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Mike Bloomgren talks about finishing strong, Old Dominion press conference notes

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Rice football had the chance to go up against an SEC foe in Week 12. The team learned a lot, but now they look ahead to Old Dominion and the last game of the 2018 season.

Mike Bloomgren on the team’s performance against LSU

They stood toe to toe with those guys and they hit, and they hit, and they hit. I thought it was a physical football game.

Bloomgren on the upcoming game against Old Dominion

It’s going to be a great challenge for us. We know it’s going to be a four quarter battle. We want it to be a four quarter battle. We’ve got to get it to deep water and give our guys a chance to win this game. If we can play like we’re capable of on O and D and let special teams be the difference for us we’re going to be happy with those results.

Bloomgren on how big a win would be this weekend

For my sanity, it would be huge. For the direction of the program, it would be a big boost in recruiting. I think winning this football game would mean a lot to this program…It’s a constant battle of doing the things you win football games, preparing the right way. We always use the word process around here.

Bloomgren on his confidence in the program

I am disappointed that our record wasn’t better for these kids. I am not wavering in our belief that we’re going to get it done. We’re going to play in bowl games and we’re going to win championships here.

Captain Zach Abercrumbia on the significance of a win over ODU

Faith is believing in things unseen. Right now we’re holding onto the faith that we’re making progress. And we are… but to get a win would finally get us something tangible to hold on to.

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Defensive back Kirk Lockhart commits to Owls

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The 2019 Rice football recruiting class continues to pick up steam, this time with the commitment of Cedar Hill defensive back Kirk Lockhart.

More: Complete list of 2019 Rice football commits after the early signing period

As the early signing period approaches the only thing better than one commitment is two. Safety Hunter Henry made his pledge Sunday. The Owls got another commit on Monday. Rice doesn’t intend to fill every spot in their 2019 recruiting class by mid-December, but getting some key pieces in early will go a long way toward building momentum for the stretch run into National Signing Day.

The latest addition to the 2019 Rice football recruiting class was Cedar Hill safety Kirk Lockhart from Cedar Hill High School. His teammate, defensive back Josh Landrum is also on the Owls radar.

Rice had 10 members in their 2019 class before Lockhart made his commitment. That number now sits at 11 meaning the Owls are likely about halfway through a haul that could be rather sizable for head coach Mike Bloomgren’s first complete class after taking over the job last winter.

Lockhart had offers from East Texas Baptist and Carroll College. His offer list isn’t very long, a fact that is somewhat surprising giving the intensity and aggression he plays with on the defensive side of the ball. He flies to the ball quickly and makes tackles — something that Owls’ fans have learned not to take for granted this season.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound safety plays like he was shot out of a cannon. He knows where the ball is at all times and puts himself in position to make a play, whether that’s in the air or taking a player to the ground himself.

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Safety Hunter Henry commits to Owls

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The 2019 Rice football recruiting class just picked up an important addition. Safety Hunter Henry has committed to the Owls.

More: Complete list of 2019 Rice football commits after the early signing period

It seemed like only a matter of time before Lake Travis safety Hunter Henry made it official and committed to Rice. He was on campus this summer and loved the experience. He was back for the Owls’ game against UTEP and although the result wasn’t what he’d hoped for, he saw an opportunity to contribute.

247 Sports tabbed Henry as a 3-star recruit and the No. 269 player in the state of Texas. At the time he committed to Rice he had offers to play for Texas State, Princeton, Liberty and Houston Baptist. Rice has long been considered a leader in his recruitment and now he’s pulled the trigger and decided to be an Owl.

Henry is a hard-hitting safety that plays with physicality from all areas of the field. He’s already bought into the Intellectual Brutality culture and loves what this coaching staff is building at South Main. It finally got to the point where he couldn’t wait any longer, making the decision midweek following the UTEP game to tell the staff he was all in.

The Owls’ secondary doesn’t have a ton of depth, making the commitment of Henry a huge get for the 2019 class. More should follow. Expect this coaching staff to add to the back end of the defense with a few more key recruits before the class is finished.

Henry checks in at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds — plenty of power that comes in from center field in a hurry. It doesn’t take much more than a cursory look over his film to understand what the staff loves about Henry as a prospect. He’ll be hitting ballcarriers wearing the blue and grey soon enough.

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Why playing the blue bloods matters

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Rice football fell 42-10 in Death Valley to LSU in Week 11, but a score doesn’t accurately convey how meaningful this game was to this program.

Optically a 30+ point defeat doesn’t look good in a box score. Rice was outgained on the ground and through the air. The defense bent and bent some more. In the midst of what ended up becoming a one-sided affair, this team grew up.

Trailing by multiple touchdowns from the first quarter on, Rice fought. “In this world where it’s so easy to hit the reset button and to just quit, I don’t think you say any of our guys quit today,” said head coach Mike Bloomgren after the game, “I thought you saw them fight until the scoreboard said 0:00.”

As alluded to in the initial postgame reaction, playing the best teams makes you better. Against LSU, Rice had to play faster, hit harder and be more aggressive than they’d been at any point this season. Leaving Tiger Stadium with a loss is indicative of more work that needs to be done, but senior running back Aston Walter said the team was glad to have this chance.

“It was a great experience,” relayed Walter, “I feel like I got better this game, I fell like a lot of my teammates got better this game. It was good to say we played one of the top 10 teams in the country.” Their resolve was tested. Nevertheless, tucked away in a one-sided affair on the scoreboard were moments that individuals on this team will remember forever.

Freshman running back Juma Otoviano scored his first career touchdown. Hayden Tobola drilled a 51-yard field goal. Senior punter Jack Fox silenced the crowd with a booming kick, scampering down the field to make the tackle on his first punt of the day. All on one of the nation’s biggest stages against one of the nation’s best teams.

