RE: Rice Owls in NFL Camps
This is my general opinion:
2006 could have been better and could have been worse. Chase's health was a foreshadow of what was to demonstrate our dependance on a few core players for success.
2007 a semi gutted team thanks to the presence and subsequent departure of he-who-must-not-be-named. Nichols State was a disastrous start for the Bailiff regime. But as the season wore on, the team gained an offensive identity and maturity and created momentum for 2008.
2008 Not much to say. Great year. Except for the fact that the lion's share of touchdowns, receptions, receiving yards, and rushing yards graduated with Chase Clement, James Casey, Jarett Dillard, and CJ Ugokwe. Which led to 2009...
2009 As has been said before, no QB separated himself, still a young defense (Bauer, Lowry, Gaddis, Gaines) with several question marks at Linebacker, even more questions at the Offensive line (Ball, Allen, Carrington). Plus, even more questions as to where receiving and rushing yards would come from. With that said, 2009 should have been 3-9 not 2-10. We lost to SMU 31-28, a game also remembered as the Margus Hunt block party.
2010 Good start at UT. Lots of new guys starting/playing either for the first time or at new positions, e.g., Nwosu, Briggs, Eddington, McHargue, McGuffie, Hill, Petersen, Smith, Moore, Porras, Frazier, and Gioffre. Should have beat Tulane on the road so 5-7 would have been the record.
2011 Should have been a bowl year if we take care of business at Marshall and SMU.
2012 Great year, but could have been better.
To Owl69's point, since 2009 there is at least one game that better execution and preparation would have gotten us closer to the goal a year earlier. Yet, at best we were good for about 3 wins in 2009 when we take into account all the production that was lost from 2008. But, we are quickly moving in the right direction. I attribute that to 1. Outstanding recruiting, 2. Outstanding player physical preparation (Coach K), and 3. Improved coaching (Regan, Sloane, Thurmond, Slater, Hoefer, etc). There is still time. If we continue to win, continue to recruit, and continue to develop, we could end up being the Stanford of the South and Southwest before long. Dave Campbell Texas football absolutely raved about the 2012 recruiting class stating that "Rice killed it". And they seem pretty high on our current class. 2013 will be a statement year. I believe that it will be the year that we make ourselves relevant locally, state, and even nationally.
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