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Rice Football 2020 Game Preview: UTEP

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Rice Football looks to rebound from a disappointing loss with a home win over UTEP. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

The next game can’t come fast enough for Rice football. The Owls are eager to put last weekend’s road loss to North Texas behind them and shake off whatever rust lingered from the back-t0-back postponed games in the weeks prior. Rice looked rattled and far from the dominant form they displayed in their win over Southern Miss.

UTEP wasn’t in action last weekend, losing a game against UAB (scheduled to take place on Friday morning in Midland, TX) because of COVID-19 concerns among the Blazers. Last time out, UTEP was outgunned by UTSA, falling 52-21 in San Antonio.

Broadcast Info

Kickoff time | 12:00 PM CT
Venue | Rice Stadium – Houston, Tx
TV | ESPN3 (Streaming)
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs UTEP on Episode 62 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 has swung between extremes so far this season, but can get back to .500 on the season with a win against UTEP. The remaining weeks of their schedule are still a bit up in the air with postponed games against UTSA and Louisiana Tech possible candidates to replace a road trip to Marshall on Dec. 5. Before they get there, Rice has to control what’s in front of them, and this weekend, that’s scheduled to be UTEP.

UTEP wants so desperately to rebound from an unfavorable start to conference play. The 3-win Miners haven’t won four games in a season since 2016. Doing so in a shortened year would be a tremendous step forward for Dana Dimel’s bunch.

Series History

All Time | Rice leads 15-8
Last Five | Rice leads 3-2
Last Meeting | Away 2019, Rice won 30-16

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

UTEP Stat Notables

Passing | Hardison – 108/199 (54.3 percent), 1419 yards passing, 5 TD, 5 INT
Rushing | Hankins – 99 carries, 493 yards (5.0 yards per carry), 7 TD
Receiving | Cowing – 36 receptions, 573 yards (15.9 yards per reception), 1 TD | Garrett – 36 receptions, 498 yards (13.8 yards per reception), 3 TD
Tackles | Forester – 56, Knight – 43, Harrell/Inyang/Prince – 32
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Amaewhule – 8 PBU / Lowe – 2 INT

UTEP X-Factor | Capitalize on opportunities

Turnovers and self-inflicted wounds have proven to be fatal flaws in each of Rice’s losses to date. The Owls haven’t played a turnover-free game yet. UTEP hasn’t been productive on that front this year. The Miners are averaging just one turnover per game and nearly one and a half giveaways themselves, but recent history suggests they’ll have more opportunities handed to them by Rice — what will they do with those chances?

UTEP enters the game second-to-last in conference play in total offense, averaging less than 300 yards per game. Even North Texas had trouble at times when it came to driving the length of the field against the Rice defense. UTEP’s best chance of putting up points will be to take advantage of opportunities Rice hands to them. And when they get their chances, they need to turn them into touchdowns.

Rice X-Factor | Win in the trenches

When Rice wins on the offensive and defensive lines, they’re going to be in a position to win. Through three games, that’s happened more often than not. There is no Dion Novil in the defensive trenches for UTEP and the Rice front seven won’t be pulling double duty to support coverage threats on the outside. There shouldn’t be any reason why Rice can’t win on both fronts.

Rice is still without a rushing touchdown this year, an odd occurrence considering they’ve run the ball a conference-high 43.4 times per game. The Owls’ woeful 3.1 yards per carry has also been problematic. A kick start from one of their talented running backs and consistent lanes to run through will help them set the tone in this game.

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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. Will either team score on defense or special teams?
    Yes / No
  2. How many combined touchdown passes with be thrown (both teams)?
    Three or less / Four or more
  3. Does Rice rush for at least one touchdown?
    Yes / No
  4. How many total yards will the Rice defense allow?
    Over 330.5 / Under 330.5
  5. Which team defense forces the first turnover?
    Rice / UTEP / No turnovers
  6. Who wins?
    Rice / UTEP

One Final Thing

How Rice football lost to North Texas was almost more concerning than the defeat itself. Rice just wasn’t ready for what the Mean Green threw at them and failed to get things going on offense until time had run out. When this team is on, they’ve proven they can be dangerous. Now they need to prove they have the fortitude to respond to adversity and win a very winnable game.

