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Rice Football 2019: Quarterbacks, redshirts and UTEP practice notes 🔒

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Rice football wants to close out its 2019 season on a high note. The Owls haven’t slowed down as the work through Thanksgiving week to prepare for UTEP.

It’s hard to believe we’ve almost reached the end of the Rice football regular season. Be sure to check out the game preview and this week’s podcast. Here are some of the most notable takeaways from practice this week.

Development of the offense and game-planning for the second half

The emergence of Bradley Rozner has been crucial over the last month of the season. Being able to throw the ball up to him on third down and watch him win one-on-one battles has changed the Rice offense. “[Rozner has] really given our offense another threat that we didn’t really know we had early,” wide receivers coach Mike Kershaw admitted. “[Rozner has] really helped us … stretch the ball down the field, flip the field.”

Rozner’s growth has been a boon to the rest of the receiving corps as well. Austin Trammell had more than six receptions for just the second time this season in the win over North Texas, including a wide-open 31-yard gain on third down in the second half.

The Roost Podcast | Episode 19 — North Texas recap and UTEP Preview

Trammell has noticed the added space, saying “It’s nice having more options and be able to make plays down the field.” Even still, the team captain has higher aspirations for himself and this offense. “We just can’t get complacent,” he said of the second half scoring droughts, which by the time the team takes the field against UTEP, will have grown to 35 days without a point scored after halftime.

As for new wrinkles, we might see against UTEP, the speed of Zane Knipe should get more opportunities to flash. Kershaw called him “a different type of weapon,” adding that, “that’s rare to have a guy that has that type of speed [at Rice].”

Quarterback

Bloomgren confirmed during his Tuesday press conference that Tom Stewart would remain the starter for the final week of the regular season. He has taken the majority of the reps with the first team early in the week and performed well. His deep ball continues to be an asset to his game and he’s proven comfortable in the offense.

As good as Stewart has been, there’s a good chance we still see JoVoni Johnson on Saturday. The reps Stewart hasn’t gotten with the one’s have been held for Johnson, who’s worked primarily with a read-option and more run-centric packages.

The running game with Johnson seemed to be the best thing the offense had going for it before the bye. Instituting some of those plays, particularly during any second half stalls could be extremely beneficial. Two quarterbacks shouldn’t be the norm, and I think Bloomgren and his staff will be judicious about how and when they employ their second signal caller against UTEP. They’ve had plenty of learning opportunities.

Redshirt watch

Rice has already begun to shuffle in some of their younger players as the season has progressed. There wasn’t a sudden deluge of new faces when Rice reached the last four games of the year, rather the staff has done a good job of getting many of the freshmen experience in meaningful moments.

These players have played in their allotted four games. I wouldn’t expect we see any of them on Saturday: Jacob Grams, Kebreyun Page, Cole Garcia, Josh Pearcy, Joshua Landrum, Miles McCord, and Brandt Peterson.

Black Friday

As for those who have played in fewer than four games, there should be several players who get into the game in some form or fashion.

On offense, keep an eye on the aforementioned JoVoni Johnson as well as running back Juma Otoviano (game time decision), wide receiver Zane Knipe and walk-on offensive lineman Isaac Klarkowski. On defense, Chike Anigbogu and Izeya Floyd were both singled out by members of the coaching staff this week as players who could see bigger roles.

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Rice Football 2019: North Texas practice notes and injury updates 🔒

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Rice Football has put the finishing touches on their prep for North Texas. Injuries, game plan updates and more from a busy week of practice at South Main.

Bloomgren has already compartmentalized the Middle Tennessee win and turned his attention to North Texas. He received more than 200 text messages in the hours following the big win, culling the tally of unread messages to 102 by midweek. Rex Ryan, who visited with the team during the bye week, was one of those congratulators, which included several people that have been encouraging Bloomgren every step of the way.

Needless to say, it was a fun week for Rice football. Coming off their first win of the 2019 season, the team was energized and working hard to turn the single victory into a winning streak. As they prepared for North Texas, head coach Mike Bloomgren and the staff remained focused.

“The validation for me is not going to come from winning one football game. So many of the things we’re doing are already validating it,” Bloomgren said. “To win the one this week, which is the only thing that we have that we can control, is everything… that’s where all of our focus is.”

Offensive notes

It wouldn’t be another week of practice without some notes to pass along on the quarterback position. This week, the picture looks as clear as it has in quite some time.

