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2018 Prairie View A&M Panthers Season Preview

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Rice football kicks off the 2018 season with a home game against the Prairie View A&M Panthers. Can the Panthers challenge the Owls on their home turf?

Since moving on from the Southwestern Conference in 1996 Rice football has gone through some difficult stretches. Some years were tough, but none were as draining as the 80-game losing streak the Prairie View A&M Panthers accrued from 1991 to 1998. PVAMU has come a long way since then, showing enough improvement to warrant the construction of a new stadium, completed in 2016.

Head coach Willie Simmons shockingly resigned following the 2017 season to take over at his Alma Mater, Florida A&M. In his place, Prairie View A&M hired former Grambling State offensive coordinator Eric Dooley as the school’s 33rd head coach. He inherits a program that finished 6-5 last year, their third consecutive winning season.

The 2018 game between PVAMU and Rice marks the second meeting in the series. Rice won the first contest in 2016 by the final score of 65-44.

Offense

Any missteps the Panthers have suffered over the last several years have not fallen upon the offense. PVAMU has been a consistent offensive power in the SWAC for several years, most recently on the arm and legs of quarterback Neiko Hollins. Following a marvelous freshman season, Hollins was set to lead the Panthers in 2018 before announcing his decision to transfer late this summer.

Hollins earned the starting job midway through last season. Even with the late start he finished second in the conference in passing touchdowns and third in passing touchdowns. PVAMU, which had begun the season 2-3, finished 4-2 under his leadership. He’ll be a tough man to replace.

In his place, PVAMU will turn to redshirt junior Jalen Morton. Morton appeared in six games last season, completing 8-of-17 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. He’ll be asked to spread the ball around to playmakers on the outside and could surpass those season-long statistics early on against Rice.

Joining Morton on offense will be junior running back Dawonya Tucker who rushed for 531 yards and five touchdowns as a complimentary piece to All-SWAC running back Sta’Fon McCray. McCray has since moved on leaving Tucker and Kansas State transfer Bernard Goodwater as the primary ballcarriers moving forward.

There will be plenty of new faces in the receiving corps too. Markus Hardy, the Panthers’ leading returning receiver, registered 14 catches, 280 yards and three touchdowns in 2017. The focus should shift to Trinity Valley College transfer Tristen Wallace, a former four-star recruit who was dismissed from Oregon before making his way through the JUCO ranks to PVAMU.

Defense

At a bare minimum, the Prairie View A&M defense will need to hold the line in 2018. The Panthers were hot and cold on defense last season before ending the year on a bit of a hot streak. They held three of their last five opponents to 17 points or fewer.

Defensive coordinator Henry Miller is the new man in charge and he inherits a cupboard, that while not overflowing with riches, has some key pieces that could be difference makers for the Panthers next season. Junior defensive back Ju’Anthony Parker picked off four passes in 2017, two of which he returned for touchdowns. Joining him in the defensive backfield is junior Reggie Stubblefield who tallied eight pass breakups a year ago.

In the front seven, linebacker Anthony Stubbs is the name to know. He picked up 69 tackles (eight for a loss) in 2017 and promises to have an equally productive 2018 season.

Schedule

Date Opponent
8/25/2018 Rice
9/2/2018 North Carolina Central
9/8/2018 Sam Houston
9/15/2018 UNLV
9/22/2018 Arkansas – Pine Bluff
9/29/2018 Grambling State
10/13/2018 Southern
10/27/2018 Alcorn State
11/3/2018 Jackson State
11/17/2018 Alabama State
11/24/2018 Texas Southern
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2018 Wake Forest Demon Deacons Season Preview

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Rice football will venture outside the confines of Conference USA for a road test against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in 2018.

For the third time in school history, Rice football will square off with Wake Forest. The Owls beat the Demon Deacons in their last meeting on the gridiron, 33-17 in September of 1990. The two school’s only other meeting came the year prior to that, a 17-17 tie.

Wake Forest finished 8-5 last season, capping off their 2018 campaign with a shootout victory over Texas A&M in the Belk Bowl. Head coach Dave Clawson has consistently produced competitive football teams in a division which has produced a College Football Playoff team every year since the playoff was established in 201. They’ll get the Owls on the end of a four-game homestand whereas Rice will be playing their third straight road game.

After allowing 34 points against the Demon Deacons in series history the Owls will look to keep their undefeated streak alive in 2018. To do that they’ll have to limit one of the ACC’s surprisingly potent offenses.

Offense

Replacing quarterback John Wolford is the biggest challenge for the Demon Deacons in 2018. The four-year starter finished third in school history in career passing yards, throwing for 8,794 yards from 2014 to 2017. Kendall Hinton will be asked to lead the offense in his stead. Hinton started two games in 2015 and one in 2016. Although he hasn’t had much meaningful game action he’ll have the benefit of one of the most experienced offensive lines in the ACC to protect him.

Wake Forest didn’t have a single offensive lineman named to any of the All-ACC teams from 2012-2016. Last season they had three – center Ryan Anderson, left guard Phil Haynes and left tackle Justin Herron. The Deacs will add a trio of experienced running backs behind them, led by Matt Colburn who came 61 yards shy of a 1,000-yard season in 2017.

As for pass catchers, limiting the amount of damage caused by Greg Dortch will be a priority. As a redshirt freshman last fall, Dortch became the first player in school history with four receiving touchdowns in a single game. He’s joined by a host of other options in an offense that generally likes to spread the ball out. Seven different players had 10+ receptions last season.

