celticdb15
Hall of Famer
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BTW Scott Solomon DT for Rice is out with a broken foot. It looks like an Arab?? Nahim has stepped in to replace him.
2010 Rice Owls
- Thread starter Leonardfan
- Start date
Colonel_Reb
Hall of Famer
Rice's play calling in has been horrific in my opinion. They put McGuffie in, take him out, have the QB running around like a chicken, and are getting further behind. Finally White WR Randy Kitchens catches a TD pass, but they are still 2 TDs down. I think David Beaty needs to work on getting an offensive rhythm going instead of doing all that spastic play calling.
Yeah they just need to stick with Sam and get him in a rhythm. When they had him for every down is when they finally got going to around midfield when the qb took that shot and it bounced out of one Rice receiver to another. Good news is Sam has I think 48 rushing yards and averaging close to 5 ypc So hopefully he can at least duplicate that next half which is pretty good considering the blocking/play calling etc. If they don't keep switching out backs hes more likely to break off a big run and go well over the 100 yard mark.
Edited by: snow
Edited by: snow
The first two playsof the game were for McGuffie...a 4 yard draw play...then from WR spot a 6 yard reverse that had the makings of a big play....had 10 carries for 47 yards; but just lost 10 yards on a run...trying to hit the home run. Tried not to get my hopes up too much knowingRice isa 29pt underdog. I still expectSam a bust a long on..even if it's a dump off pass.
The TD at the end of the half was BIG!
No Scott Solomon on the D-Linehurts Rice...Edited by: TwentyTwo
The TD at the end of the half was BIG!
No Scott Solomon on the D-Linehurts Rice...Edited by: TwentyTwo
celticdb15
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McGuffie really needs to run forward. That bullsh*t is not going to work in college! How about safety Travis Bradshaw?? He already has 9 tackles in this game. He lead the NCAA with 90 solo tackles last year. That is pretty damn impressive, just from watching him today I think he may be one of the best open field tacklers I've ever seen. Not bad for a.. wait for it... Former walk-on.
SuperSpeed23
Guru
The rice defense really has been pretty good. Sam needs to step up now and have some long td runs.
New QB Fanuzzi kept the ball on option and got blasted; should have pitched it toSam...could have been a nice gain!
Not sure why there have not more dump off or screen passes to McGuffie?? Just blocks. Announcer already touting the hard running Smith; saying no offense to Sam but too many backwards plays today. (2 that I counted)
No doubt Bradshaw is a tackling machine! I posted him on the DB thread as one to watch!
Not sure why there have not more dump off or screen passes to McGuffie?? Just blocks. Announcer already touting the hard running Smith; saying no offense to Sam but too many backwards plays today. (2 that I counted)
No doubt Bradshaw is a tackling machine! I posted him on the DB thread as one to watch!
Well now the announcers are saying Sam shouldn't be starting because he
loses yards on too many plays, he lost yards on 2 plays, the rest he did
fine on, and plenty of plays he should have lost yards and got positive
yards out of it. The other guy got stuffed on those types of plays
except for one and they were giving him tons of praise for getting back
to the the line of scrimmage, yet when McGuffie did it this they said
nothing. He needs to take what he can get, but some of those plays he
had no choice as there was no hole.
loses yards on too many plays, he lost yards on 2 plays, the rest he did
fine on, and plenty of plays he should have lost yards and got positive
yards out of it. The other guy got stuffed on those types of plays
except for one and they were giving him tons of praise for getting back
to the the line of scrimmage, yet when McGuffie did it this they said
nothing. He needs to take what he can get, but some of those plays he
had no choice as there was no hole.
Riddlewire
Master
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- 2,570
Just wanted to point out something I have noticed for many years in high school and college football.
Negro defenders will ALWAYS give 120% effort when they see a white runningback carrying the ball. As a unit they will develop tunnel vision and pursue him with more energy than they give on any other play. They will abandon their proper assignments and ignore other offensive players in order to "tackle whitey", even if it means giving up a long play to a receiver on a play action. A smart coach would take advantage of this and include an abnormally large number of fakes to his white runningback instead of offering him up as a sacrifice. More misdirection by Rice could've burned Texas several times today.
Also, I just heard the ESPN drones declare that the black Rice RB has "shown himself to be the starter" or some nonsense to that effect.
