The source for Rice sports news

Rice Football 2019: Week 13 North Texas Press Conference quotes

By

Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren discussed the team’s first win of the season and previewed the Owls’ Week 13 matchup with North Texas.

More: Rice Football game preview for Week 13 vs North Texas

Quarterback Tom Stewart and safety George Nyakwol joined Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren at the podium on Tuesday. The trio discussed the first win of the season over Middle Tennessee and looked ahead at their upcoming game against North Texas.

From Mike Bloomgren

On the first win…

“Getting that first win on Saturday felt really good. I won’t lie to you about that. I’m so proud of our players and coaches for the way they stayed in this, the way they kept fighting and the way they kept preparing. Really to see them rewarded with that victory locker room, after the game, that winning locker room, made it all worth it for a lot of things that we do in this program. What I said after the game I meant. In 2019, it’s very hard to get a group of men to stay together and keep fighting with all the outside things going on. With all the things that they hear on social media or from their own families. These guys never blinked. They just kept fighting, kept listening to their coaches,  kept trusting their coaches and we saw the results of that on Saturday night.

On the Owls’ level of play against Middle Tennessee …

“It was the best half of football that we have played in the first half. I would say that clearly. The fact that we found a way to win, I guess that it ranks up in the top three. It was great to get a win.”

On North Texas …

“The next challenge is, of course, North Texas. This team requires our full attention. We know what that program is all about. I have so much respect for Coach Seth Littrell, the way he prepares them, the mindset he gets those guys into and his knowledge of our game.  I have said it before, we are going to do everything we can to beat them on the field, but there is absolutely nothing I can do to beat him in a bench press contest.”

On Senior Day…

“It will be a great test for our team. Coming off a win we’re a confident bunch right now in terms of believing in what we are doing. Being so close so many times, then having a little success, is great for this team. We’re going to go out there and play our hearts out for the 19 seniors who will be represented on Senior Day on Saturday. It’s going to be a lot of fun seeing those guys in pregame.”

On the impact of Aston Walter…

“Aston really changed his mindset when he flipped the switch and said ‘I’m coming back for my sixth year’. I think in the way he prepared in the summer with Coach Hans [Straub] to the leadership role he’s taken, there is nothing we could have done better than put the ball in his stomach with the game on the line on 3rd-and-11..” T

From QB Tom Stewart

On Brad Rozner and the playmakers around him…

“It’s all about having trust in the guys. I think it’s kind of tough for me being a transfer, and not having a ton of time to develop that trust but I think now you’re seeing that if I’m back there, I have a ton of trust in those guys… Everything guy is a really good football player. When they’re called upon, they’ll make a play.”

From Saf George Nyakwol

On how the team is responding to the win…

“This win was definitely a confidence booster… And we just got to keep building. We can’t let this affect our approach. It’s got to be 100 percent every day, everywhere, in the weight room, on the field, in the film room.”

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

Recent Posts

Rice Football 2019: Week 12 Middle Tennessee Press Conference quotes

By

Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren debriefed a busy bye week then turned his attention to the Owls’ Week 12 game against Middle Tennessee.

More: Rice Football game preview for Week 12 vs Middle Tennessee

Safety Naeem Smith and running back Juma Otoviano joined Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren at the podium on Tuesday. The trio discussed final bye week of the season and made comments on the team’s upcoming game at Middle Tennessee.

From Mike Bloomgren

On what he’s learned about the team so far…

“This team has proven to me time and again, that they will respond to challenges. So we did challenge them in the bye week. We challenged them to really understand that we do have three games promised to us in our season, but we needed to live in the moment. We needed to be where their feet are, and really take this thing in day by day, minute by minute increments and just play by play. And that’s how they responded. And that was really cool.”

On conversations with Rice Women’s Basketball coach Tina Langley at the radio show on Monday night…

“Last night I got to hang out with Tina Langley, our women’s basketball coach. I love talking to her every chance I get. We love talking culture, we love talking motivation. I just think she’s outstanding. I’m trying to grab some of her mojo while she was at the radio show.”

