The one constant between all decent Rice FB teams over past 20+ years regardless of coach is a QB that could both run and throw and had receiving targets that could get open and make plays. There have been good throwers (e.g., Daniels) and good runners (e.g., Brown) but one dimensional QB's have not generated W's. We all see why Brown is both exciting and worthy of being a Miami level recruit and why he is also on his third school. Both things can be true.

The 'Gun Choice' does not work w/out any vertical stretch and Rice has neither the playmakers nor the QB to stretch the field vertically. It thus relies only on horizontal stretch which allows D to load box to the field and force the horizontal stretch into boundary which physics does not allow. Results are what we all have seen. Despite injuries, the Rice D is actually improved and kicking game has lost at least one game so far (UTSA).

Last year, Abell gets a pass for inheriting the talent on the roster. This talent is now his w/ dozens of portal recruits. He chose a QB that Tulsa HC somewhat tongue-in-cheek said, 'yeah, he is good, we looked at him too in portal' which was a bit sarcastic implying he was not their guy while looking at his smirk while talking. Maybe the Gun Choice offense can work but without the right signal caller and playmakers, we will never know. This is a Bottom 10 team. Big decision for new AD on what to do given the $? Invest in Abell and Gun Choice to find playmakers or to pull plug and find a new approach?

(10-19-2026 05:49 PM)owl40 Wrote:  The one constant between all decent Rice FB teams over past 20+ years regardless of coach is a QB that could both run and throw and had receiving targets that could get open and make plays. There have been good throwers (e.g., Daniels) and good runners (e.g., Brown) but one dimensional QB's have not generated W's. We all see why Brown is both exciting and worthy of being a Miami level recruit and why he is also on his third school. Both things can be true.

The 'Gun Choice' does not work w/out any vertical stretch and Rice has neither the playmakers nor the QB to stretch the field vertically. It thus relies only on horizontal stretch which allows D to load box to the field and force the horizontal stretch into boundary which physics does not allow. Results are what we all have seen. Despite injuries, the Rice D is actually improved and kicking game has lost at least one game so far (UTSA).

Last year, Abell gets a pass for inheriting the talent on the roster. This talent is now his w/ dozens of portal recruits. He chose a QB that Tulsa HC somewhat tongue-in-cheek said, 'yeah, he is good, we looked at him too in portal' which was a bit sarcastic implying he was not their guy while looking at his smirk while talking. Maybe the Gun Choice offense can work but without the right signal caller and playmakers, we will never know. This is a Bottom 10 team. Big decision for new AD on what to do given the $? Invest in Abell and Gun Choice to find playmakers or to pull plug and find a new approach?

Chase Clement is the most recent example of a Rice QB that could run and pass. I think if Chase was running Abell's offense, things would look a lot different, especially if he could have his buddies, Jarett Dillard and James Casey. in that offense as well.

(10-19-2026 05:49 PM)owl40 Wrote:  The one constant between all decent Rice FB teams over past 20+ years regardless of coach is a QB that could both run and throw and had receiving targets that could get open and make plays. There have been good throwers (e.g., Daniels) and good runners (e.g., Brown) but one dimensional QB's have not generated W's. We all see why Brown is both exciting and worthy of being a Miami level recruit and why he is also on his third school. Both things can be true.

The 'Gun Choice' does not work w/out any vertical stretch and Rice has neither the playmakers nor the QB to stretch the field vertically. It thus relies only on horizontal stretch which allows D to load box to the field and force the horizontal stretch into boundary which physics does not allow. Results are what we all have seen. Despite injuries, the Rice D is actually improved and kicking game has lost at least one game so far (UTSA).

Last year, Abell gets a pass for inheriting the talent on the roster. This talent is now his w/ dozens of portal recruits. He chose a QB that Tulsa HC somewhat tongue-in-cheek said, 'yeah, he is good, we looked at him too in portal' which was a bit sarcastic implying he was not their guy while looking at his smirk while talking. Maybe the Gun Choice offense can work but without the right signal caller and playmakers, we will never know. This is a Bottom 10 team. Big decision for new AD on what to do given the $? Invest in Abell and Gun Choice to find playmakers or to pull plug and find a new approach?