Negro defenders will ALWAYS give 120% effort when they see a white runningback carrying the ball. As a unit they will develop tunnel vision and pursue him with more energy than they give on any other play. They will abandon their proper assignments and ignore other offensive players in order to "tackle whitey", even if it means giving up a long play to a receiver on a play action. A smart coach would take advantage of this and include an abnormally large number of fakes to his white runningback instead of offering him up as a sacrifice. More misdirection by Rice could've burned Texas several times today.
Also, I just heard the ESPN drones declare that the black Rice RB has "shown himself to be the starter" or some nonsense to that effect.
whiteathlete33
Hall of Famer
They are giving Sam props now...touting his speed...saying he is going to be a special back; just needs to settle down being his first home game..calling him an internet legend! They just got caught in the moment with the other RB.
Texas is by far the best team Rice will face this season...Edited by: TwentyTwo
Texas is by far the best team Rice will face this season...Edited by: TwentyTwo
I think someone briefly filled the announcer in on who exactly McGuffie was during one of the commercial breaks. He is one of the few white backs that is very popular from high school play (probably the most popular in recent history), he does get a lot of hate but he has tons of fans in Texas. Smith is very average and those fans who are familiar with McGuffie know that he is better, no matter what the announcers say.
They both wound up with around the same ypc, except Sam showed way more ability. He just needs to learn when to try to get something out of nothing and when to just take what you can get. Texas has speed and he wasn't getting good blocking.It was only two plays and he never had a problem with losing yards while he was at Michigan so I am not worried about it. He will be able to do much better against other opponents as the line
play will be on a similar level.
I think part of the problem is most of the top white linemen go to bigger schools, but with the recent trend of sumos, we should see more at smaller schools like Rice. As for right now teams like Rice are just overmatched on the line. Too bad he wasn't on the other team, Texas has a great white line (except for one player). They have a bunch of generic backs yet still didn't offer McGuffie a scholarship. Tre Newton had the same ypc today as McGuffie with great blocking.
Edited by: snow
They both wound up with around the same ypc, except Sam showed way more ability. He just needs to learn when to try to get something out of nothing and when to just take what you can get. Texas has speed and he wasn't getting good blocking.It was only two plays and he never had a problem with losing yards while he was at Michigan so I am not worried about it. He will be able to do much better against other opponents as the line
play will be on a similar level.
I think part of the problem is most of the top white linemen go to bigger schools, but with the recent trend of sumos, we should see more at smaller schools like Rice. As for right now teams like Rice are just overmatched on the line. Too bad he wasn't on the other team, Texas has a great white line (except for one player). They have a bunch of generic backs yet still didn't offer McGuffie a scholarship. Tre Newton had the same ypc today as McGuffie with great blocking.
Edited by: snow
ToughJ.Riggins
Hall of Famer
Snow, you hit the nail on the head with your analysis IMO. After watching the Texas/Rice game this is what I learned:
1. Despite the speed and elite ability of the #5 ranked Texas D, making Rice's offensive lineman look very average- McGuffie showed the most explosive ability of any back on the field for either team IMO- for making something out of nothing- although Whittaker for Texas was a very close second.
2. Tre Newton was a few yards and a cloud of dust for the whole game for the most part- even though he played behind a better o-line than the Rice backs. Put McGuffie behind this line and he probably has an even better "big play game" than Whittaker. Still the clown announcer gave praise to Newton as making a statement to be Texas' starting back and criticizes McGuffie's two negative plays- 3 times- basically saying it's too risky to start him next game. Guff did well other than JUST ONE PLAY I thought, against such an elite team and defense- particularly since Texas barely respected the pass at all.
3. Smith ran pretty tough late in the game, but Texas was basically going into semi-prevent- since they had the lead. In truth, Smith barely looked any more powerful than McGuffie despite having a more stocky frame- and of course he has less speed and MUCH LESS agility and explosive ability. You probably use Smith a bit more than Guff for goal line runs- and probably SLIGHTLY more in third and short though at this point.
4. If I'm the Rice coach I give Sam at least 3/4 of the carries against most defenses. Against defenses like Texas- who have elite speed and cut off all angles, I use Smith or maybe Turner a bit more. However, I can still use the 2 back set and use Guff as a check down receiver on third and short and even occasionally as a short yardage runner- for the element of surprise- since he showed decent tackle breaking ability and looks stronger for sure than he was as a true freshman for Michigan.
