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Rice Football Stat Pack: Balanced offense remains Owls’ steady state

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The run-heavy mantra of Intellectual Brutality is more accommodating to the passing game than some might expect. Rice football was remarkably balanced on offense in 2018.

Coach Mike Bloomgren likes to use phrases likes to talk about his team imposing their will and playing with physicality. He’s an offensive line guy at heart who has a passion for winning in the trenches and running the football. That’s no secret, nor is it a secret he’d like to develop a stable of strong ball carriers at South Main.

But Rice might not be as one-dimensional as some would make them out to be.

Rice ran the ball on 54.5 percent of their plays last season, the fourth most run-heavy offense in Conference USA. The Owls were only the 55th run-dominant team in the nation, though, putting them slightly above the national average (around  53.5 percent). In fact, Rice was trended closely to being one of the most balanced offensive units in the country last season, something which should continue into 2019.

More Rice Football: Solving third down and optimizing success rate

The conference Rice competes in plays a huge role in their perception as an overwhelmingly run-first squad. The Owls are lightyears away from the triple-option teams, including their first 2019 opponent, Army, who runs the ball on 88.8 percent of their plays.

They’re also a ways away from many of their conference peers. North Texas (112), Louisiana Tech (113), UTSA (120) and Old Dominion (122) all ranked near the bottom quarter nationally in run percentage.

In the era of the spread offense, Rice looks different.  They’re going to use a full back and line up with a sixth offensive lineman from time to time. But they’ll throw the ball too, a facet of their offense poised to take a step forward in 2020 with a more experienced quarterback and several talented receivers. The Owls are going to run first, but don’t be shocked when they pass second.

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Rice Football: Owls extend four offers at 3-Stripe Camp

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Rice football had the opportunity to host the Adidas 3 Stripe Camp over the weekend, bringing top coaches and players to Houston on Saturday.

It was a big weekend at South Main. More than 500 recruits arrived on campus to participate in the Adidas 3 Stripe camp. After evaluating the talent at hand, Rice handed out four new offers: athlete Trey Johnson (Cy Falls), wide receiver Devin Gunter (Ridge Point), wide receiver Kade Renfrow (Stephenville) and linebacker Kenneth Phillips III (Fort Bend Bush).

If there was a common theme with the offers that went out this weekend, it was speed. Gunter turned heads with a blazing 40-yard dash during drills and Phillips and Johnson weren’t far behind. Getting speed at the skill positions is an area Rice needs to improve on. Several of these guys are built in that mold and there could be others from the weekend who get their names added to the list down the road.

Rice Football, Rice Football RecruitingThe Owls have been hard at work on a few targets who weren’t able to make it to campus this weekend as well. Shreveport, LA linebacker Geron Hargon and Mission Viejo, CA defensive end Lance Kenely like what they’re hearing from the Owls.

After picking up offers from Rice in the spring, both guys have stayed in contact with the staff. In that short time, Hargon went so far as to say “Rice has made a big jump recently on my list”, citing the genuine nature of the staff and their clear commitment to creating a stronger future. Keneley is working to finish up his school year in California but plans to do everything he can to get to campus at some point this summer.

June will be a busy one for Rice. They’ll bring more recruits to campus for visits as they continue to build on CUSA’s No. 1 class.

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Rice Football Stat Pack: Solving third down a key for 2019

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Rice Football wasn’t able to convert third downs last season, but the root of the problem began before the Owls ever reached a third down situation.

The Owls had some learning to do last season as they adjusted to life under the direction of head coach Mike Bloomgren. The refound dedication to process and execution were refreshing, but there was one important problem they were never able to solve: third down.

Rice converted on 28.7 percent of their third downs in 2018, the 129th best rank in the nation among 130 FBS teams. It’s not that they were unable to pick up important yardage — their 62.1 percent fourth down conversion rate was the 25th best mark nationally. The problem is they attempted 195 third down conversions and 30 fourth down conversions.

Unless the Owls intend to scrap punting altogether, as tempting as that might be without Jack Fox waiting in the wings, they’re going to have to figure out ways to stay on the field. No penalties is a great starting point, but staying ahead of the chains will be the true measuring stick.

Rice ranked was 129th in success rate, a measure defined by a team’s ability to gain “50 percent of necessary yardage on first down, 70 percent on second down, and 100 percent on third and fourth down.” To that end, the Owls’ third down problem wasn’t as much a third down problem as it was a first and second down problem.