On the quarterback situation …

“So obviously [we were] pleased with some of the things that JoVoni [Johnson] was able to do in the first start. We thought he moved the chains pretty well. He was eight of nine passing in the first half and I thought that was a really impressive start for him. And then Tom Stewart is the other one that we’re going to have on the ready. So we’re going to have those guys go and take a look at how practice goes and whoever is healthy and gives us the best chance [to win] is who we’ll trot out there.”

On running back rotation…

“Whoever’s got the hot hand. We trust all those guys. Juma [Otoviano] is a guy that we proven is explosive. Old Dominion, in his first start, he rushed for 224 yards, that’s no secret. But we have guys that we trust it’s not just Charlie [Booker]. It’s not just Aston [Walter]. It’s also Nahshon Ellerbe. All those guys can have roles and really whoever has the hot hand — and some people may have certain plays earmarked for them going into this game — that’s where we’ll go.”

On MTSU quarterback Asher O’Hara …

“I think probably at the level he’s doing it, he is the best dual-threat [quarterback that Rice has faced] because I compare him — obviously a very different offense — but to the Army, in terms of running the ball and a lot of things going through him, with him being their leading rusher in eight of nine games this year. But as a true dual-threat, I think he’s completed 71 percent of his passes. Yeah, he might be the top dog. The one at Texas wasn’t bad either.”

From Saf Naeem Smith

On the matchup against MTSU quarterback Asher O’Hara…

“I actually played [against O’Hara] in JUCO … Definitely a great athlete. He can throw it too. I remember in JUCO we thought that was the best quarterback we played against or maybe even the best player. So I have a lot of respect for him. As a defense, I see it as an opportunity.  We have to make sure we’re all on the same page. Everyone needs to know their run fit, and then everybody needs to lock up on the outside. We make sure we do our job. And if we can do that, I think we can be successful. They got a great offense.”

From RB Juma Otoviano

On what the running backs focused on during the bye …

“I’d say it’s a lot of reps and then going back and watching ourselves on film. We’ve been harping on our footwork on our outside zone… that was something that we all kind of struggled on early on, but moving forward now we’ve gotten a lot better.”

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

Recent Posts

Rice Football 2019: Week 9 Southern Miss Press Conference quotes

By

Rice Football head coach Mike Bloomgren made closing comments on the UTSA game and set the stage for the Owls Week 9 game against Southern Miss.

More: Rice Football game preview for Week 9 vs Southern Miss

Wide receiver Austin Trammell and linebacker Blaze Alldredge joined Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren at the podium on Tuesday. The trio made closing comments on the UTSA game and looked ahead to their Week 9 game against Southern Miss.

From Mike Bloomgren

On the team’s performance against UTSA…

“I thought we had a great two weeks of prep going into it. Very simply, we didn’t come out the other side like we wanted to. We took another team to deep water in this conference. Our kids are fighting and doing some great things. From a 10,000-foot level, you can’t turn the ball over in conference play in college football and win games.”

On the resilience of the Rice football team…

“The good news is these kids are working. They’ve come back. They’re resilient. They’re bright kids. They realize how close we are. They’ve come back to it and they’ve attacked this thing the right way. I told them yesterday that we’re doing the right things. There’s no question in my mind that we’re doing the things to win with the right people in the building. I think we’ve got an unbelievable coaching staff and we’ve just got to find a way to push through. That’s kind of been our charge all week.”

On how the coaching staff has responded this week…

“I think these coaches have been rock solid. They’ve been the same people every day. They come in here, they’ve taught, they’ve demanded and they’ve really stayed in lockstep with me on the process. They’ve been trying to control the things that we can control. Everybody who’s a part of this program was down after that game on Saturday. But, there’s no panic, if that makes sense. You can change so many things, you can change your approach. You can come in here, yell and scream. There’s just none of that. It’s process-driven and we’re not going to let that game beat us this week. We’re going to move on. We’re going to do the things that we know win games.”