5. After this game- I talk to my offensive players and in my chat with McGuffie I say something like this. "Sam, you showed great explosive ability and creativity as a runner. I loved your effort and instincts. On your first negative play, you tried to reverse your field to make the big play against a team we were big underdogs against...I thought that was o.k because you only lost (3 yards?), it may have been worth the risk. However, on your second lost yardage play, you went backwards too far. In a case like this- with this much penetration into the backfield, you lower your shoulder and fight forward and maybe dive forward when hit and just take it as a lost play. Spinning backward off the tackler wasn't a good idea because there were multiple defenders there to clean up- a ten yard loss can really hurt us in a close game later in the year. Against a team like Texas, I think you were trusting your speed too much."
6. As far as the QB situation, unfortunately Fantuzzi may be the best option as a passer at this point, but keep in mind McHughe as an option QB because of his mobility- and keep working with him on his decision making as a passer b/c Fantuzzi is nothing special and ideally could be replaced. Taylor Cook is another guy who should be able to compete with Fantuzzi to be Rice's pocket passer for the time being.
1. Despite the speed and elite ability of the #5 ranked Texas D, making Rice's offensive lineman look very average- McGuffie showed the most explosive ability of any back on the field for either team IMO- for making something out of nothing- although Whittaker for Texas was a very close second.
2. Tre Newton was a few yards and a cloud of dust for the whole game for the most part- even though he played behind a better o-line than the Rice backs. Put McGuffie behind this line and he probably has an even better "big play game" than Whittaker. Still the clown announcer gave praise to Newton as making a statement to be Texas' starting back and criticizes McGuffie's two negative plays- 3 times- basically saying it's too risky to start him next game. Guff did well other than JUST ONE PLAY I thought, against such an elite team and defense- particularly since Texas barely respected the pass at all.
3. Smith ran pretty tough late in the game, but Texas was basically going into semi-prevent- since they had the lead. In truth, Smith barely looked any more powerful than McGuffie despite having a more stocky frame- and of course he has less speed and MUCH LESS agility and explosive ability. You probably use Smith a bit more than Guff for goal line runs- and probably SLIGHTLY more in third and short though at this point.
4. If I'm the Rice coach I give Sam at least 3/4 of the carries against most defenses. Against defenses like Texas- who have elite speed and cut off all angles, I use Smith or maybe Turner a bit more. However, I can still use the 2 back set and use Guff as a check down receiver on third and short and even occasionally as a short yardage runner- for the element of surprise- since he showed decent tackle breaking ability and looks stronger for sure than he was as a true freshman for Michigan.
5. After this game- I talk to my offensive players and in my chat with McGuffie I say something like this. "Sam, you showed great explosive ability and creativity as a runner. I loved your effort and instincts. On your first negative play, you tried to reverse your field to make the big play against a team we were big underdogs against...I thought that was o.k because you only lost (3 yards?), it may have been worth the risk. However, on your second lost yardage play, you went backwards too far. In a case like this- with this much penetration into the backfield, you lower your shoulder and fight forward and maybe dive forward when hit and just take it as a lost play. Spinning backward off the tackler wasn't a good idea because there were multiple defenders there to clean up- a ten yard loss can really hurt us in a close game later in the year. Against a team like Texas, I think you were trusting your speed too much."
6. As far as the QB situation, unfortunately Fantuzzi may be the best option as a passer at this point, but keep in mind McHughe as an option QB because of his mobility- and keep working with him on his decision making as a passer b/c Fantuzzi is nothing special and ideally could be replaced. Taylor Cook is another guy who should be able to compete with Fantuzzi to be Rice's pocket passer for the time being.
sport historian
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McGuffie can't live on the youtube highlights any longer. He has to do it NOW, starting in the next game.
celticdb15
Hall of Famer
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But, yes, McGuffie needs to run north-south and quit giving up ground.
Definitely. For me my favorite back to watch are north\south runners or guys that are good slashers.