So this is Abell's FIRST year with his recruits. We only give Abell one year with his recruits? Then move on to someone else? That does not seem wise to me. And I honestly don't care what the Tulsa HC says, or the head coach of any other team, sarcastic or not. Abell has a system that I think can and will work, despite all the comments on this board saying it will not. But we have to be able to attract and KEEP talent specifically for Abell's system. NIL will make that difficult so I'm hoping that all of us (especially those posting all the criticisms) are donating to the South Main Fund for football so that we can attract and keep talent long enough to learn Abell's system and effectively run it. We've seen flashes of what it can be, but not consistency. It is indeed a complicated system but Rice guys can learn it...but it takes time (yes, more than one year). But our student athletes must stay. Parts of this offense are familiar to J. Brown, but much is different also and it takes repetition after repetition after repetition.

PLEASE read Hambone's post. Don't just skim through it.

Just posing legitimate questions. Maybe the decision is as you describe to give it time? Maybe the decision is to cut bait? I'm not advocating for either. Just saying the new AD will have to assess things and make that call as facts are this is a team w/ zero FBS wins in late October and a greater than 0% chance there will be zero by end of season. Plenty of examples over time in FBS where patience is right call and plenty of examples where cutting bait is right call.

I just think that this will never work unless the playmakers change to support the system or the system changes to support the playmakers..

(10-19-2026 05:39 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  So questions...

Why would the R&S or whatever other 'common' offense that everyone else runs somehow work 'better' at Rice than at other school?
Why would Rice get better players than other schools?

A pure John Jenkins Run & Shoot is being utilized by no FBS school. It would work because you can recruit undersized wide receivers and quarterbacks who are passed over by bigger schools. There are so many high school players who compete in 7-on-7 that the recruiting base would be larger than for an option attack. And, this kind of offense, at its maximum usage, might be too complicated for players at many schools, but not at Rice.

But, let's just stick with an outmoded option attack with the wide pitch almost always useless.

(10-19-2026 06:10 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(10-19-2026 05:49 PM)owl40 Wrote:  The one constant between all decent Rice FB teams over past 20+ years regardless of coach is a QB that could both run and throw and had receiving targets that could get open and make plays. There have been good throwers (e.g., Daniels) and good runners (e.g., Brown) but one dimensional QB's have not generated W's. We all see why Brown is both exciting and worthy of being a Miami level recruit and why he is also on his third school. Both things can be true.

The 'Gun Choice' does not work w/out any vertical stretch and Rice has neither the playmakers nor the QB to stretch the field vertically. It thus relies only on horizontal stretch which allows D to load box to the field and force the horizontal stretch into boundary which physics does not allow. Results are what we all have seen. Despite injuries, the Rice D is actually improved and kicking game has lost at least one game so far (UTSA).

Last year, Abell gets a pass for inheriting the talent on the roster. This talent is now his w/ dozens of portal recruits. He chose a QB that Tulsa HC somewhat tongue-in-cheek said, 'yeah, he is good, we looked at him too in portal' which was a bit sarcastic implying he was not their guy while looking at his smirk while talking. Maybe the Gun Choice offense can work but without the right signal caller and playmakers, we will never know. This is a Bottom 10 team. Big decision for new AD on what to do given the $? Invest in Abell and Gun Choice to find playmakers or to pull plug and find a new approach?

Chase Clement is the most recent example of a Rice QB that could run and pass. I think if Chase was running Abell's offense, things would look a lot different, especially if he could have his buddies, Jarett Dillard and James Casey. in that offense as well.

I don’t remember the number of times Clement just hung it up, and I just kept saying… Noooo! He’s covered! And Dillard (or sometimes Casey) would just go up and get the thing. That was quite a show to behold.

