(10-27-2026 09:56 AM)Hambone10 Wrote:  

(10-24-2026 12:58 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  

(10-24-2026 12:54 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(10-24-2026 12:53 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  

(10-24-2026 12:51 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  Yeah. When It keeps happening, it's not a fluke.

IAC, isn't the point of the option to make defenders make mistakes?

Irrespective of how the final score ends up, Ochoa has seemed to show he's the better option for the option...as long as he's the one taking the option himself...to the house...because, really, what's our other option at this point?

Brown at wingback - if he's willing.

That'd be at the top of my list, yeah....

Yep. I've been wanting to see more of Ochoa and have been suggesting it. That said, I think given the Army game that Brown too would have had a great game if healthy. Better or not, who knows... I think they are very close and Brown undeniably had more experience. I think Brown in the wing makes vastly more sense than Ochoa, and opens up all sorts of gimmicks that would widen the field even more.

(10-24-2026 02:22 PM)Ourland Wrote:  

(10-24-2026 02:18 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  Hey you option fans - 3:37 to score twice. Let's see how effective it is.

Touchdown! Getting nervous?

1) 337 for ANY team to score twice, especially when there haven't been many stops all game is a challenge
2) they certainly had one and a second attempt.

Offense didn't cost us this game... and it showed an ability to score quickly on the ground AND in the air.

(10-25-2026 12:38 AM)westsidewolf1989 Wrote:  The fact that the second and third string QBs performed better than Jacurri is an indictment on both Abells’ ability to evaluate talent

They all played earlier in the season and showed the opposite. Today, you certainly saw what I had seen from Ochoa in practice... but while Jr is absolutely better than he was last year, he didn't show especially well earlier in the year and this game was against a team that isn't good at defending QBs and he only took a few snaps. I don't think your comment has enough data points.

Abell had already shown a willingness to use Ochoa and Brown in the same backfield last week... somewhat out of necessity, but still he put the ball in Ochoa's hands when Brown was at least healthy enough to be on the field. If you're building a program, you can't throw your future stars to the wolves when they aren't obviously better than the seniors... you give them opportunities before you give them the reins. I'd certainly start Ochoa this week... If JB is healthy, I'd have him in the backfield again as well as snaps at QB. He too has been electric at times.

I like the idea of playing Brown at WR, with Ochoa at QB, as we enter the red zone. He's the perfect height for catching balls in the back of the endzone. I don't know how else we'd fit him in the offense. Can he play TE? If nothing else, the threat of him running a route could open the offense.

Man, I can't wait for the Tulane game! I'm psyched!

(10-27-2026 10:04 AM)Buho00 Wrote:  

(10-25-2026 12:38 AM)westsidewolf1989 Wrote:  

(10-25-2026 12:13 AM)TheOwl84 Wrote:  

(10-24-2026 11:19 PM)westsidewolf1989 Wrote:  

(10-24-2026 08:00 PM)Texasowl Wrote:  Abel is out of his league. Go back to Davidson.

Abell is a very nice guy, but he can’t be the coach here past this season.

I don't really see the point in saying this. There's zero chance he gets fired this year. Next year maybe if this keeps up but the offense and defense have individually shown flashes of potentially being good despite being plagued by injuries in a way we weren't last year. He got a backup QB to play better than Jacurri and a third string QB came in absolutely ready to play too. If he's developing all his players the way it seems like he's developing Crayton Jr. I want to see what he does next year with a roster nearly full of players that have been here 2+ years.

I'd rather see a change in special teams.

The fact that the second and third string QBs performed better than Jacurri is an indictment on both Abells’ ability to evaluate talent

Am I the only one who thinks Brown could have set an NCAA rushing record if he played vs FAU? Don't want to take anything away from Ochoa, he showed a special ability to knife through the defense into the open, and maybe ran the outside option better than Jacurri has, but Jacurri's talent is obvious. Maybe Ochoa is a better overall fit/QB but I think any of the 3 QB's would've looked good vs FAU. Let's see how Ochoa does against another D.

Ochoa showed a quickness and cutting ability that Brown doesn't possess. I liked his decisions, and he definitely appears to be the more natural passer.

Besides his fantastic plays (great reads, great speed, great long pass for a td), Ochoa also managed to have 3 awful plays: missing a wide open Zinter 20 yards downfield that would have been a td to put us up 21-0, missing a wide open Hardeman 12 yards downfield on a third and 11 late in the game, and an option pitch to a back who was surrounded by defenders, leading to a lost fumble and FAU td. Overall, though, Ochoa had a brilliant game that Brown or any other quarterback could not have matched. Unfortunately we've now lost our element of surprise that Ochoa gave us.