Defense

The loss of defensive coordinator Mike Elko to Notre Dame following the 2016 season saw the Deacs take a step backward in defensive effectiveness. They slipped from 22.2 points per game in 2016 to 28.3 points per game in 2017. They return six starters this season – the front seven was hit noticeably hard.

Wake Forest will have to replace defensive ends Duke Ejiofor and Wendell Dunn as well as their backups. Incoming freshman end Mike Allen has shown promise in spring action, but he has big shoes to fill including 6.5 sacks combined between Ejiofor and Dunn. He’ll join the only returning starting linebacker, Demetrius Kemp, the last remaining piece from a linebacker unit that included two of the team’s three leading tacklers in 2017.

Where the Deacs will be most dangerous is the secondary. Even with the loss of Jessie Bates to the NFL, Wake Forest will have plenty of speed on the back end in 2018. Corner Essang Bassey led the ACC in pass breakups a year ago. Cameron Glenn led the team in tackles. Both are back and should be fixtures of the Deacs’ defense this year.

Schedule

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2018 Team by team season preview

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As the 2018 Rice Football season continues to draw closer we’re taking a look at each of the Owls opponents. Which games are must-wins and which players pose the toughest challenge this season? From the kickoff against Prairie View A&M to the finale against Old Dominion, here’s a sneak peek at every opponent the Owls play in 2018.

Completed previews are in bold. Previews to be published are in italics.

Week 1 – 8/25/2018 – vs Prairie View A&M

Week 2 – 9/1/2018 – vs Houston


Week 3 – 9/8/2018 – @ Hawaii

Week 4 – BYE

Week 5 – 9/22/2018 – @ Southern Mississippi

Week 6 – 9/29/2018 – @ Wake Forest

Week 7 – 10/6/2018 – vs UTSA

Week 8 – 10/13/2018 – vs UAB

Week 9 – 10/20/2018 – @ Florida International

Week 10 – 10/27/2018 – @ North Texas

Week 11 – 11/3/2018 – vs UTEP

Week 12 – 11/10/2018 – @ Louisiana Tech

Week 13 – 11/17/2018 – @ LSU

Week 14 – 11/24/2018 – vs Old Dominion

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2019 quarterback Trevor Bycznski commits to Owls

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Rice football picked up their first commitment in the month of July with the announcement of 3-star quarterback Trevor Bycznski’s pledge to the Owls.

The recruiting cycle tends to slow down in the month of July. In-person visits are on hold during the NCAA imposed “dead period” and most coaches are busy with media days and last minute odds and ends. Even though the Owls couldn’t make any face-to-face overtures they still added to their 2019 recruiting class. 3-star quarterback Trevor Bycznski from Cleveland, Ohio announced his commitment to Rice football on July 17.

https://twitter.com/bycznski8/status/1019371787052777477

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound passer is the first quarterback in the 2019 class and a massive building block for head coach Mike Bloomgren and his program. He chose the Owls over offers from Bowling Green, Georgetown, Buffalo, North Dakota State, Ball State and others.

Although he has yet to be offered by any Power 5 program, Bycznski was on the radar of several big name schools thanks to an impressive performance at Notre Dame’s Elite Skills Camp in June. Tom Loy of 247 Sports called Bycznski “terrific” and “the most physically-ready” quarterback in attendance.

Bycznski had the strongest arm at the event. He was putting a ton of zip on his passes and spinning it extremely well. Beyond the fact that he clearly has a hose and a big, strong build, Bycznski showed off accuracy with the football and a quick release. He had a smooth, clean motion and the ball shot out of his hand. Tom Lay, 247 Sports

In addition to his strong arm, Bycznski has plus mobility. He’s not afraid to take the ball himself when a play breaks down and has enough quickness to exploit defenses on the ground when given the opportunity.

Bycznski is the third out-of-state commitment. That’s marks an uptick in the focus outside Texas compared to the Owls’ entire 2018 class which features six signees from outside the state of Texas. He joins a Rice class that ranks seventh in Conference USA and inside the top 100 classes nationally (No. 99).

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35 Days: Owls must take season 10 yards at a time in 2018

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Rice football hasn’t won a game over the last three seasons when they’ve accumulated less than 20 first downs. That’s a number that needs to change for the Owls to move forward.

There is a time and a place for intricate offensive schemes, trickery and creative playcalling. The razzle-dazzle always sparks Oohs and Aahs in the crowd when it works, but the effort that goes into installing such unique play calls can often outweigh the rewards. Before Rice football tries to get complicated they need to get back to mastering the basics: first downs.

The first down might be the simplest concept in all of football. Teams have four (although traditionally three) downs to get 10 yards. If they can’t do that the other team takes over. Keeping possession and driving down the field will not only enable the Owls to score but will limit the opportunities for their opponent. Shortening the game against some of the high-powered offenses they’ll face in 2018 is a good place to start.

The 1979 and 1992 Owls each demonstrated the ideal outcome of this philosophy, each against the Houston Cougars. Both teams accumulated 35 first downs in their respective games against UH, a record that still stands to this day. The last Rice team to top 30 fresh sets of chains came in a loss to 42-28 Texas in 2015. Had the Owls not spotted the Longhorns two easy touchdowns on poor special teams plays in the first quarter they might have had enough offensive success to topple the college football giant.

Rice has played 36 games over the last three seasons. They reached 20 first downs in exactly half of those contests, 18. Over that period Rice is 0-18 when achieving less than 20 first downs. They’re 9-9 when getting 20 first downs or more. Those numbers could not be any more disparate.

If Rice wants to get more points they need to find a way to move the ball. That goes back to fundamentals, the basics and traditional hard-nosed football. There will be plenty of time for flair later. For now, let’s get the first down.

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