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

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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.

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.

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Rice Football Film Room 2019: Previewing UTSA

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The Rice Football Film Room is back after a bye to preview the Owls’ upcoming game against a UTSA offense led by Lowell Narcisse.

Hey y’all, welcome back to the Rice Football Film Room. Hope y’all are as ready for Rice to get back to it after a bye week, especially since they’re a favorite—for the first time this year!—at UTSA this weekend.

UTSA, like Rice, has had a tough year, but thanks to a considerably easier schedule, they’re sitting at 2-4 with wins over Incarnate Word and UTEP. The outlook just got worse for them with the announcement that dual-threat QB Frank Harris is out for the rest of the season.

Harris will be replaced by Lowell Narcisse, the former 4-star LSU transfer (by way of a junior college), who packs a similar running threat in his large, athletic frame but is a considerably worse passer than Harris. Let’s talk a look at two plays that illuminate Narcisse’s game, both from the Roadrunners’ win over UTEP a couple weeks ago.

A Dangerous Runner

Setup

It’s first and goal for UTSA at the UTEP 9. UTSA is in 12 personnel with Narcisse in the shotgun, a TE and H-back to the right of the formation, and a running back behind and to the left of Narcisse. UTEP has nine guys in the box, with five on the line, and they’re playing off on both receivers.

The Play

It’s an inside zone read, with the H-back coming across the formation to fake a slice block (to make the end man on the line think it’s a split zone handoff) before slipping out to arc block if Narcisse pulls the ball. This has the effect of simplifying Narcisse’s read on the play: if the defender that he’s reading slips inside of the H-back’s fake, he can pull the ball. If the defender tries to go wide or engages with the H-back to set the edge, he can hand it off. In a sense it takes away the defender’s ability to muddle the read by “slow-playing” it, which is a common tactic against zone read plays.

Here, it’s a simple enough read: the defender slips inside the H-back to play the running back, and Narcisse pulls it. They’re fortunate that’s the read, because the defender lined up over the UTSA’s right tackle has beaten him inside and probably would have made the play if the ball had been handed to the back.

From there, it’s all about execution. The optioned defender actually does a pretty good job recovering to go after the QB, but he doesn’t have the angle to catch Narcisse, who shows impressive burst to the edge relative to his 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame. The H-back gets an excellent downfield block on the linebacker, and the wide receiver fakes a fade route to draw away the corner. Touchdown, UTSA.

A . . . Risky Passer

Setup

It’s early in the third quarter, with UTSA holding a 10-3 lead in El Paso. UTSA has the ball on the UTEP 18, third and six. They’re in a four-wide set (I can’t tell for sure if it’s 10 or 11 personnel, but it looks like the biggest guy out there is No. 83 Dorian Clark, a receiver, so I think it’s 10), with trips (three receivers) in a bunch formation to the left. It looks like UTEP is in nickel personnel, and at the snap they bring the house and play man coverage.

The Play

It’s a rollout to the trips side, which simplifies things for Narcisse by only requiring him to read half the field. It’s hard to tell what routes the receivers are running because of the camera, but it looks like the No. 3 receiver (the innermost receiver) runs a short out-breaking route, while the other two release vertically. The coverage is pretty good, it seems, because Narcisse doesn’t seem to have anywhere to go with the ball.

UTEP gets two good shots at Narcisse but can’t bring him down. LB Sione Tupou barrels unblocked through the line to start, but gets tripped when No. 74 for UTSA wrestles his man to the ground and can’t bring down Narcisse by the ankles. DB Michael Lewis looks to initially be playing man on the running back, but comes for the QB when the back stays in to block. He takes a bad angle, though, and Narcisse shrugs him off.

At this point, though, Narcisse is stumbling toward the sideline, with four UTEP defenders converging on him. As he falls out of bounds, he appears to throw the ball away . . . except he doesn’t. He’s tossed a wobbly duck of a pass to receiver Blaze Moorhead in the end zone, who miraculously makes a diving grab for a UTSA touchdown. It works out for the Roadrunners here, but just about anyone could have told you that pass was, uh, ill-advised.

More: Rice Football at UTSA game preview

So that’s what you’re getting in Narcisse and the UTSA offense. They’ll run the ball a ton with him and spectacularly-named freshman RB Sincere McCormick, while only asking Narcisse to pass when they absolutely have to (he’s completing 42.1 percent of his passes for a positively ghoulish 3.6 yards per attempt, nearly two yards less than his per-carry rushing average). If the Rice defense can continue their stellar run defense coming out of the bye week, they’ll have a great chance at shutting down this UTSA offense completely.