(10-27-2026 02:20 PM)wrysal Wrote:  Besides his fantastic plays (great reads, great speed, great long pass for a td), Ochoa also managed to have 3 awful plays: missing a wide open Zinter 20 yards downfield that would have been a td to put us up 21-0, missing a wide open Hardeman 12 yards downfield on a third and 11 late in the game, and an option pitch to a back who was surrounded by defenders, leading to a lost fumble and FAU td. Overall, though, Ochoa had a brilliant game that Brown or any other quarterback could not have matched. Unfortunately we've now lost our element of surprise that Ochoa gave us.

He missed Zinter because he had to throw the ball a second or two too early with a DE bearing down on him because our tackle got completely whipped.

(10-27-2026 10:04 AM)Buho00 Wrote:  Am I the only one who thinks Brown could have set an NCAA rushing record if he played vs FAU? Don't want to take anything away from Ochoa, he showed a special ability to knife through the defense into the open, and maybe ran the outside option better than Jacurri has, but Jacurri's talent is obvious. Maybe Ochoa is a better overall fit/QB but I think any of the 3 QB's would've looked good vs FAU. Let's see how Ochoa does against another D.

Let's not knock Ochoa in an effort to boost Brown. Gael had an amazing day and I was not at all surprised. I've been high on him all along... not that he is at this moment 'better' than Brown... but I have been excited that with an offense that needs a healthy QB but puts him at risk on every play, that we had a '1b' ready to go. He is a little different than Brown... but I don't think it is monumental. I remember when we moved Armstrong to WR to let Chase be the QB... I felt at the time that while Armstrong was the slightly better QB at the moment, that the TEAM was better with Armstrong in the slot. This may be a similar situation. Brown is big, athletic and fast. He brings a dynamic that we don't have elsewhere on the field that I see.

(10-27-2026 10:38 AM)Ourland Wrote:  I like the idea of playing Brown at WR, with Ochoa at QB, as we enter the red zone. He's the perfect height for catching balls in the back of the endzone. I don't know how else we'd fit him in the offense. Can he play TE? If nothing else, the threat of him running a route could open the offense.

Man, I can't wait for the Tulane game! I'm psyched!

I think his size and speed could cause matchup issues on the outside as well, but I could also see him at the wing. His size and speed can make it easier for him to cut back on a pursuing DB on the outside than a guy even a bit faster but 40 pounds lighter.... also, he could be a threat to throw a drag route just behind that pirsuit. An RPO from someone other than the QB. Ochoa could do it as well, but he's not quite as big (yet). Brown is an exceptional athlete overall... and could play in lots of places, IMO.

I love having Hambone on here… especially when he says stuff I was thinking, but expresses it way better than I would have

(10-28-2026 12:40 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  I love having Hambone on here… especially when he says stuff I was thinking, but expresses it way better than I would have

He does it all the time on the Quad.

Jacurri should welcome this change of pace. He obviously will not play at the next level as a QB . But with his speed and athleticism, if he gained 15 -20 pounds he could potentially be one of those tweener tight ends playing out of the slot and running routes in the middle of the field. His height should give him advantages on 50-50 throws.

(10-28-2026 04:20 PM)Uteowl Wrote:  Jacurri should welcome this change of pace. He obviously will not play at the next level as a QB . But with his speed and athleticism, if he gained 15 -20 pounds he could potentially be one of those tweener tight ends playing out of the slot and running routes in the middle of the field. His height should give him advantages on 50-50 throws.

Funny that we are advocating for a position change for Jacurri. I remember reading the same from University of Miami fans regarding Jacurri when I was trying to get more information about him after the announcement of him signing with Rice.

One thing is apparent to me. Jacurri is a great teammate. The season isn't over yet. Hopefully, he gets an opportunity to further demonstrate his athleticism.

So three months ago, it seemed like this board wanted Brown to do whatever he could to get a 6th year of eligibility. Now, it is ready to move him to WR or slot. In 8 games, there is only one person who has at least 8 receptions (one per game). If Brown's talent is running with the ball, how much impact does he have at WR if he touches the ball one or two times a game?

