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Rice Football: MTSU practice notes and injury updates 🔒

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Rice football is ready to take the field against Middle Tennessee in Week 12. Here are some notes on who’s in, who’s out and the plan at quarterback.

Rice football has three games remaining in the 2019 season. There’s a potential for younger players to see action and questions at the quarterback position 🔒. Amidst all of those variables, the coaching staff is tightening up their focus.

Entering the bye, the message from the top was clear. “This week, stuff has to be proven in practice,” Mike Bloomgren said. “We gotta fix things in practice. It’s gotta look good in practice or we can’t call them in a game.” He noted that standard applies to everything from formations to individual players. The tolerance for errors was already low and it’s continuing to shrink.

“You either win or you learn,” Bloomgren said, “and we’ve learned a lot.”

Quarterback

On the final Thursday walkthrough before traveling on Friday, it was Tom Stewart who took the first-team reps. JoVoni Johnson is currently listed as a game time decision and will make the trip to Murfreesboro. Whether or not he’s healthy enough to go, and be mobile while he’s out there, remains to be seen. My expectation is that Stewart will start against Middle Tennessee.

As for Stewart, Bloomgren was encouraged by what he saw during the bye week from his veteran passer. “He made the most of his reps,” Bloomgren said. “I think it’s been really good, what he’s done this week.”

Stewart seems to be back to his normal self following a back injury which kept him off the field for the majority of the Marshall contest. The medical staff has done everything they can to get him back to health as quickly as possible and early returns are promising.

Since Stewart went down, the Owls offense has changed. It’s less complex and geared more towards helping Johnson command the offense comfortably. We’ll still see that slimmed down offense against Middle Tennessee. Stewart noted that’s probably a good thing, regardless of who is lined up under center.

“It’s helped everyone,” Stewart said. “Let’s do we do well, let’s play fast. And I think that’s kind of been a trend, we haven’t played as fast as we want to. So, I think the tempo and how fast we’re able to process everything has really improved.”

Healing up

There’s at least a chance Rice will get some combination of Andrew Bird, Anthony Ekpe and Brian Chaffin back after the bye week. All three have returned to practice, at least in a limited fashion, with the hope they will be progressively eased back into the flow of things over the next week.

Chaffin still retains his No. 1 spot at center on the depth chart, but spent the majority of the week at guard. It looks like the Owls will move last year’s starter Shea Baker back to center and keep Chaffin next to him, at least for this week.

Neither Ekpe or Bird were listed on the depth chart released on Tuesday. That doesn’t rule them out against Middle Tennessee, but their outlook to return seems a bit more tenuous. It’s a situation we’ll continue to monitor. Of the two, Bird is more likely to play while Ekpe remains a somewhat hazy game-time decision.  Like we mentioned on Ep. 17 of The Roost Podcast this week, don’t be surprised if he’s held out one more week.

Fresh faces

With three games remaining, expect to see freshman and others who haven’t participated much this season to get a few looks down the stretch. The coaching staff won’t put young players on the field just to do it, but those who have earned opportunities through the year will get a shot, whether that’s on special teams or as part of a rotation on offense or defense.

Jawan King saw his first action of the season against Marshall. In addition to him, two names jump out at the moment: linebacker Myron Morrison and safety Chike Anigbogu. Morrison was elevated to the No. 2 spot behind at linebacker behind Blaze Alldredge, filling in for veteran Dylan Silcox who will miss the rest of the season after suffering an injury against Marshall.

Anigobgu has drawn rave reviews for his effort and intensity during practice for several months. Bloomgren said he’s a guy who is “working his butt off and earning out trust.” He’s played in two games to this point and will be a guy who gets in two more in the coming weeks.

Other names that flashed during the past week include corner Josh Landrum, wide receiver Jake Bailey, safety Hunter Henry and safety Kirk Lockhart.

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Rice Football: Scattershooting final practice of fall camp (8/23)

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Rice Football fall camp is officially in the books. Here a few final thoughts before the Owls transition to game prep for their Week 1 opponent, Army.

Quarterback

There will be a definitive QB1 when Rice opens their season next Friday. Coach Mike Bloomgren won’t make an official reveal until his pre-game press conference on Tuesday, but there hasn’t been any indication that incumbent starter Wiley Green has lost any ground. Green worked exclusively with the first team in the team’s final mock game and looked sharp, hitting Bradley Rozner on a back shoulder throw in the front corner of the endzone from 15 yards out.

