Rice Owls

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Coach and Program | Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers/tight ends | Offensive Line | Kickers | Defensive Line | Linebackers | Defensive backs | Punters | Special teams | Recruiting Class | Blue Ribbon analysis

Team schedule

COACH AND PROGRAM

In eight seasons as coach at Rice, Ken Hatfield has witnessed numerous ups and downs.

The veteran coach took over a program in 1994 that went 5-6 but won a share of the Southwest Conference championship. It was Rice’s first league championship since 1957. The Owls then suffered through a 2-8-1 season. Things turned around again as Rice recorded back-to-back 7-4 seasons in 1996 and ’97. Then came three straight losing seasons.

In 2001, however, it was back to good. Very good, in fact.

The Owls went 8-4, turning in the school’s most successful season in 48 years when the Owls went 9-2 and beat Alabama in the Cotton Bowl.

Team Info Location:   Houston, TX   Conference:   Western Athletic   Last Season:   8-4 (.667)   Conference Record:   5-3 (t-4th)   Off. Starters Returning:   4  Def. Starters Returning:   4  Nickname:   Owls  Colors:   Blue & Gray  Home Field:   Rice Stadium (70,000)   Head Coach:   Ken Hatfield (Arkansas '65)   Record at School:   42-46-1 (8 years)   Career Record:   155-108-4 (23 years)   Assistants:   John Bland (Arkansas '89) Quarterbacks      Larry Brinson (Florida '82) Running Backs      Barney Farrar (Delta State '83) Cornerbacks      Roger Hinshaw (Appalachian State '72) Defensive Coordinator/ Safeties/Bandits      Steve Kidd (Rice '87) Punters/Placekickers/ Recruiting Coordinator     Jeff Sowells (Rice '96) Receivers      Charlie Rizzo (Auburn '67) Inside Linebackers      Scott Wachenheim (Air Force '84) Offensive Coordinator/ Offensive Line      Theo Young (Arkansas '88) Defensive Line   Team Wins (last 5 yrs.):   7-5-5-3-8   Team Rank (last 5 yrs.):   83-76-95-101-93   2001 Finish:   Lost to SMU in regular-season finale.

Hatfield, who has also been a head coach at Clemson, Arkansas and Air Force, has only four starters back on offense and defense. Still, he doesn’t want the success to sour once again and plans on some changes in 2002.

Because he has good depth at quarterback and receiver, Hatfield and the Owls will add more passing to the flex-bone offense.

During the last five years, Rice has been ranked among the top 10 rushing teams in the nation. Still, Hatfield started to think more about passing last year, resulting in the Owls’ increasing their passing yardage to 122 yards per game. That might be a quarter’s worth of yardage for some of the country’s more pass-happy teams. But it was up from 81 yards the year before. That total still ranked last in the Western Athletic Conference, where most offenses are pass-oriented.

Returning quarterback Kyle Herm (5-8, 175) was a key to Rice’s successful season in 2001. One of the nation’s best option quarterbacks, he is a hard-nosed competitor who stepped in last year when Jeremy Hurd went down with a knee injury in preseason drills.

Herm won the George R. Brown Award as the Owls’ top offensive back and was voted honorable mention All-WAC by the league coaches. He led Rice in rushing with 897 yards on 205 carries with 11 touchdowns. Herm passed for 1,121 yards and eight touchdowns, completing 72-of-142 passes. His top performance came at Louisiana Tech when he threw for 267 yards and two touchdowns on a 16-of-30 passing performance. That was the most yardage ever for an Owl under Hatfield, and the most since Bert Emanuel passed for 272 yards against Navy in 1992.

Hurd (5-10, 155), a junior, was moved to receiver in the spring and could contribute there if he is able to overcome his injury.

The Owls return their three leading rushers in senior halfback Vincent Hawkins (5-6, 175), sophomore halfback Clint Hatfield (5-9, 185) and junior fullback Robbie Beck (5-10, 220).

Hawkins ran for 302 yards on 72 carries last year while Hatfield gained 316 on 58 carries and Beck had 634 yards on 126 rushes.

Hatfield is no relation to the coach, but his teammates still call him "Junior.’’ He is an elusive runner with a quick first step who won the Joe Lipscomb Award as Rice’s top freshman in 2001.

Backing up Hatfield at one of the halfback positions will be seniors Sean White (5-6, 180) and Joe Moore (5-10, 205). Moore was shifted from quarterback to the backfield in the spring and caught Hatfield’s eye.

"So that was kind of what this last scrimmage was about -- to take a look at the 'new kids on the block.' For those guys like Joe Moore, for instance, who’s only been at running back for, like, four days. He hadn’t been there very long. And he performed for us this spring," Hatfield told the Rice Football Webletter. "And you see out there today, in the scrimmage, we tried to do a lot of things for him; we made him block some; we made him carry the ball some; he made some mistakes. We’d rather him learn from the mistakes in the spring -- but we know he’s going to be a great player for us. He can be a great running back. We just need to get that great ability of his on the field."

The key returnee at split end is junior Gavin Boothe (6-1, 185), one of the more gifted athletes on the Rice roster. He has great speed and jumping ability and enters his junior season with 39 catches for 661 yards, an average of 16.9.

Last year, Boothe received honorable mention All-WAC honors in voting by league coaches. He led Rice with four touchdown receptions among his 21 catches for 348 yards. He suffered a sprained ankle late in spring drills, but should be fine in the fall.

"Gavin Boothe has had just a tremendous spring for us,’’ Hatfield told the Webletter.

Hurd, the former quarterback, is listed behind Boothe on the depth chart. Behind him is red-shirt freshman Marcus Battle (5-9, 180).

"Marcus Battle is probably one of the biggest surprises for us this spring -- we really didn’t know how well he’d take to it because he was a quarterback in high school,’’ Hatfield told the Webletter. "And he’s been a big play man this spring. I’ve been pleased with him."

Also on the depth chart at receiver are sophomore Ryan Simonek (5-9, 170) and sophomore Ben Wiggins (6-3, 190).

The starter at tight end will be senior Travis Thompson (6-4, 250), who will be backed up by sophomore Joe Wood (6-1, 235).

Only one starter returns on the offensive line -- senior left guard Keith Meyer (6-2, 290). He is a strong blocker who will be counted on for leadership in the option attack.

The other starter at guard will be senior Clint Crisp (6-3, 300) while junior Ben Stephens (6-2, 300) will start at center. The tackles are junior Chris DeMunbrun (6-4, 295) and sophomore Greg Wilson (6-4, 310).

Also in the picture is junior Mike Holman (6-3, 290), a much anticipated transfer who started on the offensive line for two years at Stanford. He is listed behind Crisp on the depth chart.

"Overall, I feel good there,’’ Hatfield told the Webletter. "We do have some other linemen, who I think can still improve, and we need them to do that."

The other backups are sophomores Scott Mayhew (6-6, 280), Micah Meador (6-2, 295), Cotey-Joe Cswaykus (6-4, 280) and James Pitman (6-4, 270).

The place-kicker will be senior Brandon Skeen (6-2, 190), who needs to be more successful on long field goals. He missed all six of his attempts from beyond 40 yards last year. He was 6-of-16 on field-goal tries.

Senior defensive end Brandon Green (6-3, 250) had a breakthrough season in 2001. He set school and conference records for most sacks (12) and tackles for a loss (21).

Green is an instinctive player who enters this season within reach of Rice career records in sacks and tackles for loss. He has 17 sacks through three season, just three of Ndukwe Kalu’s record of 20 from 1993-96. Green is sixth with 32 tackles for loss, 14 away from Larry Izzo’s record of 46 in 1992-95. He has made 138 career tackles.

Last season, Green was voted All-WAC first team by the league coaches.

Green is on the "watch list’’ for both the Lombardi Trophy and the Bronco Nagurski awards next fall. He said that will give him extra incentive.

"It’s a really big honor for me to be named to those lists," Green told the Webletter. "I was really, really proud, really excited to hear about it. It gives me just a little more motivation to go out and have a good season this coming year."

Returning at nose guard is senior B.J. Forguson (6-3, 290), who sat out last season with an injury.

"It’s just up to us to play our tails off,’’ Forguson told the Webletter. "We -- Brandon and I -- have got to be out there and make as many plays as we can to keep all the other guys excited. That’s the way I see our role. That’s what makes us leaders. Not by talking -- but by making the plays."

Said Green, "It’s up to us to lead by example. If we have fun, and play the way we’re capable, we’ll have some success leading by example. I mean, we’ll go out next fall and really ‘bring the hat’ to people -- hopefully."

Sophomore Jeremy Calahan (6-3, 260) returns at tackle and senior Nick Sabula (6-2, 230) will draw the start at the other end. Junior Ross Lasley (6-2, 275) will push Calahan for playing time.

Converted quarterback Jeff Vanover (5-11, 210) will be the leader of the linebacking corps. A junior, Vanover missed the 2001 season with a knee injury. He came back strong in the spring and is an honors candidate for the Owls. Vanover played in 11 games and had four starts in 2000.

The other starters will be senior Justin Engler (6-3, 230) and sophomore Raymorris Barnes (5-9, 170).

The key backups are junior Brandon Boyd (6-0, 195), senior Scott Huffman (5-10, 230), sophomore Adam Herrin (6-0, 215) and sophomore Clifford Sparks (5-9, 195).

Two key returnees are sophomore Patrick Dendy (6-0, 180) at cornerback and senior Greg Gatlin (6-0, 175) at safety. The others starters are safeties Antwan Shell (5-10, 190), a senior, and John White (5-11, 175), a junior.

Two players who drew special praise from Hatfield in the spring were sophomore safety Terry Holley (6-0, 200) and senior safety Corey Evans (5-11, 175).

The punter will be all-star candidate Travis Hale (6-3, 201), a senior whose 40.7 career average gives him a chance to become Rice’s all-time leader. He is No. 2 behind Tucker Phillips’ 40.9 average in 1992-96.

Last year, Hale led the league in punting with an average of 39.1 on 66 punts. He has had only two punts blocked in his career.

Listed as an honors candidate is deep snapper Ryan Pontbriand (6-2, 245), a senior who leads the Rice special teams.

’’He is the best at his position in college football,’’ Hatfield said.

Pontbriand led the special teams with five tackles last year and his solid snaps on punt attempts are one major reason for no blocks against the Owls the last two seasons.

Clint Hatfield set a Rice record last year with 182 return yards against Fresno State. He returned eight punts for a 5.4 average, and had a 17-yard return against UTEP.

Boothe was pressed into duty last year as a kickoff return specialist and responded with 292 yards on 18 returns, including a 23-yarder against Nebraska. He also returned two punts.

Rice signed 24 high school players last February.

Included in the class are 17 players from Texas high schools, two each from Arizona and Oklahoma, and one each from Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Georgia.

Hatfield and his staff signed six defensive backs, three linebackers. three defensive linemen, four offensive linemen, two wide receivers, one tight end, three running backs and two kicking specialists.

Among the Texas signees, three played in Class 5A high schools, five are from Class 4A schools, and eight played in Class 3A or smaller. One was from a member of the Southwest Preparatory Conference. Seven players are from the greater Houston/Gulf Coast area, six from the Dallas-Fort Worth region, two from West Texas and two from the Austin area.

Individually, 12 of the new players won all-state honors, topped by running back Mike Falco (5-10, 185), who was the Arizona offensive player of the year at Scottsdale's Horizon High.

Falco was also selected the Northeast Valley Player of the Year by the Arizona Republic. After leading Horizon to an 11-2 record and a berth in a state semifinal. He rushed for 1,451 yards and 20 touchdowns, and had 630 receiving yards and five more scores.

The class also contains a pair of players with familiar names to Rice fans. Defensive back Stephen Wood (5-11, 180) from Southlake-Carroll is the son of former Owl quarterback Philip Wood (1969-71), and offensive lineman Rolf Krueger II (6-4, 260) from Sealy is the son and nephew of former Texas A&M all-America linemen, Rolf and Charlie Krueger.

Wood made all-state and all-district free safety and was chosen District 6-4A defensive player of the year.

The Owls signed two more running backs -- Andrew Cates (6-0, 210) and Quinton Smith (5-11, 179).

Cates played at Marist High School in Atlanta. He was a three-year starter at fullback and helped Marist to a three-year record of 39-3. He was chosen a regional standout by Gridiron Greats and won a "Cream of the Crop’’ and athlete of the week awards from GPTV in Atlanta.

Smith played at Cedar Park High in Houston, where he was a second-team Class 4A all-state pick. He was chosen most valuable offensive player in District 17-4A. He also won the district long jump and triple jump as a junior.

Rice also picked up wide receivers John Brock (6-2, 175) and Andrew Hall (6-4, 200).

Brock was a Class 2A all-state halfback at Houston Spearman High who was selected Class 2A offensive player of the year by the Amarillo Globe-News. He was also a member of the paper’s Panhandle-Plains Super Team at halfback and cornerback.

Hall, who played at Saguaro High in Scottsdale, Ariz., had 62 receptions for 1,001 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior. He was a two-way starter at receiver and defensive back, earning all-region honors.

Along the offensive line, the Owls signed tight end Matt Bolding (6-4, 250) from Houston Andrews High; center David Carter (6-4, 265) from Dallas Greenhill; lineman Jack Collett (6-3, 270) from Sanger High in Houston; lineman Rolf Krueger (6-4, 260) from Houston Sealy; and lineman Corey Laxen from Galena Park High in Houston.

Houston also signed place-kicker Brennan Landry from St. Thomas More in Lafayette, La., and place-kicker/punter Jared Scruggs (6-3, 165) from Houston Hutton High.

The Owls signed linebackers Omeke Alikor (6-0, 195) from Booker T. Washington in Tulsa, Okla., Jeremy Harper (6-0, 205) from Pauls Valley (Okla.) High, and John Syptak (6-2, 215) from Bellville High in Houston. Alikor led Oklahoma in tackles with 214 and had a two-year total of 446 tackles, 10 sacks, four fumble recoveries and three interceptions. Harper was an all-county and all-district linebacker and Syptak was county and district MVP.

Among the defensive standouts were backs Chad Price (6-0, 185) from Houston Bay City High and Tyler Smith (6-2, 190) from Dallas Highland Park.

With 25 graduating seniors to be replaced, spring practice was a time for looking at a lot of new faces. Hatfield referred to his young steam as "new kids on the block.’’

"No doubt about it," Hatfield told the Webletter after the last scrimmage of the spring. "I think that the main thing that we have been looking at this spring were a whole bunch of new kids -- either new to us or new to their positions. And there were some guys out there who have come along and have really done a good job."

The Owls will open the season at home against Houston before taking road trips to Michigan State and Nevada.

A key will be how Herm performs at quarterback and whether the run game can be complemented with a better performance through the air.

Only one starter returns in the offensive line, and the defense is suspect -- especially against the explosive passing offenses in the WAC.

Hatfield is used to ups and downs. With only four starters back on offense and defense, this could be another down year.