Definitely. For me my favorite back to watch are north\south runners or guys that are good slashers.
celticdb15
Hall of Famer
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var author = escape("Staff");
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 13px" =storybyline>By Staff
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 11px" =storybyline>CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Mar 12, 2011</TD>
<TD noWrap>
<DIV =author></TD></TR></T></TABLE>
<DIV ="add_tool add_default_style">http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php...074NXC&pre=http://cfn.scout.com/&tt=0http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php...074NXC&pre=http://cfn.scout.com/&tt=0http://www.blogger.com/blog_this.py.../2/557796.html&n=Rice 2011 Spring Previewhttp://cfn.scout.com/2/557796.html#email-a-friend-windowhttp://cfn.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=10&c=557796&refid=4781| More
<DIV =atclear>
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Rice Owls 2011 ... Head Coach: David Bailiff</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD colSpan=3>
Rice Owls
<TABLE style="WIDTH: 200px; : right" cellPadding=4>
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<TD>
2011 CFN Prediction: 0-0
2011 Record: 0-0
Sep. 3 at Texas
Sep. 10 Purdue
Sep. 17 OPEN DATE
Sep. 24 at Baylor
Oct. 1 at Southern Miss
Oct. 8 Memphis
Oct. 15 at Marshall
Oct. 22 Tulsa
Oct. 29 at Houston
Nov. 5 UTEP
Nov. 12 at Northwestern
Nov. 19 Tulane
Nov. 26 at SMU
2010 CFN Prediction: 3-9
2010 Record: 3-8
Sept. 4 Texas L 34-17
Sept. 11 at North Texas W 33-31
Sept. 18 Northwestern L 20-13
Sept. 25 Baylor L 30-13
Oct. 2 SMU L 42-31
Oct. 9 at UTEP L 44-24
Oct. 16 Houston W 34-31
Oct. 23 at UCF L 41-14
Oct. 30 OPEN DATE
Nov. 6 at Tulsa L 64-27
Nov. 13 at Tulane L 54-49
Nov. 20 East Carolina W 62-38
Nov. 27 UAB
- Get Tickets
</TD></TR></T></TABLE>Spring Practice Begins: March 8
Game: April 9
The early spring buzz ... Now that Taylor McHargue is pretty much cemented as the Owl starting quarterback, the staff feels comfortable moving Taylor Cook out from behind center to tight end. At 6-7, he has the size and athletic ability to be a natural fit in the team's "Giraffe"Â package, which puts receivers in a position to sky above defenders, especially in the red zone. Rice is also moving Vance McDonald from tight end to wide receiver, creating more reps for Luke Willson and giving the offense a set of pass-catchers capable of bullying opposing linebackers and defensive backs.
The big spring question is ... Is there any reason for hope on defense? A perennial stumbling block in Houston, Rice is coming off a season in which it allowed 38 points a game and was 119th nationally against the pass. A shred of hope comes in the form of new defensive coordinator Derrick Jackson and returning DE Scott Solomon. Solomon was forced to sit out all of 2010 with a broken foot, denying the Owls their best pass rusher. He has nine career sacks and next-level potential, providing some much-needed cover for that vulnerable Rice secondary.
The most important position to watch is ... defensive end. Okay, so Solomon is healthy again, but his return is somewhat offset by the graduations of Kramer Lucio and All-Conference USA first teamer Cheta Ozougwu. With Solomon likely to see double-teams and the other team's best pass protector, the Owls will need at least one other pass rusher to generate heat on a consistent basis. The program has high hopes for Cody Bauer and Dylan Klare, who ascended to the second team in his first season on campus and will only get better with more snaps.
Spring attitude... There's legitimate excitement about the offense and trepidation with the D. In other words, a typical year at Rice. The athletic McHargue, versatile backs Sam McGuffie and Jeremy Eddington, and all of those big receivers are going to present major challenges for the rest of Conference USA. However, unless the defense can make some tangible strides toward plugging the holes, the Owls will struggle to reach .500 and earn a postseason game in December.
2010 Offensive Player of the Year "¦ RB Sam McGuffie
2010 Defensive Player of the Year "¦ DE Cheta Ozougwu
The Best Moment Was "¦ Upsetting rival Houston, 34-31, on Oct. 16. At 1-5 at the time, it was especially sweet for an Owl team that had been embarrassed a year earlier in this game, 73-14.
The Worst Moment Was "¦ Losing to lowly Tulane, 54-49, on Nov. 13. That was rock-bottom for Rice, which hadn't played a home game in a month and had clearly begun showing signs of battle fatigue by this point of the season.