It’s possible Bloomgren leaves the door open for the backup to play, similar to Jackson Tyner’s brief insertion into the offense against Prairie View A&M last season. We’ll have to wait and see how that is handled.

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Two beyond the two-deep

Two guys have caught my eye throughout camp that don’t figure to have a spot on the two-deep depth chart. Rice likes to use packages, so just because you don’t see their name listed with the starters or reserves doesn’t mean they won’t have an impact in the fall.

Robert French has emerged as an interesting slot weapon. Especially with the thin receiving corps, there could be an opportunity for him to take on a meaningful role in this offense. He’s developed into one of the most reliable seam stretching options on offense.

Isaac Klarkowski has become the starting center on the second team. The former wrestler looks at home with the ball in his hands and has taken to the position well. “I think we’re going to find a role for him, ultimately,” Bloomgren said. For the time being, he’ll be the third option after Chaffin and Baker at center.

Ending on a high note

The last snap of practice came from victory formation. There was hooting and hollering as Wiley Green took the knee, signifying the end of fall camp. The final play had long been scripted by Bloomgren and the coaching staff

“We think our job as coaches is to prepare them for everything that’s going to come up,” Bloomgren said. “Taking a knee on the best play in football, which is victory. Then going and singing the Alma Mater with our fans and going into the locker room and being part of a victorious locker room. It’s all the things that we want to do. So we practice them all.”

More: Projected 2-Deep depth chart after fall camp

This staff has been intentional about recruiting players from winning programs and instilling a winning culture at Rice. It might have been a bit cheesy, but it was a nice touch.

This is the final practice update from fall camp. Future practice updates (that includes the final depth chart projection linked above) will be reserved for site members. Becoming a member is 100% FREE and takes 30 seconds. You can register here.

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Rice Football: Wiley Green emerging as favorite to win Owls quarterback battle

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With all fall camp scrimmages complete, the Rice Football quarterback battle is gaining clarity and a favorite to win the starting job has emerged.

The quarterback battle will continue to be the biggest storyline through fall camp until coach Bloomgren names a starter. Although there’s no timeline set for an official announcement, incumbent Wiley Green is starting to put some distance between himself and challenger Tom Stewart.

Green had a great redzone session during scrimmage on Saturday. Stewart missed his opportunity to make a statement. He’s had his moments in camp, but done little to impress in either scrimmage setting.

Bloomgren has reserved comment as to who is the leader in the race. However, with days (rather than weeks) left between now and the season opener, the race seems to be drawing to a close.

I have become increasingly more confident that Wiley Green will be the Owls’ starting quarterback in their Week 1 game against Army.

More: Jack Fox joins The Roost Podcast to talk NFL and Rice special teams

Green stands above every other quarterback on campus in terms of his intellectual ability and command of the offense. His strong capabilities as a passer, combined with that knowledge have kept him a step ahead in the quarterback competition through fall camp.

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Stewart has talent. What he lacks is the time in the system to execute at a level equal to Green. If he continues to progress the door could open down the road. That said, the coaching staff would obviously prefer to make a selection and ride that one guy to the end of the season.

As for Jovoni Johnson, the freshman has done well in camp so far. But, as to be expected, there’s a steep learning curve with the offense. The outlook for his 2019 season looks to be akin to what Parker Towns was asked to do in brief moments last year.

Johnson will most likely have a set package which features his athleticism and ability to make plays on the ground. If the situation warrants it he could throw a pass or two. Given the current state of the quarterback room, he’s got a few guys to surpass before he’s an every game player.

The staff feels comfortable with the depth at the position and is encouraged by what they’ve seen from the unit as a whole this fall. Barring an injury, I believe this Wiley Green’s job to lose.

All practice updates will be available for all to see during fall camp. Once the regular season starts they’ll be reserved for members. Becoming a member is 100% FREE and takes 30 seconds. You can register here.

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Rice Football: Individuals shine in first scrimmage of fall camp (8/10)

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Rice football took the field for their first scrimmage of fall camp. The defense was impressive, but several offensive players made some big plays.

