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Rice Football 2021 Game Preview: Season opener vs Arkansas

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Rice Football is set to open its 2021 season on Saturday at Arkansas. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

The 2021 Rice Football season opens this coming Saturday against Arkansas. The quarterback battle remains unsettled, but expectations for the Owls’ 2021 season remain high.

The Owls’ first opponent, Arkansas, also finds itself riding a wave of increasing expectation. The Razorbacks showed progress under Sam Pittman last fall, proving to be a tough out in the SEC despite their first-year coach at the helm. Getting back to a bowl game is part of the marching orders in 2021, and that starts, they believe, with a home tilt with Rice.

Broadcast Info

Kickoff time | 1:00 PM CT
Venue | Razorback Stadium – Fayetteville, AR
TV | ESPN+ / SEC+ (Streaming)
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)

Audio Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs Arkansas on this week’s episode of The Roost Podcast which will be released later in the week. 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.) If you haven’t yet, consider checking out our extended offseason interviews with folks like Phil Steele, Shehan Jeyarajah, and notable Owls like Christian Covington, Jack Fox, Austin Trammell, Aston Walter and more!

Sizing up the contenders

Rice football is kicking off its season on Labor Day Weekend, more than a month ahead on the calendar of when they opened their 2020 season. Last fall the Owls played their first game on October 24, just barely getting two games in before the calendar turned to November. This time around they’ll open against another team playing their first game, rather than their seventh.

Last season went better for Arkansas than in years past, but the Hogs have had trouble in their most recent outings with Conference USA opponents. They fell to Western Kentucky 45-19 in 2019 and lost to North Texas 44-17 in 2018. That was under a different coaching staff, but the losses still sting.

Series History

All Time | Arkansas leads 35-29-3
Last Five | Arkansas leads 4-1
Last Meeting | Road 1991, Arkansas won 20-0

Rice Stat Notables (Returning 2020 Leaders)

Passing | McCaffrey (at Nebraska) – 48/76 (63.2 percent), 466 yards, 1 TD, 6 INT
Rushing | Griffin – 72 carries, 249 yards (3.5 yards per carry)
Receiving | Myers – 24 receptions, 209 yards (8.7 yards per reception), 1 TD / Bailey – 23 receptions, 276 yards (12.0 yds/rec), 2 TD
Tackles | Garcia- 28 / Chamberlain – 27 / Montero – 24
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Bird – 3 PBU, Five returning players tied with 1 INT

Arkansas Stat Notables (Returning 2020 Leaders)

Passing | Jefferson – 20/41 (48.8 percent), 295 yards passing, 3 TD, 0 INT
Rushing | Smith – 134 carries, 710 yards (5.3 yards per carry), 5 TD
Receiving | Burks – 51 receptions, 820 yards (6.1 yards per reception), 7 TD / Smith – 22 receptions, 159 yards (7.2 yds/rec), 1 TD
Tackles | Morgan – 110 / Pool – 101 / Catalon – 99
Interceptions/Pass Breakups | Morgan, Pool, Brown – 5 PBU / Catalon, Clark – 3 INT

Arkansas X-Factor | Will the front seven turn the corner?

Arkansas was, for the most part, unable to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks last season. Their 14 sacks in the span of 10 games were the fewest of any SEC team and nine of those sacks came in their first four games. The more they put on tape, the less pressure they were able to generate.

That’s going to have to change if Arkansas is going contend with the rigors of an SEC schedule, but it’s equally imperative against the Owls, too. Rice hasn’t been particularly effective on third and long under Mike Bloomgren and has seen drives stall out when the sticks get too far away. If Arkansas can put Rice behind the chains early, they’ll force them off schedule.

There’s optimism that the Rice passing game is going to be better in 2021 than in the recent past, but that doesn’t change the Owls’ commitment to running the football. More pressure will throw those plans out of whack. Arkansas needs to find a way to make that happen.

Rice X-Factor | Generate explosive plays

Rice averaged 1.3 gains of 30+ yards per game in 2020, near the bottom of Conference USA. The Arkansas defense allowed 1.9 such explosive plays last fall, one of the better marks in the SEC. If Rice ends this game anywhere in that ballpark when it comes to field-flipping type plays, they’ll be in trouble.

The defense proved it could win games on its own in 2020, accounting for five turnovers and a defensive score in the shutout win against Marshall. But that’s more likely to be the exception than the rule moving forward. Rice is going to have to help its defense by sprinkling in some big offensive plays, too.

