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Offensive lineman Justin Gooseberry commits to Owls

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Rice football picked up a commitment from another big transfer target, landing former Ouachita Baptist offensive lineman Justin Gooseberry.

Getting bigger and stronger on the offensive line was a priority once again for Rice this offseason. Ouachita Baptist transfer Justin Gooseberry fits that bill and has committed to play his final year of eligibility at South Main. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound offensive lineman joins Regan Riddle (6-foot-1, 284 pounds), Hunter Jones (6-foot-3, 270 pounds), Nick Leverett (6-foot-4, 312 pounds) and Brian Chaffin (6-foot-2, 275 pounds). That’s a lot of size.

For as long as Mike Bloomgren is at the helm, the ethos of Rice football will aspire to be built on hard-nosed running and defense. Getting to that point is a process; one that Rice is further along today than they were at this point last year. Taking the next step on that road requires a dominant offensive line. Gooseberry can play a critical role in making that hope a reality.

Gooseberry played his college ball at Ouachita Baptist, a DII school in Arkansas. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound offensive lineman was a fixture on the Tigers’ offensive line in 2018 and was tabbed an All-American by multiple media outlets including the  Division II Conference Commissioners Association and the American Football Coaches Association.

More: Cole Garcia named The Roost’s 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year

Adding Gooseberry to fellow grad transfers Nick Leverett and Brian Chaffin as well as Shea Baker, Clay Servin and Cole Garcia will makeup a formidable offensive line. It will also give the coaching staff the develop the younger guys at their own pace, rather than have to thrust players into the fire — something that became all-too prevalent in 2018.

Mike Bloomgren is doubling down on the offensive line and Gooseberry will be a welcomed addition.

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MBB: Double OT not enough to lift Owls past WKU

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Rice basketball battled with Western Kentucky in a double overtime thriller before running out of gas. The Owls fell 92-85.

There was a full gym on Thursday night at Tudor Fieldhouse for a nationally televised game between visiting Western Kentucky and the Rice Owls. The home team got off to a slow start, falling behind 9-0 before they settled down and focused in on what would become a dogfight from start to finish.

Down early, Rice didn’t get flustered. Instead, they rallied behind one of the hottest shooting streaks of Ako Adams‘ career. The junior point guard began the game 5-for-5 from long range. Every time it looked like WKU might be able to extend the lead, Adams willed his team back into the fight.

Two points were all that separated Rice and WKU at half. Then the Owls turned it on. By way of a 13-0 run midway through the second half Rice flipped the 2-point deficit into a 9-point advantage. They’d extend the lead to as many as 13, but WKU wasn’t done. The Tops had a rally of their own, taking advantage of a five-minute scoring drought from Rice to claw back and take the lead.

Chris Mullins knocked down a foul shot to force overtime. Then Adams drained his seventh three of the contest to send the game to a second extra period. When it came time to finish, they didn’t have the energy to close. Rice fell in two overtimes, 92-85.

“We just not there yet,” admitted Pera after the game. “We all want to win. We all want to take this program up a notch. It’s hard… Nobody feels sorry for us. We gotta do better and the only way you do better is to look in the mirror, take responsibility, hold your teammates and staff accountable and get to work tomorrow. And that’s what we’ll do.”

Box

Player PTS FG 3FG FT OR DR REB A PF TO BL ST MIN +/-
ADAMS 23 8-15 7-14 0-0 0 4 4 0 3 5 0 1 46 -14
PETERSON 2 0-5 0-1 2-2 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 11 -7
MULLINS 13 3-14 1-4 6-8 1 2 3 3 1 3 0 1 36 -23
WILLIAMS 8 3-9 0-2 2-2 2 7 9 4 1 5 1 2 39 -6
MILLORA-BROWN 13 5-13 0-0 3-4 5 6 11 1 1 0 2 0 35 -5
MOORE 3 1-1 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 7
PARRISH 9 4-5 0-0 1-1 1 3 4 3 2 3 0 1 19 8
MURPHY III 7 3-9 0-6 1-2 1 4 5 3 3 0 2 1 33 8
MARTIN 7 3-6 1-3 0-0 1 7 8 1 5 0 0 0 26 -3

Player of the game – Ako Adams

Entering Thursday night the record for most three-point baskets made in a single game was eight set by Bobby Crawford against Tulsa in 1997. After a hot start, Adams finished 2-of-9 from deep and 7-of-14 overall, just missing out on a piece of Rice history. Still, seven threes and another layup paved the way for a season-best 23 points.

Adams took little joy in his strong start given the final result. “I definitely gotta do a better job as a better point guard and a better leader,” he declared. “I’m tired of being this close. We just gotta break through.” The Owls had lost their previous three games by five combined points prior to this overtime defeat.

Up Next

Rice will stick around town for a Saturday tilt with Marshall this Saturday. The Herd are the last home opponent on the finalized portion of the Owls’ schedule before pod play begins in the latter half of February.

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Jack Fox earns invite to 2019 NFL Combine

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Former Rice football punter Jack Fox has been honored with an invitation to the 2019 NFL Combine to workout in front of NFL teams in Indianapolis.

Jack Fox is one step closer to achieving his NFL dreams. The former Rice football punter has received an invitation to participate in the 2019 NFL Combine. A trip to Indianapolis doesn’t guarantee Fox a professional career, but it does give him one more touchpoint with NFL teams, several of which will have interest.