The Biggest Surprise "¦ The tight ends. Very quietly, the Owls were home to the best combo at the position in Conference USA. Just sophomores, Luke Willson and Vance McDonald combined to catch 11 of the team's 20 touchdown passes.
The Biggest Disappointment "¦ The quarterbacks. Despite housing transfers from Alabama and Miami, Nick Fanuzzi and Taylor Cook, Rice lacked consistency in the passing game, which has to be addressed going forward.
Looking Ahead "¦ After back-to-back bowl-less postseasons, David Bailiff can ill-afford a third straight losing year. He'll put his fate in the hands of a veteran team that loses little to graduation.
Why To Get Excited "¦ Rice played its best football in the second half, going 3-3 and scoring plenty of points. Redshirt freshman QB Taylor McHargue provided a dual-threat spark, while star DE Scott Solomon is expected back after missing 2010 with an ankle injury.
Why To Be Grouchy "¦ Although the offense shows potential, the defense remains a glaring weakness. The Owls have long struggled on this side of the ball, allowing more than 38 points a game last year.
The Number One Thing To Work On "¦ The entire defense needs work, but especially the secondary. With no help from the pass rush, Rice gave up 34 touchdown passes and picked off just six balls.
Biggest Offensive Loss "¦ OT Scott Mitchell
Biggest Defensive Loss "¦ Ozougwu
Best Returning Offensive Player "¦ McGuffie
Best Returning Defensive Player "¦ DE Scott Solomon
The 2011 Recruiting Class Is Heavy On "¦ Defensive linemen. Rice HAS to start generating more of a pass rush. The defense was 105th in the nation in sacks and was dead last in tackles for loss, and while it's asking way too much to get a new recruiting class to make a difference in one years, the Owls have to hope that one of the several new defensive ends can provide a boost to the depth. Michael Sam is the best of the lot, while outside linebacker Nick Elder could be the playmaker the D is looking </TD></TR></T></TABLE>
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var author = escape("Staff");
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 13px" =storybyline>By Staff
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 11px" =storybyline>CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Mar 12, 2011</TD>
<TD noWrap>
<DIV =author></TD></TR></T></TABLE>
<DIV ="add_tool add_default_style">http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php...074NXC&pre=http://cfn.scout.com/&tt=0http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php...074NXC&pre=http://cfn.scout.com/&tt=0http://www.blogger.com/blog_this.py.../2/557796.html&n=Rice 2011 Spring Previewhttp://cfn.scout.com/2/557796.html#email-a-friend-windowhttp://cfn.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=10&c=557796&refid=4781| More
<DIV =atclear>
<DIV =storydeck>
Rice Owls 2011 ... Head Coach: David Bailiff</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD colSpan=3>
Rice Owls
<TABLE style="WIDTH: 200px; : right" cellPadding=4>
<T>
<TR>
<TD>
2011 CFN Prediction: 0-0
2011 Record: 0-0
Sep. 3 at Texas
Sep. 10 Purdue
Sep. 17 OPEN DATE
Sep. 24 at Baylor
Oct. 1 at Southern Miss
Oct. 8 Memphis
Oct. 15 at Marshall
Oct. 22 Tulsa
Oct. 29 at Houston
Nov. 5 UTEP
Nov. 12 at Northwestern
Nov. 19 Tulane
Nov. 26 at SMU
2010 CFN Prediction: 3-9
2010 Record: 3-8
Sept. 4 Texas L 34-17
Sept. 11 at North Texas W 33-31
Sept. 18 Northwestern L 20-13
Sept. 25 Baylor L 30-13
Oct. 2 SMU L 42-31
Oct. 9 at UTEP L 44-24
Oct. 16 Houston W 34-31
Oct. 23 at UCF L 41-14
Oct. 30 OPEN DATE
Nov. 6 at Tulsa L 64-27
Nov. 13 at Tulane L 54-49
Nov. 20 East Carolina W 62-38
Nov. 27 UAB
- Get Tickets
</TD></TR></T></TABLE>Spring Practice Begins: March 8
Game: April 9
The early spring buzz ... Now that Taylor McHargue is pretty much cemented as the Owl starting quarterback, the staff feels comfortable moving Taylor Cook out from behind center to tight end. At 6-7, he has the size and athletic ability to be a natural fit in the team's "Giraffe"Â package, which puts receivers in a position to sky above defenders, especially in the red zone. Rice is also moving Vance McDonald from tight end to wide receiver, creating more reps for Luke Willson and giving the offense a set of pass-catchers capable of bullying opposing linebackers and defensive backs.
