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2018 UTSA Roadrunners Season Preview

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Rice football will break a deadlock in their all-time series with UTSA in 2018. The Owls and Roadrunners have picked up three wins apiece in their first six matchups.

UTSA enters their seventh season with a D1 football team in 2018 and its third under head coach Frank Wilson. The Roadrunners have been moderately successful in their short time with a football program, averaging a hair shy of six wins per season.

Wilson guided his program to a 6-5 finish last season but the Roadrunners sat at home during bowl season. UTSA was one of only a handful of six-win teams that didn’t go bowling, an unfortunate set of circumstances for a program still seeking its first-ever bowl win.

After one season in the WAC, UTSA joined Conference USA where they began an annual game with Rice. The Owls and Roadrunners have met six times on the gridiron with the series tied 3-3. UTSA won in 2017, can they repeat on the road in 2018?

Offense

The biggest question facing the Roadrunners in 2018 revolves around the starting quarterback position. Dalton Strum (5,768 career passing yards) leaves San Antonio with a gaping hole to fill at quarterback and not a lot of options behind him.

Graduate transfer DJ Gillens, JUCO transfer Cordale Grundy and true freshman Jordan Weeks comprise a three-man competition to be the next signal caller. None offer any form of meaningful experience and any of them could have the job come midseason.

The offensive line has three starters to replace and the Roadrunners will be without their top three receiving options. That will put the weight of the offense on the shoulders of junior running back Jalen Rhodes. The 5-foot-9, 200-pound tailback from Rowlett, Texas was the most productive back last season, averaging 4.9 yards per carry on 134 carries, gaining 690 yards and scoring five touchdowns.

UTSA finished third in Conference USA in rushing offense, averaging 184.6 yards per game on the ground. They were able to accomplish that despite finishing 10th in rush attempts and 13th in total touchdowns. It didn’t take volume for the Roadrunners to find success on the ground in 2017, making an increased workload for Rhodes troublesome for UTSA’s opponents.

The receiving corps remains a shot in the dark. Freshman Tykee Ogle-Kellog will be in the mix, as will upperclassmen wideouts Treyvion Shannon and Greg Campbell Jr. Whoever steps up over the start of the season will earn himself the lion’s share of opportunities through the air.

Defense

UTSA was one of the better defenses in Conference USA a year ago. So good, that even Nick Saban took notice. The head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide swooped in to hire Pete Doling, the Roadrunners’ defensive coordinator as the co-defensive coordinator in Tuscaloosa. Filling in behind him will be linebackers coach Jason Rollins. 2018 will be his first year as a defensive coordinator in his coaching career.

On the field, this unit loses Marcus Davenport, a first-round pick of the New Orleans Saints this offseason, but should still be plenty deep in 2018. Filling in behind Davenport are Kevin Strong and Solomon Wise. Neither of those players holds a candle to Davenport’s dominance, but the combination should be enough to keep the pressure on the passer in his stead.

Backing up the new edge rushers is a linebacker unit that also has a major hole to fill. 2017 leading tackler La’Kel Bass is gone, but a fully healthy Josiah Tauaefa could make for an even better piece for UTSA to build around. Tauaefa set the school record with 115 tackles in 2016 and player sparing last season as he battled with injuries.

The secondary won’t have many new faces this year, but several role players will be asked to do more than they’ve done before this season. Corner Stanley Dye Jr. and Clayton Johnson are both upperclassmen, but the duo combined for just 10 tackles last season. Sophomore Javontavius Mosley will also be in the mix.

Schedule

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2019 Target John Hunter Henry buying into Intellectual Brutality

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Rice football should be considered a frontrunner for 2019 defender John Hunter Henry, a player that’s already buying into Intellectual Brutality.

There were a lot of changes made at South Main when Mike Bloomgren took over as the 19th head football coach at Rice. Some were subtle, others were front and center. One of the programs’ more obvious pivots was the adoption of the phrase “Intellectual Brutality”.

A blend of high football IQ and tenacious effort, the catchphrase has quickly been assimilated into the culture of Rice football. And recruits are already starting to take notice.

2019 linebacker/safety John Hunter Henry couldn’t be more thrilled about the direction Rice is heading right now. “Intellectual Brutality really fits me well,” he said, “I love that saying because I have a very physical style of play and coaches have always said I have a high football IQ.” Recruits that fit that mold, like Henry, will be the building blocks for a new regime at Rice.

The versatile defender has an offer from the Owls and will be a priority this fall. He’s played linebacker, corner and safety in high school and considers himself a jack-of-all-trades of sorts on the defensive side of the ball. Henry couldn’t put himself in any one box, “I can play anywhere and be comfortable,” he admitted, “I understand the game of football and what offenses are trying to do to me.”

A 3-star recruit from Lake Travis High School in Austin, Henry has five offers so far – HBU, Liberty, Princeton, Texas State and Rice. The Owls got into the race for his commitment early and had him on campus this summer, an experience that Henry loved.