Special teams continue to grow as an area of importance in the college and pro game. One doesn’t have to look much further than the Los Angeles Rams, who clinched a Super Bowl berth on the leg (and the arm) of punter Johnny Hekker.

Fox showed off his impressive leg at the East-West Shrine Game in mid-January. He already compares favorably in several measures to the punters drafted in previous years. He’s answered every test with a resounding “Yes”. There’s no reason to expect anything else when Fox works out for every NFL team for the second time in a little over a month’s time.

The NFL Combine is scheduled to begin Tuesday, Feb. 26 and end on Monday, Mar. 4. Specialists will arrive on Day 1 where they’ll complete the necessary registration and orientation. Measurements will be taken on Day 2 with media sessions and on-field kicking workouts scheduled to take place on Day 3. The final day, Day 4, will include televised on-field workouts and then the whirlwind will be over.

Those days will come, and if the past year is any indication, he’ll be ready to rise to the occasion. For Fox, this is just the next chapter, one that he’s been prepared for the entire way.

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Breaking down 2019 National Signing Day signees

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Rice football added five scholarship players to their ranks on National Signing Day, rounding out the 2019 class with 31 signees. Here’s more on the new Owls.

It was a productive National Signing Day for Rice football. The Owls added five players to their 17 early signing period signees and nine walk ons, bringing their total to 31 members in this class. Rice has room for four more players which could include a few more graduate transfers by the time this team takes the field in the fall.

The new additions filled three major areas of need:

1. Quarterback

Jovoni Johnson, QB – Conway, AR
Tom Stewart, QB – Harvard (Grad Transfer)

Rice needed to shore up the quarterback room after missing on a signal caller during the early signing period. They added two players, each fulfilling a different purpose. Tom Stewart is the veteran hand who has played D1 football. He’ll have a shot at the starting job, but most importantly, he’ll serve as an insurance policy for Wiley Green and Evan Marshman — both quarterbacks were injured during the 2019 season.

Johnson is a different case. The big-bodied dual threat passer is built from a different mold than any other quarterback on the roster. While it’s unlikely he challenges for a starting role in 2019, he’s a developmental prospect for the future with sky-high potential.

2. Defensive front seven

Myron Morrison, LB – Atascocita, TX
De’Braylon Carroll, DT – Duncanville, TX

Adding a few more hard hitters in the defensive front seven was another goal for National Signing Day. The departures of Zach Abercrumbia and Roe Wilkins left depth concerns which needed to be filled up front. De’Braylon Carroll will slide into the mix and compete for playing time this fall. Behind him the Owls added Myron Morrison a hard-hitting linebacker from just outside Houston.

If Carroll was 6-foot-1 (he’s 5-foot-11) the Owls wouldn’t have been able to sign him. The knock on him is his height, which he more than makes up for with a quick first step and explosive instincts. He’s going to be scary teamed up with Izeya Floyd in the middle of the defensive line.

3. Instant impact transfers

Brian Chaffin, OL – Stanford (Grad Transfer)

The offensive line was a work in progress last season and only truly started to gel in the final weeks of 2018. If the offense wants to take a step forward, they need better protection in the passing game and better blocking for their backs. Rice is addressing that problem by signing two graduate transfers on the offensive line in the 2019 class.

Chaffin’s addition is more than just filling a hole, though. Bloomgren recruited him to Stanford and remains close with him and his family. “I know he knows what it takes and what I believe in,” Bloomgren remarked. “I know he wants to help me advance that culture. His one year will be felt beyond.”

While the younger guys continue to develop and get stronger, this battle-tested pair (including early signee Nick Leverett) have the ability to catapult this entire unit forward significantly. All of a sudden a unit which had several question marks with the departures of Joseph Dill and Sam Pierce could become one the team’s biggest strengths.

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Offensive lineman Brian Chaffin commits to Owls

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Rice football secured the services of a blue-chip grad transfer, receiving a commitment from former Stanford offensive lineman Brian Chaffin.

The offensive line will forever be an emphasis at Rice football as long as Mike Bloomgren is the head coach. Getting the right pieces up front is critical to the success of this offense. The Owls took a big step in making things run even more smoothly in 2019 was the addition of grad transfer center Brian Chaffin.

Chaffin was a coveted center recruit out of high school with offers from Stanford, Northwestern, Duke, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech and others. He missed out on a starting spot at Stanford, but saw action in plenty of games, tallying 28 appearances over three years.

The 6-foot-2, 275-pound North Carolina native will play his final season of college ball at Rice. Where he fits in along the line remains a question. He has the frame and the athleticism to play anywhere on the interior of the line. Moving him over to one of the guard spots would allow the team to keep Shea Baker at center. Baker had an impressive redshirt freshman season in 2018 and figures to be in the mix to start again next season. Regardless, adding another starting-caliber player on the offensive line is a must.

Chaffin’s contributions won’t be limited to on the field production. Recruited directly by Bloomgren to Palo Alto, Chaffin understands as well as anyone the kind of culture and work ethic Rice is working to create. Intellectual Brutality remains a tenet of the Stanford program. A graduate transfer like Chaffin who understands the system and the culture should be well suited for a leadership role.

A high-academic, high-caliber athlete with leadership potential is a slam dunk for Bloomgren and his coaching staff. Chaffin has the potential to be a key cog in the Owls’ rebuilding process in 2019. Not a strong enough endorsement? Here’s Bloomgren himself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a20akRh3Q8

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