Whether it’s via the legs of one of Luke McCaffrey, their stable of running backs or a big catch from a suddenly deep receiving corps, Rice needs to find ways to shorten drives and maximize every offensive possession. If they can get a couple of big plays in each half they’ll force Arkansas onto their heels, in turn, enabling the Rice defense to feast.

Pick ‘Em Contest (Subscribers only)

Make sure you submit your entry for The Roost’s weekly pick’em challenge. There will be swag and prizes for the top finishers at the end of the season. Choose an answer to each of the six questions below and comment on this post on the Patreon page to enter. It’s that easy.

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Need More?

The Roost’s 2021 Rice Football Season Preview has FIVE pages dedicated to every opponent the Owls face. There are depth charts, important new arrivals and positional breakdowns for every team in Conference USA sourced from local beat writers and sources on the ground who cover these teams every day. It’s the most thorough C-USA publication on the market.

One Final Thing

There hasn’t been any beating around the bush when it comes to discussing expectations at South Main. Rice football expects to be playing in a bowl game at the end of this season, which makes the nonconference slate all the more important. The schedule is brutal (at Arkansas, vs Houston, at Texas, vs Texas Southern), but postseason rules won’t be as forgiving in 2021.

We’re going to learn a lot about this team over the next four weeks, starting with the opener against Arkansas. Be patient. The schedule will get easier and the talent on this team will shine through.

With that quick caveat, it’s also worth noting oddsmakers give Rice a better chance of beating Arkansas (the Owls are currently 20-point underdogs) than they did to beat Marhsall (Rice entered that game as 24-point underdogs). Math isn’t deciding the outcome of this game, but the “experts” are giving Rice a fighting chance. Sometimes, that’s all you need.

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Rice Football 2021 Fall Camp Report: QB battle continues, young faces stand out

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Rice football has begun prep work for its first game, but the quarterback position remains up in the air. Here’s the latest regarding who has the edge and happenings from practice this week.

It’s been a busy week on South Main. We got some clarity on various position battles that were still underway entering last Saturday’s scrimmage, but we did not get a definitive answer at the quarterback spot, and it’s not sounding like a declaration is forthcoming this week. This update has some direct comments from head coach Mike Bloomgren and others on the state of that battle, a potential position switch and a handful of younger players that have stood out.

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For those checking in for the first time, or those returning, a quick programming note. Practice reports are reserved for our subscribers. If you want updates on the quarterback battle, camp standouts, injuries and more, this is your go-to source. You can get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and special features like this one when you subscribe on Patreon today.

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Rice Football 2021 Fall Camp Report: Owls gain clarity in scrimmage No. 2

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All eyes were on the quarterbacks, but the offense as a whole proved to be appointment viewing in the second and final Rice football scrimmage of fall camp.

In total, Rice football played 28 drives in their second scrimmage of fall camp. Half of those were full field and all served to showcase the quarterback battle between Wiley Green and Luke McCaffrey. There appeared to be some separation on that front and there was certainly a slew of other individual highlights along the way. We’ll detail all of that and more in the scrimmage report below.

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For those checking in for the first time, or those returning, a quick programming note. Practice reports are reserved for our subscribers. If you want updates on the quarterback battle, camp standouts, injuries and more, this is your go-to source. You can get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and special features like this one when you subscribe on Patreon today.

Off the top, it’s worth noting a couple of macro-level observations from the offense several of which could have serious ramifications on how the 2021 Rice football season plays out.

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Rice Football 2021 Fall Camp Report: Breaking down the QB Battle

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Rice football has a quarterback battle on its hands between Wiley Green and newcomer Luke McCaffrey. Here’s where things stand halfway through fall camp.

Through 10 practices, the battle for the 2021 Rice football starting quarterback position remains in a dead heat. For the most part, Wiley Green will get the first reps with the starters, ceding to Luke McCaffrey for the second portion of any particular set of drills. They’re 1A and 1B thus far. After talking with several coaches and players, here’s where I believe things stand right now.

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For those checking in for the first time, or those returning, a quick programming note. Practice reports are reserved for our subscribers. If you want updates on the quarterback battle, camp standouts, injuries and more, this is your go-to source. You can get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and special features like this one when you subscribe on Patreon today.

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Timeline

Rice football kicks off against Arkansas on Sept. 4, less than three weeks away. With one remaining scrimmage between the Owls and their first game, one would think landing on a starting quarterback would be near the top of the priority list for head coach Mike Bloomgren and his staff. While that might be true, Bloomgren has made it crystal clear he’s not going to rush the process.

“I don’t feel a need to call a winner anytime soon,” he said following the first scrimmage on Saturday. “I’d rather it not drag into game week and I’d rather it not drag into the third week [of camp], if we can help it.”