It was going this way anyway, but the Covid crisis and the NIL decision just speeded up the conversion of amateur football into pro football. It is absolutely a money game now. We have a definitely small alumni/fan base, and they are relatively unrich. The only way I see to have success in this environment (other than outspending all the others) is to find somebody who can take the players nobody else wants and make them work. Abell is one such option. Another would be a coach who can make the R&S work. Who's running that now?

Seems we have two options:

A. Quadruple (or more) our giving to the athletic program, or for some of you, start writing checks. Play the money game with schools with 60X our alumni, and outspend them, or
B. Find a contrarian way to win games, rather than just hiring another run of the mill OC looking to jump at the first opportunity, again.

If anybody sees a "C", say so.

Right now, I think "B' has to be our choice.

Agree with those who point out that we cannot be completely one-dimensional on offense.

From what I have seen once the other team sees that we can't throw the ball then our run game get completely blown up as the other team loads the box. There were some flashes of hope in the passing game against Tulsa. Let's see if we can build on that.

In terms of our defense, it seems that every pass down the field is either a completion or an interference. So many instances in the Tulsa game where our DB's did not turn their heads in an attempt to locate the ball. Always a disaster.

(10-20-2026 09:28 AM)Rice93 Wrote:  Agree with those who point out that we cannot be completely one-dimensional on offense.

From what I have seen once the other team sees that we can't throw the ball then our run game get completely blown up as the other team loads the box. There were some flashes of hope in the passing game against Tulsa. Let's see if we can build on that.

In terms of our defense, it seems that every pass down the field is either a completion or an interference. So many instances in the Tulsa game where our DB's did not turn their heads in an attempt to locate the ball. Always a disaster.

I have asked before why you would want to come to Rice if you were a talented DB. I would want to practice against top WR in order to get better. That cannot happen at Rice. Games are the only times they compete against better WRs.

(10-19-2026 06:44 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(10-19-2026 05:39 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  So questions...

Why would the R&S or whatever other 'common' offense that everyone else runs somehow work 'better' at Rice than at other school?
Why would Rice get better players than other schools?

A pure John Jenkins Run & Shoot is being utilized by no FBS school. It would work because you can recruit undersized wide receivers and quarterbacks who are passed over by bigger schools. There are so many high school players who compete in 7-on-7 that the recruiting base would be larger than for an option attack. And, this kind of offense, at its maximum usage, might be too complicated for players at many schools, but not at Rice.

But, let's just stick with an outmoded option attack with the wide pitch almost always useless.

Your premise that there are under-sized WRs and QBs that all of these 'bigger' schools overlook ignores all of the 'similar' schools that are recruiting these same kids. Diego Pavia was grossly under-sized... but I'm sure that Vandy paid him a large multiple of what we did. Every school in our conference and most schools in g5 have numerous kids on their rosters that don't measure up to what 'the big schools' want.

I just picked them as our most recent opponent.... 7 of Tulsa's 12 WRs are under 5'11... many of them at under 5'9. 9 of them are 'listed' at 6' or less.
UT has NO WRs under 5'11 and only 2 under 6'.

So there are at least 50 and probably more like 75 schools at our level or higher who are all looking for that same kid...

AND

You ignore my comments that should a guy actually 'break out', we will struggle to keep him financially.... and worse... should we get enough of those kinds of guys to actually be good, that every one of them AND the coach will leave us at year end, giving us only a few weeks to identify and hire a coach... and for him to bring his own key players (IF we can afford them) in to replace ours.

There is nothing antiquated about the gun option.... and my high school has great success with it, averaging about 50 points a game (often giving up fewer than 10). The reads we are making do seem to be predictable...

