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After a disappointing loss to Arkansas, the Texas Longhorns are hoping to respond in a big way against Rice in Week 3. Continue reading “How to watch, listen, and stream Texas vs. Rice in Week 3”
Longhorns Wire staff members submit their predictions and whether or not Texas will cover the spread.
Texas is eager to get back on the field and erase the sour taste in their mouth from the 40-21 loss from Arkansas. Continue reading “Longhorns Wire staff predictions for Texas vs. Rice”
Texas was blatantly exposed against Arkansas and needs a big bounce back performance from these three groups.
Texas experienced a week of pure joy to open the season after knocking off No. 23 Louisiana, but had it pulled out from under them when Arkansas blew them out of the water in Week 2.
The team was exposed beyond belief in every aspect of the game, and head coach Steve Sarkisian has to look to make some changes prior to beginning conference play. On Monday, Sarkisian announced that Casey Thompson will be the starting quarterback for their matchup against Rice rather than redshirt freshman Hudson Card.
Thompson was one of the few bright spots of the loss against Arkansas, as he was able to consistently go off script and make plays with his feet. Usually you would not want a quarterback to always have to be on the run, but due to the inferior play of the Longhorns’ offensive line, both Card and Thompson were on the run seemingly every play. The difference being, that Thompson was more comfortable being uncomfortable, which is a testament to his experience and confidence.
The defense was nothing to write home about either, as they were shredded by the Arkansas ground game. Some have pointed out that defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski was not stacking the box and forcing a very shaky passer in K.J. Jefferson to beat them with his arm, but rather allowed him to use his legs whenever he pleased. The Texas defense was getting no pressure on the quarterback, nor were they able to tackle anyone.
The great performance we saw in the season opener from Texas looked like a distant memory, but the staff is confident that they can turn it around.
Here are three things that the team needs to improve upon in the game against Rice in order to shake off the loss and charge forward.
First, the wide receivers
Which Big 12 school has the easiest and the toughest non-conference schedule according to CBS Sports?
It doesn’t take much analysis to think the Oklahoma Sooners have one of the easiest non-conference schedules in the country. In the Big 12, it was dubbed the easiest by CBS Sports college football analyst Jerry Palm. Palm took a lot at each conference and selected the toughest and easiest non-conference schedules for each.
With little surprise, Palm picked the Sooners as the team from the Big 12 with the easiest nonconference schedule, while their rival, and realignment travel buddy Texas, was selected as the toughest.
Palm cites the Longhorns as the only team playing a full FBS schedule in non-conference play, while the rest of the Big 12 has FCS schools on their schedule.
Because of the size of the league and the full round-robin conference schedule, the Big 12 has the fewest number of nonconference games at 30. Still, only Texas is playing a full schedule of FBS teams, which means the Big 12 is playing the greatest percentage of games against FCS opposition (30%). Texas is one of three schools to have not played a lower-division opponent since Division I-AA was formed in 1978. Notre Dame and USC are the others. – Palm
Palm also notes that Texas’ matchup with the University of Louisiana features the only game with two opponents currently ranked in the top 25. Texas will also play former Southwest conference rivals in the Arkansas Razorbacks and Rice Owls.
While Texas is taking the road less traveled compared to its Big 12 counterparts, Oklahoma has arguably the easiest path to an undefeated non-conference slate.
There’s a dearth of big games on the Big 12 nonconference slate. Besides Iowa-Iowa State, Texas hosting Louisiana is the only game featuring two teams ranked in the preseason polls. That certainly bodes well for Oklahoma, which looks to have an especially easy nonconference path.
Oklahoma’s schedule of Tulane, Western Carolina, and Nebraska features a group of teams that went 10-19 in 2020. Not really a murderer’s row of teams.
If the Sooners don’t start the season 3-0, it would be an incredible upset for a team with national championship aspirations. The question in these games isn’t, “will the Sooners win?”, but “how much will the Sooners win by?”
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With the 2020 college football season in the books for the Texas Longhorns, we take an early look at the 2021 opponents.
It has been a hectic last week for Texas Longhorns football. Following the Alamo Bowl thumping of Colorado, the Forty Acres was flipped upside down over the weekend. Continue reading “An early look at the Texas Longhorns 2021 schedule”
College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Rice Owls season with what you need to know.
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.
– 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.
The Los Angeles Chargers could be adding more pieces to the offensive line on Day 3.
Fortifying the offensive line has been a focal point for the Chargers this offseason.
The team signed guard Trai Turner and tackles Bryan Bulaga and Storm Norton. However, it’s unlikely that the work stops there.
With the draft coming up next week, it’s likely Los Angeles will look to bring in one, two or maybe three guys from what’s considered a strong positional class.
According to Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson, the Bolts are showing interest in former Rice offensive tackle Justin Gooseberry.
