played various other skills positions for the Owls.

Here’s how the Owls’ passers have faired thus far in 2018:

Player Cmp Att Pct Yds TD Int
Shawn Stankavage 99 174 56.9 1011 9 7
Jackson Tyner 9 19 47.4 132 0 1
Evan Marshman 17 31 54.8 164 0 1
Wiley Green 1 6 16.7 8 0 2

That’s a mixed bag, especially considering the various different scenarios and game situations each of those quarterbacks experienced. All told, though, Rice is actually on pace to produce better numbers from the quarterback position in 2018 than 2017, even with another lengthy list of participants.

Year Cmp Att Pct Yds TD Int
’17 Rice QBs 121 244 49.6 1721 6 16
’18 Rice QBs 126 230 54.8 1315 9 11
’18 Projected 205 374 54.8 2137 15 18

At a bare minimum, the improved passing numbers in such challenging circumstances has to be encouraging. Preparing an offense for “three vastly different quarterbacks in three different weeks” isn’t easy, and what the offensive staff has been able to do this month has been nothing short of incredible.

Bloomgren detailed the team’s mental processing that has to go on with they insert yet another new face under center against North Texas on Saturday. “It’s always going to be next man up,” Bloomgren said, “but anytime you have a next man up, especially at that position, everybody has to tighten their belts. Everyone has to play better and do your job that much better to make that person comfortable so they can do their job.”

The job on Saturday will be to get true freshman Wiley Green plenty of space in the pocket to deliver a calm, accurate throw. Green has an arm that can get the ball anywhere, but as we saw against FIU, that can include the wrong hands if he’s pressing. He has the talent and the coaching that’s produced encouraging results from a few passers already for Rice this season. Now it’s his turn to take the reigns.

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Mike Bloomgren wraps up FIU and looks ahead at North Texas

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Rice football prepares for another Conference USA opponent in Week 9, hitting the road once again to play North Texas.

Looking back at FIU

“It’s disappointing to lose a football game, and that’s something I’m stressing to our team continually. Losing is not okay. It should not feel good. It should hurt, and it should make you want to work that much harder.”

On the fast start…

“We started out fast, the way we want to as a football team which I think was very important. Offense took the opening drive right down the field… the defense got a couple of stops…. that was really positive. That was something we needed to do.”

On the youth movement…

“We had 10 true freshman play in that game, five of which started. And the moment didn’t seem to big for them. In almost all the cases they went in there and lined up beside these guys… and just played.”

On committing zero penalties…

“We played penalty free. I can’t remember the last time I was part of a team that had zero penalties. I think it’s a testament to these guys and their discipline … and the techniques their coaches are teaching them.”

On the team’s overall effort…

“I’m pleased with the effort these guys are putting forward. I’m pleased with the way they continue to fight.”

Looking forward to North Texas

“Offensively, they’re scoring almost 40 points a game. Mason Fine was the conference preseason offensive player of the year. He’s a gritty kid that makes throw after throw and keeps fighting. He’s tough as nails and any time you think he’s down or hurt he just pops right back in and finds a way to get the ball downfield to one of his great receivers.”

On the North Texas offense…

“It’s dynamic. I really believe it all starts with him, with Mason Fine. I think he’s such a scrapper. I think he does more than you think he can with his legs but just his ability to stay in there and find a way to get the ball downfield to those receivers is so impressive.”

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Owls to start Wiley Green vs North Texas

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Rice football has been forced to dig deep into the quarterback depth chart. Wiley Green will start for the Owls in lieu of an injured Evan Marshman.

Wiley Green started the fall as the fifth quarterback on the Owls’ roster. On Saturday he will start against North Texas because of injuries suffered by Shawn Stankavage and Evan Marshman in successive games.

Marshman started the Owls’ Week 8 game against FIU and played well. He completed 11-of-15 passes for 107 yards and threw one interception. He was even more productive on the ground, rushing for 68 yards and two scores. Unfortunately for Marshman and the Owls, his final run proved to be dangerous.

Marshman took off, found space and was greeted with a flurry of opposing jerseys at the goal line. He plunged through the scrum for the touchdown, landing awkwardly before being immediately rushed to the medical tent. He did not return to the game, and he won’t suit up again for the Owls any time soon. Precise details of his injury have not yet been made public, but like Stankavage, this injury will cause him to miss multiple weeks if not longer.

That makes Green, the former scout team quarterback, the next man up for the Owls against North Texas. After him, the depth chart gets murky. Jackson Tyner is one of the few men standing at the position which has prompted the coaching staff to dig deeper for possible solutions. In addition to Tyner, wide receiver Austin Trammell and running back Juma Otaviano will take reps at quarterback this week.

Rice will play its third different starting quarterback in three weeks against North Texas. That’s not what any coach would hope for, but the raw talent Green possesses makes Bloomgren hopeful. “He can spin it,” Bloomgren said, adding that he’s been impressed with his progression this fall.