This upcoming weekend also marks the end of November. With the Conference USA Championship game four weeks away and bowl season beginning on the same day, Rice is running out of opportunities to play football this fall. They simply have to make every Saturday count.

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Fumbled Away: Rice football only has itself to blame for North Texas loss

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The first game back from consecutive postponements didn’t go well for Rice football, who made too many mistakes to earn a conference win on the road.

Rice football entered their game against North Texas with a specific plan on defense. They weren’t going to let Jaelon Darden beat them through the air and they weren’t going to let Jason Bean beat them on the ground. Both of those players scored touchdowns, but each was held relatively in check save for one big play apiece.

Had Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren been offered that—a sub .500 completion percentage day from Bean and one touchdown reception for the nation’s leading receiver—he would have taken it in a heartbeat.

To some extent, Rice football got what they hoped for on that side of the ball. 27 points surrendered to the conference’s top scoring offense makes for a relatively successful day, no matter how the points were accumulated.

The offensive side of the ball was a completely different story.

Recap: Owls fall flat in loss to North Texas

When asked to sum it up, Bloomgren seemed a bit perplexed. “It felt like game one all over again,” he said. “For 10 minutes, we played our kind of football and did the things that we need to do. And then I have no idea what switched.”

That confusion extended beyond Bloomgren’s perception. The Rice offense, which had scored 30+ points in four of their last five games dating back to last season, couldn’t maintain that trajectory.

Rice marched down the field on its’ first two possessions, scoring 10 points. They didn’t add any more until the final 10 seconds of regulation when it was far too late.

North Texas had seven sacks, the most-ever under coach Seth Littrell. Rice fumbled four times, turning the ball over twice. The special teams committed their third turnover on a punt in three games. Any adjustments that were made failed to overcome the missteps.

Rice football had three weeks to iron out their own mistakes on offense and came up short.

Defensive captain Blaze Alldredge couldn’t have been more clear. His words speak to the faults of the entire team, even if he was referring specifically to his side of the ball. “At the end of the day, it’s  not about what they did,” he said, “It’s about what we didn’t do.”

Rice football didn’t play well enough to win against North Texas. They did against Southern Miss and they didn’t against Middle Tennessee. Sometimes it is that easy. Rice has the talent to beat any team in Conference USA, but do they have the consistency and the discipline? That’s something Bloomgren and Co. have to fix. This team has too much potential to fumble away.

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Conference USA Football 2020: Week 12 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 12.

Team Week 12 Result Week 13
Charlotte at Marshall PPD vs WKU
FAU vs UMass W, 24-2 at MTSU
FIU at WKU L, 38-21 vs LA Tech
LA Tech vs UL Monroe PPD at FIU
Marshall vs Charlotte PPD — OFF —
MTSU at Troy W, 20-17 vs FAU
North Texas vs Rice W, 27-17 at UTSA
Rice at North Texas L, 27-17 vs UTEP
Southern Miss vs UTSA L, 23-20 at UAB
UAB UTEP PPD vs Southern Miss
UTEP UAB PPD at Rice
UTSA at Southern Miss W, 23-20 vs North Texas
WKU vs FIU W, 38-21 at Charlotte

Notable Week 12 results – Standings

UTSA on top

After 12 weeks of the season, UTSA sits atop Conference USA West with a 4-2 record and six total wins. They’re tied with UAB with a .667 winning percentage with the Blazers holding the tiebreaker. Even if the Roadrunners lose their top spot when UAB gets back on the field or someone else catches up with them, it’s worth recognizing the strong start to Jeff Traylor’s tenure in San Antonio.