Tom Stewart will start. He played extremely well against Middle Tennessee, proving he has what it takes to lead this offense, assuming his back cooperates. The backup spot is a bit less clear, but as of it now it appears JoVoni Johnson will not be close enough to 100 percent to go. Depending on how he feels on Saturday and the situation in the game, it’s most likely Evan Marshman will be the acting No. 2 against North Texas. With one game left to maintain his redshirt status, the staff is unlikely to roll out a limited Johnson.

The Roost Podcast | MTSU Review and North Texas Preview

We could see Marshman in some form or fashion even if Stewart is good to go for the duration of Saturday’s contest. He still has a few special packages in place. I do feel confident in saying there will be some sort of change-of-pace pairing. We saw Juma Otoviano run some wildcat quarterback in recent weeks. There are a few players who could fill that role on Saturday, Marshman included.

As for the skill position players, it was nice to see Zane Knipe get involved with a 12-yard carry against Middle Tennessee. Knipe said this week “It feels good to finally contribute, to finally be able to be out there with my brothers.” We’ll see his role grow as he returns to form and is worked into the system.

Defensive notes

The most notable change to the depth chart this week is at corner where true freshman Tre’shon Devones has won the starting job over Andrew Bird. Devones got the start last week in Bird’s return to the field after injury. Bird did have an interception prior to halftime, but Devones did more than enough to claim the starting spot, including a forced fumble on the first play of the game.

“He’s just done a phenomenal job,” Bloomgren said of Devones. “He’s an uber-talented kid and he’s taken advantage of every opportunity.” With Devones, Thornton and Bird, Rice has three corners they trust to a great degree. Jason White and Josh Landrum have looked good in spots as well. The position as a whole has taken a significant step forward from last year to this year.

Injuries

As will be the case with JoVoni Johnson, running back Juma Otoviano seems like a long shot to play Saturday. Otoviano has one game left to retain his redshirt status and is dealing with a lower body injury, too. He’ll more than likely be held out one more game to get him as healthy as possible before ending his season at UTEP.

Game Preview: Rice Football vs North Texas

On the other side of the ball, edge rusher Anthony Ekpe has progressed a fair amount this week. After doing individual drills last week, he’s been gradually eased back into the defense. He’ll be a true game-time decision on Saturday after being doubtful for the last several weeks. His fellow lineman Trey Schuman is less fortunate. He will not play against North Texas.

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Rice Football: Offense explodes as Owls knock off Middle Tennessee

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An explosive offense, stingy defense and strong special teams performance propelled Rice Football to their first win of the 2019 season.

Rice football had come close too many times to count. Staring down the barrel of an 0-10 start, the Owls turned in a complete game. On the road, against an unfamiliar opponent, Rice won. No points scored after halftime is concerning, but the season-high 31 points was absolutely a step in the right direction.

There will be plenty of good (and some bad) to work through in the days that follow. Here are a few immediate reactions from the win:

1. Boom!  goes the offense

A lack of explosive plays had put a hard ceiling on Rice offense all season. The Owls have been forced to execute at an unsustainable rate to simply stay on the field. As a result, way too many of their drives have ended in either punts or long field goals. Rice needed someone to jump-start the offense. On Saturday, Bradley Rozner delivered.

It started out with a big play, a 30-yard toss from quarterback Tom Stewart to Rozner in the endzone. One. Then the same duo connected for a second score, this time from 18 yards out. Two. With 14 seconds remaining in the first half and no timeouts, Rozner hauled in another one. Three.

Rozner, who led all of junior college in touchdowns last season, more than doubled his D1 touchdown tally against Middle Tennessee. That might have been enough on its own, but several others joined in the offensive explosion.

Juma Otoviano had a season-high 20 carries, several on direct snaps including a fourth-down conversion that set up one of Rozner’s long touchdown receptions. Zane Knipe joined the fray with his first career carry, a 12-yard end-around for another Rice first-down. Aston Walter iced the game with a thundering 24-yard run on third and 11 in the final minutes.

Seem like a lot? That’s because Rice hadn’t scored 30 points since August 25, 2019 — a walk-off win over Prairie View A&M in Mike Bloomgren’s head coaching debut. Here are each of the scoring plays:

2. Defense paves the way, then hangs on

The offense will get plenty of praise for their dazzling showing after two consecutive games with just one touchdown. As impressive and exciting as Stewart and company were with the football, it was the defense that set them up for success.