The Roost Pod: Phil Steele breaks down Rice football and Conference USA

In an ideal world, picking a starter following the second scrimmage, slated for this Saturday, August 21, would pass Bloomgren’s final “rather not” test, before the third week of practices kick off next Monday. That said, Bloomgren has waited much longer to tab his starting quarterback in the past, so a Saturday decision is by no means written in stone. Still, one would hope a frontrunner emerges by then.

Given that backdrop, here’s how the battle currently stacks up:

Scheme understanding: Edge – Wiley Green

As has been the case in years past, Wiley Green’s comprehension of the system is head and shoulders above the rest of the quarterback room. One assistant coach told me this week Green “knows [the scheme] just as well as the coaches do,” and therefore, “he should feel more comfortable here at practice.”

That’s pretty much where Bloomgren left off following the scrimmage on Saturday. He described Green as “incredibly comfortable in the system” continuing on to say of McCaffrey, “there’s things that Luke does really natural,” hinting more at athletic ability than any schematic principals.

It doesn’t take too much conjecture to draw the conclusion that the battle has reached a similar place to where it’s been in the past. In each of the past two seasons, Green has battled with an incoming transfer for the starting job.

Green initially beat out Tom Stewart in 2019 before injury cost him the starting job for several weeks. Green was only a sophomore at that time and Stewart had never played a down of D1 football, transferring from Harvard during the offseason. When Mike Collins arrived last summer, his arm talent gave him the edge over Green’s scheme understanding. Once again, raw talent seems to be pitted against schematic understanding.

Athletic ability: Edge – Luke McCaffrey

The strongest argument in McCaffrey’s cap is, by far, his athletic talents. During his time at Nebraska, he showcased the ability to literally run circles around Power 5, blue-chip defensive players. He’s rushed for 530 yards so far in his collegiate career and thrown for 608. There’s no question he’s one of the most dynamic ball carriers the Owls have at their disposal. The question is, can he understand the offense and execute it?

From the first few weeks of practice, McCaffrey has shown a tremendous amount of poise with the football. Yes, he’s a natural runner, but he doesn’t look to run at the first sign of trouble. Time and time again he’s found ways to scramble out of the pocket, buy a few more seconds and rifle the ball to an open receiver. He did this on multiple occasions during the first scrimmage.

When he does throw the ball, he’s been accurate. Despite any narratives suggesting he’s purely a rushing threat, McCaffrey’s  64,8 career completion percentage would rank above every other returning passer in Conference USA. He’s demonstrated good ball placement and plenty of zip during practice. From a passing perspective, he has more than enough

One assistant summed it up like this, “[McCaffrey] allows you to be, maybe a bit more creative,” he said. “You can never have too much talent.” Another doubled-down on his rushing prowess, bluntly declaring “Obviously, [McCaffrey] can do more things with his legs, which is always a bonus.”

Where things stand right now

In response to a question about a specific play in Saturday’s scrimmage where McCaffrey beat Treshawn Chamberlain to the edge for a first down, Bloomgren offered this comment. On the surface, it’s very complimentary of McCaffrey and his ability, but digging deeper, it also gives some color as to where the competition could be right now.

“I think Luke’s a special runner,” Bloomgren said, “And the thing we know is we know is Luke can be a special quarterback and that’s what we’re continuing to work towards is getting him comfortable in the West Coast offense where we can execute all of it.”

If Bloomgren believes McCaffrey is already a special runner and that he “can be” a special quarterback, that begs the question of what the gap is between McCaffrey reaching that level, something Bloomgren answers almost immediately in the same sentence: “getting him comfortable in the West Coast offense where he can execute all of it.”

So it’s entirely possible, if not likely, Rice football finds itself in a place it’s been in several fall camps under Bloomgren. Green is the incumbent, of sorts, who knows the x’s and o’s like a book, but the incoming challenger possesses some level of athleticism or quarterback ability he doesn’t.

If the past years have been any indicator, when, not if, the incoming talent has mastered enough to lead the team seems the most likely outcome. What does that mean for Game 1 against Arkansas? We’ll have to wait and see. I’d lean McCaffrey ever so slightly, but the race remains tight today.

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Rice Football 2021 Media Days Roundup: Top Quotes

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Members of the 2021 Rice football team and coaching staff met with the media this past weekend to preview the 2021 season. Here are some highlights.

Shortly after the first scrimmage of fall camp, members of the Rice football team and coaching staff traded the grass for microphones to discuss the upcoming 2021 season. Below are a selection of quotes from members of the staff and players.

