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Rice Football vs Marshall: Q&A with HerdNation’s Aaron Perkins

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Rice Football squares off with Marshall this weekend. Aaron Perkins, Managing Editor with HerdNation, tells us what to expect from the Herd.

Q: People were optimistic about quarterback Grant Wells entering the season, but did anyone expect him to be this sharp this quickly?

I think most fans hoped he would be this good, but I am not sure anyone thought he would be this good.  When you look at the numbers he is putting up the biggest thing is the lack of turnovers/interceptions.  That was the biggest issue our previous quarterback had over the past two years.  In the two games that cost us the CUSA East title last year, he had multiple turnovers.  Wells has the ability to keep drives alive without making game changing mistakes.

Q: Marshall doesn’t really have a true go-to wide receiver. How has that impacted the offense, for better or worse?

The season started without that one go to wide out.  Talik Keaton, Broc Thompson and Willie Johnson were all three starting, and Wells was good at spreading the ball around.  All three have missed time, Keaton and Broc missing multiple games.  In that time, sophomore Corey Gammage has stepped up and actually started to be that “go to” wide receiver.  He is big and strong with excellent hands.  He seems to be starting to “get it,” as the season has moved along and is among the team leaders in receptions, yards and touchdown catches.

Q: If there’s a weakness in the Marshall defense what is it? Are there any matchups that concern you?

The biggest weakness would not be in a position or a player but in how overly aggressive they play.  They have given up a few big trick-plays this year as they were over-pursing to try to make a big sack, or a tackle for loss.

Q: How have the string of postponements impacted the team? Do you anticipate any rust?

Early in the year the time off seemed to hurt at times.  But one thing Doc Holliday has excelled at in his career is getting teams ready for bowl games after long layoffs.  That has been the case most of this season.  Marshall has been practicing longer than pretty much any team as we were preparing to play in Week “0” against ECU.  This is the third long break of the season, so it will be interesting to see if the team is still ready to push through this very odd 2020 campaign.

Q: Coach Doc Holliday has fielded a lot of good teams, but hasn’t won a C-USA championship since 2014. Conveniently enough, Rice was the team to thwart them the year before. Is this the year the Herd win it all?

I like Marshall’s chances.  This is one of the most solid teams Doc has had since he has been at Marshall.  Both the offense and the defense has been consistent throughout the season.  The defense is strong up the middle and should match up well with teams from the West.  The offense has just enough fire power in Brenden Knox, Wells, and the wideouts, and returns a veteran offensive line.  One thing is certain, Marshall should at least be favored in all of the remaining games, included a CUSA Championship Game.

Podcast: Rice Football vs Marshall Game Preview 

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Rice Football 2020: Marshall Presser Quotes and practice notes

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Rice football has a big game ahead of them this weekend against a nationally ranked Marshall squad. Here are the latest notes and press conference quotes.

Rice football got close to kickoff against UTEP, but the game was nixed before kickoff, the third game Rice has forgone because of COVID-19 problems at another institution. The Owls hope to return to the field this weekend to take on a ranked Marshall team. Rice hasn’t beaten a ranked opponent in their last 30 tries, so a win against the Herd would be a monumental achievement.

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To that end, head coach Mike Bloomgren and a few players spoke about the challenge ahead of them. We’ve selected a few quotes from the Owls’ midweek press conference. Then we’ve got a few more updates on what’s in store for the Owls in the coming days and weeks plus a look at some changes on the Rice depth chart.

Press Conference Quotes

“With the number of cancelations we’ve had, last weekend felt like a loss, and I can’t have them feeling that way because this is not something we were in control of. They do everything we ask. We were ready to play.” – Mike Bloomgren on UTEP cancelation

“Here’s the deal with their defense. They’re going to line up one of two ways. They’re not trying to baffle you with people swinging in on vines. They aren’t gonna dazzle you with dance. They’re going to line up across from you and they are going to play physical football.” – Mike Bloomgren on the Marshall defense

“There’s two ways to respond. You can either let what happened to you define the rest of your season, or you can come back and you can play one of the best teams — the best team in the conference — and you can surprise everyone. And that’s what we’re looking to do.” – TE Jaeger Bull on the UTEP cancelation and Marshall game

“They really don’t do a whole lot of eye candy stuff. They’re gonna line up in pretty basic packages every play and you’re not always going to know exactly what they’re running but they’re going to try to run it down your throat. And like [Bloomgren] said, if we don’t stop the run it’s going to be a long day for us.” – DE Trey Schuman on Marshall 

Depth Chart Notes

Here’s an updated depth chart from Rice football heading into the Marshall game and some comments on a few notable additions and omissions as well as some injury notes:

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Rice Football Film Room 2020: Marshall Preview

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Following a third cancelation, Rice football returns to the field to face a stout Marshall squad. How big is the task at hand? We discuss in this week’s film room.

