College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Rice Owls season with what you need to know.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Rice Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 3-9 overall, 3-5 in C-USA
Head Coach: Mike Bloomgren, 3rd year, 5-20
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 115
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 115
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 122
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season, and we certainly want to be mindful of all that’s happening, especially in the Houston area as this is being published.
We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Rice Owls Offense 3 Things To Know
– The Rice offense has had a few issues. The attack finished 125th in the nation averaging just 294 yards per game, and scoring appears to be optional, averaging fewer than 18 points per outing. However, there were signs of life.
The O that is trying to pound the ball and get the ground game going failed to hit the 28-point mark in any of its first nine games. It came up with 31 against Middle Tennessee and 30 against UTEP – both wins – and now there’s at least a little positive momentum.
But the low-scoring – as crazy as this seems – is partly by design.
Run the ball, shorten the game, control the tempo. But a bit more pop would be nice.
CFN in 60 Video: LSU Preview
LSU vs. Rice, Sept. 19
[jwplayer QNBTGeVR]
– The leading runners are gone, but Aston Walter and Charlie Booker only combined for just over 1,000 yards. Walter is the big loss, with the top leading returning rusher – sophomore Juva Otoviano – only running for 114 yards in three games. 215-pound Ari Broussard brings a little more thump.
There aren’t a slew of experienced running backs to work behind, and just two starters are back up front. It’s not a big group, but it can move, and it will try getting physical for the ground game. That’s been a fight to generate a consistent push, but C Shea Baker is a good one to work around. Losing OT Uzome Osuji to Boise State doesn’t help.
– The Owls are never going to bomb away, but at least the passing game has to be efficient. That’s been an issue over the last few years, but the receivers are in place to do more with the top five targets expected back.
6-5, 195-pound Brad Rozner and 5-10 senior Austin Trammell combined for 115 catches – they’re as strong a 1-2 punch as the program has had in a while. Add 6-4 transfer Christian McStravick from Boston College to the mix, and the receiving corps should be one of the team’s biggest strengths.
Someone has to get them all the ball.
Top passer Tom Stewart is done, but sophomore Wiley Green is back after throwing for 787 yards and four scores. In comes Michael Collins from TCU to add more downfield pop. The 6-5, 225-pounder is a pro-style passer who should settle the position.