Tag: Texas Longhorns vs Rice Owls

Pregame buzz as Texas prepares to take on Rice in Week 3

Wake up! It’s game day in Austin, Texas. Here is the pregame buzz as Texas gets ready to face Rice on Saturday night.

Wake up! It’s game day in Austin, Texas.

After a tough loss on the road to Arkansas, Steve Sarkisian’s Southwest Conference record is 0-1. He will have a chance to pull back to .500 Saturday night at home against Rice.

The big news of the week is Casey Thompson getting the starting nod at quarterback. After Hudson Card struggled last week, Sarkisian decided to make the change. Both are expected to play throughout, getting a test run before Big 12 play begins next week.

Adjustments are needed throughout the field as well, not just at quarterback. Kyle Flood’s offensive line struggled mightily against an SEC caliber defense and needs to respond. The same starting five of Jones-Okafor-Majors-Angilau-Kerstetter is expected to make the start.

Pete Kwiatkowski’s unit needs to improve as well.

The only reason Texas was in the game coming out of the halftime gate against Arkansas was because of the defense. However, no Longhorn could make a stop in the run game in the second half. Better pressure from the defensive line would be considered a win.

Here is the pregame buzz on Twitter as Texas gets ready to face Rice on Saturday night.

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Five things to watch for in Texas vs. Rice

Here are five things to watch for in Texas’ Saturday night matchup against Rice.

No matter what happens on Saturday against Rice, Texas is in a lose-lose situation.

Win by a ton? Congrats, you beat an 0-2 CUSA team and did what you were supposed to do. Keep it close? Wow, the wheels have fallen off even more in Austin, the Steve Sarkisian era is off to a rough start.

Especially with the quarterback controversy brewing. Sarkisian named Casey Thompson the starter this week after Hudson Card struggled against Arkansas. If given equal opportunities, both quarterbacks are going to look fantastic. I mean, it’s Rice.

Nonetheless, there are still a few things to look for during the game. Sarkisian and his staff have some important decisions to make before kicking off the conference schedule against Texas Tech next week. Players need to get back in form and at least attempt to look sharp.

Here are five things to watch for in Texas’ Saturday night matchup against Rice.

Steve Sarkisian provides injury report ahead of Rice matchup

Looking for a positive to come out of Arkansas, Texas mostly remained healthy. Only two players are expected to miss Saturday’s game vs Rice.

Looking for a positive to come out of the Arkansas game, Texas mostly remained healthy. Only two players are expected to miss to game against Rice on Saturday.

The first is wide receiver Troy Omeire. The redshirt freshman has yet to play a snap for the Longhorns despite it being his second year on campus. The former four-star is still rehabilitating a knee injury.

“Troy [Omeire] at this point, I would imagine, probably week to week,” Sarkisian said.

Cornerback Jahdae Barron is the second player expected to be out. After getting some snaps against Arkansas, the sophomore will not be back until the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma at the earliest. It’s another knee issue but this time, a sprain.

For some positive news, tight end Jared Wiley will be back in the lineup this weekend. Horns247 was the first to report he was back in practice and expected to play vs the Owls. The head coach confirmed the report on Thursday.

Adding Wiley back into the offense should open up a different dimension for Sarkisian on Saturday. From a blocking and pass game standpoint, using an experienced tight end should help a ton in 12 personnel.

It’s Rice but Texas desperately needs to get back on track. Wiley should be a great weapon for both Casey Thompson and Hudson Card.

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Report: Tight end Jared Wiley back in practice, expected to play against Rice

Texas will be getting Jared Wiley back for Rice on Saturday. According to Horns247, the tight end is back in practice and is expected to play.

One of the few injuries Texas has dealt with early in the season has been Jared Wiley. The tight end’s shoulder has been bothering him throughout fall camp and it’s bled into the first two games.

Wiley played limited snaps in the opener against Louisiana and then completely missed last week’s Arkansas game. Texas ran a lot more one tight end formations and struggled to block the Razorbacks’ defensive front.

Thankfully, it seems as if Texas will be getting Wiley back this weekend against Rice. According to Horns247, he is back in practice and is expected to play against Rice on Saturday.

Wiley is still listed as TE2 on the depth chart, having an ‘OR’ next to his name with Gunnar Helm. However, it is believed if Wiley is fully healthy, he will be the one to get most of the playing time.

There is more to offer than just extra blocking from Wiley.

It’s no secret Hudson Card struggled throwing the ball downfield in Fayetteville. With Casey Thompson taking over this weekend, getting a receiving tight end back in the lineup should allow Sarkisian to diversify his play calling. The offense needs to get back on track quickly.

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