But Army runs a similar scheme and are 83-58 under their current coach of 11 years
Navy is struggling this year but are STILL 38-26 under their 3 year coach, and had similar records under their previous two, longer term HCs running a similar scheme.
Air Force has kept their coach for 19 years with similar results

The argument that there are all of these 'smart', but under-sized kids just hoping that Rice will come knocking is the dream that Rice has been chasing since the 1970's at least.... and THAT was before you could 'rent' a team by the year.

I can't say with any authority whatsoever that you are categorically wrong... and neither can you say that to me...

HOWEVER, I CAN say with 100% certainty (and YOU are sort of proving the point) that almost every team in g5, FCS and a number of p5 schools are looking for those under-sized guys in high school... and every one of them PLUS the 'big boys' are looking for those able to translate that success to schools like Rice.

(10-19-2026 09:44 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  It was going this way anyway, but the Covid crisis and the NIL decision just speeded up the conversion of amateur football into pro football. It is absolutely a money game now. We have a definitely small alumni/fan base, and they are relatively unrich. The only way I see to have success in this environment (other than outspending all the others) is to find somebody who can take the players nobody else wants and make them work. Abell is one such option. Another would be a coach who can make the R&S work. Who's running that now?

Seems we have two options:

A. Quadruple (or more) our giving to the athletic program, or for some of you, start writing checks. Play the money game with schools with 60X our alumni, and outspend them, or
B. Find a contrarian way to win games, rather than just hiring another run of the mill OC looking to jump at the first opportunity, again.

If anybody sees a "C", say so.

Right now, I think "B' has to be our choice.

Agreed. Im not 'against' some sort of wild open offense... in fact I'd like to see us use a wide variety of formations and splits... I saw a team, line their tight end up at guard, but a step off the ball... and he went out and caught a pass. I honestly don't know why we don't do something like that numerous times every game... I had/have hopes that the gun option can do that... but I haven't seen it. What I've seen is QBs miss some wide open guys and WRs drop some 'perfect' passes.

(10-20-2026 09:28 AM)Rice93 Wrote:  Agree with those who point out that we cannot be completely one-dimensional on offense.

From what I have seen once the other team sees that we can't throw the ball then our run game get completely blown up as the other team loads the box. There were some flashes of hope in the passing game against Tulsa. Let's see if we can build on that.

In terms of our defense, it seems that every pass down the field is either a completion or an interference. So many instances in the Tulsa game where our DB's did not turn their heads in an attempt to locate the ball. Always a disaster.

Give the Tulsa QB and receivers some credit. The QB dropped some dimes into tight coverage where only the receiver could make the catch, and the Tulsa receivers didn't drop those passes.

(10-20-2026 09:45 AM)Owl Is In Chains Wrote:  

(10-20-2026 09:28 AM)Rice93 Wrote:  Agree with those who point out that we cannot be completely one-dimensional on offense.

From what I have seen once the other team sees that we can't throw the ball then our run game get completely blown up as the other team loads the box. There were some flashes of hope in the passing game against Tulsa. Let's see if we can build on that.

In terms of our defense, it seems that every pass down the field is either a completion or an interference. So many instances in the Tulsa game where our DB's did not turn their heads in an attempt to locate the ball. Always a disaster.

I have asked before why you would want to come to Rice if you were a talented DB. I would want to practice against top WR in order to get better. That cannot happen at Rice. Games are the only times they compete against better WRs.

RICE’s 2026 recruiting has legitimate speed & talent at the slot, RB & DB position’s. It’s arguably RICE’s best recruiting. That said, most of the those in that class are still learning the system & developing physically. I suspect the staff is hesitant to play in any freshman in this system. If it had not been for injuries i doubt we would have seen any at this point. If and when we are ruled out of being bowl eligible it might be time to start thinking/developing next years team and start working the 26’ class game
Reps.

(10-20-2026 10:32 AM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(10-20-2026 09:28 AM)Rice93 Wrote:  Agree with those who point out that we cannot be completely one-dimensional on offense.

From what I have seen once the other team sees that we can't throw the ball then our run game get completely blown up as the other team loads the box. There were some flashes of hope in the passing game against Tulsa. Let's see if we can build on that.

