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Rice Football: Owls outlast North Texas on Senior Day

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The 2019 Rice Football senior class went out with a bang, winning their final home game at Rice Stadium over preseason C-USA favorite North Texas.

The hot start exhibited by Rice football in their win over Middle Tennessee last weekend carried over into their final home game of 2019. Before North Texas had run their fifth offensive play the Owls held a 10-0 advantage.

Rice rode that hot start to their second consecutive win, the first time they’ve won back-to-back games since 2016 (at Charlotte, vs UTEP). Here are a few immediate thoughts from the win:

1. Out execute everybody

The Rice offense has morphed a bit throughout the 2019 season. The playbook has been slimmed down and the offense has incorporated more spread concepts than it had in recent weeks. Despite the shift, the Owls have remained loyal to some of their staple in the ground game.

Rice runs the ball out of dozens of different formation. In need of one yard or less on fourth down or on the goal line, they’ve gone to this play more often than not:

Rice stacks the line of scrimmage and puts multiple fullbacks in the box. All 22 players on the field are within five yards of the line of scrimmage. Everyone knows what’s going to happen next — Rice runs this play all the time — it doesn’t matter. The ball is snapped, and Rice gets the first down or the touchdown. Every time.

It’s one thing to put athletes in space and let the best man win. This play is rooted entirely in the 11 guys on offense doing their jobs. If they execute they can get a yard. From my memory, nobody has stopped this play yet this season and Rice has run it at least a dozen times.

2. More opportunities = more points

Midway through the second quarter the Owls looked up at the scoreboard and saw a 20-0 score displayed in the glowing red bulbs. The lead was the largest Rice had achieved this season, amassed in a joint effort from the offense, defense and special teams.

As good as the offense was — and they were great — it was the defensive performance that kept the disparity on the scoreboard so severe. North Texas didn’t get a first down until there were less than three minutes remaining in the first half.

The Mean Green scattered incomplete passes and shortened runs across the field, barely managing a pulse on offense until it was too late. Rice picked off Mason Fine on his second possession, setting up the offense for their first touchdown of the game.

In a potential momentum-swinging moment, Charlie Booker fumbled the ball to North Texas, giving the ball to their opponents in Rice territory for the first time that game. On the very next play, Naeem Smith knocked the ball onto the turf and Rice recovered. The offense took the ball down the field and scored.

The biggest play, though, came on fourth down with 4:20 to play in the game. Mason Fine found Michael Lawrence in the endzone for what could have been the game-winning touchdown. No sooner had the receiver’s fingers touched leather did Treshawn Chamberlain lay a blow that reverberated around Rice stadium. The ball fell to the turf and Rice would go on to win the game.

3. Second half offense is quiet, again

Rice hasn’t scored in the second half of a football game since Oct. 26, a span of 28 days.  Some of that can be explained away by a scheduling quirk, the Owls’ second off weekend came two weeks ago. The rest is a bit puzzling, especially when juxtaposed against the 51 points this team scored in their first halves against Middle Tennessee and North Texas.

The good news for the Owls’ resides in the final box scores of their most recent pair of games. Rice did enough in each of those first halves to not require anything else from their offense after the break.

While it’s not a sustainable strategy and adjustments to any adjustments will need to be made, the results are as positive as Rice fans could ask for. The wins are still wins, but what the offensive looks like in the second half against UTEP will be more heavily scrutinized.

4. Senior Day shows

The 2018 and 2019 Rice football teams have been marked by their youth. Defensive tackle Myles Adams was the lone true senior honored during Senior Day festivities. Those who stood by his side were a mixed bunch.

Their journeys were all unique, but the collective showing from the Owls’ veterans was impressive in their last game at South Main.

