Wow, what a nail biter. Props to the boys for pulling it out.
Pros
---------------
+ Rozner is a beast. We should be going to him over and over and over each time he's in single coverage
+ Serviceable game from Stewart. Few mistakes, which is more than we could've said the first whatever games
+ OL excelling in pass protection, giving Stewart amount of time to throw that I haven't seen Rice QBs have in a looong time
+ Moving yet further away from pound the rock
+ 1st half defense, take-aways. Outstanding performance.
+ 4th quarter defense, Chamberlain's game-saving play in the endzone on 4th down
+ Building momentum and swagger
+ The boys looked like they were having fun
+ Freshman center
Cons
---------------
- Losing the half-time adjustments game, again, and failing to score any points
- Bad turnovers, particularly by Trammell on KO return
- 3rd quarter D (I didn't see 3rd quarter)
Overall, these last 2 games give a glimmer of hope that Bloom is updating, extremely belatedly, his offensive approach. Evidently, a better approach can make this team competitive in most games on the schedule. It's also apparent how crucial transfers are to our success. Many if not most of our key players are transfers. We need to keep improving that pipeline, at least in the near term
(11-23-2019 08:47 PM)Intellectual_Brutality Wrote: [ -> ]Wow, what a nail biter. Props to the boys for pulling it out.
Pros
---------------
+ Rozner is a beast. We should be going to him over and over and over each time he's in single coverage
+ Serviceable game from Stewart. Few mistakes, which is more than we could've said the first whatever games
+ OL excelling in pass protection, giving Stewart amount of time to throw that I haven't seen Rice QBs have in a looong time
+ Moving yet further away from pound the rock
+ 1st half defense, take-aways. Outstanding performance.
+ 4th quarter defense, Chamberlain's game-saving play in the endzone on 4th down
+ Building momentum and swagger
+ The boys looked like they were having fun
+ Freshman center
Cons
---------------
- Losing the half-time adjustments game, again, and failing to score any points
- Bad turnovers, particularly by Trammell on KO return
- 3rd quarter D (I didn't see 3rd quarter)
Overall, these last 2 games give a glimmer of hope that Bloom is updating, extremely belatedly, his offensive approach. Evidently, a better approach can make this team competitive in most games on the schedule. It's also apparent how crucial transfers are to our success. Many if not most of our key players are transfers. We need to keep improving that pipeline, at least in the near term
And we must keep Brian Smith.
I was glad to Ellerbe get a few good carries today. Not exactly a standout day (7 carries; 25 yds; 3.6 per carry), but he was serviceable and salted it away with the last first down.
On that note, did Charlie Booker get hurt? We gave him a lot of touches today, but you'd think we would lean on the fullback workhorse to put the game away. He had seven carries in the second half, but only one in the fourth quarter. That was the first play of the final drive. He was subbed out for Ellerbe who finished the game.
We also definitely need to give some credit to Barnes. His field goals today were the margin of victory. I didn't think we'd make a goal over 40 yards this year.
Have been traveling for last week, where was Otoviano??
Just watched the game on DVR. A nailbiter.... WTG!
(11-23-2019 11:21 PM)owlatheart Wrote: [ -> ]Have been traveling for last week, where was Otoviano??
He got dinged up in practice late in the week. Walter also was a non-factor - I think he might have been sick (although he did have the early TD and threw that nice pass to Myers)? Both should be good to go next week. We had some other guys sick, including Shea Baker. The freshman walk-on Isaac Klarkowski did very well for Baker - I assume he'll be on scholarship next year. On defense Ekpe played briefly after being out at least a month. I thought we've missed him a bit, but others have stepped it up quite nicely in his absence.
Jovani Johnson didn’t play at all. (He was not expected to play Due to injury.) IIRC he can play against UTEP and still maintain his redshirt.
apparently not only was the center a freshman, he was a walkon…….
(11-24-2019 08:55 AM)texowl2 Wrote: [ -> ]apparently not only was the center a freshman, he was a walkon…….
At Stanford, Coach Bloom help develop a couple preferred walk on offensive linemen into first round draft picks.
Why can't(don't) we score in the second half? Once was an anomaly; twice is the beginnings of a trend. We cannot expect to win three in a row that way.
When the score became 20-7, I thought we needed just a FG to ice the game. never happened.
With the potential for a 3 game win streak to end the season, 2020 is starting to look promising as the return to bowl eligibility. Jovoni Johnson at QB, with the WRs coming back, and a, dare I say, dominant defense.
Re: Defense - we should secure Brian Smith, our DC. Don't know enough about him but from where I sit, he's the most impressive DC we've had in a while, and potentially a HC candidate. Our defense has improved so much, not just due to talent improvement, they just seem well coached. Quite excited about this defense with 10 returning starters for next season, but let's keep our top assistant as he's graded out better than any other coach.
The shift to a hybrid spread/power I offense has paid dividends. The offense has looked so much better in the last 2 first halves, but other defenses have still been able to adapt and shut us down in 2nd halves, that can't continue. Johnson will help there, he can improvise or make plays with his feet to get things going when we otherwise hit a wall.
Our WR core should be exciting next year with guys like Pitre, Knipe, Bailey hopefully taking the next step to help Rozner and Tramell. But need to replace several O-linemen, hope we get some grad transfers again to help there. The pass protection yesterday was very good. Could also use another experienced RB.
Our WR's + Johnson at QB w hybrid scheme + this Defense is a promising formula for next season.
(11-24-2019 10:40 AM)Buho00 Wrote: [ -> ]Our WR's + Johnson at QB w hybrid scheme + this Defense is a promising formula for next season.