In terms of our defense, it seems that every pass down the field is either a completion or an interference. So many instances in the Tulsa game where our DB's did not turn their heads in an attempt to locate the ball. Always a disaster.

Give the Tulsa QB and receivers some credit. The QB dropped some dimes into tight coverage where only the receiver could make the catch, and the Tulsa receivers didn't drop those passes.

Agree. But you could still (on many occasions) see the DB making zero attempt to make a play on the ball/turn their head.

(10-20-2026 10:45 AM)Rice93 Wrote:  

(10-20-2026 10:32 AM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(10-20-2026 09:28 AM)Rice93 Wrote:  Agree with those who point out that we cannot be completely one-dimensional on offense.

From what I have seen once the other team sees that we can't throw the ball then our run game get completely blown up as the other team loads the box. There were some flashes of hope in the passing game against Tulsa. Let's see if we can build on that.

In terms of our defense, it seems that every pass down the field is either a completion or an interference. So many instances in the Tulsa game where our DB's did not turn their heads in an attempt to locate the ball. Always a disaster.

Give the Tulsa QB and receivers some credit. The QB dropped some dimes into tight coverage where only the receiver could make the catch, and the Tulsa receivers didn't drop those passes.

Agree. But you could still (on many occasions) see the DB making zero attempt to make a play on the ball/turn their head.

We lost a few DL to injury and a scheme that was supposed to be mostly zone has had to run more man to put pressure on the QBs. I believe our entire secondary is new this year and they weren't recruited to a press/man scheme. It's an excuse I understand... but I think the 'bet' they're making is solid.... it's just not been paying off.

(10-19-2026 06:25 PM)ArmChairOwl Wrote:  

(10-19-2026 05:49 PM)owl40 Wrote:  The one constant between all decent Rice FB teams over past 20+ years regardless of coach is a QB that could both run and throw and had receiving targets that could get open and make plays. There have been good throwers (e.g., Daniels) and good runners (e.g., Brown) but one dimensional QB's have not generated W's. We all see why Brown is both exciting and worthy of being a Miami level recruit and why he is also on his third school. Both things can be true.

The 'Gun Choice' does not work w/out any vertical stretch and Rice has neither the playmakers nor the QB to stretch the field vertically. It thus relies only on horizontal stretch which allows D to load box to the field and force the horizontal stretch into boundary which physics does not allow. Results are what we all have seen. Despite injuries, the Rice D is actually improved and kicking game has lost at least one game so far (UTSA).

Last year, Abell gets a pass for inheriting the talent on the roster. This talent is now his w/ dozens of portal recruits. He chose a QB that Tulsa HC somewhat tongue-in-cheek said, 'yeah, he is good, we looked at him too in portal' which was a bit sarcastic implying he was not their guy while looking at his smirk while talking. Maybe the Gun Choice offense can work but without the right signal caller and playmakers, we will never know. This is a Bottom 10 team. Big decision for new AD on what to do given the $? Invest in Abell and Gun Choice to find playmakers or to pull plug and find a new approach?

So this is Abell's FIRST year with his recruits. We only give Abell one year with his recruits? Then move on to someone else? That does not seem wise to me. And I honestly don't care what the Tulsa HC says, or the head coach of any other team, sarcastic or not. Abell has a system that I think can and will work, despite all the comments on this board saying it will not. But we have to be able to attract and KEEP talent specifically for Abell's system. NIL will make that difficult so I'm hoping that all of us (especially those posting all the criticisms) are donating to the South Main Fund for football so that we can attract and keep talent long enough to learn Abell's system and effectively run it. We've seen flashes of what it can be, but not consistency. It is indeed a complicated system but Rice guys can learn it...but it takes time (yes, more than one year). But our student athletes must stay. Parts of this offense are familiar to J. Brown, but much is different also and it takes repetition after repetition after repetition.