  • Aston Walter, playing his final home game in his sixth season of college football, completed his first pass. It went for 27 yards.
  • Charlie Booker, a transfer from Harvard, scored his first Rice touchdown and led the team on the ground with 78 yards rushing.
  • Tom Stewart, also a Harvard transfer, won his first college football game played in the state of Texas.
  • Myles Adams led a front seven that limited North Texas’ starting running back Trey Siggers to 3.2 yards per carry.
  • Nahshon Ellerbe converted the clock-killing run in the final minutes, icing the game for the Owls

5. Finish strong

Rice football won two games in Year Zero under Mike Bloomgren in 2018. Although the rebuilding effort was expected to take several seasons, the lopsided win over Old Dominion to end the year combined with strong efforts on the recruiting front propelled expectations higher entering 2019.

The schedule was unforgiving and the team struggled to finish games. But even after an 0-9 start, Rice now has the opportunity to improve on their win total from last season.

If they can do it, the journey to three wins would have been a wild one — swinging from a certainty to a pipe dream — as the team rattled off a myriad of disparate results. A win their season finale against UTEP would give the Owls tangible improvement in the win column. There have been numerous encouraging moments, but wins and losses will forever be the way athletic success is measured.

Three wins, all coming in the final three games of the season, would be massive for this program, especially considering where things sat just a few weeks ago. Because of Saturday’s Senior Day win over North Texas, the Owls are just one win away. It looks like a lot can happen in one month after all.

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Rice Football 2019: North Texas practice notes and injury updates 🔒

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Rice Football has put the finishing touches on their prep for North Texas. Injuries, game plan updates and more from a busy week of practice at South Main.

Bloomgren has already compartmentalized the Middle Tennessee win and turned his attention to North Texas. He received more than 200 text messages in the hours following the big win, culling the tally of unread messages to 102 by midweek. Rex Ryan, who visited with the team during the bye week, was one of those congratulators, which included several people that have been encouraging Bloomgren every step of the way.

Needless to say, it was a fun week for Rice football. Coming off their first win of the 2019 season, the team was energized and working hard to turn the single victory into a winning streak. As they prepared for North Texas, head coach Mike Bloomgren and the staff remained focused.

“The validation for me is not going to come from winning one football game. So many of the things we’re doing are already validating it,” Bloomgren said. “To win the one this week, which is the only thing that we have that we can control, is everything… that’s where all of our focus is.”

Offensive notes

It wouldn’t be another week of practice without some notes to pass along on the quarterback position. This week, the picture looks as clear as it has in quite some time.

Tom Stewart will start. He played extremely well against Middle Tennessee, proving he has what it takes to lead this offense, assuming his back cooperates. The backup spot is a bit less clear, but as of it now it appears JoVoni Johnson will not be close enough to 100 percent to go. Depending on how he feels on Saturday and the situation in the game, it’s most likely Evan Marshman will be the acting No. 2 against North Texas. With one game left to maintain his redshirt status, the staff is unlikely to roll out a limited Johnson.

The Roost Podcast | MTSU Review and North Texas Preview

We could see Marshman in some form or fashion even if Stewart is good to go for the duration of Saturday’s contest. He still has a few special packages in place. I do feel confident in saying there will be some sort of change-of-pace pairing. We saw Juma Otoviano run some wildcat quarterback in recent weeks. There are a few players who could fill that role on Saturday, Marshman included.

As for the skill position players, it was nice to see Zane Knipe get involved with a 12-yard carry against Middle Tennessee. Knipe said this week “It feels good to finally contribute, to finally be able to be out there with my brothers.” We’ll see his role grow as he returns to form and is worked into the system.

Defensive notes

The most notable change to the depth chart this week is at corner where true freshman Tre’shon Devones has won the starting job over Andrew Bird. Devones got the start last week in Bird’s return to the field after injury. Bird did have an interception prior to halftime, but Devones did more than enough to claim the starting spot, including a forced fumble on the first play of the game.