Building a more effective offense has been on the brains of the coaching staff lately. The defense had the better showing this spring, but there’s still plenty of time before this team takes the field in a game which counts. Reinforcements are still on their way in the form of grad transfers and talented 2019 recruits. They’ll all be tasked with creating positive plays on first down. If the Owls find success their, third downs and eventually touchdowns, will follow.

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Rice Football Stat Pack: Limiting self-inflicted mistakes

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Discipline and structure were a hallmark of Rice football under Mike Bloomgren’s instruction in 2018. Few played penalty-free football like the Owls.

Throughout the offseason we’re going to take a closer look at some numbers. These stats and scores will help tell the story of Rice football, give context, and help us understand the trajectory of the program.

There were growing pains on both sides of the ball in 2018 as the entire team adjusted to new schemes and structures. Even though the players were being inundated with information, their mental lapses seldom drew penalty flags.

On that front, Rice was one of the cleanest teams in the nation. The Owls committed 4.2 penalties per game in 2018, the fewest in Conference USA and the eighth least in the nation.  To put that number in further context, the average FBS team committed six penalties per game. The worst, Florida State, was flagged 9.3 times per contest.

On their worst day, a road loss to North Texas, Rice was flagged eight times for 99 yards. At their best, Rice was flagged zero times against FIU. Not only was Rice seldom in the vicinity of being a frequently penalized team, as the season progressed, their efficiency increased. Rice committed seven infractions in their final three games.

When they did get flagged, it was rarely for large chunks of yardage. Rice averaged 0.9 first downs allowed by penalty last season, one of three teams nationally below one per game. Free plays and hidden yards weren’t made available to the Owls’ opponents. Their 38.2 penalty yards per game was nothing short of pristine.

Playing sound, fundamental football isn’t enough to win games by itself, but it’s something. When they can do that, and take advantage of their opponent’s miscues, good things are bound to follow.

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Rice Football Stat Pack: Breaking down yards per play

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Rice football experienced some growing pains in 2018. What do the numbers have to say about this team? We take a deep dive on yards per play.

Throughout the offseason we’re going to take a closer look at some numbers. These stats and scores will help tell the story of Rice football, give context, and help us understand the trajectory of the program.

We’ll start by looking at a somewhat newer statistic, yards per play. At a high level, the stat itself is self-explanatory. Yards per play measures, on average, how many yards a team gains on each play.

An effective offense gets first downs, and after stacking several first downs on top of each other, reaches the redzone and gets a scoring opportunity. Negative plays (sacks, loss of yards, incomplete passes) make the math a bit more involved than simply 10 yards divided by three plays before a punt. With those additional scenarios taken into account, the average FBS offense in 2018 averaged 5.52 yards per play.

Here’s how the Top 10 looked last season:

  1. Oklahoma (8.4 yards per play)
  2. Alabama (7.4)
  3. Clemson (7.2)
  4. Ohio (7.0)
  5. Georgia (6.8)
  6. UCF (6.8)
  7. Memphis (6.8)
  8. West Virginia (6.7)
  9. Utah State (6.7)
  10. Ole Miss (6.7)

There are 130 FBS teams, making Pitt (5.6), the No. 65 ranked team in yards per play, the middle ground of productive offenses. Rice finished 118th with 4.6 yards per play. Their most immediate company was Oregon State (4.7), Cal (4.6), Northwestern (4.6) and Michigan State (4.5).

In the modern era of college football, touchdowns trump tackles. Scoring continues to come in bunches and teams who can’t get the ball down the field typically don’t fair as well as those who can. Oklahoma’s explosive offense gave it a chance in every game they played and got them to a playoff. But that’s not the only way to win.

Northwestern won the Big Ten West last season despite finishing near the bottom in this metric. Michigan State went to a bowl as well, largely because their defense allowed a staggering 4.4 yards per play. You can win without racking up a large number of yards per play, but it takes elite defense. In contrast, Rice allowed 6.8 yards per play.

The bottom line

Winning the yardage battle on both sides of the ball will be a crucial objective for Rice this fall. The Owls are bringing in the talent necessary to make those improvements. If they can make meaningful strides on at least one side of the ball they’ll become more competitive week in and week out.

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