PLEASE read Hambone's post. Don't just skim through it.

I'm going to start questioning how "Abell's recruits" are going to get admitted to Rice at this point, because you'd have to be a complete moron (or unskilled player desperate for any D1 scholarship) to play in this 1-11 offense.

"Abell's recruits" are players who suck... like another poster once said - we're getting wide receivers who can't catch and quarterbacks who can't throw... doesn't sound very promising to say the least.

(10-20-2026 10:38 AM)RiceRICE47 Wrote:  

(10-20-2026 09:45 AM)Owl Is In Chains Wrote:  

(10-20-2026 09:28 AM)Rice93 Wrote:  Agree with those who point out that we cannot be completely one-dimensional on offense.

From what I have seen once the other team sees that we can't throw the ball then our run game get completely blown up as the other team loads the box. There were some flashes of hope in the passing game against Tulsa. Let's see if we can build on that.

In terms of our defense, it seems that every pass down the field is either a completion or an interference. So many instances in the Tulsa game where our DB's did not turn their heads in an attempt to locate the ball. Always a disaster.

I have asked before why you would want to come to Rice if you were a talented DB. I would want to practice against top WR in order to get better. That cannot happen at Rice. Games are the only times they compete against better WRs.

RICE’s 2026 recruiting has legitimate speed & talent at the slot, RB & DB position’s. It’s arguably RICE’s best recruiting. That said, most of the those in that class are still learning the system & developing physically. I suspect the staff is hesitant to play in any freshman in this system. If it had not been for injuries i doubt we would have seen any at this point. If and when we are ruled out of being bowl eligible it might be time to start thinking/developing next years team and start working the 26’ class game
Reps.

I was pretty excited to see Dionne Sims play as I thought he could be a similar kind of player as QJack, a smaller but quick and elusive running back to contrast with Byars and Hardeman both being downhill bruisers, but he hasn't played yet. He was good enough to get offers from UH, Illinois, Oregon, and Minnesota so I figured he'd get some snaps by now but like you said, maybe better to not throw a 165 pound back into the fire as a freshman.

Byars, Hardeman Jr. and Carson Morgan are all eligible next year, though I assume at least one will enter the portal, but I do think this running back room will be better when we have a variety of running back playstyles and multiple running backs that have been playing in this system. Keep at least 2 of the 3, add in Sims, then use the portal/NIL to get linemen and receivers (instead of going all in on a probably very expensive QB) and I'd feel good going into next year

(10-19-2026 06:44 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(10-19-2026 05:39 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  So questions...

Why would the R&S or whatever other 'common' offense that everyone else runs somehow work 'better' at Rice than at other school?
Why would Rice get better players than other schools?

A pure John Jenkins Run & Shoot is being utilized by no FBS school. It would work because you can recruit undersized wide receivers and quarterbacks who are passed over by bigger schools. There are so many high school players who compete in 7-on-7 that the recruiting base would be larger than for an option attack. And, this kind of offense, at its maximum usage, might be too complicated for players at many schools, but not at Rice.

But, let's just stick with an outmoded option attack with the wide pitch almost always useless.

Please tell me how Rice signs a QB that can throw for 400 yards a game, because that's what it would take, and with such ability, why would he come to Rice?

We have exactly two great QBs in our history, but somehow we're going to find a gunslinger to throw the ball all over the field at the snap of our fingers? You're dreaming. It's the reason we hired Abell...because we can't recruit great athletes. Remember?

We aren't UH. No "Manny Hazards" are coming to Rice to catch football’s. Never will.

(10-20-2026 10:38 AM)RiceRICE47 Wrote:  

(10-20-2026 09:45 AM)Owl Is In Chains Wrote:  

(10-20-2026 09:28 AM)Rice93 Wrote:  Agree with those who point out that we cannot be completely one-dimensional on offense.

From what I have seen once the other team sees that we can't throw the ball then our run game get completely blown up as the other team loads the box. There were some flashes of hope in the passing game against Tulsa. Let's see if we can build on that.