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Rice Football 2019 Game Preview: Week 8 vs UTSA

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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.

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2019-2020 Rice Women’s Basketball Season Preview

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The 2019-2020 Rice women’s basketball season is fast approaching. Here’s a rundown of the Owls’ squad bent on returning to the NCAA Tournament this season.

The last time the Rice women’s basketball team took the court they left it with a sour taste in their mouths. The Owls led Marquette in a first round NCAA Tournament game by nine points with minutes left in regulation. Rather than advance to the next round, a rematch with the Texas A&M Aggies, the Owls faltered and saw their storybook season end in overtime.

There has been plenty of time for soul searching since that game. A new season is right around the corner, one which this team hopes will end much later in March than the last. Here’s a bit more on the coach, the players, the roster, and what to expect from this team in 2019 and beyond.

The Coach – Tina Langley

Upon the completion of last season, Rice signed Langley to a five-year extension. The reigning Conference USA coach of the year led the Owls to their first-ever ranking in the AP and Coaches Poll, a perfect regular season in conference play and set program records with 21 consecutive wins and 28 total victories in a season.

Rice women’s basketball has been on the upswing since Langley took over prior to the 2015-2016 season. The Owls have seen their overall win total and conference win totals increase each subsequent season, finishing last season with a sterling 28-4 record. As long as Langley is at the helm, the future for Rice women’s basketball remains extremely bright.

Last Season Snapshot

With center Nancy Mulkey sidelined by injury, Rice lost their first two games of the 2018-2019 season to No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 23 UCLA. Following their 0-2 start, the team won 28 of their next 29 games. A road loss to North Carolina in mid-December was their only blemish during the remainder of the regular season.

More: Rice Men’s Basketball Season Preview

Rice won all 16 of their conference games, only one of which was decided by less than 10 points. The Owls stayed perfect in three Conference USA Basketball Tournament games, rallying to take down Middle Tennessee to secure the Tournament Championship and punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament, their first trip to the Big Dance in 14 years.

The Schedule

Rice Women’s Basketball Marquee Games and Key Dates

Nov. 5, 2019 – Season opener vs Nicholls State
Nov. 17, 2019 – Owls host Texas A&M at Tudor Fieldhouse
Nov. 23, 2019 – Owls visit Oklahoma State
Dec. 20-21, 2019 – 2019 Puerto Rico Classic vs Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech
Jan. 2, 2020 – Conference USA opener vs Marshall
Feb. 22, 2020 – Conference USA bonus play begins

You can find the complete 2019-2020 Rice basketball schedule here.

Projected Starters

PLAYER MP PTS TRB AST STL BLK
Erica Ogwumike 32.4 16.5 10.5 2.7 1.6 0.3
Nancy Mulkey 26.3 13.9 5.8 1.3 0.7 3.9
Sydne Wiggins 28.5 6.9 2.5 2.4 1.0 0.2
Jasmine Smith 27.5 6.1 2.3 2.3 0.9 0.3
Haylee Swayze 13.1 4.3 1.6 0.4 0.3 0.3

The Returning Players

No. 2 – Sydne Wiggins, Guard (Jr.)

5-foot-11

A returning starter and one of the Owls’ foremost returning outside shooters, Wiggins was one four different players to make more than 20 shots from beyond the arc. She finished second on the team in steals, proving to be as dangerous without the ball in her hands as she was when she was knocking down shots.

No. 10 – Jasmine Smith, Guard (So.)

5-foot-7

The only freshman to start every game for Rice last season, Smith was a shutdown defender. Her efforts on opposing shooters helped the lead Owls’ to the No. 1 scoring defense in the conference, allowing 52.8 points per game. She frequently turned her defensive efforts into offensive successes and tied Wiggins with 30 steals.

No. 11 – Haylee Swayze, Guard (So.)

5-foot-11

Swayze was a prominent member of a promising freshman class who saw some action in 28 of 32 games, averaging 13.1 minutes per contest. After the five starters and sixth woman Lauren Grigsby, Swayze was one of the more active bench players for Rice last season. When she was called upon, she made a difference from behind the three-point line with 22 long-range buckets.

