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Rice Football: Fourth quarter lead disappears as Owls lose to UTSA

October 19, 2019 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice football played a back-and-forth game with UTSA that came down to the wire. For the seventh time this season, the Owls couldn’t find a way to win.

The Owls knew winning on the road wasn’t going to be easy. UTSA fought from start to finish, taking the lead with a little more than four minutes to play. With Tom Stewart at the controls, the Owls drove the length of the field and came up just short. Here are a few immediate takeaways from another heartbreaking result for Rice football.

1. Making the off week count

Bloomgren said one of the main focuses of the off week was converting third and medium, specifically third and four-to-six yards. Last year the Owls were stuck in too many third and long situations. This year the team had improved their down and distance metrics, but their conversion rate was still lacking.

Rice had their first opportunity to prove their mettle in that scenario on the first drive of the game. Quarterback Wiley Green hit trustworthy slot receiver Austin Trammell on a quick slant and moved the chains. That drive finished in three points. After failing to score on the opening drive in their first four games, Rice has now scored on their first possession in three consecutive games.

Rice converted a season-best 64% (9-of-14) third downs against UTSA, going 3-for-4 on third downs of four-to-six yards. Outside of self-inflicted wounds, Rice controlled the clock and moved the ball on offense as well as they have all season.

2. Big play Brad

You won’t find many junior college players suiting up for Rice football. The academic rigors separating South Main from those institutions represent a sizable gulf which few will successfully traverse. Making it to campus doesn’t guarantee success either. Checkered is the track record of JUCO transfers across the nation. Some pan out, some don’t.

It’s safe to say Brad Rozner has been well worth the investment.

The nation’s leading touchdown man at the JUCO level in 2018 has been a yardage machine for Rice football this season. Concerns over his slender build and questions of his ability to play physical have been put aside. All he does is make plays.

Rozner drew six pass interference flags against UAB. Rather than play the ball, the Blazers elected to tackle the playmaker before he had the chance to make a play. UTSA was less fortunate. Green targeted Rozner downfield throughout Saturday’s game. The first big gain was wiped out by a penalty flag, but the next went for 55-yards, the longest completion for the Owls this season. Green would find Pitre in the endzone later on that drive, putting Rice up 10-7 at the halftime whistle.

Who else, but Rozner again to open up the second half scoring for the Owls? He muscled the ball away from a defender in the endzone for a 19-yard grab which put him past the century mark for the game. He finished with nine catches for 138 yards, leading the team in both statistics.

3. Plenty of things to clean up

Neither UTSA or Rice had scored more than three touchdowns in any game this season. There was a high likelihood that a score in the high 20’s or low 3o’s would be enough to win this game. Rice had their opportunity to carve off a big chunk of that total on their first drive, but had to settle for a field goal after August Pitre was unable to haul in an endzone target from Green. The ball bounced off his fingertips and Rice settled for three instead of seven.

The next offensive drive didn’t go quite as smoothly. Rice burned a timeout at the start of the second quarter before the Owls had run any offensive plays. Two plays later Jovoni Johnson, who had been inserted at quarterback, failed to get the snap off in time and Rice was flagged for delay of game.

But the most painful error came following that challenging drive. After punting the ball back to UTSA, fortune smiled on the Owls for a brief moment. Naeem Smith snagged a deflected Lowell Narcisse pass and gave the Rice offense the ball at the UTSA goal line. A bad exchange between center Brian Chaffin and Green turned the ball right back over to UTSA two plays later. That was the first of two fumbled snap turnovers for Rice in the second quarter.

Green committed his third turnover on the first play of the second half, throwing right into the arms of a UTSA defender who returned it for a UTSA touchdown.

4. Boom goes the offense and the special teams

Explosive plays weren’t something the Rice offense had proven particularly adept at generated this season. In their first six games, Rice tallied 14 plays of 20 or more yards, an average of 2.3 per game. Rice had five 20-yard plays against UTSA — and that’s excluding a 40-yard bomb to Rozner called back by penalty, Rozner’s 19-yard touchdown reception and another 19 yard catch by Rozner in the third quarter.

When Rice was able to sustain drives, the big plays were a regular occurrence. So much so that two of the offenses near the bottom of the conference ended up having a shootout in San Antonio.

Chris Barnes was a weapon in the punting game, downing two punts inside the five-yard line including a 66-yard missile.