The big spring question is ... Is there any reason for hope on defense? A perennial stumbling block in Houston, Rice is coming off a season in which it allowed 38 points a game and was 119th nationally against the pass. A shred of hope comes in the form of new defensive coordinator Derrick Jackson and returning DE Scott Solomon. Solomon was forced to sit out all of 2010 with a broken foot, denying the Owls their best pass rusher. He has nine career sacks and next-level potential, providing some much-needed cover for that vulnerable Rice secondary.
The most important position to watch is ... defensive end. Okay, so Solomon is healthy again, but his return is somewhat offset by the graduations of Kramer Lucio and All-Conference USA first teamer Cheta Ozougwu. With Solomon likely to see double-teams and the other team's best pass protector, the Owls will need at least one other pass rusher to generate heat on a consistent basis. The program has high hopes for Cody Bauer and Dylan Klare, who ascended to the second team in his first season on campus and will only get better with more snaps.
Spring attitude... There's legitimate excitement about the offense and trepidation with the D. In other words, a typical year at Rice. The athletic McHargue, versatile backs Sam McGuffie and Jeremy Eddington, and all of those big receivers are going to present major challenges for the rest of Conference USA. However, unless the defense can make some tangible strides toward plugging the holes, the Owls will struggle to reach .500 and earn a postseason game in December.
2010 Offensive Player of the Year "¦ RB Sam McGuffie
2010 Defensive Player of the Year "¦ DE Cheta Ozougwu
The Best Moment Was "¦ Upsetting rival Houston, 34-31, on Oct. 16. At 1-5 at the time, it was especially sweet for an Owl team that had been embarrassed a year earlier in this game, 73-14.
The Worst Moment Was "¦ Losing to lowly Tulane, 54-49, on Nov. 13. That was rock-bottom for Rice, which hadn't played a home game in a month and had clearly begun showing signs of battle fatigue by this point of the season.
The Biggest Surprise "¦ The tight ends. Very quietly, the Owls were home to the best combo at the position in Conference USA. Just sophomores, Luke Willson and Vance McDonald combined to catch 11 of the team's 20 touchdown passes.
The Biggest Disappointment "¦ The quarterbacks. Despite housing transfers from Alabama and Miami, Nick Fanuzzi and Taylor Cook, Rice lacked consistency in the passing game, which has to be addressed going forward.
Looking Ahead "¦ After back-to-back bowl-less postseasons, David Bailiff can ill-afford a third straight losing year. He'll put his fate in the hands of a veteran team that loses little to graduation.
Why To Get Excited "¦ Rice played its best football in the second half, going 3-3 and scoring plenty of points. Redshirt freshman QB Taylor McHargue provided a dual-threat spark, while star DE Scott Solomon is expected back after missing 2010 with an ankle injury.
Why To Be Grouchy "¦ Although the offense shows potential, the defense remains a glaring weakness. The Owls have long struggled on this side of the ball, allowing more than 38 points a game last year.
The Number One Thing To Work On "¦ The entire defense needs work, but especially the secondary. With no help from the pass rush, Rice gave up 34 touchdown passes and picked off just six balls.
Biggest Offensive Loss "¦ OT Scott Mitchell
Biggest Defensive Loss "¦ Ozougwu
Best Returning Offensive Player "¦ McGuffie
Best Returning Defensive Player "¦ DE Scott Solomon
The 2011 Recruiting Class Is Heavy On "¦ Defensive linemen. Rice HAS to start generating more of a pass rush. The defense was 105th in the nation in sacks and was dead last in tackles for loss, and while it's asking way too much to get a new recruiting class to make a difference in one years, the Owls have to hope that one of the several new defensive ends can provide a boost to the depth. Michael Sam is the best of the lot, while outside linebacker Nick Elder could be the playmaker the D is looking </TD></TR></T></TABLE>
Glad to see they are settled on ONE quarterback. Hopefully they have a good, consistent scheme. It kind of sucks they have to open up against Texas. They need a lesser team to play to work out the kinks, unfortunately that is who Rice is for Texas. Hopefully they are prepared. For the season I am predicting 1600 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns for McGuffie