The source for Rice sports news

Is this Rice Football offense for real? All-American Q&A

By

All-American Level subscribers on Patreon get access to a monthly Q&A with me. The October edition focuses on the sustainability of the Rice football offense.

Q. Rice football scored 34 points against Middle Tennessee. Was the offensive “explosion” caused by how bad MTSU’s defense was or because the Rice offense has actually figured things out?

A.  The story almost writes itself, doesn’t it? Journeyman quarterback transfers to a small school for one last ride. He steps onto the field and leads the team to more points in his debut than the school had scored in the previous 27 contests.

Rice last scored at least 34 points in a losing effort against Southern Miss in 2017. With the Owls set to face the Golden Eagles the weekend after this new offensive outburst, it’s only fitting this question arises.

So, can the Rice offense keep it up?

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($25) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

The Roost Podcast | Ep 58 – Rice Football vs MTSU Recap, USM Preview

By

Carter and Matthew breakdown the Rice football loss to Middle Tennessee and preview the Owls upcoming game against Southern Miss.

The first game didn’t go how Rice football fans would have hoped, but there’s a lot more to unpack in the Middle Tennessee loss than just the final score. Carter and Matthew work through the refreshingly potent offense and what to take from the defensive struggles.

From there, they discuss how what we learned from that game will impact the Owls’ upcoming road trip to Hattiesburg to face a Southern Miss team on their third head coach of the season.

You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 58.

Episode 58 Notes

  • Housekeeping — Don’t miss this opportunity to subscribe on Patreon. You’ll get practice reports, and new this week, film room sessions from Carter. He breaks down the biggest plays from the Owls’ games. You’ll also get recruiting news and the latest analysis and updates on all things relating to Rice Athletics.
    Become a Patron!
  • Conference USA news and notes
    • Conference USA had no games canceled in Week 8, but already two canceled in Week 9.
    • Marshall is the last remaining unbeaten C-USA squad, ranked No. 19 in the AP Poll
  • Rice Football vs Middle Tennessee game preview
    • Quadruple doink could be a once in a millennium event
    • Mike Collins started slow, but played well in debut game
    • Defense had missteps, but injuries and rust played a big part
    • Despite mistakes, still had a chance to win
  • Rice Football vs Southern Miss game recap
    • Interim coach Scottie Walden is headed to Austin Peay. Southern Miss will turn to its third head coach of the season
    • Jack Abraham is the probable start, but nothing set in stone yet with COVID protocols. Backup Tate Whatley could miss the game.
    • The Southern Miss defense is really bad.

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

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

Recent Posts

Rice Football Film Room 2020: Middle Tennessee Review

By

Rice Football has one game in the books. We learned a lot about this team, both good and bad in this week’s edition of the film room.

Well, that was a heartbreaker, wasn’t it? Normally after a disheartening loss like that, I’d be tempted to put it all behind us and use the Film Room to preview the next week’s opponent. The problem there is that Southern Miss, this week’s opponent, is now on their third head coach and possibly third quarterback of the year? So I don’t even know what that offense (the only part of this USM team really worth discussing) is going to look like at this point. Plus, I really do think there are some positives to take away from the MTSU game.

Film rooms reserved for subscribers. Sign in to see this content or visit our Patreon page.

Key mistakes early put Rice in a big hole, and conservative playcalling plus an absurdly improbable doomed the Owls in overtime. But the Owls dominated the game between the middle of the third quarter and the end of regulation, outsourcing MTSU 21-6 over that time period. If Rice can recreate the efficiency they displayed on both sides of the ball during that stretch, they’ll be in good shape going forward. Let’s look at a play from each side of the ball from that run of solid play.

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

Recent Posts

Rice Football 2020 Game Preview: Southern Miss

By

Rice Football hopes to bounce back from a tough opener with a road win against Southern Miss. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

The return to the gridiron was a painful one for Rice football last Saturday. They almost completed a late rally to beat Middle Tennessee, but a bad bounce and too many self-inflicted wounds pushed victory just outside of their reach. They’ll hope to rebound this week against another C-USA squad suffering a painful loss.

After having their last two games postponed, Southern Miss returned to the field without quarterback Jack Abraham, who did not make the trip with the team to face Liberty. The Flames dropped 56 points on the Golden Eagles, who fell to 1-4 entering Week 9.

Broadcast Info

Kickoff time | 2:00 PM CT
Venu | M.M. Roberts Stadium – Hattiesburg, MS
TV | ESPN3 (Streaming)
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs Southern Miss on Episode 58 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

Last week we launched the debut episode of Inside the Hedges, a weekly live show with myself and former Rice football quarterback Taylor McHargue. Check it out 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 is still reeling from their loss to Middle Tennessee, but they’re going to have to get-right quickly. Falling to 0-2 to start a season that began with so much promise would be doubly painful, especially with only six games on the docket to date. Rice needs a bounce back in the worst way.