The biggest play of all is credited to reserve linebacker Garrett Grammer. Behind Blaze Alldredge and Antonio Montero on a crowded depth chart, Grammer sees most of his playing time on special teams. Late in the third quarter with UTSA backed up on their own 25-yard line, the Roadrunners attempted a fake punt. The ball carrier never gained a yard thanks to Grammer, who snuffed out the fake and brought him down for a nine-yard loss. The offense scored two plays later.

5. Regression stings

Patience can only be preached for so long without results. Saturday night’s road contest against UTSA — a game in which Rice football was favored by 5.5 points at kickoff — marks the lowest point of the 2019 season. One could argue this 0-7 start is the most disappointing moment of the Mike Bloomgren era. This team has looked better than their 0-7 record but at some point, you are what your record says you are. And the Owls’ record says this program isn’t where it expected to be.

No man will take this disappointing result harder than Bloomgren. It was he who declared a loss in this game a sign that things the Owls were not making the progress he expected. He will be the one that has to look in the mirror and decipher why this team hasn’t found a way to finish.

Bloomgren has never made excuses; he’s never pointed fingers. He won’t start now. But he will show up to work on Monday ready to play Southern Miss. The inefficiencies and problems put on display against UTSA will lead to discussions and adjustments in the weeks to come. This coaching staff and this team won’t quit.

One game isn’t reason to dismiss weeks of positive signs, but it’s undeniable this team hasn’t lived up to expectations in 2019. And they’re running out of games to prove they can. Every game from this point onward just became that much more important.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Filed Under: Featured, Archive, Football Tagged With: August Pitre, Austin Trammell, Brian Chaffin, game recap, Garrett Grammer, Jovoni Johnson, Rice Football, Tom Stewart, Wiley Green

Rice Football Recruiting: Owls offer 2021 QB Wyatt Begeal

October 19, 2019 By Matthew Bartlett

The first offer of the 2021 Rice Football recruiting class has been extended to Wyatt Begeal, a quarterback the Owls hope will be their future.

This is a big one. Rice football is two months away from the early signing period for their 2020 class. In the most recent recruiting cycle, the Owls didn’t extend their first offer to a high school junior until January.

That 2020 class is on track to be one of the best classes in program history. Their first commitment of that class, safety Plae Wyatt, didn’t make his pledge until the end of February. The highest-rated player to jump on board to this point, Sean Fresch, committed at the end of June. The 202o Rice football class isn’t done yet. The Owls have several additional targets in their sights  — more on that in a separate update soon.

Rice Football, Rice Football Recruiting

Not only is Rice setting a great pace with that strong class, but they’ve also kicked off the 2021 cycle with arguably their most important target: a quarterback. And not just any quarterback, Cibolo Steele’s dual-threat triggerman Wyatt Begeal.

First and foremost, Begeal is a playmaker. He threw for 2,100 yards as a sophomore. He kicked off his junior campaign with 1,384 yards passing, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions with 420 yards rushing and six rushing touchdowns.

Standing at 6-foot-1 and tipping the scales at just under 200 pounds, he’s a compact, powerful athlete. And he’s the number one priority in the 2021 Rice Football recruiting class. The Owls will begin to extend other 2021 offers as it makes sense, but they’re hoping to get out in front of Wyatt’s recruitment and bring him aboard as the leader of this class and the Owls’ future.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Filed Under: Archive, Football, Football Recruiting Tagged With: Rice Football, Rice Football recruiting, Wyatt Begeal

The Roost Podcast | Ep. 12 – 2019 UTSA Preview, CUSA Recap

October 17, 2019 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice Football is favored for the first time and lots has happened in Conference USA. Carter and Matthew and special guest Adam Martinez break it all down.

The bye week is over and Rice football is back in action, this time as a favorite for the first time in 2019. Needless to say, there was plenty to discuss beyond just the x’s and o’s of the Owls’ upcoming matchup with UTSA.

This game falls in the midpoint of the regular season, making it the perfect time to talk through Conference USA from a broader perspective than South Main. Adam Martinez of Conference USA Report stopped bye to talk about some of the surprises, stars and biggest storylines at the halfway mark.

Stay tuned this week as we break down the UTSA contest. You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page, including last’s week’s recap of the UAB game and mailbag.

Give a listen to Episode 12 below.

Follow @TheRoostPod

Episode 12 Notes

  • News and notes —  Don’t forget to join the site as a member and get access to insider info like midweek practice reports and more.
  • Rice athletics updates — Jack Fox to the XFL, Calvin Anderson inks deal with Rubix’s and Rice Women’s Basketball tabbed preseason favorites.
  • Around Conference USA with Adam Martinez — Early season surprises and disappointments, storylines to watch going forward and more. Adam and Matthew work through a busy first half of the season in C-USA.
  • Previewing the UTSA game — Carter and Matthew break down how Rice matches up with UTSA on both sides of the ball before getting into the optics and higher-level implications of this game. Progress for Rice football this week should end with a win.