“He’s just done a phenomenal job,” Bloomgren said of Devones. “He’s an uber-talented kid and he’s taken advantage of every opportunity.” With Devones, Thornton and Bird, Rice has three corners they trust to a great degree. Jason White and Josh Landrum have looked good in spots as well. The position as a whole has taken a significant step forward from last year to this year.

Injuries

As will be the case with JoVoni Johnson, running back Juma Otoviano seems like a long shot to play Saturday. Otoviano has one game left to retain his redshirt status and is dealing with a lower body injury, too. He’ll more than likely be held out one more game to get him as healthy as possible before ending his season at UTEP.

Game Preview: Rice Football vs North Texas

On the other side of the ball, edge rusher Anthony Ekpe has progressed a fair amount this week. After doing individual drills last week, he’s been gradually eased back into the defense. He’ll be a true game-time decision on Saturday after being doubtful for the last several weeks. His fellow lineman Trey Schuman is less fortunate. He will not play against North Texas.

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Rice Football Film Room 2019: Middle Tennessee Review

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Rice Football went 1-0 last week, topping Middle Tennessee behind a fantastic offensive performance, highlighted in this week’s film room.

Hey everybody, and welcome back to the Rice Football Film Room. Sure feels good to be coming off a win, doesn’t it? So in honor of Rice’s best offensive performance of the year (even if almost all of it was in the first half), we’ll focus on that side of the ball this week.

Rozner’s Rebounds

Setup

It’s late in the first quarter, with Rice holding a 3-0 lead. The Owls have the ball at the MTSU 30. They’re in the I-formation with 21 personnel (presumably—the camera angle is too tight to see the receiver to the top but I’m guessing it’s Trammell) with Brendan Suckley as the fullback. Aston Walter is the running back and Jaeger Bull is the inline tight end to the left.

MTSU is in a base 4-3 look with two deep safeties. The boundary corner (remember, the short side is the “boundary”, the wide side is the “field”) is showing press coverage on Bradley Rozner, who is the wide receiver to that side.

The Play

MTSU brings five rushers, with the weakside linebacker blitzing. Both backs stay in for Rice. So even with Bull running a stick route the Owls have numbers in pass protection and manage keep Tom Stewart clean.

Rozner stutter steps at the line, preventing the corner from jamming him and getting a clean outside release. From there, he runs a simple go route (or “fly route” or “streak” or whatever you prefer—football coaches have an annoyingly large number of terms for “run straight down the field toward the end zone”). With the free safety stepping up (I assume he has responsibility for one of the backs if they leak out on a delayed screen to his side), there’s no help over the top. Stewart just lofts the ball into the end zone.

More: Takeaways from Rice Football vs MTSU

From there it’s all on Bradley, who as always, does an excellent job of boxing out like a power forward and coming down with the ball. An MTSU fan watching this play might be screaming for a push-off, and Rozner does extend his arms a little bit to gain separation. But there’s enough contact both ways that I think it’s a good no-call.

We’ve talked a lot lately (here and on the podcast and in numerous other pieces on the site) about the ways Rice is modifying the offense to get more points. But they’re not going to abandon Bloomgren’s base principles entirely, and this play archetype (draw defenders into the box with heavy personnel, throw over the top to big/athletic receivers in single coverage) was working perfectly for the Owls on Saturday. The other two of Rozner’s TDs, while using different formations and personnel groups (the second, for instance, was out of a two-back shotgun spread set with three receivers), were just variations on the same principle.

Walter to the House

Setup

It’s late in the first half and Rice is now clinging to a three-point lead after MTSU clawed its way back from a 17-0 deficit. Rice has the ball 2nd-and-4 from about the MTSU 34. They’re in 22 personnel: Suckley and Walter are the backs again, and Bull and Jordan Myers are the TEs, both lined up inline to the right (Rozner is the single receiver, his feet visible way up at the top). MTSU responds with an appropriately loaded box, with nine guys within seven yards of the line of scrimmage and in or just outside the tackle box.