Well, at this point I’m running out of pithy things to say about postponements and cancellations. This stinks! Three very winnable games gone from Rice’s schedule, all in the division, and a rescheduled one this Saturday in Huntington against a juggernaut of a Marshall team.

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I won’t sugarcoat this for y’all. Marshall is very, very, very good. Both of ESPN’s analytical power ranking systems (FPI and Bill Connelly’s SP+) have them as one of the top 25 teams in all of FBS. They’re led on both sides of the ball by ferocious lines: an OL with every spot manned by a senior and a defensive front that’s put up 41 tackles for loss and 22 sacks in seven games. Rice is going to have to play damn near perfect to pull this one off.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Grant Wells has been stellar for the Herd so far, but the heart and soul of their offense is junior running back Brenden Knox. He’s not the most explosive back (5.0 YPC, and his longest run this year is the 45-yarder we’ll see below), but he’s tough, agile, and has great vision.

Knox can make you pay

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Rice Football 2020 Game Preview: Marshall

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Rice Football hopes to return to the field this week, but Marshall will be one of their toughest tests yet. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

Rice got tantalizingly close to kickoff last week against UTEP but saw the game postponed mere hours before the Owls and Miners were set to face off. The cancelation marks the third time in the last four weeks Rice did not play because of a COVID-19 issue from their opponent.

Marshall was off last weekend with a rare “scheduled” off weekend. Not accounting for rescheduling December games against Rice and FIU, Marshall played through the bulk of their expected regular season. Their last action came on Nov. 14, a win over Middle Tennessee. Their Nov. 21 game against Charlotte was postponed.

Broadcast Info

Kickoff time | 11:00 AM CT
Venue | Joan C. Edwards Stadium – Huntington, WV
TV | ESPN+ (Streaming)
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs Marshall on Episode 64 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.)

Visual Preview

Make sure you check out Inside the Hedges, a weekly show with myself and former Rice football quarterback Taylor McHargue. Watch it live on Wednesday nights here or watch it at your leisure on the Rice Athletics Youtube page.

Join the Conversation

What are your keys to victory this week? What pitfalls must the Owls avoid? Did you like that third down call? Share your thoughts on the matchup on the forum and make sure you tune in Saturday for our live game blog keeping track of every score and key moment.

Sizing up the contenders

Rice missed the opportunity to play a UTEP team that was winless in C-USA play. Instead, they’ll travel to the only unbeaten team in the conference. That swap, combined with other winnable divisional games previously postponed, leave Rice with an uphill battle as the scheduled winds down. If Rice wants to get back to .500, they’re going to have to beat one of C-USA’s best.

Marshall just needs to keep pace with their side of the conference in this game. The 7-0 Herd have a head-to-head win over FAU, but haven’t played Charlotte. With Conference USA opting not to schedule a game between Marshall and Charlotte (so far), all Marshall has to do is win to stay at the top of the pack with no divisional tiebreakers in play.

Series History

All Time | Marshall leads 5-2
Last Five | Marshall leads 4-1
Last Meeting | Home 2020, Marshall won 20-7

Rice Stat Notables

Passing | Collins – 53/86 (61.6 percent), 802 yards passing, 10 TD, 1 INT
Rushing | Otoviano – 45 carries, 195 yards (4.3 yards per carry) | Griffin – 41 carries, 159 yards (3.9 yards per carry)
Receiving | Trammell – 16 receptions, 335 yards (20.9 yards per reception), 6 TD | Myers – 14 receptions, 138 yards (9.9 yards per reception)
Tackles | Alldredge – 32, Montero – 23, Garcia – 19
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Calderon – 2 PBU / McCord – 1 INT

Marshall Stat Notables

Passing | Wells – 126/192 (65.7 percent), 1674 yards passing, 16 TD, 4 INT
Rushing | Knox – 148 carries, 744 yards (5.0 yards per carry), 9 TD
Receiving | Gaines – 22 receptions, 288 yards (13.1 yards per reception), 3 TD | Gammage – 23 receptions, 270 yards (11.7 yards per reception), 4 TD
Tackles | Beckett – 69, Neal – 43, Hodge – 31
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Gilmore – 6 PBU / Gilmore, Neal, Johnson, Drayton – 1 INT

Marshall X-Factor | Limit explosive plays

The Marshall defense might be the most formidable unit in C-USA and because of it, teams don’t score points in bunches against the Herd very often. Sustaining long drives isn’t easy to do against this defense. Rice has been able to piece together several 10+ play drives in their limited action so far this season, but something has to give.

Marshall has allowed three plays of 30 or more yards in four conference games, the best mark of any team in C-USA. They’re also the only C-USA team that hasn’t allowed a play of 50 or more yards against a conference opponent.