Middle Tennessee managed 40 yards of total offense in the first quarter. They had one first down and went 1-for-4 on third downs. As a result, the Rice offense began their scoring drives on the Middle Tennesse 24-yard line, the Rice 47-yard line and midfield. The longest Rice scoring drive of the day went 53 yards.

It wasn’t a perfect performance. MTSU’s first touchdown came on a drive in which the Owls committed three penalties on what could have been driving-ending plays, including a fourth down stop in the redzone. They also gave up a 90-yard bomb from O’Hara to Lee. Despite the warts, they gave the offense a chance, and they took advantage of it.

Middle Tennessee entered the weekend as the No. 1 rushing offense in Conference USA. Dual-threat quarterback Asher O’Hara was kept in check on the ground as the Blue Raiders were held to 120 yards rushing. They came into the game averaging 222 yards on the ground in conference play.

Blaze Alldredge tied Larry Izo’s TFL record, upping his tally to 17 tackles for a loss on the season.

3. A complete game

The offense played well. The defense played well. So did the special teams.

Chris Barnes hit a career-long 42-yard field goal to open the scoring for the Owls in the first quarter. His punting partner Adam Nunez came on and pinpointed a punt inside the 10-yard line, his ninth such kick of the season. Barnes later punned MTSU inside the five.

Nahshon Ellerbe had a career-long 37-yard kickoff return in the second quarter. Following an MTSU score, he had a 34-yard return which set up the final Rice touchdown of the first half. For perhaps the first time all season, all three phases played quality football. As a result, Rice football won its first game.

4. No JoVoni, No problem

The difference between the Rice offense under Tom Stewart compared to the same unit with JoVoni Johnson on the field could not have been any more clear after the team’s last outing against Marshall. When Johnson was in the game, the Owls marched down the field. When Stewart stepped in, the offense stalled, immediately.

Were it not for Johnson’s injury, the freshman signal-caller would have probably gotten the start against Middle Tennessee. With Johnson unable to go, Stewart got the call.

Stewart’s biggest plays were touchdowns hauled in by Rozner in which the quarterback threw it up and let the 6-foot-5 wideout make a play. To Stewart’s credit, the balls were well placed. Stewart isn’t the long-term answer for Rice football — he has two more games of collegiate eligibility — but the rush to get Johnson back on the field will lessen this week. The Owls know they have someone who can run the offense well in his place.

5. Winners win

Sludging through an 0-9 start puts the Owls’ Week 12 win over Middle Tennessee into proper perspective. We’ve seen this team play down to their competition; unfortunately, that’s happened more than Rice football fans would like. But now we’ve seen the upside, and oh boy, it’s nice.

In 2018 Rice beat 5-6 Prairie View and 4-8 Old Dominion. On Saturday they beat a Middle Tennessee squad that had scored 70 points in its previous two conference games and already had a win over Marshall under their belt.

There’s no debating it, this was the most impressive, most impactful victory in the history of the Mike Bloomgren era. This staff hadn’t won away from the confines of Rice Stadium. Now they have. After many had thrown in the towel on what had become a disappointing season, this team kept fighting, found a way to take a team to deep water in the fourth quarter. More importantly than any cliche, they won.

The Owls still have to prove they can replicate the product they put on the field this weekend, but it’s clear they’ve gotten over the hump. North Texas will be a tough test with a road trip to El Paso the week after that. But now we know — and this team knows — Rice football can win.

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Rice Football 2019 Game Preview: Owls vs Wake Forest

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Rice Football returns to Houston for their 2019 home opener against Wake Forest. How to watch, stats to know, x-factor picks for both teams and more.

A 1-0 start for Wake Forest and an 0-1 start for Rice were both results of games that came down to the final minutes. Neither team faced a deficit larger than seven points in their first game the difference was what each squad was able to accomplish when the clock ticked under two minutes.

Rice quarterback Wiley Green saw his fourth down pass fall to the ground incomplete. Wake Forest’s Jamie Newman found Kendall Hinton in the endzone on fourth down for the go-ahead score.

The Owls feel like their Week 1 loss to Army was a winnable game which got away from them. Here’s how they stack up with their Week 2 opponent, Wake Forest.

Broadcast Info

Kickoff time | 7:00 PM CT
Venu | Rice Stadium – Houston, Tx
TV | CBS Sports Network
Radio | Sports Map 94.1 (FM) / Stretch Internet (Online)
Streaming | CBSSN Online

Audio Preview

Episode 6 of The Roost Podcast is live. 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.) This week Carter and I broke down the good and the bad from the Army game then moved on to Week 2, discussing how Rice matches up with Wake Forest.