As a unit, the offense struggled out of the gate on Saturday. They had somewhere around a dozen drives throughout the day, managing to punch the ball into the endzone only twice and reaching the redzone once. The defense wasn’t doing anything fancy, staying more or less vanilla, but found repeated success. Here are a few of the bigger moments and notables from both sides of the ball.

Minor bumps and bruises

Austin Trammell, Brian Chaffin and Reagan Williams did not participate in the scrimmage. All three are dealing with some minor injuries which shouldn’t impact their offseason progress. Coach Bloomgren confirmed later that had there been a game today, each of the three probably could have participated.

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Offensive highlights

As has been the case for much of fall camp, there was plenty of attention on the wide receivers. With Trammell out for the day, several younger faces were given the opportunity to contribute with Jake Bailey filling in for Trammell with the first team.

Zane Knipe had a toe-tapping catch in quarterback/wide receiver drills. August Pitre made an impressive diving snag on third down to move chains on a nice feed from Wiley Green. Chris Boudreaux, working mostly with the reserves, was able to make some nice pickups after the catch in space.

Cam Montgomery was electric out of the backfield, making nice cuts upfield with the ball and being used frequently as a pass catcher. He’ll be relied upon heavily in that capacity this season. Charlie Booker and Ari Broussard both showcased some powerful running. While the offense as a whole was somewhat muted, the team was able to make some meaningful games in the run game behind those two players.

More: Check out each and every player profiles in our 2019 Rice Football Season Preview, on sale now.

Wiley Green had some nice moments at quarterback. He led the first team’s only touchdown drive, hitting Aston Walter in the flat in the redzone for the score. That was the highlight of an otherwise inconsistent showing from the unit as a whole. Tom Stewart took reps with the first and second team, but was unable to get the offense past midfield, not one of his better days.

Backup Parker Towns took off on a 30-yard touchdown scamper, the only other touchdown scored by the offense during the scrimmage. Jovoni Johnson was the last quarterback in. He displayed polished mechanics and looked comfortable in the pocket. When he did take off an run, his first step was explosive. His accuracy was up and down, but the zip on his passes was evident.

Defensive highlights

Outside of some careless penalties, the defense clearly won the day. Rice was one of the least penalized teams in the country last year, so that issue should correct itself by the time the Owls take the field against Army.

The front seven was dominant. The linebackers were everywhere, led by Blaze Alldredge and Antonio Montero, with some nice stops by Garrett Grammer. Freshman De’Braylon Caroll has already moved up to the second team and had a big day. He’s been unblockable through fall camp and will be in the running to see significant minutes quickly. He’s been the most impressive freshman on defense so far.

Both Anthony Ekpe and Kebreyun Page forced fumbles. The entire group was quick from sideline to sideline. At one point, three separate defenders chased the speedy Montgomery to the edge for a loss, making it impossible for him to turn upfield and make even a minor gain.

The secondary did a phenomenal job as well. The offense didn’t take many deep shots and the few balls that did get thrown downfield fell harmlessly to the turf. D’Angelo Ellis went up and over Brad Rozner to break up a sideline throw by Green. Naeem Smith picked off Tom Stewart for the only interception of the day.

The safety play, headlined by George Nyakwol, Prudy Calderon and Smith, was superb. Corner Treshone Devones was recognized by Bloomgren as one of the Owls’ most impressive freshman through the first week of camp.

Special Teams

There were two dedicated special teams portions of practice. Freshman kicker Zach Hoban took all the reps with the field goal unit with the other kickers getting the day off. This wasn’t an indicator of Hoban necessarily being ahead in the pecking order, rather part of a cycle to keep all of the kickers fresh. Hoban was sharp and connected on what appeared to be four of five field goals to start the day.

The punting duties were split between Adam Nunez and Chris Barnes. Nunez displayed an impressive ability to place balls directionally well. Barnes was consistent, too, ending his session with a booming punt with a 4.7 second hang time. Nunez is probably a step in front at the moment, but it’s still a close race with the strong possibility both see game time this fall.

The scrimmage ended with one more special teams session where Trey Schuman blocked a long field goal. Coach Svoboda confirmed getting hands up in those situations has been a priority through fall camp. That made for a nice finale to the day.

