Ranger
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Perspective for Football
I graduated in 1972. Therefore, I was at Rice for the 1968-71 football seasons. I was reflecting on the trajectory of the athletic department, and the football team in particular, over the last 40 years.
I realize that 40 years is a long time, and that this might be a horse that has been beaten to death.
I write this to consider how the three doormats of the SWC at the time, A&M, Baylor, and TCU have separated themselves from us.
1968-71 was considered an awful period in Rice football. I n 1968, we had our first winless season, 0-9-1. Over the four seasons, we won only 11 games. Yet during that period, we had the following records against other SWC teams.
UT 0-4
Ark 0-3-1
SMU 0-4
TT 1-3
TCU 1- 3
A&M 2-2
Baylor 3- 1
And many of our losses were competitive.
I don't think we would do so well against Baylor, A&M, and TCU today.
Another dismal thought.
I watched the SMU Tech game last night. Tech was led by a pretty good QB who was a true freshman walk on. If I heard the announcers correctly, he had scholarship offers from Rice and Wash St, but preferred to walk on at Tech. Pretty sad that someone would rather be a walk on elsewhere than get a scholarship to Rice. I suppose the thought of playing against teams like OU and UT is simply more gratifying than playing teams like Old Dominion and Western Kentucky.
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08-31-2013 10:18 AM |
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NYNightOwl
NYOwl
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RE: Perspective for Football
According to at least this article, Mayfield had no scholarship offers...
http://ow.ly/orvtp
Maybe the announcers were describing visits? If so, Mayfield also walked away from the Pac 12. Who knows what his reasons were? Maybe he was a Tech fan since birth, or maybe his girlfriend went there... Or maybe he couldn't get admitted to Rice?
(This post was last modified: 08-31-2013 10:48 AM by NYNightOwl.)
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08-31-2013 10:45 AM |
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Gravy Owl
Heisman
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RE: Perspective for Football
(08-31-2013 10:45 AM)NYNightOwl Wrote: According to at least this article, Mayfield had no scholarship offers...
http://ow.ly/orvtp
Maybe the announcers were describing visits? If so, Mayfield also walked away from the Pac 12. Who knows what his reasons were? Maybe he was a Tech fan since birth, or maybe his girlfriend went there... Or maybe he couldn't get admitted to Rice?
The story I've read is that he did have a few offers including Rice, but held out for a TCU offer that never came. By that time Rice, with German committed, was full at QB.
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08-31-2013 12:46 PM |
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talon owl
Chicken Fingers Justin
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RE: Perspective for Football
(08-31-2013 12:46 PM)Gravy Owl Wrote: (08-31-2013 10:45 AM)NYNightOwl Wrote: According to at least this article, Mayfield had no scholarship offers...
http://ow.ly/orvtp
Maybe the announcers were describing visits? If so, Mayfield also walked away from the Pac 12. Who knows what his reasons were? Maybe he was a Tech fan since birth, or maybe his girlfriend went there... Or maybe he couldn't get admitted to Rice?
The story I've read is that he did have a few offers including Rice, but held out for a TCU offer that never came. By that time Rice, with German committed, was full at QB.
IIRC we were Mayfield's first offer, and he was our first QB offer and only other QB offered for 2013 besides German. But there just wasn't ever really any interest on his side. The bit about him holding out for TCU sounds familiar. Seems to have worked out pretty well for him though. To start as a true frosh and be tutored by Kingsbury at his alma mater.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/rice/football/re...eld-138873
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09-01-2013 07:07 PM |
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75src
All American
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RE: Perspective for Football
Most of the 1971 losses were close losses with the Texas game is only conference game in which we did not have a chance. It was mentioned after the season how few points difference it would have take to go to the Cotton Bowl as a conference co-champ.
(08-31-2013 10:18 AM)Ranger Wrote: I graduated in 1972. Therefore, I was at Rice for the 1968-71 football seasons. I was reflecting on the trajectory of the athletic department, and the football team in particular, over the last 40 years.
I realize that 40 years is a long time, and that this might be a horse that has been beaten to death.
I write this to consider how the three doormats of the SWC at the time, A&M, Baylor, and TCU have separated themselves from us.
1968-71 was considered an awful period in Rice football. I n 1968, we had our first winless season, 0-9-1. Over the four seasons, we won only 11 games. Yet during that period, we had the following records against other SWC teams.
UT 0-4
Ark 0-3-1
SMU 0-4
TT 1-3
TCU 1- 3
A&M 2-2
Baylor 3- 1
And many of our losses were competitive.
I don't think we would do so well against Baylor, A&M, and TCU today.
Another dismal thought.
I watched the SMU Tech game last night. Tech was led by a pretty good QB who was a true freshman walk on. If I heard the announcers correctly, he had scholarship offers from Rice and Wash St, but preferred to walk on at Tech. Pretty sad that someone would rather be a walk on elsewhere than get a scholarship to Rice. I suppose the thought of playing against teams like OU and UT is simply more gratifying than playing teams like Old Dominion and Western Kentucky.
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09-02-2013 02:02 AM |
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Fort Bend Owl
Legend
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RE: Perspective for Football
Rice will be fine, if we continue to recruit the right players and have them here for four or five years in a good system. I went to the Clear Creek HS game Thursday night and was amazed that their quarterback (Jarrett Hildreth) hadn't committed anywhere yet. I guess he has some offers (Houston, Utah, Colorado State and some others) so he'll probably commit somewhere soon. But if this state can produce QB's of this nature, we'll continue to get recruits who are really good college football players.
Football is still king in this state, and regardless of the conference we're in, we're going to have superior players than a lot of our competition.
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09-02-2013 05:50 AM |
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