Yup, agreed all around. Will also give props to Bloomgren for "managerial" accomplishments:
1. maintaining what appears to be good morale
2. instituting accountability, even if it hurts team in short term (Green, possibly Cephus[?])
3. playing disciplined ball
4. giving everyone a fair shot
My understanding is that Cephus has work to do in the classroom but could be back next year if that’s resolved.
(11-24-2019 03:47 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote: [ -> ]My understanding is that Cephus has work to do in the classroom but could be back next year if that’s resolved.
Hope he makes it. Cephus, Rozner, Trammell & Pitre et al could be quite an impressive route-running/pass-catching arsenal, if everything else (OL protection, QB performance, coaching/scheme innovation) is up to snuff.
Glad the team won #2.
But right now, I am just not excited about any 'wait till next year' stuff. This team's objective improvement from Year 1 (last year) will be marginal at best, and non-existent at worst. Not a great story to tell for a coach in year 2, especially for a cellar conference.
This years's campaign merely moves my POV from having a post-dated check with a somewhat optimistic hope of payment to conceding the account should be moved to late payment. Anything short of an very good improvement in the CUSA record next year will lead me to the the 'lets call in the factoring company' with this AR point of view.
I hope the 'next year these players will rock' is accurate; but to me it sounds like 'the new post-dated check is in the mail' for now.
(11-24-2019 09:09 PM)tanqtonic Wrote: [ -> ]Glad the team won #2.
But right now, I am just not excited about any 'wait till next year' stuff. This team's objective improvement from Year 1 (last year) will be marginal at best, and non-existent at worst. Not a great story to tell for a coach in year 2, especially for a cellar conference.
This years's campaign merely moves my POV from having a post-dated check with a somewhat optimistic hope of payment to conceding the account should be moved to late payment. Anything short of an very good improvement in the CUSA record next year will lead me to the the 'lets call in the factoring company' with this AR point of view.
I hope the 'next year these players will rock' is accurate; but to me it sounds like 'the new post-dated check is in the mail' for now.
I don't think the talent level will shoot up. I just think we're seeing in the last 2 games that, with coaching that adapts, even the current talent level should've been good for .500 in conference. So that's now my minimum expectation next year
(11-24-2019 03:47 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote: [ -> ]My understanding is that Cephus has work to do in the classroom but could be back next year if that’s resolved.
Encouraging that he's still on campus; even more so that if he gets his act together he could be back to help next season. Hope they can help him (legit, of course) do what he needs to do. Hope he makes the effort.
Good news: owls win two in a row on football filed for first time in a while.
Bad news: previous coach used to do this end-season win a few against CUSA also-rans and fool us into thinking we had turned some corner.
Reality is: it is better to win than to lose, but also that we won't be able to tell a thing about the program until we play about half the games next season. Did we get better enough to beat real teams? No way to tell no matter what happens in final game. Can we beat dregs of one of worst football conferences? For the time being, yes, sometimes. Again, better than doughnut, but a very long way to go. (Maybe if they renovate those HRS bathrooms? Maybe; maybe not.)
Q: Did Coach Bloom save his job with these wins?
A: IMO, he was never in real danger even if he baked the doughnut; Rice doesn't buy out coaches no matter how bad they perform.
Hope is: that Coach Bloom, while receiving some on the job "training' has adjusted enough to figure out he has to do something better (and different) than he might have intended coming in. Also that his capable assistants need more input than him, and that any incapable ones if they contributed to previous failure may need to be demoted or go.
But overall, happy for the players who have stuck with it. Now, hit the weights and those books.
PS: Who will be QB next season? Are we "developing" one for next year or will we have to figure it out all over again?
(11-24-2019 04:01 PM)Almadenmike Wrote: [ -> ] (11-24-2019 03:47 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote: [ -> ]My understanding is that Cephus has work to do in the classroom but could be back next year if that’s resolved.
Hope he makes it. Cephus, Rozner, Trammell & Pitre et al could be quite an impressive route-running/pass-catching arsenal, if everything else (OL protection, QB performance, coaching/scheme innovation) is up to snuff.
And Bailey and Knipe.
We have receivers. Need a QB.
(11-24-2019 09:26 PM)GoodOwl Wrote: [ -> ] (11-24-2019 03:47 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote: [ -> ]My understanding is that Cephus has work to do in the classroom but could be back next year if that’s resolved.
Encouraging that he's still on campus; even more so that if he gets his act together he could be back to help next season. Hope they can help him (legit, of course) do what he needs to do. Hope he makes the effort.
Good news: owls win two in a row on football filed for first time in a while.
Bad news: previous coach used to do this end-season win a few against CUSA also-rans and fool us into thinking we had turned some corner.
Reality is: it is better to win than to lose, but also that we won't be able to tell a thing about the program until we play about half the games next season. Did we get better enough to beat real teams? No way to tell no matter what happens in final game. Can we beat dregs of one of worst football conferences? For the time being, yes, sometimes. Again, better than doughnut, but a very long way to go. (Maybe if they renovate those HRS bathrooms? Maybe; maybe not.)
Q: Did Coach Bloom save his job with these wins?
A: IMO, he was never in real danger even if he baked the doughnut; Rice doesn't buy out coaches no matter how bad they perform.
Hope is: that Coach Bloom, while receiving some on the job "training' has adjusted enough to figure out he has to do something better (and different) than he might have intended coming in. Also that his capable assistants need more input than him, and that any incapable ones if they contributed to previous failure may need to be demoted or go.
But overall, happy for the players who have stuck with it. Now, hit the weights and those books.
PS: Who will be QB next season? Are we "developing" one for next year or will we have to figure it out all over again?
Johnson looks like a guy who'll win that job, probably handily