Green understands the gravity of the situation, but say’s his preparation remains the same.  “At the end of the day, it’s football. No matter if it’s the ones or the threes it’s football and I’ve been playing it since elementary school.” That may be true, but this weekend won’t be just another game. It will be his first collegiate start.

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This week in CUSA – Looking ahead at Week 9

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Rice football fell at home to UAB in Week 7. How did the rest of the conference fare and what’s next for Conference USA football in Week 9?

Team Last Week Result This Week
Charlotte at MTSU L, 21-13 vs Southern Miss
FAU at Marshall L, 31-7 vs LaTech
FIU vs Rice W, 36-17 at WKU
LaTech vs UTEP W, 31-24 at FAU
Marshall vs FAU W, 31-7  — OFF —
MTSU vs Charlotte W, 21-13 at ODU
North Texas at UAB L, 29-21 vs Rice
ODU at WKU W, 37-34 vs MTSU
Rice at FIU L, 36-17 at North Texas
Southern Miss vs UTSA W, 27-17 at Charlotte
UAB vs North Texas W, 29-21 at UTEP
UTEP at LaTech L, 31-24 vs UAB
UTSA at Southern Miss L, 27-17  — OFF —
WKU vs ODU L, 37-34 vs FIU

Notable Week 8 results

All aboard the Blazers’ train

UAB has become one of the best stories in college football. Two years ago they had no football team, now they’ve clinched their second consecutive bowl trip and their best start in program history. The job that head coach Bill Clark has done in Birmingham is outstanding, including their latest big win over a North Texas team that was the favorite to win the division entering the season. Now it’s UAB out in front and nobody has been able to stand in their way.

Western Kentucky is bad, but their luck couldn’t be worse

The tragedy that befell the Hilltoppers in Week 7 has to be seen to be believed — and even then, you still might not believe it. WKU was in position to force overtime against Old Dominion, instead, they allowed a game-winning field goal at the buzzer in the most befuddling of circumstances.

Rice is alive

Things were looking pretty bleak for the Owls who seemed to have lost their momentum completely. After an encouraging start to the year the Owls were shutout against UAB in Week 7. They responded with an inspiring performance against FIU, leading the Panthers on the road after the first quarter. They weren’t able to hold on to win, but the insertion of redshirt sophomore quarterback Evan Marshman has this team believing in themselves again.

Week 9 storylines

Last chance

One CUSA team that is trending in decidedly the wrong direction is FAU. The Owls have all but squandered any hopes of winning the East and will be fretting their bowl aspirations soon if they can’t turn things around. They’re 3-4 entering Week 9 with a home game against a dangerous Louisiana Tech team. If the Owls can’t bounce back they might be staying home this winter.

Can Old Dominion get on a roll?

Barring whatever exactly happened against WKU, Old Dominion would still be looking for their first conference win against Middle Tennessee. They were gifted a win against WKU, but the offensive production was a positive step. If the Monarchs can keep that side of the ball rolling they’ll be able to contend down the stretch. That starts against Middle Tennessee.

UTEP isn’t bad?

UTEP is 0-7. It’s hard to put too much stock in a team that has yet to win a game, but the Miners have come precariously close more times than they’d like. One of their last four games has been decided by more than seven points and each of their conference games have been winnable. Knocking off UAB is unlikely, but they’re playing well enough that a win on Saturday is absolutely on the table.

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Owls’ offense found a rhythm that worked

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It took several weeks, but Rice football has found their offense once again thanks to a strong performance from new starting quarterback Evan Marshman.

Rice began fall camp with an open competition for the starting quarterback position. Jackson Tyner, sam Glaesmann and Shawn Stankavage split reps with the starters. Glaesmann was moved to wide receiver and Tyner has been bumped behind two freshmen on the depth chart. Stankavage was the starter through the first seven weeks before his injury against UAB opened the door.

Redshirt freshman Evan Marshman, who began the fall on the scout team, beat out true freshman Wiley Green for the start against FIU. After struggling to move the ball with Stankavage (and briefly Tyner) at the helm of the offense against UTSA and UAB, Marshman led the team on two touchdown drives against FIU.

Rice quarterbacks combined to lead one scoring drive in the eight quarters leading up to the FIU game. That includes outings from Stankavage, Tyner and Marshman. Against FIU, Marshman led the Owls on three scoring drives, taking both touchdowns in himself.

It’s impossible to separate how much of Marshman’s performance was his natural talent versus improved scheming and execution from the offense. Regardless, he put points on the board. If he can keep doing that, the Owls will be just fine. They’ll find a way to pick up their first conference win soon enough.

Marshman was quickly ushered to the medical tent following his second touchdown run, but was able to reenter the game. Green played sparingly and was unable to generate much offense, throwing two interceptions and completing one pass for eight yards. Marshman will be in line to start again next weekend against North Texas. That’s an encouraging sign for a once-struggling Owls offense.

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