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Keys to victory over Southern Miss

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Rice football opens CUSA play against Southern Miss in Week 4. What do the Owls need to do to begin conference play 1-0?

1. Play mistake free football

Rice has been the underdog in each of their last two contests. In both cases, they’ve found themselves in the game in the fourth quarter with a legitimate chance to win. That doesn’t happen without a remarkably disciplined offense that doesn’t beat themselves.

The Owls have committed three turnovers in three games. Their giveaway rate of one turnover per game ranks second in CUSA. Add that to a defense which has generated a few takeaways of its own (three) and you have a recipe for a road upset.

In one sense, playing disciplined football isn’t all that complicated. But this team, filled with a large portion of the same players, was -23 in turnover margin last season with 29 giveaways and only six takeaways. Mike Bloomgren hasn’t let the team forget the value of playing disciplined football, and the Owls will continue to reap the benefits of that wisdom throughout this season.

2. Hit a home run

The Rice offense has exceeded expectations in many ways. They’ve moved the ball effectively both on the ground and through the air. They’ve made some big plays and ground out some tough yards. In addition to their normal offensive flow, Rice needs to generate at least one big play.

Emmanuel Esukpa‘s 51-yard touchdown run against Hawaii turned a potentially precarious situation into a one-score game. It gave the team confidence that they could and would go toe to toe with one of the better offenses in college football. They’ll need another chunk play to set the tone on Saturday.

If I’m calling my shot, look for Austin Walter on a pass play out of the backfield. We’ve only just begun to glimpse his quickness and versatility. Walter has the potential to put the Owls on the board with a single burst.

3. Win the line of scrimmage

This has been an area of focus on both sides of the ball all week for the Owls. The defensive front seven is having a good, not great season. The Owls inability to get consistent pressure with their starting four has been noticeable, especially against offenses like Houston and Hawaii that make opponents pay for their lack of pressure up front.

A successful outing up front doesn’t necessarily require big sack totals (five so far this season), but it does mean Southern Miss quarterback Jack Abraham can’t be allowed to look downfield from a clean pocket. Rice must get his eyes focused on the pass rush and distracted from the passing game. That creates opportunities for mistakes and alleviates pressure on the back end of the defense.

On offense, getting a push from the offensive line is the engine that makes this unit function. Winning up front opens running lanes and provides quarterback Shawn Stankavage with the time to look for those big plays downfield. A great offensive line performance won’t win the game by itself, but a poor outing could render the offensive extremely unproductive.

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Nashon Ellerbee back at 100 percent, ready for Southern Miss

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Rice football has a stable of running backs, but they’ll have one more mouth to feed in the backfield soon with the return of junior Nashon Ellerbee against Southern Miss.

After missing the first three games of the season, Nashon Ellerbe will return to game action for the first time against Southern Miss. Ellerbee set career highs in carries (22), yards (153) and touchdowns (four) against the Eagles last season.

It doesn’t matter who is on the other side of the field on Saturday, Ellerbee is just excited to get back on the field. “We’re a completely different team,” Ellerbee emphasized, “No matter who we play, if we execute our scheme and do what we’re coached to do we’re going to give ourselves a chance to be successful. That gives us a lot of confidence knowing it’s all in our hands.”

As of this week, there are no limitations for Ellerbee, “We’ll see how we can get him in there and implement him into all schemes,” relayed head coach Mike Bloomgren, “He is available and good to go.”

Ellerbee hasn’t been sitting idly during fall camp of early season practices. He’s been participating in drills with a no-contact jersey and taking as much as possible in during film sessions. “Getting a lot of mental reps has been good for me. Watching the guys in front of me make plays and execute the scheme has been something that I’ve had to focus on and I’ve just had to put myself in their shoes for the reps that I couldn’t get. That’s been super useful and helpful for me.”

The Owls’ backfield could be their deepest position group on the team. Emmanuel Esukpa has been a workhorse up the middle while Austin Walter has been an explosive runner and pass catcher out of the backfield. Ellerbee is going to have to work his way into more touches in a crowded backfield, but regardless of what his role is, he says he’s ready to help the team win.

“It’s been a while. It’s been a long process,” said Ellerbee. ” I feel good. Special teams, running back, whatever the coaches need me to do, I’m ready to go. I’m excited.”

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Defensive improvements a bye week focus, practice notes (9/19)

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Rice football has focused their efforts on themselves as they prepare for their first Conference USA game of the season against Southern Miss.

The consistency of the defense has been under fire after the team dropped back-to-back games to a pair of high-scoring offenses. One of the biggest advantages of the early bye week was time for the Owls to iron out those issues. “I wanted the bye week to be about Rice and how much we could improve,” said head coach Mike Bloomgren.