On the plan at quarterback…

“Wiley [Green] prepares so well. For whatever reason, obviously, we lost two snaps and the first play of the third quarter was just a very critical error. Quarterbacks, like head coaches, get too much credit and too much blame. Very simply, that’s what’s going on right now. It’s not because we’re not winning games. and we’re saying it’s Wiley’s fault or anything like that. It’s just the fact that the ball went to the other team three times when we had it the other night. Very simply, that’s why we’re making the change. Tom (Stewart) will be our starting quarterback going forward.

“I don’t have a plan for either [Evan Marshman or JoVoni Johnson] to be the quarterback of the football team. We could see a scenario where JoVoni comes into games again. Obviously, he had a great start to his college football career, breaking off that run. During the bye week, he threw it exceptionally well. He threw the deep ball exceptionally well. We have a lot of trust in JoVoni. We’ll just see how he plays. We’ll likely have a role for JoVoni as we go forward while keeping an eye on that redshirt as well.”

On the play of the offensive line against Southern Miss…

“I love the way our offensive line is progressing. I think they are doing a great job. So, I think we’re going to match up fine. But, how will we handle movement as a front unit? What will we do to solve their movement patterns with our pads, with violence? That’s going to be what opens up holes. From a protection standpoint, they’re relentless. We’ve got to do a great job protecting to let our receivers go make plays down the field any time we chose to throw the ball.”

From WR Austin Trammell

On the focus of the team going forward …

“It’s hard, losing a game like that. It takes a lot of mental toughness to come back from that and to keep pushing and keep fighting. But at the end of the day, we’re doing this for every guy on our team and doing it for all the seniors that have five games left. And I think our guys understand that.

We want to finish the season, doing everything the right way, giving everything we have to win games, because that’s why we’re here. That’s why we’re playing college football. That’s why we came to Rice University because we want to win games. And so that’s our full focus this week and that’s what’s kind of motivating guys and keeping us going. We have five opportunities to get five wins, and to let these seniors leave with some success under their belt.

From LB Blaze Alldredge

On the team’s goals for the rest of the season…

“In terms of goals, you have to recalibrate a little bit. You come out with the goal of obviously winning conference and to make a bowl game. And when things like that start to come out of reach, it’s important to recalibrate your goals instead of just kind of becoming goal-less.

And when you don’t start to set new goals for yourself, that’s when you find the people that will rest and just think about next season, and just keep those same goals, and say, ‘Oh well, we still have the same goals, just for next season.” So when you get to this point in the season, it really becomes about pride and loving your brother. I think that we have a tight team that’s very close to one another. That is more than capable of going out and winning games.”

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

Recent Posts

Rice Football 2019: Week 8 UTSA Press Conference quotes

By

Rice Football head coach Mike Bloomgren wrapped up the UAB game, talked about the off week and looked forward to the Owls Week 8 game against UTSA.

More: Rice Football game preview for Week 8 vs UTSA

Running back Aston Walter and defensive end Trey Schuman joined head coach Mike Bloomgren at the podium on Tuesday. The trio made closing comments on the UAB game and looked ahead to their Week 8 game against UTSA.

From Mike Bloomgren

On the bye week…

“It was a really productive week for us. I thought it came at the perfect time. I loved having the bye week after six games. It was great for our coaches to really dive into our self-scout. To see what we’re doing numerically that other coordinators can see and try to take advantage of it. We made sure we changed those things and also really watch our cut-ups and see what we’re executing at a high level, what we need to do more of and what we need to stay away from to put our kids in the best position possible.”

On the hunger for the team’s first win…

“I think our team is very, very hungry for a win as we stand up here and just keep working. It’s one thing to stay the course and do the things that we’re asking them to do. It’s a whole other thing to get the rewards in the locker room for all of their hard work. Not just during the football season but dating back to spring ball and all of the summer workouts. I want so badly for us to put it together, play our kind of football and come out victorious this Saturday.”

On standouts from practice this week…

“If I were to pick anyone on both sides of the ball, it would be JoVoni Johnson on offense and on defense it would be Tre’shon Devones. But, there’s a lot of guys that are continuing to step up and earn more playing time. Those are two that really stood out, I think, to anybody that watched.”