Sizing up the contenders

A year ago these teams didn’t look to belong on the same field. Wake Forest rolled at home, winning 56-24 behind the dangerous combination of quarterback Sam Hartman and wide receiver Greg Dortch. That duo combined for four touchdowns in the rout, but neither will be in the starting lineup against Rice on Friday. Dortch has moved on. Hartman was beat out for the starting job this fall.

The 2019 versions of these teams look slightly different. The Rice defense looked aggressive in their opener against Army while their offense stalled. On the other sideline, Wake Forest had a hard time getting off the field against Utah State, but overcame those deficiencies with a surplus of offensive firepower.

This matchup will pair strength against strength (Rice defense vs Wake Forest offense) and weakness against weakness (Rice offense vs Wake Forest defense).

Series History

All Time | Series tied 1-1
Last Five | Series tied 1-1
Last Meeting | Wake Forest won at Wake Forest 56-24 in 2018

Rice Stat Notables

Passing | Green – 7/14 (50 percent), 62 yards passing, 0 TD, 0 INT
Rushing | Ellerbe – 9 carries, 103 yards (11.4 yards per carry), 1 TD
Receiving | Trammell – 4 receptions, 40 yards (10 yards per reception)
Tackles | Montero – 11
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | N/A

Wake Forest Stat Notables

Passing | Newman – 34/47 (72.3 percent), 401 yards passing, 3 TD, 0 INT
Rushing | Carney – 25 carries, 105 yards (4.2 yards per carry)
Receiving | Surrat – 7 receptions, 158 yards (22.6 yards per reception), 1 TD
Tackles | Strnad – 12
Pass Breakups/Interceptions | Henderson, Strnad, Rucker – Tied with 1

Wake Forest X-Factor | The ground game

Quarterback Jamie Newman is not a traditional pocket passer. He has a good arm, but he’ll try to attack the Owls on the ground too, along with lead running back Cade Carney. That duo combined for 46 carries, 141 rushing yards and a touchdown in their Week 1 win over Utah State.

Stopping the run was a strength of the Rice defense a year ago and the notable bright spot of their Week 1 game against Army. That will make setting the tone in the trenches a necessity for the Owls in Week 2. If Rice can hold their own up front, they’ll limit force Wake Forest to be more one-dimensional, allowing the safeties to spend more time helping in pass coverage than plugging holes at the line of scrimmage.

Rice X-Factor | Corner play

This will be the first true test for a Rice secondary of the season. Army quarterback Kelvin Hopkins attempted just eight passes, but the lone touchdown came on a critical fourth quarter drive with no defender in the vicinity of the wideout who snagged what would be the game-winning touchdown.

Rice has had strong safety play, highlighted by the swarming defense of Treshawn Chamberlain and the intensity of George Nyakwol. The corners are unproven. Corners Andrew Bird, D’Angelo Ellis, Tyrae Thornton, Josh Landrum and Tre’shon Devones saw action against Army and should all be in the mix against Wake Forest.

The Demon Deacons are going to throw the ball around the yard, something they succeeded in against the Owls last year. If the corner play doesn’t show improvement, the Rice offense is going to be tasked with digging out of a sizable hole.

Injury Report

A detailed injury update is available in our Sunday practice update. Further updates will be provided here as the week progresses. Here’s a quick synopsis.

Running back Juma Otoviano underwent a procedure and will be out for the foreseeable future. Given the depth in the backfield and the uncertainty of his recovery timetable, he could be a candidate to redshirt this season, possibly playing in a few games down the stretch.

Both running back Charlie Booker and wide receiver Zane Knipe were last minute scratches against Army, but both could have gone if the situation warranted it. Barring a set back during the week, it’s possible both play against Wake Forest.

Kicker Zack Hoban is out of his boot but not yet kicking in practice. His status for Friday’s game is unknown.

Need More?

The Roost’s 2019 Rice Football Season Preview has four pages dedicated to every opponent the Owls face. There are depth chart, important new arrivals and depth chart breakdowns for each foe. 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 Wake Forest.

