The source for Rice sports news

2019 Rice Football Season Preview by The Roost

By

 

The staff of The Roost is pleased to announce the release of the 2019 Rice Football Season Preview, a 143-page digital magazine detailing everything you could imagine about the Owls’ upcoming season.

This preview is the culmination of months of research, interviews and analysis. Consider it your one-stop-shop as you prepare for the Owls’ 2019 season.

Available as a downloadable PDF for on-the-go access, this preview contains the following:

1. A breakdown of every position group on the team

Who are the favorites to start entering fall camp? What sort of production should you expect from returning starters? Which of the incoming transfer players should make their mark the quickest? Answers to all of those questions are included, as well as notes on every single player on the 102-man roster.

2. An exclusive interview with head coach Mike Bloomgren

We sat down with coach to get his honest evaluation of where the Rice football program is right now and how he views the progress the team is making as they approach 2019. He’s sticking to a process, one which he remains confident will bring success to South Main.

3. Previews of each 2019 opponent and all 14 CUSA Teams

Supported by local beat writers and experts who cover each team, this section has a wealth of knowledge about every CUSA Team and all the Owls’ 2019 opponents.

Rice fans will want to familiarize themselves with the teams they’ll be facing this year. Get to know which players each squad will have to replace, which newcomers could make noise in 2019 and what outstanding questions those in the know have about their respective squads.

4. A complete 2019 Conference USA Football Preview

Available separately to purchase, everyone who purchases the 2019 Rice Football Season Preview will also get The Roost’s 2019 Conference USA Football Preview. We made our picks for preseason honors, top games to watch in 2019 and a closer look at how every team in the conference stacks up.

Don’t need any more convincing? Get a copy for yourself today

Buy Now

 

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football: Defensive line one of spring’s happy surprises

By

One of the biggest surprises of the spring was the dominant performance of the Rice football offensive line. Their development is just getting started.

The youth movement is in full force on South Main and few position groups are immune. The defensive line looked to be one of the deepest groups on the team following the 2018 season. Then the transfers of Roe Wilkins and Zach Abercrumbia put a near-certainty into a state of flux. Between Abercrumbia, Wilkins and rush end Graysen Schantz, Rice will have to replace 151 tackles and 13 tackles for a loss.

Void of their old leaders, new guys have been forced to step up and lead the way. The results after spring ball were extremely encouraging.

“It’s a new group with a new identity,” said defensive line coach Cedric Calhoun. “They want to be good. They want to understand the concepts and want to play at a [higher] level.” That next level was evident from the very beginning. Trey Schuman and Elijah Garcia have stepped up their efforts, so too did guys like Myles Adams and Kenneth Orji.

More: 5 predictions following spring practices

Their success came at the expense of the offensive line. That unit, buoyed by the addition of grad transfer Nick Leverett, was expected to take a large step forward in 2019. That still might be the case, but the intensity and disruptiveness of the new-look defensive line made any sort of sustained rhythm out of reach this spring.

While the defensive line may lack “star power” they plan to make up for it with execution and poise. Calhoun said the mindset he’s working to instill in his guys is simple, “If you know your job assignment and your job description along with your motor… you’ve got a chance.”

To some extent, the process isn’t rocket science. “We teach smart, tough and being reliable… Fundamentals are day in and day out,” Calhoun said. His group has approached the task at hand with the level of focus necessary to find success. They’ll need to find a way to transfer that knowledge to the field on Saturday’s in the fall.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Meet Elijah Garcia, the defense’s unsung hero

By

Rice football has come a long way on the defensive side of the ball since the start of the 2018 season, spearheaded by Elijah Garcia and a host of young starters.

Elijah Garcia will start the fifth game of his Rice football career on Saturday against North Texas. The redshirt sophomore defensive lineman from San Antonio, TX had five total tackles a year ago. From five tackles to five starts, Garcia’s growth has been tremendous and the impact his presence has made on this team cannot be understated. He registered a career-best eight tackles against FIU last weekend.

Garcia says his motivation is simple, but focused. “Every week I’ve been trying to tell myself ‘you need to do a little bit more'”. So far, that “little bit more” has resulted in a front seven that’s strongest up the middle. Opposing teams have been able to find success on the edges, but running up the gut is a dicey proposition.

“Right now to run between the tackles against our defense is an uphill battle,” remarked head coach Mike Bloomgen. Garcia alongside team captain Zach Abercrumbia have turned the defensive line into one of the most consistent units on the defense.

Having guys like Abercrumbia, Roe Wilkins and Graysen Schantz to learn from has been invaluable for Garcia. He picks their brain as much as he can and enters every game trying to emulate their successes.

Garcia also credits the coaching staff with their constant message and direction. He reiterated a few phrases and maxims he’s heard more than once this fall, such as defensive line coach Cedric Calhoun’s reminder that “your assignment and technique aren’t always going to be perfect but your effort can be perfect.”

More: True freshman Wiley Green to start Saturday against North Texas

Effort has been front and center as the Owls fight through a prolonged drought between wins. Rewriting the narrative is going to require guys to do what Garcia is doing, working hard, being aggressive and attacking every drill and play with relentless effort.

One defensive lineman playing with effort won’t rewrite a season. But Garcia’s infectious personality and culture building attitude are the kinds of building blocks that this program needs to get to where Bloomgren wants to take it. Garcia is a fighter. Eight tackles against FIU are just the beginning of what he’s capable of doing for Rice football in the coming weeks and years.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts