Rain, turnovers cause season-opening defeat
Owls fall 16-14 to Division I-AA Nicholls State, face longtime rival Baylor tomorrow for the first time since 1995
Football, unlike the other three major sports, can be played in all types of weather, from torrential downpours to heavy winds.
Unfortunately for the football team, turnovers, not inclement weather, can stop almost anything. Rice committed five turnovers, including a game-deciding blocked punt in the fourth quarter, on its way to a season-opening 16-14 loss to Nicholls State University Saturday.
The Owls (0-1) look to rebound from their disappointment tomorrow at 6 p.m. in Waco when they face old Southwest Conference rival Baylor University (0-1). This is the 76th meeting between the teams and their first since 1995, with Baylor holding an all-time advantage of 44-30-2. The Bears, who lost 27-0 to then-unranked Texas Christian University last Saturday, have struggled since becoming members of the Big 12 in 1996, never posting more than five wins in a season.
In order to at least compete with the in-state rivals on the offensive side of the ball, the Owls must protect the football better than they did in their rain-soaked opener. They also need to consistently move the football and use multiple receivers against the Bears. The Owls must create high-percentage passing situations early in order to restore their confidence, but should be able to score several times against the Bears.
Defensively, the Owls face a 180-degree shift from their opening contest. Faced with a triple-option rushing attack last week, Rice must now prepare for Baylor’s spread offense, which emphasizes the passing game. The Bears’ defense is a 4-2-5, nearly identical to the scheme Rice head coach David Bailiff implemented this year. Last week, Baylor quarterback Blake Szymanski threw the ball 47 times against TCU.
“We’re ready to come out there and show Baylor what we can do,” junior Jarett Dillard said. “In a way, [last week’s] loss will help in our game with Baylor because they’re going to say, ‘Look, these guys are not good.’ … We learned this week that we’re not going to underestimate anybody.”
Unfortunately, it did not matter how well-prepared the team was Saturday. Both teams had to endure two rain delays totaling over two hours, as well as subsequent sloppy conditions. Bailiff said the rain delays nullified any advantage Rice may have had.
“When you get a 50-minute break, a 70-minute break and a halftime break, you don’t get a chance to impose your will on an opponent,” he said. “Everyone was fresh in that entire football game.”
Offensively, the Owls had trouble finding any sort of rhythm. Junior quarterback Chase Clement said he blamed himself for the offense’s poor performance.
“I didn’t lead the offense the way I needed to,” he said. “The other players did a good job, the offensive line played very well, and we’ve got to keep improving and working on things we need to work on.”
However, Clement may be taking too much of the blame. The Owls were playing with a fairly restricted playbook due to the weather, and the basic route combinations and play-calling created very few situations on which the team could exploit Nicholls State’s defense.
The deciding play came with 8:04 left in the game, when the Colonels blocked an Owls punt and converted it to a safety, putting the score at 16-14. However, this was the only mistake for senior punter Luke Juist, who looked good in his first game at the position. Seven of Nicholls State’s drives began inside their own 25-yard line, and all drives starting in Rice territory came as a result of turnovers.
Defensively, the Owls managed to hold the Colonels largely in check. Nicholls State averaged 3.5 yards per rush, but Rice only allowed one offensive touchdown. Four times the Colonels started inside the Rice 50-yard line, and only once did the Colonels capitalize on that field position with a score.
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