The Play

This looks like the power toss play that we’ve highlighted (both here and on the podcast) before, but it would more appropriately be called a toss sweep, I think. “Power” runs involve a backside guard pulling. The puller on this play is actually Brian Chaffin, who at RG is the frontside guard.

Some sweep plays involve pulling both guards, but LG Nick Leverett is instead sliding inside to take the 1-tech DT, who knifes into the space vacated by C Shea Baker (who climbs the second level right away). It’s a good job by Leverett, too; if he doesn’t get that block the 1-tech probably catches Walter in the backfield, but he manages to redirect the bull rush and shove him out of the play.

More: For the first time this season, Rice football found a way to finish

Anyway, the run is well-blocked to the playside, but with the strong safety charging hard Rice doesn’t have a numbers advantage, even with Suckley as a lead blocker and Chaffin on the kick-out block executing perfectly. Bull and Myers do a great job sealing the edge as well, which gives Walter two gaps he can work with. When the safety choose to plug the outermost gap (and gets caught in the wash of Suckley’s block), Walter showcases his excellent vision and cuts back inside, slipping between Suckley and Myers.

Now the free safety is in position to make the tackle, but Walter again shows off his vision and savvy. He’s got more green grass to the near side of the field, but he can see the FS has an angle on him to make the play that way. So he cuts back the other way through a tighter window, using the safety’s momentum against him and slipping free into the open field for the score. It’s not even a particularly violent cut—Aston doesn’t have the short-area explosiveness that, say, Juma Otoviano does—but he makes it at just the right time to catch the safety completely off-guard. It’s a really excellent piece of running.

Sealing the Win

Setup

Two minutes to go. Two MTSU timeouts. 3rd-and-11. A three-point lead and the offense has done almost nothing the whole second half. It’s big boy time, y’all.

Rice is in 12 personnel, a two-back shotgun look. Walter and Charlie Booker are to either side of Stewart. Rozner is wide to the boundary. Jaeger Bull is in the slot. Austin Trammell is split so wide to the field that you can only barely see him enter the play at the end of the gif. MTSU’s in a three-man front with two stand-up edge defenders, a single off-ball LB, and five DBs (two deep safeties).

The Play

Now here’s one we haven’t broken down before: it’s outside zone! And an uncommon variation, too: you don’t see a lot of two-back shotgun outside zone. Again, I’m not the person to break down the minutiae of blocking schemes, but essentially, in outside zone, the whole line flows one way toward the sideline and the running back follows, looking for a crease to cut through. Like I said, there’s usually not a second back, but here he acts as a lead blocker to help keep the playside edge defender from sealing the edge.

Here, the playside edge guy manages to get upfield pretty far before Clay Servin and Booker can seal him off, so right away Walter knows he’s going to have to cut the run inside. As it happens, the hole opens up (and it’s not a big one!) between Chaffin and RT Justin Gooseberry. Walter shows outstanding vision to see the crease developing—based on the angle of his head there it must have been at the very edges of his peripheral vision—and he stops on a dime and explodes upfield.

He’s into the secondary in a flash. Two MTSU DBs maybe have a chance of stopping him just short of the marker, but one is erased by a beautiful downfield block by Bull and the other simply doesn’t have the angle to counter Walter’s speed.

First down. MTSU does get the ball back, but even a backyard lateral play can’t save them, and Rice football gets its first win of the season!

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Rice Football 2019 Game Preview: Week 13 vs North Texas

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Rice Football won last week and host North Texas with their eyes on two-straight victories. How to watch, stats to know, x-factor picks for both teams and more.

It took 12 weeks, but Rice football has put its first mark in the win column. The Owls took down Middle Tennessee on the road, riding a 31-point first half to the first road win of the Mike Bloomgren era. They’ll attempt another first this coming Saturday — a winning streak — possible with a win over North Texas on Senior Day.