Late-season surge?

Middle Tennessee lost their first four games, two of which came early on in the season with more eyeballs on them than usual. Any expectations quickly dissipated. Since then, MTSU has won three of their last five with losses to North Texas and presumptive C-USA East front-runner Marshall. Their Week 12 win over Troy was proof of their turnaround. This same MTSU team lost to that Troy team 47-14 at home in Week 2 before turning around and beating them on the road this weekend.

Threepeat

Postponements are becoming the norm for this season and Conference USA isn’t immune.  Three more games involving C-USA teams were postponed this week, with the non-conference matchup between Louisiana Tech and Louisiana Monroe being canceled outright with the calendar running short of open weekends. The full list of C-USA postponements is available here.

Week 13 storylines

They’re back?

Louisiana Tech and UAB played a contentious overtime thriller on Halloween night. Neither program has taken the field since in today’s postponement-plagued reality. Both are scheduled to take the field after Thanksgiving … assuming there aren’t any hiccups before then. UAB is to host Southern Miss. Louisiana Tech will travel to FIU.

Searching for seven

Following a win over Southern Miss this weekend, the Roadrunners have a chance to do something they haven’t done since 2013, their inaugural C-USA season — win at least seven games. Frank Willson reached the six-win plateau twice but never climbed above it. Given the circumstances, what first-time head coach Jeff Traylor has done in San Antonio is rather remarkable.

Not done yet

A string of postponements and an early loss to Marshall has pulled the spotlight away from FAU, but the Owls have responded well. They’ve won four in a row and will likely be favored in their three remaining games against Middle Tennessee, Georgia Southern and Southern Miss. Marshall remains in the driver’s seat in the East by virtue of the head-to-head win, but FAU isn’t out of the picture just yet.

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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Rice Football: 2021 WR Jayden Folmar commits to Owls

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Bolstering the receiving corps was a priority for the 2021 Rice Football recruiting class. New commit Jayden Folmar will do just that.

Adding playmakers has always been a priority for Rice football on the recruiting trail. The Owls already had a few pass-catchers in the fold in their 2021 class, but they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to add another. New Dothan wide receiver Jayden Folmar has committed to the Owls.

The Owls were the first non-military program to program to extend him an offer. Folmar chose the Owls over offers from Air Force and Army. He is the fourth commit in the 2021 Rice football recruiting class from the state of Alabama and the second wide receiver. He joins fellow wideout Peyton Stevenson as well as safeties Marcus Williams and Joshua Williams from the Yellowhammer State.

Once he had his offer, it didn’t take him long to pull the trigger. His commitment came less than 24 hours after he received his offer. The trend of quick decisions isn’t new. Folmar is the third member of the current class to make his decision within a week, joining offensive lineman Ethan Onianwa and safety Joshua Williams.

Premium: 2021 Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

Folmar hasn’t received a rating from 247 Sports as of yet, but his addition will bolster a recruiting class that already ranks inside the top 100 nationally and fourth-best in Conference USA. Rice remains on pace for another big year on the recruiting front.

Folmar has an impressive combination of vertical ability and reliable hands. the 6-foot-1 wideout can high point the football and will be a threat on the outside for the Owls for years to come. For a bigger guy, he’s pretty fleet of foot, too. He can make a move on the edge and burst downfield while maintaining the focus necessary to make catches in traffic.

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Rice Football Practice Notes 2020: What to look for after the off weeks

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Rice football has suffered back-to-back postponements. The bulk of the schemes will be the same, but improvements have been made over the last two weeks.

A lot can change in three weeks. That was true of Rice football from the start to end of fall camp. Players came in and out of the lineup, adjustments were made. This time Rice has the added benefit of live reps as a baseline.

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To be clear, I don’t expect seismic change when Rice takes the field next (hopefully on Saturday against North Texas). But there have been a few things over the last few weeks of practice that should look different, most of them for the better.

A breakout from the trenches

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