Mike Bloomgren on the timeline for a starting QB decision

“I don’t feel a need to call a winner anytime soon. I’d rather it not drag into game week and I’d rather it not drag into the third week [of camp], if we can help it.”

Bloomgren on the depth on defense

“We roll guys in and out and there shouldn’t ever be a big difference depending on who’s in the game and who’s not. I mean, that’s the way they set the standard over there. If you’re going to play in the top two you’re going to play meaningful snaps and you better be ready to come in and do your job.”

Defensive Coordinator Brian Smith on the experience of the defense:

“Returning all the starters that we have, the experience that we have, so when we get in a tough situation I know how they’re going to respond. That level of trust that’s been built, that’s what gives me the most confidence. We’ve been through some battles before with most of these guys and I know how they’re going to respond to adversity. We’re playing together right now as a defense. Guys are communicating. They know what they’re doing, and when you know what you’re doing, you can play faster.”

Offensive Coordinator Marques Tuiasosopo on training camp:

“We’re right in the meat and potatoes of installs and training camp. We’ve said scrimmage you make the biggest strides, usually, In my experience, from scrimmage one to scrimmage two and I think I’m really excited to see what that looks like in the next four or five days.”

“Training camp is supposed to be tough, and our staff we challenge our guys daily. We try to make it as hard as possible. So when we get to game day it becomes easy. And I think they’re right on track.”

Tuiasosopo on the quarterbacks and the scheme

“We’re going to run the football and we want to have a smart passing game where we take advantage of what the defense is giving us. Regardless of who we bring in here [at quarterback], it’s being able to mold what they do well, individually, and how it fits within the structure of our system.”

Special teams coordinator Chris Monfiletto on the continuity of the coaching staff

“Yeah, I mean, it’s unbelievable. It’s everything that you want in a job, right? It’s everything that you want in a boss, somebody that if you provide value to the program is going to be able to promote you. I’m so grateful for that. I think that that gives the guys on the team tangible evidence that if you’re going to provide value to the team there’s going to be a role for you and we’ll find a role for you on the field. It’s not just the coaching staff, it’s every member of the team from the walk-ons to the guys that maybe haven’t played in the past. You keep working hard and you keep providing value, and then there’s going to be an opportunity.”

Tight end Jordan Myers on his confidence in the offense

The more you’re in the offense, the more comfortable you get in it, the calmer you can be. That’s just when you go out and play football and that’s what we can here to do, paly football and have fun.”

Myers on expectations for the season

“The standard is always be 1-0 at the end of every week. We want to prepare like we’re going for championsips. We want to prepare like we’re going to win bowl games. That’s the thing that we always talk about in this building and that’s never changed”

Safety Naeem Smith on the defense

“I’m happy where we’re at, but at the same time, we have even higher expectations… Two things we gotta do better is just try and create turnovers and sacks and things like that, but overall, happy with where we’re at but we still have a long ways to go before the season.”

Wide receiver Bradley Rozner on returning to action

“I just want to be on the field playing again. I love this game. I’ve been playing it for a very long time and I’m gonna keep playing for as long as I can because I know these days are numbered. It’s a fun game. I love the grind, the competitiveness of all of it. Wherever the coaches see me, that’s where I’ll be.”

Rozner on the wide receiving corps

“We can stretch the ball vertically, horizontally, diagonally, it doesn’t’ matter. I feel like we can go anywhere with the guys we have and we can be really explosive and make plays all over the field.”

Safety Treshawn Chamberlain on defensive improvement

“There’s always ways to get better. A lot of people might miss the small errors, but when we are in the film room, we’re critiquing ourselves to a tee… There’s always another level that you can take it. And that’s what we’ve been attacking, we’ve been focusing on where our mind needs to be before the play even starts.”

Quarterback Wiley Green on the leap he expects on offense

“There’s always room for improvement. But we expect that jump to be now. We expect that jump to be happening this season. We expect that jump to be week one against Arkansas so we really expect to be able to put some points on the board, especially when we’re down close in the red zone and make it happen.”

Quarterback Luke McCaffrey on the type of player he is

It depends. I think the biggest thing that I want to be as a football player, I want to be somebody who goes out there and has the ability to make a play when it’s needed and has the ability to run an offense when that’s needed. And so I think that that is a very diverse skill set and, and I’m lucky enough to have the guys around me to let that happen.”

What’s next?

Rice football will play their second scrimmage of fall camp this coming Saturday. Stay tuned for more updates throughout the week (including a deep-dive on the quarterback position) and look for a debrief following that scrimmage.

If you’d like to get updates on the scrimmage, other practices, injuries and more, make sure you’re subscribed to the Starting Lineup tier on Patreon. You can sign up here.

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