Also, he is a redshirt senior and has had four years at Power 4 schools prior to this year. If he was really good as a WR, you would think that Miami or UCF would have moved him there since they were not playing him at QB. Or, maybe he did have potential, but he wanted to be a QB. I don't think he came to Rice to be a WR or slot. My guess is that he wants to be a QB, as if he just wanted to be on the field and had talent as a WR, that would have happened already. I would also guess that if he does find a way to get a 6th year of eligibility and if Rice says he would not be their QB next year, he will be on to his 4th school. I don't know him, so this is just a guess based on observations.

How easy is it to transition to a new position, never played before, in mid season? He would have to learn the plays - where to line up, the route to run, the blocking assignments. If this was easy, I think we wouldn't need football practice. Just have Gael tell him in the huddle, just before he takes his spot under center, "Just go deep. I'll heave it to you." Then the line can do their vaunted pass blocking. TD!!! Easy-peasy.

(10-29-2026 09:04 AM)Owl Is In Chains Wrote:  So three months ago, it seemed like this board wanted Brown to do whatever he could to get a 6th year of eligibility. Now, it is ready to move him to WR or slot. In 8 games, there is only one person who has at least 8 receptions (one per game). If Brown's talent is running with the ball, how much impact does he have at WR if he touches the ball one or two times a game?

Also, he is a redshirt senior and has had four years at Power 4 schools prior to this year. If he was really good as a WR, you would think that Miami or UCF would have moved him there since they were not playing him at QB. Or, maybe he did have potential, but he wanted to be a QB. I don't think he came to Rice to be a WR or slot. My guess is that he wants to be a QB, as if he just wanted to be on the field and had talent as a WR, that would have happened already. I would also guess that if he does find a way to get a 6th year of eligibility and if Rice says he would not be their QB next year, he will be on to his 4th school. I don't know him, so this is just a guess based on observations.

We're all operating under the assumption that he isn't getting a 6th year of eligibility. We're at a point where we can't improve on our record from last year so there's more to gain from Ochoa getting more playing experience than a slightly more athletic Jacurri Brown playing out the year. But we all acknowledge that Jacurri Brown is a beast so we want him to be involved somehow.

The safe options are you keep playing Jacurri as a QB but bring in Ochoa for a few plays each game, or the other way around. But we're not on this board to suggest safe boring options, we're here to say we want a player who's never been a receiver to use his height to catch balls over some poor unsuspecting corner from North Texas.

If we did know he was getting another year of eligibility I'd want both of them to keep playing QB.

(10-29-2026 10:20 AM)TheOwl84 Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 09:04 AM)Owl Is In Chains Wrote:  So three months ago, it seemed like this board wanted Brown to do whatever he could to get a 6th year of eligibility. Now, it is ready to move him to WR or slot. In 8 games, there is only one person who has at least 8 receptions (one per game). If Brown's talent is running with the ball, how much impact does he have at WR if he touches the ball one or two times a game?

Also, he is a redshirt senior and has had four years at Power 4 schools prior to this year. If he was really good as a WR, you would think that Miami or UCF would have moved him there since they were not playing him at QB. Or, maybe he did have potential, but he wanted to be a QB. I don't think he came to Rice to be a WR or slot. My guess is that he wants to be a QB, as if he just wanted to be on the field and had talent as a WR, that would have happened already. I would also guess that if he does find a way to get a 6th year of eligibility and if Rice says he would not be their QB next year, he will be on to his 4th school. I don't know him, so this is just a guess based on observations.

We're all operating under the assumption that he isn't getting a 6th year of eligibility. We're at a point where we can't improve on our record from last year so there's more to gain from Ochoa getting more playing experience than a slightly more athletic Jacurri Brown playing out the year. But we all acknowledge that Jacurri Brown is a beast so we want him to be involved somehow.

The safe options are you keep playing Jacurri as a QB but bring in Ochoa for a few plays each game, or the other way around. But we're not on this board to suggest safe boring options, we're here to say we want a player who's never been a receiver to use his height to catch balls over some poor unsuspecting corner from North Texas.

If we did know he was getting another year of eligibility I'd want both of them to keep playing QB.

“We're at a point where we can't improve on our record from last year”

Yeah, I disagree with that claim.

(10-28-2026 05:59 PM)Pan95 Wrote:  

(10-28-2026 04:20 PM)Uteowl Wrote:  Jacurri should welcome this change of pace. He obviously will not play at the next level as a QB . But with his speed and athleticism, if he gained 15 -20 pounds he could potentially be one of those tweener tight ends playing out of the slot and running routes in the middle of the field. His height should give him advantages on 50-50 throws.