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. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Rice Football 2019 Game Preview: Week 8 vs UTSA

October 15, 2019 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice Football is back from an off week and will hit the road to play UTSA. How to watch, stats to know, x-factor picks for both teams and more.

The last time each of these teams took the field they fell to UAB. Rice football was forced to weather multiple lightning delays, falling to the Blazers 35-20 in Birmingham. UTSA was protected from the elements, at home in a dome, and was defeated by UAB by the final score of 33-14.

Rice used the past week off to regroup. Still winless, the Owls hope to turn things around against the Roadrunners. Here’s what you need to know about both the opponent and Rice before their Week 8 contest.

Broadcast Info

Kickoff time | 5:00 PM CT
Venu | Alamodome – San Antonio, Tx
TV | ESPN3 (Streaming)
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio Preview

We’ll preview the UTSA game on Episode 12 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.)

Sizing up the contenders

UTSA’s Week 6 win over UTEP marked their first Conference USA victory since they beat Rice in Houston last October. The Owls also have won conference win since that game, a season-ending victory over Old Dominion. That was last season, though, and Rice football is still looking for that next elusive victory.

While the Owls have played several teams close, the Roadrunners have finished more games than their visiting opponents have thus far. UTSA also beat Incarnate Word in their season opener, giving them two wins to the Owls nil.

The pressure is cranking up on both head coaches in this matchup. Frank Wilson’s team has failed to improve since he took over in 2016 whereas Mike Bloomgren is seeking proof of his process in his second year at South Main. A win on Saturday would be big for both programs.

Series History

All Time | UTSA leads 4-3
Last Five | UTSA leads 4-1
Last Meeting | Home 2018, UTSA won 20-3

Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Green – 52/98 (53.1 percent), 548 yards passing, 2 TD, 0 INT
Rushing | Walter – 92 carries, 395 yards (4.3 yards per carry), 4 TD
Receiving | Trammell – 28 receptions, 397 yards (14.2 yards per reception), 1 TD
Tackles | Alldredge – 53, Montero – 37, Chamberlain – 35
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Thornton – 5 PBU, Nyakwol/Chamberlain – 1 INT each

UTSA Football Stat Notables

Passing | Narcisse – 32/76 (42.1), 273 yards passing, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing | McCormick – 83 carries, 473 yards (5.7 yards per carry), 5 TD
Receiving | Strickland – 15 receptions, 129 yards (8.6 yards per reception), 1 TD
Tackles | Martel – 42, Austin 35, Harris – 24
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Grady/Mayfield Jr – 4 PBU each, Carter-McLin/Harris – 1 INT each

UTSA X-Factor | Quarterback play

The season-ending injury of quarterback Frank Harris put the breaks on any sort of optimism for the UTSA offense. Harris had played well against Incarnate Word and Army, holding up decently well against Baylor before being knocked out of the Roadrunners’ Week 4 game against North Texas. With Harris out, replacement Lowell Narcisse has floundered.

Starting with his relief appearance when Harris went down, Narcisse hasn’t completed 50 percent of his passes in a game this season. He’s thrown for more than 100 yards once (against North Texas) and that came with two interceptions.

Narcisse is much more dangerous on the ground, averaging 5.7 yards per carry with three touchdowns. As capable as the Rice defense has looked throughout this season, teams have been able to outscore the Owls. If Narcisse can be proficient enough through the air, he’ll keep the offense balanced and give his team its best chance to score. Otherwise, it’s going to be a tough day at the office for the UTSA offense.

Rice X-Factor | Front seven supremacy

UTSA has a one-dimensional offense. When the running game is snuffed out, the UTSA offense goes with it. The Roadrunners are averaging 6.4 yards per carry in their two wins this season and 3.6 yards per carry in their four losses.

Stopping the run plays into a strength of the Rice defense. Wake Forest was the only team to average more than five yards per carry against the Owls, but nearly half of their 201 rushing yards came on one explosive play. If the Owls had their pick, they’d prefer to match up with a run-first team like this.

UTSA ranked 129th out of 130 FBSIf th team in scoring offense last season. They’ve improved slightly through the first half of 2019 to 121st, but the Roadrunner won’t win shootouts against most teams. If Rice can curtail the running game, UTSA will struggle to score.