Prior to joining the Owls, he was a three-year starter at Division-II Ouachita Baptist, earning First-Team All-American status and First-Team All-GAC twice.
At Rice for his one-year stint, Gooseberry started 11 games at right tackle, earning Honorable Mention All-Conference USA (CUSA).
Gooseberry, the 6-foot-3 and 287 pounder needs strength work, but he is athletic and he possesses adequate movement skills in space that would make out to be a swing tackle or guard in a zone scheme at the next level.
Gooseberry currently projects as a sixth or seventh-round selection.
The Texas Longhorns completed their opening series sweep of the Rice Owls, thanks to Donny Diaz who closed the door on the comeback.
The Texas Longhorns and Rice Owls met in the final game of their opening series. The Owls were looking to avoid the sweep on opening weekend. Texas hasn’t lost to the Rice Owls since they opened the 2017 season when the two teams split a four-game series.
Coy Cobb was on the mound for the Longhorns and went 4.1 innings, striking out four and allowed six hits. He was pulled in favor of Tristan Stephens who walked one batter but finished the inning unscathed. Texas had to go to the bullpen early, using six pitchers on the day.
Texas built up a 5-1 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth. The Longhorns had a doubles party with Austin Todd, Zach Zubia, D.J. Petrinsky and Trey Faltine all getting into the act. Zubia drove in two for Texas. Petrinksy, Faltine and Brendan Dixon each driving in a run apiece. It would fall on the bullpen to bring it home for the Longhorns.
Kamron Fields came into the game for Stevens and immediately gave up a home run to Rice’s Austin Bulman to close the gap to three runs but he settled down to get out of the inning with no further damage. Fields got into trouble in the seventh allowing two runners. Andre Duplantier came on in relief. He was able to get out of a bases loaded jam when Bulman hit into a fielder’s choice.
In the eight inning it was up to Dawson Merryman to get this game to the ninth inning. Merry walked the first hitter. After a strikeout, the Owls hit into an inning-ending double play. Merryman returned to the mound in the ninth and gave up a two-run homer without recording an out. Donny Diaz came in to record his second save of the season. The Owls left the tying run at first following a strikeout and two pop ups to end the game.
SWEEEEEEEP. 🧹
Your Horns open the 2020 campaign with a three-game sweep of Rice! #HookEm pic.twitter.com/mfJo3pBaGE
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) February 16, 2020
The Texas Longhorns picked up where they left off on Friday. Ty Madden pitched six scoreless innings and Texas win 4-0.
Texas took the field once again playing in Houston as they faced the Rice Owls for the second game of a three-game series. Ty Madden took the mound looking to keep Rice at bay and did so through six strong innings for the Longhorns. Madden surrendered just four hits in his first outing of the season. He struck out seven.
Pete Hansen made his Longhorns debut pitching two shutout innings, striking out two and gave up one hit. Another freshman pitcher finished out the game with a scoreless ninth inning. Andre Duplantier II struck out one and retired the side with two more flyouts. The Longhorns trio completed a shutout and gave up a total of five hits. The Rice Owls left four on base, the fifth was thrown out trying to steal second.
There’s a cannon attached to @SilasArdoin4. Just trust us. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/ZeJp4bJtxh
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) February 16, 2020
The Longhorns were able to put four runs across the plate throughout the game. Douglass Hodo III and Brendon Dixon both went yard in this one in the 2nd and 9th innings. Four different Texas players drove in a run with Eric Kennedy’s RBI single in the first and Trey Feltine drove Kennedy home with an RBI single. Texas now 2-0 on the young season. They will go for the series sweep on Sunday afternoon.
The Texas Longhorns traveled to Houston to take on the Rice Owls. Zach Zubia and Bryce Elder led the way to beat Rice 7-4.
The Texas Longhorns traveled to Houston to take on the Rice Owls in the first of a three game set. The Longhorns started off the year with Zach Zubia getting them on the board first with a sacrifice fly in the top of the first. After falling behind in the second inning. After Austin Todd drove in Murphy Stehly, Zubia came back to the plate with a runner on.
ZUUUUUU💣. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/JGBWG6zLg5
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) February 15, 2020
Overall, Zubia drove in four runs on the evening. Newcomer Stehley flirted with hitting for the cycle in his first game after transferring from Orange Coast College.
Murphy Stehly just hit his first Texas home run.
He's 3-for-3, a triple shy of the cycle. pic.twitter.com/dPHFrdSV0S
— Jake García (@Jake_M_Garcia) February 15, 2020
On the mound Bryce Elder set the tone for the team with six strong innings. He gave up two earned runs on four hits. Elder also struck out six. Cole Quintanilla and Tristan Stevens combined to pitch two innings. Quintanilla gave up one earned run. Donny Diaz came in to close the door in the ninth inning. He finished a perfect 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts to give Texas their first win of the year.
