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Rice Football 2020 Practice Notes, Presser Quotes and UTEP prep

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Rice football is eager to get back on the field this weekend and face UTEP. Here are the latest practice notes and press conference quotes.

It was tough sledding for Rice football in Denton, falling to 1-2 on the season with the disappointing road loss. The team returns home to Rice Stadium this week to face UTEP, which enters the game 3-4 with a chance to return to .500 by the end of November. The Owls would like to prevent them from getting there a climb back to .500 themselves.

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The team had some thoughts to share on last week. We’ve selected a few quotes from the Owls’ midweek press conference. Then we’ve got a few more updates on what’s in store for the Owls in the coming days and weeks.

Press Conference Quotes

“They played a very, very physical brand of football. They imposed their will on us in all areas. We had a couple of turnovers that were really, really costly and absolutely affected the outcome of the game, and we’ve got to play better. I don’t think it’s that we got to play harder, we’ve got to play better. We’ve got to play more disciplined. And we got to be better with our techniques.” – Mike Bloomgren on the North Texas game

“Obviously we started really fast, just like we wanted to — we were firing on all cylinders. We had multiple turnovers, which obviously that’s never good, we’ll never win like that so that’s obviously the things we need to clean up the most. We got to keep the ball off the turf. And then we got to hit our shots when we take them. And we did a pretty good job at it but we have to keep working, keep finding that connection, keep getting that rhythm and we will get those will go our way.” – WR Jake Bailey on the offensive performance vs North Texas

“We’ve done a pretty good job stopping the run, especially getting off blocks and making plays, just creating negative plays because those are game-changers. I feel like we’re doing a pretty good job, and we can definitely improve on that. I feel like if we continue to practice hard and come to work every day we’ll continue to get better.” – DL De’Braylon Carroll on the defensive performance this season 

Depth Chart Notes

Here’s an updated depth chart from Rice football heading into the UTEP game.

Running back Juma Otoviano was expected to be back this weekend, but his name is absent from the depth chart this week. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him go through pre-game warmups and have his status evaluated again at that point. Ikenna Enechukwu and Trey Schuman have flip-flopped at the defensive end spot, but the OR designation remains. We’ll most likely see both of them.

Looking ahead

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Rice Football 2020 Game Preview: UTEP

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Rice Football looks to rebound from a disappointing loss with a home win over UTEP. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

The next game can’t come fast enough for Rice football. The Owls are eager to put last weekend’s road loss to North Texas behind them and shake off whatever rust lingered from the back-t0-back postponed games in the weeks prior. Rice looked rattled and far from the dominant form they displayed in their win over Southern Miss.

UTEP wasn’t in action last weekend, losing a game against UAB (scheduled to take place on Friday morning in Midland, TX) because of COVID-19 concerns among the Blazers. Last time out, UTEP was outgunned by UTSA, falling 52-21 in San Antonio.

Broadcast Info

Kickoff time | 12:00 PM CT
Venue | Rice Stadium – Houston, Tx
TV | ESPN3 (Streaming)
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs UTEP on Episode 62 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.)

Visual Preview

Make sure you check out Inside the Hedges, a weekly show with myself and former Rice football quarterback Taylor McHargue. Watch it live on Wednesday nights here or watch it at your leisure on the Rice Athletics Youtube page.

Join the Conversation

What are your keys to victory this week? What pitfalls must the Owls avoid? Did you like that third down call? Share your thoughts on the matchup on the forum and make sure you tune in Saturday for our live game blog keeping track of every score and key moment.

Sizing up the contenders

Rice has swung between extremes so far this season, but can get back to .500 on the season with a win against UTEP. The remaining weeks of their schedule are still a bit up in the air with postponed games against UTSA and Louisiana Tech possible candidates to replace a road trip to Marshall on Dec. 5. Before they get there, Rice has to control what’s in front of them, and this weekend, that’s scheduled to be UTEP.

UTEP wants so desperately to rebound from an unfavorable start to conference play. The 3-win Miners haven’t won four games in a season since 2016. Doing so in a shortened year would be a tremendous step forward for Dana Dimel’s bunch.