Fox called the moment “indescribable” and Walter echoed it, speaking positively about the trial-by-fire moment that forced he and his teammates to grow up quickly. Both players and Mike Bloomgren shared a crystal clear message. Winning and losing is what matters the most at the end of the day, but getting a chance to go 10 rounds with the best of the best is an unforgettable experience. One that, if you let it, impacts how you play your game moving forward.

The Owls are hoping they can harness those feelings and produce one more win next Saturday at home against Old Dominion.

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Owls’ offense snuffed out at Death Valley by LSU Tigers

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Rice football wrapped up their 2018 road schedule against LSU in Week 12, falling to the Tigers by a final score of 42-10 in Death Valley.

Few teams walk into Tiger Stadium and leave with a victory. Rice knew staying with LSU was going to be a challenge, but they hung in the ring with the Tigers and made them go the distance. LSU jumped out to a 28-3 halftime lead before coasting to victory.

Nobody likes losing, especially by a large margin, but the test makes the team better. Now, a few quick reactions from the loss:

1. Marquee games against brand-name opponents are good for this team

The loss marks the 11th defeat for Rice this season and their seventh consecutive loss to LSU. As an aside and irrespective of the final score, Rice football needs to keep playing these games. The atmosphere of playing in Death Valley is one of the premier experiences in all of college football and getting the chance to step into Tiger Stadium and be a part of that moment was a special experience for these players.

Rice was a heavy underdog, but they Owls fought, and the test provided by one of the premier teams in this sport will pay off for down the road. This game is more than a nice paycheck for the university, it’s a chance to see how you measure up against the best of the best. Rice has a long way to go, that’s clear, but now they know exactly what they’re up against.

2. Joe Burrow has strong outing against up and down Rice secondary

Joe Burrow made waves this summer when he transferred from Ohio State to LSU. The former blue-chip quarterback recruit was viewed as the last piece the Tigers needed to get over the hump and return to National Championship contention.

Through his first 10 games the returns were mixed. Entering the Rice game, Burrow ranked 13th in the SEC with a 54.8 completion percentage. His 14 pass plays of 30+ yards were just one more than the Owls’ 13 such plays.

Burrow was sharp against Rice. The Owls were forced to respect the speed on the outside and generally erred on the side of caution when it came to pressure at the line of scrimmage. The results were relatively clean throwing lanes for Burrow who didn’t miss. He completed 20 of 28 passes for 307 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Owls nearly had an interception, but it was taken off the board on an offsides call. Coverage down the field kept the ball in front of them with the exception of a few deep throws delivered perfectly by Burrow (one of which was ruled incomplete). Those have plagued the Owls all season and made an otherwise decent night in the secondary rather dour.

3. Prudy Calderon is already a difference maker

LSU brought in Jontre Kirklin to run a Wildcat package on their second possession of the game. Dylan Silcox brought him down after a short gain and ripped the ball out, Calderon was there to pounce on it and give the Owls possession and their 10th fumble recovery of the season.

Calderon has four interceptions in his last five games. He came close to adding another against LSU, but a diving attempt in the second quarter came up just short. Midway through the third quarter he picked up a pass break up, turning LSU away on third down.

The fumble recovery, pass break up, and three tackles were the only items on the stat sheet for Calderon on Saturday, but the impact he has on this team from the safety position has been huge. Teams don’t beat him over the top. When they try to go short, he’s there to make the tackle and deliver a big hit.

Calderon is a true freshman. He’s going to be a fixture on this defense for years to come and instrumental in turning this unit around in the coming seasons.

4. The Rice rushing attack remains a work in progress

By Mike Bloomgren’s own admission, the Rice offense is meant to be a run-first attack. The Owls have struggled on the ground over the last month and knew they’d be up for a challenge against LSU, the 30th-best run defense in the nation.  That expectation became a reality as crowded boxes dared Rice to throw the ball or face short pickups at the line of scrimmage.

Rice was held to -4 yards on the ground in the first quarter. Excluding sacks, that number marginally improves to 11 yards on six Aston Walter carries. Running for less than two yards a clip isn’t going to cut it for a run-first offense, but that’s part of the battle that comes with playing a defense with as much talent and speed as LSU.

Through four quarters, the rushing numbers did not improve. It didn’t matter who had the rock, it was tough sledding. Rice tallied 97 yards on 43 carries, good for 2.3 yards per carry.

It’s worth noting that Rice brought in the jumbo package needing one yard or less to convert on three separate occasions. They converted on all three occasions against one of the most physical defensive fronts in the country.

That’s been the theme of the season thus far, too much in the way of mixed results. The Rice coaching staff has done a decent enough job using things like the Wildcat package with Juma Otoviano and gadget plays with D’Angelo Ellis to jump-start the rushing attack, but the results haven’t been where they need to be.

5. On to Old Dominion

It’s been a long season filled with highs and more lows than Rice fans would have wished for — and just like that, it’s almost over. Rice hosts Old Dominion next weekend in the Owls’ 13th and final game of 2018. Head coach Mike Bloomgren is still looking for his first conference win, giving this team plenty to play for in their last contest.

A win against Old Dominion wouldn’t make up for several near-misses that could have given the Owls another win or two, but it would be evidence that the Owls are headed in the right direction.

As Bloomgren himself would say, it’s time for the team to put this one behind them and move on. The results weren’t what this team was looking for but the process continues on. Overmatched on several fronts against LSU, this team demonstrated the fight and the willingness to compete that fans have been waiting for all year.

Rice has one more chance to scratch across a win.

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