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If the Owls are going to avoid their second consecutive losing season, they will have to do so by once again relying on fresh faces. Rice lost 13 starters -- including eight on defense -- from last year's 4-7 club. But there's no question the Owls have some talented players on both sides of the ball and could surprise some teams. "It better be a bounce-back year," senior linebacker Jeff Vanover said. Rice looks especially strong on offense. There is a wealth of experience and talent at the skill positions. But the big key lies on defense, where the Owls have only three starters back -- bad news in a league that features some of the nation's most explosive offenses. OFFENSIVE KEYS: Despite the loss of five starters, Rice appears to be in fairly good shape offensively. The Owls welcome back both quarterbacks, starter Kyle Herm and often-used backup Greg Henderson, hard-nosed fullback Robbie Beck, receiver Marcus Battle and three full-time starters on the line.Rice's triple-option attack was relatively effective last fall, but the Owls are looking for a return to their 2001 form when they were second in the nation in rushing at 281.2 yards per game. Herm, who was third on the team in rushing (416 yards) and first in passing (685 yards) last fall, has 21 starts under his belt and knows how to the run the option. Henderson played in all but one game last year and gives Rice an added dimension with his arm strength. Beck, who led the team with 601 yards rushing last year, again will be called upon to get the bulk of the carries. The Owls have a bevy of burly fullbacks and appear to be set at halfback. Battle, who made the move from quarterback prior to the 2002 season, gives the Owls a legitimate deep threat. He was easily the team's leading receiver with 26 catches for 430 yards and two scores. DEFENSIVE KEYS: As if the loss of All-WAC defensive end Brandon Green wasn't enough to cause concern on defense, the Owls suffered a blow prior to spring practice when starting free safety John White and starting right cornerback Jason Benjamin left the team, leaving Rice with only three starters returning on defense.Tackle Jeremy Calahan, who has started 14 consecutive games, will be looked upon to be the physical and emotional leader on the line. Vanover is undersized, but he's a playmaker who had three sacks at Michigan State last year. He was held out of spring ball while recovering from shoulder surgery. No unit is as important in the WAC as the defensive backfield, which routinely is under fire against some of the nation's top passing attacks. Patrick Dendy, who started five games last year, will start at one corner. The other spot is up grabs. Raymorris Barnes, who started 11 games at corner, has moved to safety. SPECIAL TEAMS: The Owls handed the kicking duties last year to true freshman Brennan Landry. He was an unspectacular 8-of-15 with a long kick of just 41 yards. Rice will be turning to redshirt freshman Jared Scruggs at punter, and will be relying on a new deep snapper.FINAL ANALYSIS: Coming off their best season -- an 8-4 record in 2001 -- in nearly 50 years, the Owls slumped to 4-7 last year, but were a play or two away from winning three more games. The Owls will, as usual, move the ball at will on the ground and could be surprisingly efficient through the air. However, there are major issues on defense, especially in the secondary.Rice doesn't have enough depth or talent to blow teams out, so the Owls must take advantage and win games that are close in the fourth quarter. That was something they couldn't do last year. During Ken Hatfield's regime, Rice has had a knack for bouncing back from subpar seasons with solid campaigns. The veteran coach believes his team once again will rebound. • Click here for complete index of 2003 team previews
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