Series History

All Time | Rice leads 15-8
Last Five | Rice leads 3-2
Last Meeting | Away 2019, Rice won 30-16

Rice Stat Notables

Passing | Collins – 53/86 (61.6 percent), 802 yards passing, 10 TD, 1 INT
Rushing | Otoviano – 45 carries, 195 yards (4.3 yards per carry) | Griffin – 41 carries, 159 yards (3.9 yards per carry)
Receiving | Trammell – 16 receptions, 335 yards (20.9 yards per reception), 6 TD | Myers – 14 receptions, 138 yards (9.9 yards per reception)
Tackles | Alldredge – 32, Montero – 23, Garcia – 19
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Calderon – 2 PBU / McCord – 1 INT

UTEP Stat Notables

Passing | Hardison – 108/199 (54.3 percent), 1419 yards passing, 5 TD, 5 INT
Rushing | Hankins – 99 carries, 493 yards (5.0 yards per carry), 7 TD
Receiving | Cowing – 36 receptions, 573 yards (15.9 yards per reception), 1 TD | Garrett – 36 receptions, 498 yards (13.8 yards per reception), 3 TD
Tackles | Forester – 56, Knight – 43, Harrell/Inyang/Prince – 32
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Amaewhule – 8 PBU / Lowe – 2 INT

UTEP X-Factor | Capitalize on opportunities

Turnovers and self-inflicted wounds have proven to be fatal flaws in each of Rice’s losses to date. The Owls haven’t played a turnover-free game yet. UTEP hasn’t been productive on that front this year. The Miners are averaging just one turnover per game and nearly one and a half giveaways themselves, but recent history suggests they’ll have more opportunities handed to them by Rice — what will they do with those chances?

UTEP enters the game second-to-last in conference play in total offense, averaging less than 300 yards per game. Even North Texas had trouble at times when it came to driving the length of the field against the Rice defense. UTEP’s best chance of putting up points will be to take advantage of opportunities Rice hands to them. And when they get their chances, they need to turn them into touchdowns.

Rice X-Factor | Win in the trenches

When Rice wins on the offensive and defensive lines, they’re going to be in a position to win. Through three games, that’s happened more often than not. There is no Dion Novil in the defensive trenches for UTEP and the Rice front seven won’t be pulling double duty to support coverage threats on the outside. There shouldn’t be any reason why Rice can’t win on both fronts.

Rice is still without a rushing touchdown this year, an odd occurrence considering they’ve run the ball a conference-high 43.4 times per game. The Owls’ woeful 3.1 yards per carry has also been problematic. A kick start from one of their talented running backs and consistent lanes to run through will help them set the tone in this game.

Injury Report (Subscribers only)

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Need More?

The Roost’s 2020 Rice Football Season Preview has four pages dedicated to every opponent the Owls face. There are depth charts, important new arrivals and depth chart breakdowns for every team in Conference USA. 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. How many combined touchdown passes with be thrown (both teams)?
    Three or less / Four or more
  3. Does Rice rush for at least one touchdown?
    Yes / No
  4. How many total yards will the Rice defense allow?
    Over 330.5 / Under 330.5
  5. Which team defense forces the first turnover?
    Rice / UTEP / No turnovers
  6. Who wins?
    Rice / UTEP

One Final Thing

How Rice football lost to North Texas was almost more concerning than the defeat itself. Rice just wasn’t ready for what the Mean Green threw at them and failed to get things going on offense until time had run out. When this team is on, they’ve proven they can be dangerous. Now they need to prove they have the fortitude to respond to adversity and win a very winnable game.

This upcoming weekend also marks the end of November. With the Conference USA Championship game four weeks away and bowl season beginning on the same day, Rice is running out of opportunities to play football this fall. They simply have to make every Saturday count.

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Rice Football Practice Notes 2020: What to look for after the off weeks

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Rice football has suffered back-to-back postponements. The bulk of the schemes will be the same, but improvements have been made over the last two weeks.

A lot can change in three weeks. That was true of Rice football from the start to end of fall camp. Players came in and out of the lineup, adjustments were made. This time Rice has the added benefit of live reps as a baseline.

