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The Lowdown 2006 Schedule Coach: Todd Graham (1st season) 2005 record: 1-10 C-USA finish: 1-7 (t-5th West) 2005 I-A offensive rankings: Rushing: 11th (234.2 ypg) Passing: 117th (103.3 ypg) 2005 I-A defensive rankings: Rushing: 109th (212.0 ypg) Passing: 83rd (242.6 ypg) Date Opponent Sept. 2 Houston Sept. 9 at UCLA Sept. 16 #Texas Sept. 23 at Florida State Sept. 30 at Army Oct. 7 at Tulane Oct. 14 UAB Oct. 21 at UCF Nov. 4 at UTEP Nov. 11 at Tulsa Nov. 18 East Carolina Nov. 25 SMU #Reliant Stadium Depth Chart: Offense 8 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. WR 81 Jarett Dillard So. 37 Dustin Hufsey Fr. WR 1 Gary Anderson Jr. 82 John Welch Fr. IR 13 Joel Armstrong Jr. 22 Mike Falco Sr. LT 68 Lute Barber Jr. 67 Preston Thompson Fr. LG 72 Robby Heos Jr. 60 James Miller So. C 73 Austin Wilkinson So. 52 David Perkins Jr. RG 52 David Perkins Jr. 63 David Berken So. RT 50 Rolf Krueger Sr. 56 Chance Talbert Fr. IR 7 Tommy Henderson So. 18 Jeremy Goodson Fr. QB 16 Chase Clement So. 17 John Shepherd Fr. TB 44 Quinton Smith Sr. 10 Bio Bilaye-Benibo Jr. Depth Chart: Defense 6 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. DE 58 Jonathan Cary Jr. 70 Victor Brooks Fr. NG 99 George Chukwu Jr. 97 William Wood Sr. DE 98 Courtney Gordon Sr. 95 Dietrich Davis So. SLB 4 Marcus Rucker Sr. 40 Jared Gilbert Jr. MLB 36 Vernon James So. 28 Lance Luedeker Jr. WLB 31 Brian Raines So. 11 Casey Marchbanks Fr. CB 9 Ja’Corey Shepherd So. 8 Lance Byrd Sr. CB 15 Brandon King So. 23 Jon Turner Jr. SS 29 Carl Taylor So. 14 Justin Abt Jr. BS 21 Chad Price Sr. 20 Bencil Smith So. FS 2 Andray Downs Sr. 42 Dash Patel Fr. Special Teams Ps. No. Player Yr. Ps. No. Player Yr. K 41 Luke Juist Jr. P 85 Jared Scruggs Sr. KR 2 Andray Downs Sr. PR 15 Brandon King So.

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Todd Graham realizes that altering attitudes will have as much impact on changing the fortunes of Rice football as the concoction of elaborate schemes on offense and defense.

In taking over a program that has lost 18 of its last 22 games and posted losing records in seven of eight seasons, Graham must build from the ground up. That explains his harping on mental toughness and confidence, and his attempts to get the Owls to become more enthusiastic and intense at every practice station. If the Owls are to depart from their losing ways, the process will begin well in advance of their season opener against Houston. The foundation will be built on a daily basis in the weight room, in film sessions and on the practice fields under the shadows of Rice Stadium.

"They've got to do what we tell them to do right the first time, not the second, third or fourth time," Graham says. "And that's the key to running a disciplined program. That's why we work so hard on the intensity, discipline and structure that we have."

Of course there is football to be learned, too. Graham, formerly the defensive coordinator at defending Conference USA champion Tulsa, brought to Rice an attacking defensive mentality. He lured Paul Randolph, whom he worked with at West Virginia, away from Alabama and named him defensive coordinator. Together, the longtime friends plan to reverse the Owls' downward defensive spiral.

Offensively, Graham scuttled the antiquated option attack in favor of a pass-oriented spread set. That certainly served as a shock to the system of the returning offensive players, many of whom were largely unfamiliar with the concept of passing the ball. "The first day we went out there throwing the ball, and it was bouncing off their helmets," Graham says. "We've come a long way from that."

Graham hopes that he can one day say the same thing about the Owls' old mentality.

OFFENSE

Even after the installation of a new spread offense, coach Todd Graham refused to commit to the idea that Chase Clement won the starting quarterback job or the notion that former starter Joel Armstrong had moved to receiver permanently. But Clement has superior accuracy, and appears more comfortable orchestrating the spread than he did the option. He is a more viable candidate to start than Armstrong or John Shepherd, who will back up Clement. However, all bets are off should recruit Pierre Beasley grasp the offense more quickly than anticipated.

After rushing for 902 yards and five touchdowns on 140 carries, senior tailback Quinton Smith earned second-team all-conference honors last season. He is strong and powerful, and just fast enough to pose a breakaway threat.

With only three proven receivers back for an offense that frequently calls for four-receiver sets, this is clearly a position of great concern. Jarett Dillard had a breakout freshman season; his 35 catches and 524 yards were the most by an Owl in a decade, and his fearlessness and penchant for acrobatic receptions were impressive. Senior Mike Falco was second in receiving yards (208) despite missing the first six games of the season following knee surgery. Should he return from a hamstring injury that sidelined him during the spring, and should Armstrong make a smooth transition, the Owls won't have to rely too heavily on the four wideouts they signed in February.

The Owls return ample experience up front in Robby Heos and Rolf Krueger, who both started all 11 games last season, and center Austin Wilkinson, who started 10.

DEFENSE

By utilizing three down linemen, the Owls should maximize their depth in the trenches. Courtney Gordon, George Chukwu, Jonathan Cary, William Wood and DeJaun Cooper each made multiple starts last season. Toss in Dietrich Davis, who started against SMU, and the Owls have interchangeable parts.

Brian Raines, Vernon James and Marcus Rucker will debut as starters at linebacker. Raines and James played sparingly as freshmen last season while Rucker, a senior, served as a backup tailback.

The 3-3-5 set allows Graham to get his best athletes on the field in the secondary. Seniors safeties Chad Price and Andray Downs have started 29 and 28 games, respectively, and they should help ease the transition of sophomore safety Carl Taylor, who appears poised to take his place besides cornerbacks Ja'Corey Shepherd and Brandon King, emboldened after being thrown into the fire as redshirt freshmen last year. Bencil Smith, Jon Turner and Lance Byrd bring talent, depth and experience to the mix.

SPECIALISTS

Junior kicker Luke Juist takes over after sharing duties with Brennan Landry for two seasons. Juist made two field goals last year, including a 53-yarder, but his erratic play undermined his powerful leg. This season, he must justify his starting role. Senior Jared Scruggs rebounded from a subpar sophomore season by averaging 42.8 yards per punt.

FINAL ANALYSIS

With new schemes on both offense and defense, it remains to be seen if the available talent matches what Graham aims to accomplish on the field. By introducing a spread offense, Graham will maximize the talents of Clement, Dillard and Smith, but the offensive line will be challenged by the task of learning how to pass block when all were recruited as run-blockers. The defensive backs seem to have taken to Graham's aggressive style, but the Owls must hope that improvements in attitude can impact the bottom line.