Players on both sides of the ball have taken that to heart, and few have worked harder than defensive tackle Zach Abercrumbia. “There’s always room for improvement,” admitted Abercrumbia,”Anyone who can look at tape, whether they’re a first team all-pro or benchrider and not have five things to work on the next day at practice is fooling themselves.”

Three games in the Owls have enough of a sample size to work with. The secondary has come under fire, but the pass rush has rightly born the weight of the pressure too. If the Owls can get to the quarterback, there won’t be any passes thrown.

Abercrumbia said that’s the goal on Saturday against Southern Miss and going forward. “That’s the big thing about pass rush, you just can’t ever stop. you never know how quick the ball is going to come out, you never know how the o-line is going to block,” he said, “but if you never stop, eventually you’ll get there.”

Injury update

Getting healthier will help the Owls improve their defensive play. Linebacker Dylan James is back in practice and is on track to play this weekend after being listed as questionable early during the week. Corner D’Angelo Ellis still has a ways to go with his recovery process.

Preparing for conference play

Although beginning with the caveat that all games matter, Bloomgren didn’t shy away from the importance of starting conference play 1-0. “When you’re talking about trying to get to championships and get to bowl games, like we’re always talking about around here, [conference games] can be big things. Everyone is kinda a mini championship.”

That’s quite the stage, but the team is ready for the challenge. “We can beat these guys,” declared Abercrumbia, “All we need to do is put what we do in practice into game day.”

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Owls add size with 2019 center Max Fiedler

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Rice basketball added some size to their 2019 recruiting class with the commitment of 6-foot-10 center Max Fielder from Melbourne, Florida.

One of three commitments in favor of the Owls over the span of less than a week, center Max Fiedler has locked down his recruitment, calling Rice “the right place for me.”

Fielder picked the Owls over a host of programs, including Army, Air Force, Lipscomb, Texas State and Lehigh. The latter was the most recent to offer Fiedler, but unable to fight off the momentum the Owls had picked up since they offered Feidler in early August.

Part of the reason for the Owls’ holding Fiedler’s interest was the relationships he’d developed with the coaching staff and the current players. The culture and the academics of a top-tier institution like Rice was too good for him to pass up. “I know Rice basketball has a bright future,” Fielder said, “I’m excited to be a part of it.”

It might not be long before Fiedler becomes an integral piece for the Owls on the court. Standing at 6-foot-10, he’ll be listed as the tallest person on the Rice team next year. Recent commit Zach Crisler is 6-foot-9, as is freshman Quentin Millora-Brown. Size can’t be taught. An offseason in the weight room to add power to that stature has the potential to pay significant dividends for both Fiedler and the Owls.

Adding a shooting element to his game would be icing on the cake. Feidler said Pera wants him to “be able to stretch the floor and shoot the three,” as well as be a weapon on the glass. If Fiedler can continue to develop on the offensive end, he could turn into an impressive under the radar candidate for Rice in the 2019 signing class. His work on the boards and in the paint speaks for itself.

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Owls add shooting guard Quincy Olivari to 2019 class

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Rice basketball continues to grow their 2019 recruiting class. Guard Quincy Olivari was excited to jump on board and join the Owls.

Scott Pera has been a busy man. A week removed from having only preferred walk-on Ben Moffat in the fold, Rice basketball added three players to the 2019 class. Power forward Zach Crisler jumped aboard first, but he was quickly followed center Max Fiedler and guard Quincy Olivari.

A 6-foot-3 combo guard from Atlanta, GA, Olivari was the final piece of a three-player haul brought in by Pera in a few days time, and he could be an important piece for the Owls on the court next season. He held an offer from Charleston Southern and had drawn interest from Cornell prior to pulling the trigger and committing to the Owls.

For Olivari, there wasn’t any need to wait around for more offers. “Rice is a great fit for me. It’s in the perfect place with great academics,” he said. Olivari continued, sharing high praise of the Owls’ coaching staff, led by Scott Pera. “Coach Pera is a great coach and he’s coached some great players. He’s a legend in the game and I look forward to playing for him.”

As to where he’ll fit once he gets to South Main, Olivari projects to be a fast-paced, accurate shooter who can play both ways. His quickness on the court will be crucial for winning fast break points, something he’s said Pera expects him to provide the Owls in the future.

Olivari is a more of a combo guard and a shooter than a true point guard. Ball handling is one of his focal points that he plans to improve during his senior year. He’s hoping a better handle on the ball will improve his versatility at the college level. Regardless, the guy can flat out shoot.

 

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