On the things the coaches addressed during the bye week…

“There’s some things, personnel grouping-wise, where we feel like we were becoming too one-sided. I think when you have two backs on the field and three tight ends, you’re probably going to run it more than you throw it but maybe there’s a way we can find more play passes there. The same thing is true when we’re in ten personnel with four wide receivers on the field or 11 personnel. We need to find a little more balance in running the ball. Those are just things that are always good to see. We do, do it week to week, so we know about them, but there were a couple of them that were glaring that we’re going to try to address.”

From RB Aston Walter

On the energy around the team this week …

“We had a lot of great practices from young guys to older guys and a lot of good reputation. The energy is probably the best that has been — not saying that the other weeks haven’t had this energy — but during this bye week was amazing. And I think even yesterday during practice, you can just see that everybody’s locked in, focused, engaged, really excited to do see what we can do this week going forward, just go out there and compete and try to get that first win.”

From DE Trey Schuman

On what the front seven is hoping to improve…

“Getting to the quarterback. It’s no surprise. We don’t have the sacks and the production in the pass game that we want to and we want to be able to work well with the back end to stop the quarterback and stop them on third downs. Because we feel like as a defense, our third down efficiency is below par right now. And so for the front, it was really just getting to the quarterback just perfecting your pass rush game, knowing where he’s at, staying aware — because with this UTSA game, especially they got a guy who can run — so getting back there and making sure to keep him inside. It’s going to be on us. So we gotta handle that.”

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

Recent Posts

Rice Football: Week 2 Wake Forest Press Conference quotes

By

Rice Football suffered a close loss to Army, but Mike Bloomgren and the Owls are looking forward to getting another shot against Wake Forest in Week 2.

One week down and 11 more to go. Rice Football is ready to move on from their Week 1 loss as they prepare for a rematch with Wake Forest. Hear from coach Mike Bloomgren and a few of the Owls’ players as they recap the loss and look forward to Week 2.

From Mike Bloomgren

On the offensive philosophy against Army…

“Offensively, going into the game, I wanted to match their style of play. I didn’t want them to be able to hold the ball for 40 minutes. I wanted to be able to have a pretty even time of possession, which, at the end of the third quarter it was really close. I wanted to have a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter by taking them to deep water. That’s exactly what we had. We had a drive to go down and score. I told the team this, I had no intention of kicking an extra point. We were going to go for two because we were there to win the game. ”

On kicker Will Harrison…

“In college football, when you line up to kick them, they have to go through the pipes. That’s the kicker’s job. I had a good conversation with Will Harrison. Our team has his back. We’re trying to get him to do his job and be confident that he can do his job. We’re really trying to get his confidence back so he can be the kicker that we know he can be this week. We’re going to need it.”

On preparing for Wake Forest…

“They’re a unique offense with what they do. It’s a great challenge for our guys. The other thing that’s going to be a great challenge is that I heard it’s going to be Houston Hot on Friday. They’re saying 102 degrees. So we’re going to prepare for that as well. We got the advantage we can go out in it and get ready for that. So we’re going to go out in it today and tomorrow and we’re going to be battle-tested.”

On how the offense changes against Wake Forest…

“In the flow of a normal game, we’re going to have more possessions. Maybe we’ll throw a ball on possession-and-10, the first play of a drive, which we did zero times on Friday night on purpose. We’ll have more opportunities and, hopefully, find more of a rhythm. But, we have to make the most of every opportunity in the passing game.”

From Nahshon Ellerbe

On fullback Reagan Williams…

“I call him Moses because he just parts the defense on every play.”

From Antonio Montero

On the transition from practice to stopping Army on the field…

“The speed of the game didn’t feel much different, comparing Army to our scout teams. That’s a testament to how Coach Svoboda had them prepared, the effort they put into practice.”

On the confidence level of the team…

“Playing a really good team like Army, playing them that close shows that we can play with anybody. So obviously, I’m incredibly optimistic about that too. And now we have another really good challenge coming up in Wake Forest and I think we can do, if not the same, even beat Wake Forest.”

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

Recent Posts