On the other side of the field, North Texas will be on high alert. Sitting at 4-6 after a road loss to Louisiana Tech in Week 11, the Mean Green had an idle week to prepare for a critical two-game stretch. North Texas has to win out to achieve bowl eligibility, making Saturday’s penultimate contest a big one.

Rice can equal last season’s win total with a win while simultaneously crushing North Texas’ hopes of a bowl berth. There’s a lot on the line. Here’s what you need to know about both North Texas and Rice before their Week 13 tilt.

Broadcast Info

Kickoff time | 2:30 PM CT
Venu | Rice Stadium – Houston, Tx
TV | NFL Network (Streaming)
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio Preview

We’ll preview the North Texas game on Episode 18 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

Rice has preached having a 1-0 mentality all season long. Now those expectations have tangible results. Will the taste of that elusive victory prove to be the catalyst the Owls have been seeking? The “know-how” combined with a friendly atmosphere and the possible return to health of a few more defensive playmakers could prove to be enough push to get Rice football back on the right track.

That’s part of what should scare the Mean Green faithful. With quarterback Mason Fine already banged up and the Owls newfound confidence, they’ll have to come out swinging and force the Owls onto the defensive early.

This was a close game last year before North Texas broke things open with a big fourth quarter. And that came in Wiley Green’s first road start. After Tom Stewart’s three-touchdown connection with Brad Rozner last weekend, there’s certainly potential for this game to boil up into another shootout.

Series History

All Time | North Texas leads 5-4
Last Five | North Texas leads 3-2
Last Meeting | Away 2018, North Texas won 41-17

Rice Stat Notables

Passing | Stewart – 67/110 (60.9 percent), 760 yards passing, 7 TD, 1 INT
Rushing | Walter – 127 carries, 615 yards (4.8 yards per carry), 6 TD
Receiving | Rozner – 47 receptions, 681 yards (14.5 yards per reception), 5 TD | Trammell – 49 receptions, 581 yards (11.9 yards per reception), 3 TD
Tackles | Alldredge – 81, Montero – 68, Chamberlain – 56
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Thornton – 5 PBU, Smith – 2 INT

North Texas Stat Notables

Passing | Fine – 218/348 (62.6), 2659 yards passing, 27 TD, 6 INT
Rushing | Siggers – 127 carries, 831 yards (6.2 yards per carry), 5 TD
Receiving | Darden – 65 receptions, 655 yards (10.1 yards per reception), 11 TD | Lawrence – 43 receptions, 579 yards (13.5 yards per reception), 3 TD
Tackles | KD Davis – 79, Tyreke Davis – 64, Muhammad/Harvey – 58
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Harvey/Robinson – 7 PBU, Harvey/Robinson/Muhammad/Sanders – 1 INT

North Texas X-Factor | Stopping the run

Allowing the Owls to dictate the stay and pace of this football game is chief among the priorities North Texas must avoid. The Mean Green rank 12th in run defense in C-USA play, allowing 193.3 yards per game on the ground. Aston Walter’s senior night will be added incentive to pick up where he left off against Middle Tennessee, his fourth 100-yard rushing performance in five games.

North Texas wins when Mason Fine has the football. He doesn’t need a ton of time on the clock, but he does need opportunities. The Owls’ ability to play keep away will hinge on their ability to control the ball, extends drives and come away with points.

Running the football is always going to be central to the core identity of Rice football under Mike Bloomgren. When tasked with sealing the game against Middle Tennessee, they put the ball in the hands of Walter. He delivered.

If North Texas can limit the Owls’ on the ground, they’ll force Rice to be one dimensional. The Owls won through the air last week, but they’ve still got a way to go before opponents scheme out their aerial abilities before their rushing prowess.

Rice X-Factor | The Secondary

The offense seems to have turned a corner, but the strength of this iteration of Rice football remains on the defensive side of the ball. The front seven played exceptionally well against Middle Tennessee. The back end of the defense was okay, but not quite as stout as they’d shown in recent weeks.