No. 13 – Erica Ogwumike, Guard (Sr.)

5-foot-9

Conference USA Female Athlete of the Year Erica Ogwumike was the catalyst on both ends of the court for this team last season. Since transferring to Rice from Pepperdine following the 2015-2016 season, Ogwumike has been nearly unstoppable at South Main. She tallied a double-double (18 times) more often than she didn’t and led the conference in rebounds. Her leadership and talent have been instrumental in the Owls’ recent success.

No. 21 – Arianna McCurry, Center (So.)

6-foot-6

McCurry saw most of her action before the Owls got into the heart of Conference USA action. She played a career-high 10 minutes against McNeese State and scored six points in five minutes against FAU, a game in which she also tallied a pair of blocks and three rebounds.

No. 23 – Alexah Chrisman, Center (Jr.)

6-foot-2

Chrisman saw most of her action as the primary backup to starting center Nancy Mulkey. Seven inches shorter than Mulkey, Chrisman wasn’t the same caliber shot blocker, but she provided a physical presence in the paint and was a trustworthy conduit for the offense and defense when Mulkey needed a breather.

No. 24 – Temi Alao, Center (So.)

5-foot-10

Injuries kept Alao from seeing the court as a true freshman, but she played in 18 games as a redshirt sophomore in the 2018-2019 campaign. The bulk of her involvement came at the beginning of the season, including a career-high 24 minutes against Texas A&M. She had three or more rebounds in nine appearances.

No. 25 – Kendall Ellig, Forward (Jr.)

6-foot-1

Ellig played a reserve role for the Owls last season, seeing a few minutes here and there throughout conference play. She played in 13 C-USA games, but never tallied more than nine minutes, playing less than three minutes seven times in those contests. She scored in four games and had a career-best four rebounds against FAU.

No. 32 – Nancy Mulkey, Center (Jr.)

6-foot-9

Mulkey is the tallest player in women’s college basketball. Every time she takes the court she gives Rice a mismatch no other team in the country can counteract. When healthy, Mulkey is the difference-maker that separates Rice from their competition, leading the NCAA in blocks per game and setting the school record with 94 blocked shots last season.

The New Additions

Rice signed five players in their 2019 recruiting class, which ranked first in Conference USA.

No. 3 – Katelyn Crosthwait, Guard (Fr.)

5-foot-10

Crosthwait averaged 24 points per game as a junior, one year removed from being named a Gatorade Player of the Year finalist. She can shoot from close range and from distance and create opportunities for others with the basketball.

No. 5 – Destiny Jackson, Guard (Fr.)

5-foot-9

The only native Texan in the class, Jackson hails from Mansfield Texas. She was named to the 2018 UIL All-Tournament team following her senior season.

No. 12 – India Bellamy, Forward (Fr.)

6-foot-1

A small forward out of McDonough, Georgia, Bellamy is can score from the wing and play great defense. She was the GACA South Junior All-Star MVP.

No. 15 – Lauren Schwartz, Forward (Fr.)

5-foot-11

Scwartz led her school to their first regional championship in program history, finishing the year with 29 victories. The MVP of Kentucky’s 9th region, Schwartz is an elite scorer with more than enough athleticism to win on the boards.

No. 22 – Ashlee Austin, Forward (Fr.)

6-foot-0

Austin averaged 16.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in her senior season. From Johns Creek, Georgia, she was the 2017-2018 Region 7-6A Player of the Year and an AJC First Team All-State selection.

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Rice Football Film Room 2019: Breaking down the UAB game

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The first half of the Rice football season is complete, but before we turn the page, we take one last look at the UAB game in this week’s film room.

It’s time for another edition of the Rice Football Film Room, as we head into a bye week coming off the Owls’ loss in a weird, waterlogged, lightning-delayed game against UAB at Legion Field. Just a couple plays this week, since we’ll have a separate column to look at UTSA next week.

I(-formation) Have the Power! (Toss)

Rice Football

I am so sorry for that heading.

Actually I’m not sorry at all. Anyway! This is Aston Walter’s long touchdown run from the first drive, giving us another example of what it looks like when everything goes to form for the Rice running game. The concept is the same as the power toss Rice ran for a Walter touchdown last week against LA Tech, but the look upfront is different. This shows how you can add variety to a running game just by tweaking formations and personnel but keeping the base concept the same.

