Here are Ben's thoughts about the game. Please comment with your opinions.
Southern Miss and Rice have both opened the 2021 season with a record of 1-3. As the Western division counterparts square off on Saturday, the conference opener looks like a near-must win if either side hopes to compete in C-USA
In the strange year that was 2020, Mike Bloomgren’s Owls finished at 2-3, moving the former Stanford offensive coordinator’s record as the head man in Houston to 7 wins and 23 losses. The preseason media poll predicted Rice to finish fifth in the division ahead of the 2021 campaign. Although, some believed that Rice would begin to turn things around in Bloomgren’s 5th year. Expected improvement offensively and the return of a good amount of experience from the defense being the top factors in these expectations. A bumpy 0-3 start against quality competition, plus a two-touchdown victory over SWAC opponent Texas Southern last Saturday, has left the question open as to whether the Owls are an improved football team.
The big news in the offseason was the arrival of Nebraska transfer Luke McCaffrey, who spent a few months with Louisville before settling on playing his third year of college football in Houston. The younger brother of NFL star Christian McCaffrey had a slow start through 2+ games as the starting quarterback for Bloomgren – completing 16 of 32 passes for a touchdown and three interceptions. After getting banged up and replaced by fellow transfer Luke Constantine, McCaffrey might have finally found his role in an offense. He did not attempt a pass against TSU. Instead, he was used as a situational QB in the run game - running for 36 yards on five attempts with a touchdown.
It appears that the two-quarterback approach could be featured for the duration of the year, as Luke Constantine has solidified himself as the starter. Constantine has been accurate and efficient since holding the reins for the Rice offense, throwing for 359 yards (one touchdown) at a 78.9% completion rate. He stayed in the pocket for most of the game last week but can also move outside the tackles and complete throws on the move.
But it’s not just the quarterbacks that move the chains for the Owls. Jalen Myers led the way in the backfield last Saturday - collecting 160 yards and notching 4 TDs. Myers and Constantine shined as the offense put up 620 total yards in a 48-34 win. The balanced pro-style offense is nearly a carbon copy of the system Mike Bloomgren ran at Stanford. This will be another test for a Southern Miss defense that was scorched against one of the better offenses in the country last week.
So, what does Southern Miss need to do to win this game? Building on the positives of last week’s loss against Alabama is imperative – improved offensive line play and Ty Keyes showing that he is a threat in the passing game are the prime keys to success. The offense will continue to struggle if it can’t throw defenses out of stacking the box and blitzing on all three downs. To combat this, Chandler Pittman will continue to see his touches increase as well as the tight ends getting more opportunity in the passing game. Will Hall noted after practice early this week that he needs to find more ways to get Frank Gore running the ball outside of handing it off. Given this statement, plus increased familiarity with the playbook for a young offense, play-calling will likely be (and needs to be) the most creative we’ve seen it to this point.
In the fifth game of a season, it is unusual for a football team to have expectations that vary so significantly, but this is where the Golden Eagles find themselves. Should the offense show continued improvement, Will Hall has a chance to reach the coveted 6-win mark and attain bowl eligibility in year one. The conference schedule does offer a slew of winnable games if this is the case – particularly matchups against UTEP, FIU, North Texas, and Middle Tennessee. If the progress stalls, however, the going will only get tougher for a group that is desperate for a quality result that can be built upon.
Kickoff is slated for 5:30 PM on Saturday at Rice Stadium; televised/streamed on ESPN3.
Southern Miss and Rice have both opened the 2021 season with a record of 1-3. As the Western division counterparts square off on Saturday, the conference opener looks like a near-must win if either side hopes to compete in C-USA
In the strange year that was 2020, Mike Bloomgren’s Owls finished at 2-3, moving the former Stanford offensive coordinator’s record as the head man in Houston to 7 wins and 23 losses. The preseason media poll predicted Rice to finish fifth in the division ahead of the 2021 campaign. Although, some believed that Rice would begin to turn things around in Bloomgren’s 5th year. Expected improvement offensively and the return of a good amount of experience from the defense being the top factors in these expectations. A bumpy 0-3 start against quality competition, plus a two-touchdown victory over SWAC opponent Texas Southern last Saturday, has left the question open as to whether the Owls are an improved football team.
The big news in the offseason was the arrival of Nebraska transfer Luke McCaffrey, who spent a few months with Louisville before settling on playing his third year of college football in Houston. The younger brother of NFL star Christian McCaffrey had a slow start through 2+ games as the starting quarterback for Bloomgren – completing 16 of 32 passes for a touchdown and three interceptions. After getting banged up and replaced by fellow transfer Luke Constantine, McCaffrey might have finally found his role in an offense. He did not attempt a pass against TSU. Instead, he was used as a situational QB in the run game - running for 36 yards on five attempts with a touchdown.
It appears that the two-quarterback approach could be featured for the duration of the year, as Luke Constantine has solidified himself as the starter. Constantine has been accurate and efficient since holding the reins for the Rice offense, throwing for 359 yards (one touchdown) at a 78.9% completion rate. He stayed in the pocket for most of the game last week but can also move outside the tackles and complete throws on the move.
But it’s not just the quarterbacks that move the chains for the Owls. Jalen Myers led the way in the backfield last Saturday - collecting 160 yards and notching 4 TDs. Myers and Constantine shined as the offense put up 620 total yards in a 48-34 win. The balanced pro-style offense is nearly a carbon copy of the system Mike Bloomgren ran at Stanford. This will be another test for a Southern Miss defense that was scorched against one of the better offenses in the country last week.
So, what does Southern Miss need to do to win this game? Building on the positives of last week’s loss against Alabama is imperative – improved offensive line play and Ty Keyes showing that he is a threat in the passing game are the prime keys to success. The offense will continue to struggle if it can’t throw defenses out of stacking the box and blitzing on all three downs. To combat this, Chandler Pittman will continue to see his touches increase as well as the tight ends getting more opportunity in the passing game. Will Hall noted after practice early this week that he needs to find more ways to get Frank Gore running the ball outside of handing it off. Given this statement, plus increased familiarity with the playbook for a young offense, play-calling will likely be (and needs to be) the most creative we’ve seen it to this point.
In the fifth game of a season, it is unusual for a football team to have expectations that vary so significantly, but this is where the Golden Eagles find themselves. Should the offense show continued improvement, Will Hall has a chance to reach the coveted 6-win mark and attain bowl eligibility in year one. The conference schedule does offer a slew of winnable games if this is the case – particularly matchups against UTEP, FIU, North Texas, and Middle Tennessee. If the progress stalls, however, the going will only get tougher for a group that is desperate for a quality result that can be built upon.
Kickoff is slated for 5:30 PM on Saturday at Rice Stadium; televised/streamed on ESPN3.