Funny that we are advocating for a position change for Jacurri. I remember reading the same from University of Miami fans regarding Jacurri when I was trying to get more information about him after the announcement of him signing with Rice.

One thing is apparent to me. Jacurri is a great teammate. The season isn't over yet. Hopefully, he gets an opportunity to further demonstrate his athleticism.

Just like Luke McCaffrey when he was at Nebraska and then here.

(10-29-2026 12:31 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 10:20 AM)TheOwl84 Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 09:04 AM)Owl Is In Chains Wrote:  So three months ago, it seemed like this board wanted Brown to do whatever he could to get a 6th year of eligibility. Now, it is ready to move him to WR or slot. In 8 games, there is only one person who has at least 8 receptions (one per game). If Brown's talent is running with the ball, how much impact does he have at WR if he touches the ball one or two times a game?

Also, he is a redshirt senior and has had four years at Power 4 schools prior to this year. If he was really good as a WR, you would think that Miami or UCF would have moved him there since they were not playing him at QB. Or, maybe he did have potential, but he wanted to be a QB. I don't think he came to Rice to be a WR or slot. My guess is that he wants to be a QB, as if he just wanted to be on the field and had talent as a WR, that would have happened already. I would also guess that if he does find a way to get a 6th year of eligibility and if Rice says he would not be their QB next year, he will be on to his 4th school. I don't know him, so this is just a guess based on observations.

We're all operating under the assumption that he isn't getting a 6th year of eligibility. We're at a point where we can't improve on our record from last year so there's more to gain from Ochoa getting more playing experience than a slightly more athletic Jacurri Brown playing out the year. But we all acknowledge that Jacurri Brown is a beast so we want him to be involved somehow.

The safe options are you keep playing Jacurri as a QB but bring in Ochoa for a few plays each game, or the other way around. But we're not on this board to suggest safe boring options, we're here to say we want a player who's never been a receiver to use his height to catch balls over some poor unsuspecting corner from North Texas.

If we did know he was getting another year of eligibility I'd want both of them to keep playing QB.

“We're at a point where we can't improve on our record from last year”

Yeah, I disagree with that claim.

If we win out we'll only match last year's 5-7 regular season. Then we'd have to see if we luck into another APR bowl to have a chance to beat last years 5-8 record. Nobody left on our schedule would be a more impressive win than UConn last year.

Assuming Jacurri does give us a better chance of winning, do we value the possibility of another APR bowl and a 6-7 season more than the development of Ochoa before next year?

I will say though, maybe it is smart to keep Ochoa's playing time limited so there's less risk of him being seen as a transfer portal target. 2 or 3 more decent games and suddenly P4 schools with extra money to spend will gladly pay him more than we can to be a backup.

(10-29-2026 03:29 PM)TheOwl84 Wrote:  Though, maybe it is smart to keep Ochoa's playing time limited so there's less risk of him being seen as a transfer portal target. 2 or 3 more decent games and suddenly P4 schools with extra money to spend will gladly pay him more than we can to be a backup.

Are there very many P4 programs that have offensive schemes that match up with Ochoa's skill sets? If he continues to play and an demonstrate capable passing ability, he might be a target.

Sam Houston State fired its head coach Phil Longo after a 1-7 record in his second season.

Some schools are serious about cutting their losses.

(10-30-2026 02:51 AM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  Sam Houston State fired its head coach Phil Longo after a 1-7 record in his second season.

Some schools are serious about cutting their losses.

What did it cost them, in terms of his contract?
What would it cost us to do the same?

Don't interpret this as my support of firing (not that I have any say) - it's a financial question only.

(10-30-2026 06:59 AM)Grungy Wrote:  

(10-30-2026 02:51 AM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  Sam Houston State fired its head coach Phil Longo after a 1-7 record in his second season.

Some schools are serious about cutting their losses.

What did it cost them, in terms of his contract?
What would it cost us to do the same?

Don't interpret this as my support of firing (not that I have any say) - it's a financial question only.

I am more to learn why he thinks Sam Houston State should be our role model.

(10-30-2026 11:08 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(10-30-2026 06:59 AM)Grungy Wrote:  

(10-30-2026 02:51 AM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  Sam Houston State fired its head coach Phil Longo after a 1-7 record in his second season.

Some schools are serious about cutting their losses.

What did it cost them, in terms of his contract?
What would it cost us to do the same?

Don't interpret this as my support of firing (not that I have any say) - it's a financial question only.

I am more to learn why he thinks Sam Houston State should be our role model.

Much better to have a coaching staff engineering a regression from 5-8 to 1-7.