Setup

It’s the game’s second play from scrimmage, after a one-yard Walter run. It’s 2nd and 9 at the Rice 36. Rice is in a 12-personnel I-formation (Brendan Suckley is the FB), with a wrinkle. Take a look at the ends of the line. That’s not Clay Servin at left tackle—it’s freshman TE Jack Bradley. It’s an unbalanced look, with Servin instead lined up at right tackle, with Justin Gooseberry kicking out to “tight end”*. UAB has 7 in the box to Rice’s 7 blockers, so the nickel DB (lined up on the seam as the “overhang” defender) could give UAB a numbers advantage in the run game here.

The Play

It’s power toss to the right, with LG Nick Leverett pulling and lead blocking for Walter and Suckley kicking out from his fullback spot to wall the nickel off outside and keep the gap open. With Leverett pulling and No. 14 for UAB, who was lined up outside Bradley, left unblocked, Rice neutralizes UAB’s numbers advantage and is able to get a hat on a hat to the play side.

It’s a slow enough developing play that Leverett can’t get to his man (he wraps around the TE, in this case Gooseberry, and blocks the first guy he sees, inside to out), the SAM linebacker, in time to seal him inside and keep the outside gap open. Instead, he walls him off to the sideline. Now let’s check a still here to see what Aston sees:

Rice Football

The biggest hole here is between Servin and center Brian Chaffin, but if Walter runs there, No. 12 for UAB is going to fill the gap and probably make the tackle for a short gain. Instead, Aston displays stellar vision by choosing the gap between Leverett and Gooseberry, which widens into a chasm as Gooseberry drives his man to the sideline. Walter’s through the hole in a flash, and the routes by Rozner and Austin Trammell have cleared out the DBs to the play side. Walter bends his run to the other side of the field and uses his speed to take it all the way to the house for an early Rice football lead.

Thiiiiiis close

Rice Football, film room

The Setup

It’s the beginning of the second quarter, with Rice still up 7-0. UAB has the ball 3rd and 10 on the Rice 46.

UAB is in a 10 personnel look, with two receivers to each side and the back to Tyler Johnston’s right. Rice is in dime personnel, with three down linemen and Blaze Alldredge and Anthony Ekpe lined up as off-ball linebackers. They’re showing a 1 high look, with Naeem Smith as the deep safety and George Nyakwol lined up just six yards off the ball. This could be a disguise for the coverage, but even before the snap Nyakwol is already moving towards the line, so it looks like this is going to be a single-high coverage.

The Play

It’s Cover 1 Man, with Smith deep and the other DBs playing man on their receivers. Ekpe, Alldredge, and Nyakwol are all blitzing. Ekpe and Alldredge exchange gaps as they close to the line, and the right guard chooses to let Nyakwol by and block Ekpe. This leaves the RB to block Nyakwol, and he manages to hit George just in time to knock him off his trajectory and give Johnston time to make a throw. If he’s a split second later (or if Johnston isn’t as poised), it’s a sack or an incompletion and Rice will have made the stop. But Johnston gets the ball out clean.

He’s looking for slot receiver Kendall Parham, who stems his route vertical before running a fade to the sideline. It’s nothing fancy, but Parham is blazing (pun intended, don’t @ me) fast and Prudy Calderon loses a step as he flips his hips to run with the receiver. Naeem Smith can’t get over the top of the route from the middle of the field (perhaps he initially stepped toward the slot WR from the other side, who fakes a post before breaking into a dig route, but it’s hard to tell from the broadcast view). It’s a well-thrown ball under pressure by Johnston, and a touchdown for UAB.

This play shows the high-risk/high-reward nature of both Rice’s defensive schemes, which require either the pressure to get home or the DBs to hold up in tight man coverage down the field. It also shows the same for UAB’s aggressive downfield passing; this one could have been intercepted if it had been underthrown (by Calderon) or late (by Smith). But this time it’s UAB that executes, and it’s a touchdown for the Blazers.

Notes

*Note that Gooseberry is not actually an eligible receiver on this play because he’s “covered up”—i.e., notice that to the top of the screen Brad Rozner is lined up on the line of scrimmage. Only players lined up in the backfield or as the end man on the line of scrimmage are eligible. An unbalanced look like this could be used for a trick play (a throw to the tackle in the end zone, perhaps), if Rozner just takes a step back off the line. Only time will tell if the Rice coaches love us enough to run such a glorious play. a

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