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 players attempt a pass for Rice?
    (Over 1.5 / Under 1.5)
  2. Which team will have more rushing yards?
    (Rice / Wake Forest)
  3. Which happens first – Rice touchdown or Rice forces a turnover?
    (Touchdown / Turnover)
  4. How many sacks will the Rice defense get?
    (Over 2.5 / Under 2.5)
  5. Who is leading at the end of Q1?
    (Wake Forest / Rice or Tied)
  6. Who wins?
    (Rice / Wake Forest)

One Final Thing

There was plenty of good and bad to take away from the Owls’ Week 1 loss against Army, but it was just one game. The sample size is too small to draw too many meaningful conclusions. That’s what makes this next game all the more important. Rice can either solidify concerns leftover from their season-opening defeat or they can alleviate the worry with a strong showing in Week 2.

Wake Forest is a good football team, another quality opponent in a challenging non-conference slate. Rice showed their competitive spark against Army, now it’s time to see if they can get all phases working together at the same time. At this point in the season, it’s hard to be sure exactly what this team is going to be but the first impression was overwhelmingly positive.

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Rice Football: New wide receivers hope to make their mark in 2019

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The Rice Football receiving corps is one of the biggest unknowns the Owls face entering 2019. Can the new faces rise to the challenge?

Nebulous might be the most appropriate word to describe the Rice football receiving corps entering the 2019 season.

There are a few things we do know. Austin Trammell will once again be the leader in the room and contend for the team leading in receptions. There will be a quarterback to get them the football.

But for every certainty, there are more questions. Who will fill the void left by Austin Walter and Aaron Cephus? Can the offense stretch the field and utilize the deep ball? How many players are trustworthy enough to be regular members of the rotation?

The answers to all of those questions lay in a collection of pass catchers who, outside of Trammell, have yet to play meaningful Division 1 football. Bradley Rozner, August Pitre III and Zane Knipe have practiced primarily with the first team during fall camp. That trio has combined for zero catches at Rice.

Rice Football

**Chart taken from 2019 Rice Football Season Preview**

But, and there’s a rather significant but, the lack of proven production doesn’t mean the outlook for 2019 is dismal, just uncertain.

Rozner led all Junior College players last season with 13 touchdown receptions. August Pitre might have the best vertical reach on the team, something Rice will utilize heavily in the redzone. As for Knipe, Bloomgren himself said the freshman “moves at a different speed than most humans.” Unproven, but intriguing.

Getting on the same page

Despite the growing pains the offense experienced during the spring and into fall camp, quarterback Wiley Green says he isn’t concerned with the wide receiver room at all. “You can just go across the board in the receiver room, and everybody stepped up,” Green relayed, “From a quarterback standpoint makes it really easy for us. We can spread the ball out wherever we want to.”

Green didn’t emerge as the starter until late last fall, meaning that unless a player was on the scout team last August, they had little time to work with Green and develop that rhythm. Pitre and Rozner were both with the team during the spring, gaining meaningful reps with Green prior to camp.

Rozner has benefited from that extra time as much, if not more so, than anyone else. When he left the JUCO ranks to come to Rice he was handed the additional challenge of learning a new offense. The Owls’ scheme is complex, with plenty of verbiage that at times sounds like a foreign language. Several months into his studies, things are beginning to come together.

“As an offense, we definitely improved from the spring,” Rozner expressed. “I think it’s easy to see that we’re definitely more physical up front and moving the ball down the field.”

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Not so secret weapons

The emergence of two talented freshmen has driven the uptick in offensive production. Jake Bailey was a highly regarded member of the 2019 recruiting class, the highest ranked player according to 247 Sports who had signed with Rice during the Mike Bloomgren era.

Zane Knipe might have had fewer accolades, but this high school track star was highly regarded by the staff during the recruiting process. Once he got to campus, those expectations were realized quickly.

Knipe started working with the first team on the very first day of fall camp. Bailey was mixed in over the next two weeks. Both players have speed and athleticism and the ability to kick things into an extra gear, turning 5-yard gains into big plays.

Rozner, who’s assumed one of the starting jobs on the outside, can’t believe how impactful the young duo has been thus far. “[Bailey is] so quick, the way he can get in and out of cuts and Zane [Knipe], he can just fly down the field so fast. They’re both insane.”

Then there are guys like Rhett Cardwell and Chris Boudreaux who have had their moments during camp. Each should be a reliable depth piece for the Owls in 2019.

None of those preseason reps will matter as much as the snaps each of these receivers will take this fall. For now, everyone will do their best to refine their craft and increase their understanding of the offense. Rice has options, but they’ll need answers when the time comes to take on Army on August 30.

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