Henry plans on getting back to campus at least once to catch a game this fall. After that, he anticipates a decision on his future in the coming months. He doesn’t have a specific timetable as of yet.

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2018 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Season Preview

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A year removed from a trip to Australia, Rice football‘s furthest road trip in 2018 is a still-lengthy flight to the Pacific to take on the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

By far the most scenic road trip on the Rice football schedule in 2018 will come in early September when the Owls travel to Oahu, Hawaii to take on the home-town Rainbow Warriors in Aloha Stadium.

Hawaii was an offensive powerhouse under now CFL head coach June Jones, but current headman Nick Rolovich has his eyes set on revamping the offense and returning it to those glory days. The third-year headman played quarterback for Hawaii from 2000 to 2001, seeing the majority of his playing time when Hawaii’s all-time leading passer Timmy Chang went down to an injury.

Rice and Hawaii have met on the gridiron seven times, all occurring in the last 20 seasons. The two squads alternated home games from 1999 to 2004; Rice went 4-2 in those games. The teams then took a break, meeting most recently at Rice Stadium in 2014, a 28-14 victory for the Owls. What will this version of the Rainbow Warriors look like in 2018?

Offense

Hawaii was thrown for a loop when Dru Brown announced he would transfer to Oklahoma State for the 2018 season. After joining the Rainbow Warriors from the JUCO ranks, Brown threw for 2,785 yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season.

Brown wasn’t perfect, but he was by far the most experienced passer on the roster. Backup Cole MacDonald had more rushing attempts last season (16) than passing attempts (nine). He’ll be in the mix with Sacremento State transfer Kolney Cassel and USC transfer Larry Tuileta.

Whoever wins the job will benefit greatly from a full season with wide receiver John Ursa. Despite missing half of the 2017 campaign, Ursa led the Mountain West in receiving yards and hauled in five touchdowns.

Outside of Ursa, the skill positions are baren. The Rainbow Warriors will have to replace their next three pass catchers and their top two running backs. The departed receivers were nothing special, but running back Diocemy Saint Juste leaves Hawaii as the No. 2 all-time leading rusher with 3,102 yards.

Sophomore Freddy Holly will be given the first crack at the starting tailback role. Blocking for him will be a bevy of JUCO transfers along the offensive line thanks to the departure of all-Moutain West left tackle Dejon Allen and starters John Wa’a and Chris Posa.

Defense

Hawaii has always prided themselves on their offense almost at the detriment of their defense. The Rainbow Warriors have allowed fewer than 32 points per game once in the last five seasons and actually showed modest improvement a year ago when they allowed 33.9 points per game (10th in the Mountain West) compared to 37.3 allowed in 2016.

Although they face the same amount of attrition as the offense, the defense could be better prepared to make big strides next season. Linebackers Jahlani Tavia and Soloman Matautia were ballhawks last season, accounting for 209 tackles, 6.5 sacks and four interceptions in 2017. Both return this year and will serve as anchors for a defense with a lot of new faces.

More JUCO transfers were brought in to reinforce the defensive line which returns just one player that saw a significant amount of playing time, Sam Akoteu. Zeno Choi, Blessman Ta’ala and Jeffrey Keene Jr. will round out the front which owns three starts between the quartet.

The secondary will have to replace a pair of safeties. The corners they do bring back were part of a unit that allowed 248.6 passing yards per game and a conference-high 29 touchdown passes. With little reason for increased optimism in the form of a stronger pass rush, the back end of the Hawaii defense could be in for another rough year in 2018.

Teams that can move the ball through the air are going to be able to beat this unit consistenly making shootouts more likely for this squad once again.

Schedule

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8 Days: Looking back at each of Owls 8 conference titles

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In more than 100 years of collegiate football, the Rice football team owns eight conference championships in two different conferences.

1934 Southwestern Conference Champions

The first nine-win season in Rice football history, the 1934 team came six points shy of an undefeated season. The Owls took down SWC foes SMU, Texas, Arkansas and Texas A&M that year, but lost to TCU 7-2 and tied LSU 9-9. They were one of four teams (the others being Stanford, Tulane and Alabama) to finish with nine or more wins. Meaning they would have been a top-five squad had the AP Poll existed.

1937 Southwestern Conference Champions

After starting out winless in their first three games (one draw and two losses, all in non-conference play), Rice kicked it into gear. The Owls won six of their final eight games, capping off the season with a 28-14 victory over No. 16 Colorado in the Cotton Bowl. Rice finished the season ranked No. 18 in the nation.

1946 Southwestern Conference Champions

Rice rolled through the SWC in 1946,  ending the year 5-1 in conference play. The lone loss came to Arkansas by seven points and the team registered a landmark victory over No. 3 Texas at home. The season ended with an 8-0 shutout victory over No. 8 Tennessee in the Orange Bowl and the Owls’ first official top-10 finish in school history.

