5 Things to Know About Rice

Philip Ferguson · May 14, 2019

https://collegefootballnews.com/2019/05/rice-football-preview-prediction-players-2019?utm_source=CFNFB&utm_medium=FB&utm_campaign=affref&fbclid=IwAR1qe1LBV9pevwUKojeKcmc8r19W4OeBx_kE9rcqk4OTvfWScr6lhp0USUo

The only thing I really want to know is how bad we'll beat them later in the year #GMG

Harry · May 14, 2019

It’s sad how many of their players have transferred to other schools. This massive player transferring can really hurt programs.

Harry · May 14, 2019

They are also hamstrung because they can’t sign jucos.

trud1966 · May 14, 2019

It's a Carbohydrate....Youre welcome...

Salsa_Verde · May 15, 2019

Rice is hurting the conference by being this bad. UTEP has some name recognition and it hurts CUSA as well. I feel like UT-sorta almost is going to flame out but still doesn’t have national brand appeal.

Travis · May 15, 2019

15 minutes ago, Salsa_Verde said:

Rice is hurting the conference by being this bad. UTEP has some name recognition and it hurts CUSA as well. I feel like UT-sorta almost is going to flame out but still doesn’t have national brand appeal.

We have been there. We have been worse.

Salsa_Verde · May 15, 2019

If you want to go ahead and talk about the Dodge years in the Sun Belt then go ahead. I’m talking about CUSA and the present. Don’t know what the point of your comment was my friend.

untjim1995 · May 15, 2019

53 minutes ago, Salsa_Verde said:

If you want to go ahead and talk about the Dodge years in the Sun Belt then go ahead. I’m talking about CUSA and the present. Don’t know what the point of your comment was my friend.

Well, the 2015 season under McCarney was in CUSA and we were without a doubt the worst FBS team that year. If UTSA isn’t down to their 6th string QB against us in Denton, we go 0-12

Rice and UTEP are in that territory for sure now.

Travis · May 16, 2019

23 hours ago, Salsa_Verde said:

If you want to go ahead and talk about the Dodge years in the Sun Belt then go ahead. I’m talking about CUSA and the present. Don’t know what the point of your comment was my friend.

I only point out that there often is at least one or two really weak teams, including us for a few seasons, in this conference. I am not sure out conference will ever really shake that for the foreseeable future.

NorthTexasWeLove · May 16, 2019

8 hours ago, Travis said:

I only point out that there often is at least one or two really weak teams, including us for a few seasons, in this conference. I am not sure out conference will ever really shake that for the foreseeable future.

That's just about every conference in CFB. They ALL have bottom dwellers.

It will prove to be much more difficult for Rice and UTEP to dig their way out of these holes. UTEP can't recruit and is ever only half way decent if they strike gold on a couple players and even then that typically only provides them temporary mediocrity. Rice has a lot of academic setbacks and poor facilities. I believe what Baliff was able to do there will prove to be unprecedented in due time.

UNTLifer · May 16, 2019

2 hours ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

That's just about every conference in CFB. They ALL have bottom dwellers.

It will prove to be much more difficult for Rice and UTEP to dig their way out of these holes. UTEP can't recruit and is ever only half way decent if they strike gold on a couple players and even then that typically only provides them temporary mediocrity. Rice has a lot of academic setbacks and poor facilities. I believe what Baliff was able to do there will prove to be unprecedented in due time.

Very true. I remember when Ken Hatfield coached at Rice and I have often wondered if running a system similar to what he ran would help Rice. For those that don't remember, Hatfield ran the "flexbone" offense which is similar to what the service academies run. Rice will always have difficulty running a system like 99% of the other teams run and recruiting against those teams. It is just tough to find enough kids with the academics Rice requires and the athleticism it takes to compete. Run something off the wall, like Army, that could possibly lead to some success.

NorthTexasWeLove · May 16, 2019

55 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

Very true. I remember when Ken Hatfield coached at Rice and I have often wondered if running a system similar to what he ran would help Rice. For those that don't remember, Hatfield ran the "flexbone" offense which is similar to what the service academies run. Rice will always have difficulty running a system like 99% of the other teams run and recruiting against those teams. It is just tough to find enough kids with the academics Rice requires and the athleticism it takes to compete. Run something off the wall, like Army, that could possibly lead to some success.

I would definitely go with that approach. Which, in a way, that kind of do and did with Baliff. Both Baliff and Bloomgren are run heavy coaches who like to get big linemen, run the ball, eat the clock and try to win with whatever skill guys they're able to land. But I think they definitely do need to do something a little quirky with their program such as committing to a flex or triple option offense to give them somewhat of a competitive advantage. Now the question that needs to be asked is does Rice drop their academic quals for athletes like most universities do? They may or may not claim they do, but special admissions programs are very common at the collegiate level. Not to put Rice and Southern Miss in the same academic spotlight, but a football player was admitted to Southern Miss some years ago with a 12 on his ACT. I can only imagine this is not a common scenario, but I can imagine there being scenarios somewhat similar to this on a regular basis. Either way, switching offensive philosophies would be tremendously beneficial for Rice.