A 90-yard bomb from Asher O’Hara to Ty Lee was the most discouraging moment, but the ease with which the Blue Raiders marched down the field in the fourth quarter left some reason for concern, too.

Andrew Bird’s interception and an impressive first half proved the Owls have the pieces and the scheme to hold things down. They’re going to receive one of their toughest tests of the year this weekend against Mason Fine. The Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year, Fine has battled through bumps and bruises, leading an offense that has had to score to keep his team within games.

Fine has put up yards against most everyone he’s faced. Keeping him out of the endzone and making him work his way down the field are musts for this defense to continue to succeed.

Injury Report

Zane Knipe made his return to the field last week against Middle Tennessee, taking an end-around carry for a first down. He’ll continue to get phased into the offense as he gets fully healthy, but the passing attack will still be primarily funneled through Brad Rozner and Austin Trammell. Running back Juma Otoviano left the game in the second half. His status for the upcoming week is unknown.

On defense, Andrew Bird returned to action and snagged his first career interception. Anthony Ekpe and Trey Schuman were held out of the game but could return as early as this coming week. Those two are going to be the names to watch.

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. Who catches more passes?
    Rozner / Trammell (or tie)
  2. Which team defense forces the first turnover?
    Rice / North Texas
  3. Will Blaze Alldredge lead Rice in total tackles?
    Yes (or tie) / No
  4. How many first downs will Rice achieve?
    Over 19.5 / Under 19.5
  5. Does Mason Fine throw a touchdown pass after halftime?
    Yes / No
  6. Who wins?
    Rice / North Texas

One Final Thing

The approach Rice football has taken over the past two seasons has been widely respected by coaching staffs around Conference USA and the nation. Men who had no reasons to say anything overwhelmingly positive or negative about Rice weren’t afraid to voice their belief in what the Owls were building. When this team turned the corner, they said, it would be dangerous.

It’s way too early to tell if a three-point win over a team which will be spending its winter at home rather than a bowl game is enough to declare an about-face. Nevertheless, the ability to play a complete game in all three phases and come away with a win on the road was monumental for this team.

What happens on Saturday against North Texas has the potential to better define where Rice is on the continuum between rebuilding and reloading. One more win opens the door for a three-win season, a step up from a two-win 2018 campaign. No other tangible measurement of progress would speak as loudly as that.

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Rice Football: Offense explodes as Owls knock off Middle Tennessee

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An explosive offense, stingy defense and strong special teams performance propelled Rice Football to their first win of the 2019 season.

Rice football had come close too many times to count. Staring down the barrel of an 0-10 start, the Owls turned in a complete game. On the road, against an unfamiliar opponent, Rice won. No points scored after halftime is concerning, but the season-high 31 points was absolutely a step in the right direction.

There will be plenty of good (and some bad) to work through in the days that follow. Here are a few immediate reactions from the win:

1. Boom!  goes the offense

A lack of explosive plays had put a hard ceiling on Rice offense all season. The Owls have been forced to execute at an unsustainable rate to simply stay on the field. As a result, way too many of their drives have ended in either punts or long field goals. Rice needed someone to jump-start the offense. On Saturday, Bradley Rozner delivered.

It started out with a big play, a 30-yard toss from quarterback Tom Stewart to Rozner in the endzone. One. Then the same duo connected for a second score, this time from 18 yards out. Two. With 14 seconds remaining in the first half and no timeouts, Rozner hauled in another one. Three.

Rozner, who led all of junior college in touchdowns last season, more than doubled his D1 touchdown tally against Middle Tennessee. That might have been enough on its own, but several others joined in the offensive explosion.

Juma Otoviano had a season-high 20 carries, several on direct snaps including a fourth-down conversion that set up one of Rozner’s long touchdown receptions. Zane Knipe joined the fray with his first career carry, a 12-yard end-around for another Rice first-down. Aston Walter iced the game with a thundering 24-yard run on third and 11 in the final minutes.