Injury Report

Anthony Ekpe and Reagan Williams will be two names to keep an eye on this week. Williams has missed the last two games for Rice while Ekpe left the Owls’ last game against UAB early with an injury. At this time both are expected to miss Saturday’s game against UTSA.

Need More?

The Roost’s 2019 Rice Football Season Preview has four pages dedicated to every opponent the Owls face. There are depth chart, important new arrivals and depth chart breakdowns for each foe. 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. Who has more tackles for Rice?
    Chamberlain / Alldredge (or tie)
  3. How many first downs will Rice have?
    Over 14.5 / Under 14.5
  4. Will UTSA score more than 16.5 points?
    Yes / No
  5. Which Rice pass catcher has the most receiving yards?
    Rozner / Trammell / Other
  6. Who wins?
    Rice / UAB

One Final Thing

Rice was favored in twice last season — at home against Prairie View A&M and at home against Old Dominion. They won both of those games. When lines opened for this game, Rice was listed as a road favorite against UTSA. If coaches are to be graded by winning games they’re “supposed to win”, there will be an added onus on Mike Bloomgren to lead his team to victory on Saturday.

The time for moral victories has long since come and gone. Rice hasn’t been out-athleted since conference play began but the wins have still eluded them. Both sides of the ball have shown flashes and revealed concerning gaps that the team had the open week to address. From the players to the coaches, the team that takes the field in San Antonio needs to find a way to win.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Rice Football 2019: Owls in the NFL Week 6 Update

October 14, 2019 By Matthew Bartlett

Austin Walter played his first regular season snap and other Rice Football products made big plays. Here’s how the NFL Owls fared in Week 6.

There are former Rice football players are scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player.

Week 6 results

Patriots 35 – Giants 14 (Walter)
Vikings 38 – Eagles 20 (Sendejo)
Jets 24 – Cowboys 22 (Covington)
Broncos 16 (Callahan, Anderson) – Titans 0
Seahawks 32 (Ellerbee, Willson) – Browns 28
Steelers 24 (Boswell, McDonald) – Chargers 17 
Texans 31 (Gaines)
– Chiefs 24

Calvin Anderson, OT, Broncos

Anderson was recently signed from the Jets’ practice squad to the Broncos 53 man roster this week. He has been inactive for both of Denver’s games since he was signed, including Sunday’s shutout win over the Titans. The Broncos host the Chiefs on Thursday Night Football in Week 7.

Chris Boswell, K, Steelers

Boswell was only asked to attempt one field goal on Sunday. He knocked through the 20-yarder with ease, also converting each of three extra-point attempts. He remains perfect on the season with 11 successful field goals and 12 successful extra points. The Steelers are on bye in Week 7.

Bryce Callahan, CB, Broncos

Callahan was inactive for the Broncos’ Week 6 game against the Titans. He has yet to make an appearance for the team this season. The Broncos host the Chiefs on Thursday Night Football in Week 7.

Christian Covington, DE, Cowboys

Covington had one tackle in the Cowboys’ Week 6 loss to the Jets. The Cowboys host the Eagles on Sunday Night Football in Week 7.

Emmanuel Ellerbee, LB, Seahawks

Ellerbee was placed injured reserve prior to the start of the season. The Seahawks host the Ravens in Week 7.

Phillip Gaines, CB, Texans

Gaines had one pass defended and tied for the team lead with three solo tackles in the Texans’ Week 6 victory over the Chiefs. The Texans travel to the Colts in Week 7.

Vance McDonald, TE, Steelers

McDonald caught his lone target of the night against the Chargers for five yards. With backup quarterback Devlin Hodgers under center, no Steelers receiver other than running back James Connor caught more than two passes. The Steelers are on bye in Week 7.

Andrew Sendejo, Saf, Eagles

Sendejo had three tackles in the Eagles’ Week 6 loss to the Vikings. He also had one pass defended and this acrobatic interception.

Andrew Sendejo shows great awareness with an INT on the deflection.#PHIvsMIN | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/1iQXwLvOmx

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 13, 2019

The Eagles visit the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in Week 7.

Austin Walter, RB, Giants

Promote from the practice squad prior to their Week 6 game against the Patriots, Walter saw his first regular season snap on Thursday Night Football. The Giants host the Cardinals in Week 7.

Luke Willson, TE, Seahawks

Willson had two receptions for 16 yards with a long of 11 yards in the Seahawks’ Week 6 victory over the Browns. The Seahawks host the Ravens in Week 7.

More Owls in the NFL

From practice squads to current free agents, there are others Owls on the cusp of returning to active rosters. Find more detail on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Filed Under: Archive, Football Tagged With: NFL Owls, Rice Football

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