1949 Southwestern Conference Champions

Chronicled in more detail here, the 1949 squad remains the most successful team in Rice football history. Outside of another loss to LSU, the fifth straight defeat for the Owls against the Tigers, Rice played nearly flawless football. During a three-game stretch against Texas Tech, Arkansas and Texas A&M the Owls scored 55 points and surrendered zero. The season ended with a win over No. 19 North Carolina in the Cotton Bowl and the highest AP ranking in school history, No. 5

1953 Southwestern Conference Champions

The third Cotton Bowl win in less than two decades came following the 1953 season. The Owls were a top 15 team at the beginning of the season and kept pace at that level throughout the year. They started the season by knocking off a ranked Florida team before ending it with a victory over Alabama in Dallas.

1957 Southwestern Conference Champions

The last of Jess Neely’s four conference championships came in 1957. That was the year the Owls finally got over the hunt and beat LSU on their way to posting three victories over Top 20 teams including No. 17 Stanford, No. 12 Arkansas and No. 1 Texas A&M. A loss to No. 5 Navy in the Cotton Bowl spoiled what was otherwise a historic season.

1994 Southwestern Conference Champions

In March of 1994 Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor and Texas Tech announced their merger with the Big 8 to form the Big 12, effective in 1996. In its dying days, the SWC produced a bizarre finish that year. Texas A&M (10-0-1) that season, but under NCAA penalties. That gave way to a five-way tie for the conference crown between Texas, Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech and Rice, all who finished 4-3 in SWC play. That’s how Rice, with a 5-6 overall record, won their final SWC Crown.

2013 Conference USA Champions

The only non-SWC title in the archives came under David Bailiff in 2013. Rice was near-perfect in conference play, dropping a road contest to North Texas, but otherwise going 7-0 in their remaining CUSA games. The team suffered three non-conference losses, including a Liberty Bowl loss to Mississippi State and added wins over the Big 12’s Kansas and independent New Mexico State.

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Quarterback competition nearing finale, practice notes (8/16)

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Rice football is just days away from their first game of the 2018 season. The quarterback competition is wrapping up and coach named some camp standouts.

Fall camp is coming to an end. After a few weeks of getting working with his players hands-on, Mike Bloomgren is ready to get ready for his first football game as a head coach. The team looks good, but it’s time they hit somebody else that wasn’t wearing navy and white. Here are a few takeawys from Thursday’s practice.

1. Quarterbacks

Head coach Mike Bloomgren declined to name a starter, but he did hint the competition is starting to wind down. He says he’s confident both guys have what it takes to lead the offense this fall, but added that it’s “not far away from us having to make a decision and pick one of them that’s going to take the bulk of the reps.”

Bloomgren has been pretty consistent with his message on the quarterbacks throughout fall camps. He’s given both Jackson Tyner and Shawn Stankavage praise when earned and constructive criticism when needed. “They’ve both had their moments,” said Bloomgren. But time is running out.

Rice kicks off against Prairie View A&M in a week’s time. Before that game starts, Bloomgren intends to have made a decision. With the caveat that nobody has snatched the job quite yet when asked about whether or not he’d’ have his decision made before game time Bloomgren was straightforward. “We definitely will,” he said, before adding the ever so important qualifier, “internally”.

From an ability standpoint, this looks to be Jackson Tyner’s job to lose. He’s had success throwing the ball down field and getting it into tight windows. His biggest challenge has been consistency. If he can master that he’ll have a good chance at winning the job outright before camp is over.

2. Special teams

Sophomore wide receiver Austin Trammell is in line to be the starting punt returner for the Owls this fall. He’ll also be in the mix for kick return duties as well. Fellow receiver Brendan Harmon got reps with the return unit today as well. Running backs Austin and Aston Walter have done some work with the return teams. Whoever gets the nod, the Owls will have plenty of speed and athleticism on special teams this year.

Practice ended with special teams once again, but this time with a twist. Kickers Jack Fox and Hayden Tabola were pitted in a kicking competition in which the entire team was asked to pick a side. Fox was victorious and Tabola’s team did push-ups. There’s still a strong chance Fox is the Owls’ punter and kicker this fall.

3. Camp MVPs

Preparing for the Prairie View game officially began today. While fundamentals and some of the summer and fall ball drills will continue to be incorporated into campus this marks a shift in focus moving forward. When asked to look back at the players that impressed the most over the last few weeks Bloomgren named a handful of guys specifically, citing specific superlatives.

Tight end Jordan Meyers was praised for his versatility. Bloomgren called Emmanuel Esupka “special”, a comment he’s made several times already this fall. Sophomore receiver Austin Trammell was dubbed “Mr. Consistent” while senior right tackle Sam Pierce is playing “the best football he’s ever played at the offensive line position.”

On defense, Bloomgren praised Zach Abercrumbia and George Nyakwol for their consistency. As for special teams, he grinned and gave a short synopsis: “Jack Fox is Jack Fox.”

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