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To be clear, I don’t expect seismic change when Rice takes the field next (hopefully on Saturday against North Texas). But there have been a few things over the last few weeks of practice that should look different, most of them for the better.

A breakout from the trenches

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Rice Football 2020 Practice Notes, Presser Quotes and the next men up

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After another postponement, Rice football is ready to take the field again, hopefully as soon as this weekend against North Texas. Here are the latest practice notes and press conference quotes.

Rice football is two weeks removed from their most recent football. Oddly enough, the Owls’ first game against Middle Tennessee was the week following a matchup between North Texas and Middle Tennessee. The Mean Green haven’t returned to the field since.

Owls’ head coach Mike Bloomgren met with the media today to share some of his thoughts on the game ahead.

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There is a lot of encouraging news on the injury front. Bloomgren said the team didn’t have “many people left to get healthy.” That should include a few starters returning to the field soon as well as a practice sighting on the offensive side of the ball. Injuries and depth chart fluidity has afforded several players additional opportunities. We’ve also got some notes on a few guys that have stepped up in the interim.

Press Conference Quotes

“We want to make this the most exclusive offer in the country… one out of every four offers is committed to you or signing with you, we feel good about that because we get a chance to really develop real relationships, get to know the parents, the families and otherwise.” – Director of Recruiting Alex Brown on the upcoming 2021 class

With the way we prepare and with our process and what it’s all about, I don’t know if I’m real excited about those possibilities… I really would like more than 48 hours of notice that you saw UCLA and Cal last week. I certainly think that that would cause a lot of coaches in this building not to sleep for 48 hours. But hey, we’ll make it work if that’s the case. We want to play a game. And right now, we’re certainly planning on playing Seth Littrell and North Texas.” – Mike Bloomgren on the possibility of last-minute scheduling changes

“I think they probably found their guy in Jason Bean, and he’s the one that we’re going to prepare to stop. If Austin [Aune] jumps in there, their offense won’t change too much. They’re still going to try to find number one Jaelon Darden, and they should.” – Bloomgren on the North Texas offense

Who’s back and who’s not

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Rice Football 2020 Game Preview: North Texas

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Rice Football hopes to get back on the field this weekend in Denton against North Texas. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

It’s been a long while since either Rice football or North Texas played a football game. The Owls have been off (unintentionally) for two consecutive weekends, losing games against UTSA and Louisiana Tech because of COVID-19 concerns within their respective programs.

Things haven’t been much better for North Texas. Off weekends and COVID-19 complications have forced the Mean Green into a break that stretches back all the way to October 17 against Middle Tennessee, the week before the Blue Raiders visited the Owls in Houston. That’s four weekends in a row without a game.

Broadcast Info

Kickoff time | 1:00 PM CT
Venu | Apogee Stadium – Denton, Tx
TV | ESPN3 (Streaming)
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs North Texas on Episode 61 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.)

Visual Preview

Make sure you check out Inside the Hedges, a weekly show with myself and former Rice football quarterback Taylor McHargue. Watch it live on Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m. here or watch it at your leisure on the Rice Athletics Youtube page.

Join the Conversation

What are your keys to victory this week? What pitfalls must the Owls avoid? Did you like that third down call? Share your thoughts on the matchup on the forum and make sure you tune in Saturday for our live game blog keeping track of every score and key moment.

Sizing up the contenders

Rice looked to have shaken off the rust in a big way when they blew out Southern Miss in Hattiesburg in their last game before a string of last-minute postponements. When they have been on the field, they’ve been playing well. Rice has won four of their last five games, dating back to last year. They just want a chance to extend that streak further into 2020. A win over North Texas would help solidify their up-and-coming surge is legitimate.

North Texas is coming at things from a very different angle. The Mean Green are 2-3 and haven’t been able to stop anyone on defense. Head coach Seth Littrell has been praised for his quarterback development, but the dreams of perennial C-USA contention could be falling by the wayside. Back-to-back losses to Rice would certainly knock them further from that rosy expectation.