Southern Miss played last week without their starting quarterback or their head coach. The recipe for disaster was there, and still the Golden Eagles made a game of it in the second half before Liberty pulled away. Battling COVID-19 issues and the challenges of a coaching change make this squad hard to size up, but the talent is certainly there on offense.

Series History

All Time | Southern Miss leads 6-4
Last Five | Southern Miss leads 5-0
Last Meeting | Home 2019, Southern Miss won 20-6

Rice Stat Notables

Passing | Collins – 18/35 (51.4 percent), 242 yards passing, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing | Otoviano – 20 carries, 84 yards (4.2 yards per carry)
Receiving | Trammell – 3 receptions, 76 yards (25.3 yards per reception), 2 TD | Myers – 6 receptions, 65 yards (10.8 yards per reception)
Tackles | Alldredge – 13, Lockhart – 12, Chamberlain – 9
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Devones – 1 PBU

Southern Miss Stat Notables

Passing | Abraham – 85/132 (64.4), 1112 yards passing, 7 TD, 3 INT
Rushing | Gore – 46 carries, 208 yards (4.5 yards per carry), 1 TD
Receiving | Brownless – 17 receptions, 301 yards (17.7 yards per reception), 3 TD | T. Jones – 14 receptions, 299 yards (9.6 yards per reception), 2 TD
Tackles | Maples – 38, Shorts – 37, Hemby – 29
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Brooks/Scott – 4 PBU, Barnes/Latham/Scott – 1 INT

Southern Miss X-Factor | Big-time quarterback play

Whether it’s Jack Abraham or Tate Whatley, Southern Miss is going all-offense this year under interim coach Scottie Walden. No matter who takes the snaps for Southern Miss, their ability to find holes in the Rice secondary will play a massive role in determining the outcome of this game.

Middle Tennessee’s Asher O’Hara’s success through the air was the difference against a young Rice secondary, but when those balls didn’t fall, Rice was able to get pressure and give themselves an opportunity to win the game late.

Fortunately for Southern Miss, they have a host of playmakers at their disposal on the edges. Freshman running back Frank Gore Jr. has played well to this point too. Southern Miss just needs to get the ball into the hands of their playmakers in space. If they can, they’ll expose mismatches in the Rice secondary.

Rice X-Factor | Eliminate self-inflicted mistakes

Rust was always going to be a factor for the Owls coming off a seven-week delay to start their season. The Owls had chances to beat Middle Tennessee at home last week, but three turnovers proved costly.

The usually sure-handed Austin Trammell muffed a punt. Mike Collins’ erratic start included an interception thrown way beyond his wide receiver streaking down the field. A second half strip-sack that resulted in a walk-in touchdown for the Blue Raiders defense was equally jarring. And still, with all of those mistakes, Rice found a way to take a late lead.

There’s still a lot we don’t know about this team, but we do know that losing the turnover battle by two is going to be hard for any team to overcome. The Rice defense needs to create more opportunities themselves, but even if they don’t, the Rice offense and special teams can’t spot the other team extra possessions.

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. How many passing yards does the Rice defense allow?
    Over 274.5 / Over 274.5
  2. Which team commits the first turnover?
    Rice / Southern Miss (or neither)
  3. Who has the more total tackles for Rice on defense?
    Alldredge / Montero (or tie) 
  4. What will be the distance of the longest scoring play?
    Over 29.5 yards / Under 29.5 yards
  5. How many first downs will the Rice offense achieve?
    Over 19.5 / Under 19.5
  6. Who wins?
    Rice / Southern Miss

Final Thing

We knew this season was going to be hard to evaluate at its onset. After one game, it looks like Rice has taken a step forward on offense and a step back on defense, primarily because of the young secondary. Both sides of the ball will have things to improve against Southern Miss.

On offense, can Collins get locked in more quickly? Starting 2-of-10 and settling for early field goals allowed Middle Tennessee to hang around.

On defense, Rice has to eliminate the wide open receptions. Asher O’Hara had two uncontested touchdown heaves. You can live with mistakes here and there, but at a bare minimum, receivers shouldn’t be allowed free passage to the endzone.

If Rice can improve in both those areas, they’ll have a chance to win. They had a chance to win on an off night last weekend. We’ve seen enough of what this team can be. It’s time they put that finished product out on the field.

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

Recent Posts

Rice Football 2020: Overtime doinks doom Owls’ against MTSU

By

Rice football almost rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit to beat Middle Tennessee before an infamous bad bounce soured the Owl’ opener.

Things started off well for Rice football in their season opener against Middle Tennessee. The Owls received the opening kick off, marched down the field and took the lead. The Owls defense was able to hold Asher O’Hara at bay early, but the inexperienced secondary was soon under fire as Rice went into halftime trailing 14-13 courtesy of two long O’Hara touchdown passes.

