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Schedule set for every 2018 conference game

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Rice football officially has a countdown. The season opener against Prarie View A&M will start at 6:00 p.m. CT on Saturday, Aug. 25.

The dates haven’t changed, but kickoff times and viewing details have been finalized for the majority of the Rice football games in 2018.

Once again, Rice will get an early start. Their opening game against Prarie View is scheduled for “Week 0”, which traditionally was the final week of the offseason before the first weekend of games started in early September. That should mean no distractions for fans, as only a handful of other games are scheduled that Saturday – most teams will play their first contests on Sept. 1.

For the first time since 2015, Rice will open and close their season at Rice Stadium. That makes for a few longer road trips in between the home games, including just one home game, against Houston, in the entire month of September.

Another benefit for fans this year are several late kickoffs. The Owls only have one day game on the docket through the start of October. Keeping out of the summer sun as long as possible will be a plus. Rice hosts Houston at 12:00 p.m. in their second game of the year.

Rice will have a number of their games broadcast on ESPN’s new streaming service ESPN+. That means every game is going to be televised in some form or fashion, for a fee. Costs for ESPN+ currently run $5 per month, separate from your cable bill. ESPN+ is available online and on most streaming devices (Roku, Amazon Fire stick, etc.).

Away games at Hawaii, Wake Forest and LSU have yet to be finalized. Those details will be released as the calendar gets closer.

The full schedule, including broadcast information and start times is available here.

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No clear answer at quarterback for Owls in 2018

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Rice football has several options, but no sure-fire answer at the quarterback position entering the 2018 season. Who will get the starting nod?

Sam Glaesmann was named the starting quarterback at the beginning of the 2017 season but lasted only three games before suffering an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. That opened the floodgates for what would become a rotating carousel of passers for the Owls which would continue throughout the remainder of the season. Jackson Tyner and Miklo Smalls both saw extensive playing time, but neither emerged as a bonafide QB1.

Rice played multiple quarterbacks in six of their 12 games. That lack of continuity is not a recipe for success and, understandably, getting the quarterback situation sorted out as quickly as possible will be a top priority for head coach Mike Bloomgren. Here are the options he has to work with in 2018.

Three returning quarterbacks

Sam Glaesmann

The path of least resistance would be to roll with last year’s initial starter Sam Glaesmann. He accounted for three touchdowns through the air and another three scores on the ground, making him the only returning passer with at least as many touchdowns (six) as interceptions (six). He led the Owls to their only win of the 2017 season, a 31-14 runaway victory over UTEP on the road.

Glaesmann’s vice is his accuracy. He completed 44.4 percent of his passes last season, only notching double-digit completions once, against UTEP. The running game will remain the Owls’ bread and butter, but whomever earns the starting quarterback job must be able to complete the majority of his passes.

Jackson Tyner

Glaesmann’s initial replacement last season was redshirt sophomore Jackson Tyner. After a slow start he chucked it all over the yard against FIU, Pittsburgh and Army, combing for 488 of his 598 yards of the season in those three contests. Tyner attempted and completed more passes (46) than either of the other two passers, but he also had the most incomplete passes (51) and threw five interceptions.

Accuracy is something that’s hard to fix. Tyner showed the willingness to take risks and hurl the ball down field, but like Glaesmann, he missed his mark more often than he found it. His 13.0 yards per attempt and 13.0 yards per completion were both last among the Rice quarterbacks.

Despite his shortcomings, Tyner is the most veteran option available to coach Bloomgren. The now redshirt junior has as many appearances as both Smalls and Glaesmann combined. Field experience won’t win you a job, but there’s something to be said for having “been there and done that”.

Miklo Smalls

The most versatile option at Bloomgren’s disposal could be returning sophomore Miklo Smalls. Taking over the starting job late in the 2017 season, Smalls finished as the team leader in passing yards (623), touchdown passes (three) and quarterback rating 118.2. No other passer saw the field during the final three games of the season. It seemed clear he had won the trust of the previous staff, but Bloomgren will evaluate the entire group with an open mind.

Following the publishing of this piece Miklo Smalls announced his intention to transfer from Rice to Independence C.C. in Kansas.

Three fresh faces

Evan Marshmann

The only other quarterback returning this season is redshirt sophomore Evan Marshmann. A Houston native, Marshmann walked last season after a productive career at Houston Christian. He showcased extensive mobility in high school, making his upside as a dual threat intriguing. Tyner is the least mobile of the three passers that played last season, whereas Glasemann and Smalls each averaged more than six rushes per game.

Shawn Stankavage

Bloomgren brought in one graduate transfer quarterback this offseason, former Vanderbilt backup Shawn Stankavage. The junior attempted one pass, a completion for six yards, during his time with the Commodores. With Kyle Shurmur entrenched as the starter Stankavage decided it was in his best interests to move on to Rice and join a crowded quarterback room that lacks one definitive starter.

Wiley Green

True freshman Wiley Green, a 2-star recruit from Prestonwood Christian in Plano, Tx, was the only quarterback who signed with the Owls’ 2018 class. Green turned down offers from Baylor, Arizona and Boise State to play for the Owls. The lack of experience against collegiate competition isn’t ideal, but he did throw 47 touchdowns and eight interceptions during his senior season.

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Defensive End Justin Moore becomes first commitment of 2019 class

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The 2019 Rice football recruiting class has its first commitment. Defensive end Justin Moore pledged himself to the Owls in early April.

Mike Bloomgren was introduced as the head coach at Rice in early December, a few days before the inaugural early signing period. Six players signed with his staff in December and the Owls added 12 more signees on National Signing Day in February – a full class, but one that came together over the span of weeks rather than months. The 2019 class will make the first year cycle that Bloomgren has charge of from start to finish.

Bloomgren has his first commitment of that 2019 class — Justin Moore of Trinity Christian Academy committed to Rice on April 4. The 6-foot-3, 240 pound defensive end chose Rice over offers from Arkansas State, Louisiana Monroe and Texas State.

https://twitter.com/bigmoore00/status/981695456521719808

247 Sports rates Moore as a 2-star recruit, although he isn’t ranked on their composite index. Since one service has him ranked there’s a chance he could wind up on other services down the road. Even if other recruiting services haven’t given him much love, a few other big programs have. Since his commitment, Air Force and Texas Tech have offered Moore but he’s still locked in to his original pledge to the Owls.

This will be a good test for Bloomgren’s recruiting prowess. Hailed as an ace recruiter, can Bloomgren keep a coveted player in the fold when another D1 school in the state comes knocking? Texas Tech was the first, but others could soon follow if Moore produces on the field during his senior season.

If Bloomgren is able to convince Moore to stick around he’ll have his first building block on the defensive line for the 2019 class. Rice needs to find someone to take over for the departed Brian Womac, who signed has since signed with the Los Angeles Rams. The quick, yet powerful edge rusher out of Addison, Tx is raw, but flashes plenty of intriguing potential.

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