Was it intellectual? No. Was it brutal? Yes.

(09-28-2019 09:59 PM)illiniowl Wrote:  Was it intellectual? No. Was it brutal? Yes.

Sounds like you've got our new slogan: brutal intellectuality.

Should have put the game away in the first half-- threw away at least 6 points, and likely 10. Ultra conservative play calling in the red zone and truly pathetic time management those last 65 seconds.

About a disappointing loss as I can recall. I really feel badly for the defense - they deserved a win.

Upside: we now have taken three games down to the wire.

Downside: we lost all three.

In the end, the important things are the W’s.

Before the team can learn how to win, Bloom and the staff first need to figure it out. There’s your “intellectual brutality” for the evening

It seems that we were playing NOT TO LOSE instead of playing TO WIN. Way too conservative plays especially near the end of the game and in overtime. We let this game get away from us.

I keep harping on it, but the decision to be stubborn/rigid and “stick with the plan” of going to Stewart after the first two drives resulted in TDs was just unforgivable.

Had a chance to seize momentum and go up by two scores early with our D playing well..and our coaches instead shot our team in the foot. We never recovered momentum offensively. (Should add that it’s not about the players involved specifically...I’d feel the exact same way if it had been Stewart that had started, led 2 TD drives, and then been pulled).

D was mostly excellent. D line and LBs got after it again. Thornton may be the best corner in the league. Nyakwol and Smith were very good too.

There are pieces here to form a decent offense, but I’m not sure if these coaches are capable of solving the puzzle. Especially after the decision making we witnessed tonight.

Any hope the coaches will improve? This is Bloomgren's first head coaching job. Will he learn from mistakes or double down on stupid?

(09-29-2019 12:08 AM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  Any hope the coaches will improve? This is Bloomgren's first head coaching job. Will he learn from mistakes or double down on stupid?

That’s the million dollar (literally) question.

You guys play OFF like it's the 50's, power running & 5 yards outs
Probably got smart team, yet I see no counters or misdirection
Passing game has no imagination
No out & go, shuffle passes, do you even throw to TE

(09-28-2019 11:46 PM)RiceOwls2019 Wrote:  I keep harping on it, but the decision to be stubborn/rigid and “stick with the plan” of going to Stewart after the first two drives resulted in TDs was just unforgivable.

I didn't love it, but Stewart looked good in his 2nd drive (until the INT of course). I wish they would just pick a guy and go with him.

(09-28-2019 11:46 PM)RiceOwls2019 Wrote:  There are pieces here to form a decent offense, but I’m not sure if these coaches are capable of solving the puzzle. Especially after the decision making we witnessed tonight.

This is my take as well. I can imagine an imaginative playcaller that maximizes the strengths of the offense. The o-line has looked pretty good through 5 games considering the competition. When the run game is failing, its usually because teams are stacking the box, not because we suck.

(09-29-2019 12:41 AM)templefootballfan Wrote:  You guys play OFF like it's the 50's, power running & 5 yards outs
Probably got smart team, yet I see no counters or misdirection
Passing game has no imagination
No out & go, shuffle passes, do you even throw to TE

You nailed it. Rice runs the dumbest offense, which makes zero sense at a school like Rice and where coaches are alleging an intellectual approach. I'm not a football guy and Rice's offense looks as dumb as it gets. I don't think Rice threw a single pass more than 15 yards downfield all game.

I have been saying this for a few weeks.

You have to throw the ball to help the run. La Tech changed the front/gap responsibilities and choked off the run game. Rice went with Stewart to add an extra back in the run game by having direct QB runs. It was the game plan. It was a scripted plan. Goes back to following a plan and not changing based on the unfolding events of the game. The passing game is rudimentary at best. It has no concept of separation. For example, on the INT, 2 Rice receivers were next to each other at the back of the end zone. That clustered the coverage and Stewart three into it not accounting for the backside safety. The RB was actually covered as a defender was sitting in the flat eyeing him up. The throw to the EZ was 10 yards to short. It was a potential disaster. The one drag that they defender knocked down was due to dynamics of passing lanes and not being underthrown. Once a receiver crosses the QB and is running flat across the field, the defender becomes more within the throwing lane the further away from QB. Simply put, there is no window. How they try to use their receivers is just plain bad.

We have seen this pattern over and over. First game, stuff a 4th down and get the ball deep in opposing territory and 3 conservative plays. Get the ball on a TO deep in Baylor territory and go all conservative and play for FG. La Tech, go conservative and play for FG. You have to attack on offense at some point. Seize momentum and go for the jugular.