Updated depth charts

Here’s how the team lined up for the first scrimmage. This went up on the forum during practice, stay tuned there for live updates.

First team offense

QB | Green/Stewart
RB | Walter/Booker/Otoviano
WR | Rozner, Trammell, Pitre
TE | Bull/French
OL | Servin, Leverett, Baker, Garcia, Gooseberry

Second team offense

QB | Marshman
RB | Broussard, Montgomery
WR | Knipe, Boudreaux, Palmer, Bailey
TE | Bradley
OL | Peterson, Riddle, Baker, Garcia, Osuji

First team defense

DL | Schuman, Adams, Garcia, Ekpe
LB | Alldredge, Montero
CB | Ellis, Bird, Chamberlain
S | Nyakwol, Calderon

Second team defense

DL | Page, Enechukwu, Carroll, Doddridge
LB | Silcox, Grammer
CB | White, Thornton, Newsome
S | Smith, Richardson

All practice updates will be available for all to see during fall camp. Once the regular season starts they’ll be reserved for members. Becoming a member is 100% FREE and takes 30 seconds. You can register here.

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Rice Football: 5 Position battles to watch in fall camp

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Five position battles have been a focal point of Rice Football fall camp. Here’s where the Owls stand at those key spots after the first week of camp.

1. Wide receiver

The suspension of Aaron Cephus left Rice in a tough spot at the wide receiver position. Austin Trammell will push 100 targets, but the rest of the depth chart is going to be asked to step up. August Pitre and Brad Rozner started camp with the first team.

When the team goes to split squad practice, freshman Zane Knipe works with the veterans. Jake Bailey is with the second team at the moment, but he stands out as the best player at his position in that group.

Projected starters against Army as of today: Trammell, Rozner, Pitre

2. Offensive line

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Three grad transfers in the mix make the offensive line one of the most competitive races of camp. The only position that is definitively set in stone is left tackle, where Clay Servin returns as the team’s top starter. Nick Leverett, Brian Chaffin and Cole Garcia are fighting it out for the two interior guard spots with Shea Baker the presumptive favorite to stick at center.

Learn more about each of these challengers by reading their player profiles in our 2019 Rice Football Season Preview, on sale now.

The most competitive race will come at right tackle where Uzoma Osuji and Ouachita Baptist transfer Justin Gooseberry are dueling for the starting role.

Projected starters against Army as of today: From left to right – Servin, Leverett, Baker, Garcia, Gooseberry

3. Quarterback

Wiley Green has had the inside track on the starting job in 2019 since the end of last season. He performed reasonably well in the spring and has continued to progress through fall camp. But, just like last year, the Owls brought in a grad transfer at the position to push their incumbent starter.

Through the first week of camp, it’s looking like Tom Stewart is the real deal. It was never a given that Green would be the de facto starter against Army, but recent developments make me believe this competition is going to very real and quite contentious. Stewart’s progress, plus the arrival of Jovoni Johnson could see this race draw out til the final days of camp.

Projected starters against Army as of today: Green

4. Special Teams

While the rest of the aforementioned position battles project to be close, each of them features some sort of frontrunner rather by way of seniority or familiarity with the Owls’ schemes. Two of the most prominent special teams jobs are wide open.

Adam Nunez and Chris Barnes have both had strong fall camps at punter. Nunez was a multi-year starter at TCU; Barnes sat behind current-NFLer Jack Fox. There’s probably not a wrong answer here. The kicker spot features more uncertainty. Will Harrison has experience but wasn’t accurate this spring. Incoming freshman Zach Hoban has an impressive highlight reel, but he’s never produced at the college level.

Projected starters against Army as of today: Punter – Adam Nunez, Kicker – Zach Hoban

5. Corner

The emergence of Andrew Bird late last season was huge for the Owls’ secondary which lost several veterans this offseason. Back alongside Bird are D’Angelo Ellis and Tyrae Thornton, both of whom have had their ups and downs. One of the two is going to start opposite Bird out the gate. Who that will be remains to be seen. This is one of the spots where we could see freshmen emerge early to play meaningful snaps.

Projected starters against Army as of today: Bird, Ellis

All practice updates will be available for all to see during fall camp. Once the regular season starts they’ll be reserved for members. Becoming a member is 100% FREE and takes 30 seconds. You can register here.

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