In terms of our defense, it seems that every pass down the field is either a completion or an interference. So many instances in the Tulsa game where our DB's did not turn their heads in an attempt to locate the ball. Always a disaster.

I have asked before why you would want to come to Rice if you were a talented DB. I would want to practice against top WR in order to get better. That cannot happen at Rice. Games are the only times they compete against better WRs.

RICE’s 2026 recruiting has legitimate speed & talent at the slot, RB & DB position’s. It’s arguably RICE’s best recruiting. That said, most of the those in that class are still learning the system & developing physically. I suspect the staff is hesitant to play in any freshman in this system. If it had not been for injuries i doubt we would have seen any at this point. If and when we are ruled out of being bowl eligible it might be time to start thinking/developing next years team and start working the 26’ class game
Reps.

Rice's 2026 class is nothing short of awesome. Hatfield had a policy of redshirting all true freshmen. I believe Abell is trying to do the same. Our recruits are never ready to play right out of high school.

As far as preparing for next season goes, Ochoa needs to be playing meaningful snaps right now.

(10-20-2026 10:45 AM)Rice93 Wrote:  

(10-20-2026 10:32 AM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(10-20-2026 09:28 AM)Rice93 Wrote:  Agree with those who point out that we cannot be completely one-dimensional on offense.

From what I have seen once the other team sees that we can't throw the ball then our run game get completely blown up as the other team loads the box. There were some flashes of hope in the passing game against Tulsa. Let's see if we can build on that.

In terms of our defense, it seems that every pass down the field is either a completion or an interference. So many instances in the Tulsa game where our DB's did not turn their heads in an attempt to locate the ball. Always a disaster.

Give the Tulsa QB and receivers some credit. The QB dropped some dimes into tight coverage where only the receiver could make the catch, and the Tulsa receivers didn't drop those passes.

Agree. But you could still (on many occasions) see the DB making zero attempt to make a play on the ball/turn their head.

That is also true. In a couple of cases I was surprised, the pass didn't hit the defender in the back of the helmet. Nice touch (or luck) by the Tulsa QB.

(10-20-2026 01:40 PM)Ourland Wrote:  

(10-19-2026 06:44 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(10-19-2026 05:39 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  So questions...

Why would the R&S or whatever other 'common' offense that everyone else runs somehow work 'better' at Rice than at other school?
Why would Rice get better players than other schools?

A pure John Jenkins Run & Shoot is being utilized by no FBS school. It would work because you can recruit undersized wide receivers and quarterbacks who are passed over by bigger schools. There are so many high school players who compete in 7-on-7 that the recruiting base would be larger than for an option attack. And, this kind of offense, at its maximum usage, might be too complicated for players at many schools, but not at Rice.

But, let's just stick with an outmoded option attack with the wide pitch almost always useless.

Please tell me how Rice signs a QB that can throw for 400 yards a game, because that's what it would take, and with such ability, why would he come to Rice?

We have exactly two great QBs in our history, but somehow we're going to find a gunslinger to throw the ball all over the field at the snap of our fingers? You're dreaming. It's the reason we hired Abell...because we can't recruit great athletes. Remember?

We aren't UH. No "Manny Hazards" are coming to Rice to catch football’s. Never will.

Two?

Tobin Rote - #17 pick - Green Bay Packers
King Hill - #1 pick - Chicago Cardinals
Franks Ryan - #55 pick - Los Angeles Rams
Tommy Kramer - #27 pick - Minnesota Vikings

Chase Clement - all time Rice University leader in passing yds (9785) and total yards (11,526) wasn't chopped liver either. He and Jarett Dillard hold the NCAA record for most career passing touchdowns by a single quarterback–receiver combination - 51.

There may be others I've neglected to include. I only had the privilege of watching Kramer and Clement play, but there are certainly more than 2 great QBs in Rice's history.