Series History

All Time | Series tied 5-5
Last Five | North Texas leads 3-2
Last Meeting | Home 2019, Rice won 20-14

Rice Stat Notables

Passing | Collins – 30/52 (57.7 percent), 475 yards passing, 8 TD, 1 INT
Rushing | Otoviano – 45 carries, 195 yards (4.3 yards per carry)
Receiving | Trammell – 10 receptions, 219 yards (21.9 yards per reception), 5 TD | Myers – 6 receptions, 65 yards (10.8 yards per reception)
Tackles | Alldredge – 21, Montero – 17, Garcia – 13
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Devones – 1 PBU / McCord – 1 INT

North Texas Stat Notables

Passing | Aune – 76/137 (55.5 percent), 1233 yards passing, 8 TD, 4 INT | Bean – 27/44 (61.4 percent), 427 yards passing, 6 TD, 1 INT
Rushing | Torrey – 67 carries, 444 yards (6.6 yards per carry), 4 TD
Receiving | Darden – 46 receptions, 689 yards (15.0 yards per reception), 10 TD | Simpson – 16 receptions, 328 yards (20.5 yards per reception), 3 TD
Tackles | Davis – 34, Sanders – 28, Nixon III – 28
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Whitlock – 3 PBU / Sanders, Johnson – 1 INT

North Texas X-Factor | No self-inflicted wounds

North Texas has won two games this season, both of which required the Mean Green to score 50+ points with their opponents crossing the 30-point plateau. This is a team that is going to have to win shootouts and put up points in bunches. This offense has been productive for several seasons under Littrell and hasn’t shown signs of stopping yet.

If anything can slow them down, it’s their own mistakes. North Texas has lost the turnover battle in all five of their games this year. They turned the ball over three times in their loss to Southern Miss and three times in a win over Middle Tennessee.

Scoring 50 points a game isn’t easy to do, no matter how frequently you’ve done it in the past. Upping the ante by spotting the other team extra possessions makes it even harder. If North Texas is going to win, they have to limit the free possessions they hand to Rice. The Owls, who milked 13 minutes of clock in the fourth quarter against Southern Miss, might just not give the ball back.

Rice X-Factor | Pound the Rock

The easiest way to contain an explosive offense is by keeping them off the field. That should be fairly easy for the Owls to do given the putrid state of the North Texas run defense. The Mean Green are allowing 5.6 yards per carry, the worst in Conference USA. Their opponents have averaged 243.2 yards per game.

Rice has multiple running backs they trust to run with power and fall forward for extra yards. If North Texas can’t get them down at or behind the line of scrimmage, the Rice offense is going to continue to operate at a pace similar to their first two games.

Quarterback Mike Collins has proven he can distribute the ball and move the team downfield quickly, but allowing him to remain poised and work at a more comfortable pace will only aid his efficiency. Rice is a team committed to running the football. There’s no reason for them to let up this weekend.

Injury Report (Subscribers only)

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?

Need More?

The Roost’s 2020 Rice Football Season Preview has four pages dedicated to every opponent the Owls face. There are depth charts, important new arrivals and depth chart breakdowns for every team in Conference USA. 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. Which team scores the first rushing touchdown?
    Rice / North Texas (or neither)
  2. How many total points are scored?
    Over 64.5 / Under 64.5
  3. Which team registers the most first downs?
    Rice / North Texas (or tie)
  4. How many players throw a pass in this game
    Over 2.5 / Under 2.5
  5. How many Rice wide receivers catch at least three passes?
    One / Two / Three / Four or more
  6. Who wins?
    Rice / North Texas

One Final Thing

At this point, getting to Saturday will be a win. Both of these teams are chomping at the bit to get back onto the field, especially Rice, which is one of only five C-USA teams that hasn’t been the at-fault party for a postponement since they began their season in late October.

This was a tight game last year, decided on a violent fourth-down pass breakup by Treshawn Chamberlain in the endzone to save the day. Building on that monumental play with a winning streak over a conference opponent would be huge for this team which believes they’ve turned the corner. All they want now is a chance to prove it.

Hopefully that chance comes on Saturday against North Texas.

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