Middle Tennessee hit some deep passes in the second half, but the Rice defense was able to hold their own and keep the team in the game. The Owls were able to claw back from a two-score deficit and get one more crack at the win in the final minutes. Rice took over trailing 31-26 with 2:24 to play.

The Owls went forwards, then they went backward. Then Mike Collins found Austin Trammell up the middle for 48 yards and again for the go-ahead touchdown. Pushed to the brink, Rice rallied to take the lead. MTSU would force overtime where Rice had the chance to win… then this happened:

This stunk. Here’s what we learned.

Mike Collins is a baller

There was a lot of good things said about Rice quarterback Mike Collins as he progressed through the spring and into fall camp. He’s taken command of the offense well and understands the protection schemes and the system. The biggest question mark going into the year was his accuracy, a problem in the spring which had looked better in fall camp.

Collins completed just two of his first 10 passes against Middle Tennessee. A career 56.6 percent passer across 10 games at TCU, Collins ended his Rice debut completing 51.4 percent of his throws. After the woeful start, he completed 16-of-25, ending the day with 242 passing yards and four touchdowns.

The protection was okay, but Collins did take a few big hits. One of them resulted in a strip-sack and a fumble, shifting all the momentum to the visiting team midway through the third quarter. There will be better days ahead for Collins and this passing attack. Today, they looked a bit rusty, but he came through in key situations down the stretch.

Corner quandary

Middle Tennessee didn’t test the young Rice corners very much in the first quarter, but once they did, they didn’t stop. Starters Miles McCord and Sean Fresch were both making their first D1 starts of their career, and for all the encouraging moments, that lack of experience showed.

O’Hara is not a superb deep-ball passer. There’s a reason that most of his balls stay closer to the line of scrimmage. But even he was unafraid to take his shots.

Both of the Blue Raiders’ first half touchdowns were shots from O’Hara to the endzone daring the Owls’ secondary to make a play. Although there were Rice shirts in the vicinity on both plays, neither reception was contested. That can’t happen in the redzone.

Allowing O’Hara to drive the length of the field in 30 seconds to set up a tying field goal was a sore spot as well.

The depth chart is thin and there doesn’t appear to be an immediate answer on the horizon. The corner play simply has to get better. It will be interesting to see how defensive coordinator Brian Smith adjusts the defense to help minimize the risks on the outside when the Owls take on a much better downfield thrower next week in Southern Miss quarterback Jack Abraham.

New faces

Injuries and exciting moments in fall camp put several younger players on the top of mind entering the season.

Khalan Griffin didn’t see much involvement until the fourth quarter, but it’s hard to fault the coaching staff for relying heavily on Juma Otoviano. Healthy and running well, Otoviano carried the ball 20 times for 84 yards with a long of 16. He was elusive in the open field and made big plays for this offense.

Griffin’s role will grow and his underutilization on Saturday shouldn’t be viewed as a knock on his ability. One needs look no further than his drive to start the fourth quarter. He got on the field and promptly ripped off two big runs, the first for 10-yard and the second a 20-yard scamper up the middle. He’s going to be a key piece of this offense in 2020 and beyond.

Sean Fresch got introduced to the speed of the college game quickly. As a whole, the corners did not hold up well. He was exposed underneath a few times, but that’s going to happen when the secondary is preoccupied with giving up the long ball. From my memory, and I’ll have to look back at the tape on this one, he wasn’t burned as often down the field as some of the Owls’ other options.

Jake Bailey was perhaps the most impactful youngster. He’s not a freshman, but his role is going to be significantly different in his second season on South Main. Bailey was a favorite target of Collins on Saturday but caught only two passes for 26 yards on five targets. He was also active in the return game, leading the team with 76 kick return yards. His 97 all-purpose yards were second most on the most on the team.

Closing thoughts

Rice football made history when they kicked off against Middle Tennessee on Saturday. Never before had a team opened its season against a team that was playing their seventh game. Getting to this point, in spite of all the challenges presented by COVID-19 was huge for the program. Remember, it was only a month ago that we were wondering whether or not there would be a season at all.

No season might sound palatable after that gut-punch. But Rice football fans should take away two things from this game. First, after all the ups and down, Rice could have, and probably should have won. Be upset. For as far as the Owls have gone, there’s plenty of room for improvement.

Second, the fight to rally in the fourth quarter and get to this point was infectious. It’s hard to imagine not paying dividends down the road. Less self-inflicted wounds would have enabled Rice to finish things off. That said, the road will get tougher. The Owls won’t be playing a 1-5 Middle Tennessee team every week.

Digging deeper

Every week we’ll have a stat, storyline or key learning from the game reserved for our subscribers.

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

Recent Posts