I have tried to point out some of these flaws. Waiting for these players to mature and better players to come in won’t fix the glaring problems that were seen tonight. It is the timidness in play calling coupled with poor play design and a lack of talent utilization that is dragging Rice down. I hope it gets better soon.

Did Green hurt his arm on the hail mary play? Some folks next to me thought he was holding his arm a bit odd after that rather short throw. He did play in the OT period, but obviously didn't do anything but hand off the ball in that series.

(09-29-2019 07:57 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Did Green hurt his arm on the hail mary play? Some folks next to me thought he was holding his arm a bit odd after that rather short throw. He did play in the OT period, but obviously didn't do anything but hand off the ball in that series.

He hurt it before that. He came off the field in pain one series late in the 3rd quarter or early 4th. He slammed down his helmet in frustration and they were working on his arm on the sideline. I thought he was definitely lacking zip on his throws after that.

(09-28-2019 11:46 PM)RiceOwls2019 Wrote:  I keep harping on it, but the decision to be stubborn/rigid and “stick with the plan” of going to Stewart after the first two drives resulted in TDs was just unforgivable.

Had a chance to seize momentum and go up by two scores early with our D playing well..and our coaches instead shot our team in the foot. We never recovered momentum offensively. (Should add that it’s not about the players involved specifically...I’d feel the exact same way if it had been Stewart that had started, led 2 TD drives, and then been pulled).

D was mostly excellent. D line and LBs got after it again. Thornton may be the best corner in the league. Nyakwol and Smith were very good too.

There are pieces here to form a decent offense, but I’m not sure if these coaches are capable of solving the puzzle. Especially after the decision making we witnessed tonight.

Only wants a win if it’s “his way”. Bloom will talk his way through the loss, possibly taking some responsibility but quickly shifting to guys not completing assignments or lack of athleticism.

(09-29-2019 02:04 AM)ruowls Wrote:  I have been saying this for a few weeks.

You have to throw the ball to help the run. La Tech changed the front/gap responsibilities and choked off the run game. Rice went with Stewart to add an extra back in the run game by having direct QB runs. It was the game plan. It was a scripted plan. Goes back to following a plan and not changing based on the unfolding events of the game. The passing game is rudimentary at best. It has no concept of separation. For example, on the INT, 2 Rice receivers were next to each other at the back of the end zone. That clustered the coverage and Stewart three into it not accounting for the backside safety. The RB was actually covered as a defender was sitting in the flat eyeing him up. The throw to the EZ was 10 yards to short. It was a potential disaster. The one drag that they defender knocked down was due to dynamics of passing lanes and not being underthrown. Once a receiver crosses the QB and is running flat across the field, the defender becomes more within the throwing lane the further away from QB. Simply put, there is no window. How they try to use their receivers is just plain bad.

We have seen this pattern over and over. First game, stuff a 4th down and get the ball deep in opposing territory and 3 conservative plays. Get the ball on a TO deep in Baylor territory and go all conservative and play for FG. La Tech, go conservative and play for FG. You have to attack on offense at some point. Seize momentum and go for the jugular.

I have tried to point out some of these flaws. Waiting for these players to mature and better players to come in won’t fix the glaring problems that were seen tonight. It is the timidness in play calling coupled with poor play design and a lack of talent utilization that is dragging Rice down. I hope it gets better soon.

Looking forward to the explanation on the play calling...what we think is conservative, Bloom thinks it’s imposing your will on your opponent. When it doesn’t work, for the 100th time, our OL is charged with not being athletic enough to hold their assignments

On the other hand, did anybody here think in 2015, 2016, and 2017 that we would be competitive and within 1-2 plays of winning 3 games this year against Army, Baylor and LT? They must be doing something right

(09-29-2019 08:46 AM)texowl2 Wrote:  On the other hand, did anybody here think in 2015, 2016, and 2017 that we would be competitive and within 1-2 plays of winning 3 games this year against Army, Baylor and LT? They must be doing something right

I expected an 0-5 start. I did not expect three one-score games.

(09-29-2019 08:46 AM)texowl2 Wrote:  On the other hand, did anybody here think in 2015, 2016, and 2017 that we would be competitive and within 1-2 plays of winning 3 games this year against Army, Baylor and LT? They must be doing something right

They are doing tons of things right. And that is the frustrating part. The only thing holding us back at this point is the coaches’ stubbornness and inability/unwillingness to adapt.

To that effect: our opponents are a combined 19-3 with losses to LSU, at Texas, and at Michigan in OT. And yet we could be 3-2 with better offensive coaching and decision making. Not to mention all the positives in terms of facility upgrades, additions of staff members, recruiting success, etc. Things are going so well in so many ways...and yet we are stuck in the mud in some critical areas.