Seem like a lot? That’s because Rice hadn’t scored 30 points since August 25, 2019 — a walk-off win over Prairie View A&M in Mike Bloomgren’s head coaching debut. Here are each of the scoring plays:

2. Defense paves the way, then hangs on

The offense will get plenty of praise for their dazzling showing after two consecutive games with just one touchdown. As impressive and exciting as Stewart and company were with the football, it was the defense that set them up for success.

Middle Tennessee managed 40 yards of total offense in the first quarter. They had one first down and went 1-for-4 on third downs. As a result, the Rice offense began their scoring drives on the Middle Tennesse 24-yard line, the Rice 47-yard line and midfield. The longest Rice scoring drive of the day went 53 yards.

It wasn’t a perfect performance. MTSU’s first touchdown came on a drive in which the Owls committed three penalties on what could have been driving-ending plays, including a fourth down stop in the redzone. They also gave up a 90-yard bomb from O’Hara to Lee. Despite the warts, they gave the offense a chance, and they took advantage of it.

Middle Tennessee entered the weekend as the No. 1 rushing offense in Conference USA. Dual-threat quarterback Asher O’Hara was kept in check on the ground as the Blue Raiders were held to 120 yards rushing. They came into the game averaging 222 yards on the ground in conference play.

Blaze Alldredge tied Larry Izo’s TFL record, upping his tally to 17 tackles for a loss on the season.

3. A complete game

The offense played well. The defense played well. So did the special teams.

Chris Barnes hit a career-long 42-yard field goal to open the scoring for the Owls in the first quarter. His punting partner Adam Nunez came on and pinpointed a punt inside the 10-yard line, his ninth such kick of the season. Barnes later punned MTSU inside the five.

Nahshon Ellerbe had a career-long 37-yard kickoff return in the second quarter. Following an MTSU score, he had a 34-yard return which set up the final Rice touchdown of the first half. For perhaps the first time all season, all three phases played quality football. As a result, Rice football won its first game.

4. No JoVoni, No problem

The difference between the Rice offense under Tom Stewart compared to the same unit with JoVoni Johnson on the field could not have been any more clear after the team’s last outing against Marshall. When Johnson was in the game, the Owls marched down the field. When Stewart stepped in, the offense stalled, immediately.

Were it not for Johnson’s injury, the freshman signal-caller would have probably gotten the start against Middle Tennessee. With Johnson unable to go, Stewart got the call.

Stewart’s biggest plays were touchdowns hauled in by Rozner in which the quarterback threw it up and let the 6-foot-5 wideout make a play. To Stewart’s credit, the balls were well placed. Stewart isn’t the long-term answer for Rice football — he has two more games of collegiate eligibility — but the rush to get Johnson back on the field will lessen this week. The Owls know they have someone who can run the offense well in his place.

5. Winners win

Sludging through an 0-9 start puts the Owls’ Week 12 win over Middle Tennessee into proper perspective. We’ve seen this team play down to their competition; unfortunately, that’s happened more than Rice football fans would like. But now we’ve seen the upside, and oh boy, it’s nice.

In 2018 Rice beat 5-6 Prairie View and 4-8 Old Dominion. On Saturday they beat a Middle Tennessee squad that had scored 70 points in its previous two conference games and already had a win over Marshall under their belt.

There’s no debating it, this was the most impressive, most impactful victory in the history of the Mike Bloomgren era. This staff hadn’t won away from the confines of Rice Stadium. Now they have. After many had thrown in the towel on what had become a disappointing season, this team kept fighting, found a way to take a team to deep water in the fourth quarter. More importantly than any cliche, they won.

The Owls still have to prove they can replicate the product they put on the field this weekend, but it’s clear they’ve gotten over the hump. North Texas will be a tough test with a road trip to El Paso the week after that. But now we know — and this team knows — Rice football can win.

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