The Rice offense is more explosive than its been in the past, but they’re going to need a mix in some big gains to sustain those length drives they’ve become accustomed to. Marshall can’t let that happen.

Rice X-Factor | Win the line of scrimmage

Rice did not control the line of scrimmage against North Texas and the ramifications were severe. The Owls could not consistently move the ball on offense and saw a rather sturdy defense effort go to waste. The offensive line has shown they can push people around already this season, against Marshall they’ll have to be at their best.

If Rice can win in the trenches, they’ll set up their offense to control the pace of the game. That’s going to be paramount against a team that’s proven themselves to the degree that Marshall has. They’re ranked for a reason.

Expect to see Rice utilize full backs, tight ends and different packages to aid their line in this game. It doesn’t really matter how Rice finds a way to win this phase of the game. They just have to do it.

Injury Report (Subscribers only)

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Need More?

The Roost’s 2020 Rice Football Season Preview has four pages dedicated to every opponent the Owls face. There are depth charts, important new arrivals and depth chart breakdowns for every team in Conference USA. 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. Which team scores first?
    Rice / Marshall
  2. How many points will Rice score?
    Over 23.5 / Under 23.5
  3. Which total is higher?
    Rice first downs / Marshall completions
  4. Which team has the longest run from scrimmage?
    Rice / Marshall
  5. What will be the distance of the longest made field goal?
    Over 39.5 yards / Under 39.5
  6. Who wins?
    Rice / Marshall

One Final Thing

Rice was very vocal about not playing a game in West Virginia this week. Logistically, there are ample reasons Rice should be playing UTSA at Rice Stadium on Saturday rather than flying across the country to play a team outside of their own division.

Honestly, Conference USA followed the easiest course of action possible — adding a game between UAB and Middle Tennessee, simple because both were free — rather than addressing divisional matchups still to be played. All this could have been alleviated if C-USA hadn’t added games back midseason amid rising cancelations, but here we are.

No matter the circumstances, Rice has moved their focus solely to Marshall. It’s a tough task in already challenging conditions. All the more reason for the Owls to press on.

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Conference USA Football 2020: Week 13 C-USA Roundup

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Conference USA Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron in Week 13.

Team Week 13 Result Week 14
Charlotte vs WKU Tues. vs FIU
FAU at MTSU PPD at Georgia Southern
FIU vs LA Tech PPD at Charlotte
LA Tech at FIU PPD — OFF —
Marshall — OFF —  — vs Rice
MTSU vs FAU PPD — OFF —
North Texas at UTSA L, 49-17 — OFF —
Rice vs UTEP PPD at Marshall
Southern Miss at UAB PPD at UTEP
UAB vs Southern Miss PPD — OFF —
UTEP at Rice PPD vs Southern Miss
UTSA vs North Texas W, 49-17 — OFF —
WKU at Charlotte Tues. — OFF —

Notable Week 13 results – Standings

Tuesday morning football

We’ve seen a lot in 2020, but Tuesday morning football would be a first. That’s the route being taken by Conference USA to ensure a safe playing environment for Western Kentucky and Charlotte, the latter of which required extra time to “clear COVID-19 protocols that would have prevented Charlotte from competing this Saturday.”

Unwanted game day drama

There have been dozens of postponed games in Conference USA so far, but none had been tabled on game day, yet. That changed this week when the game between Rice and UTEP was delayed and soon postponed following testing results at UTEP. View the entire list of C-USA postponements here.

North Texas v UTSA

The only C-USA game played on Saturday as not an exciting contest. UTSA ran all over North Texas, literally. The Roadrunners amassed 443 rushing yards, including 251 from running back Sincere McCormick who continues to impress.

Week 14 storylines

Bonus football

Regular season football in December is a silver lining from this up-and-down season. As of right now, five games involving Conference USA teams are scheduled to take place whereas there would have only been a conference championship game next weekend during a typical year. Bonus football, it’s a good thing.

Will there be more?

There are plenty of scheduling dominos that have yet to be played at the time of this post. UAB hasn’t played since Halloween and isn’t slated to play next weekend. Their most recent postponement (Nov. 27 vs Southern Miss) would have been their last game at Legion Field. Could UAB add a game in Birmingham prior to their season finale at Rice on Dec. 12? It sure would be nice.

Finished?

If Western Kentucky is able to play against Charlotte on Tuesday, they’ll join UTSA as the only teams in Conference USA to play 11 games (so far) during this uneven season. Marshall, who leads the East, has played seven games. UAB, expected to be the frontrunner in the West with a victory over UTSA, has played seven. Rice which hasn’t been the initiating party for a postponement since they started their season on Oct. 24, has played just three.

Rice Football Opponent Scouting Report

A weekly update on who the Owls will be playing this season including updates on key storylines, injuries and more.

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