rice @ uncc

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There might be a "Days without accident" counter hanging somewhere around the Brian Patterson Sports Performance Center.

Rice can't stay off the trainer's table.

The Owls were hit with more unfortunate news after losing sophomore defensive tackle Carl Thompson for the rest of the season to shoulder surgery.

Rice (1-8, 0-6 in Conference USA play) has lost 14 players for the rest of the year and 11 more for Saturday's game against Charlotte.



Asked how different this season would look if Rice were healthy, head coach David Bailiff said: "We'd have 25 more guys practicing. That would help you a lot."

For every player nearing a return to the field, one goes on the injury report.

Possibly returning from injury this week are: junior linebacker Emmanuel Ellerbee; redshirt freshman safety Houston Robert, freshman linebacker Uzoma Akunebu, redshirt junior linebacker D.J. Green, redshirt junior safety Cole Thomas and redshirt senior receiver Zach Wright.

Green has missed most of the year and Thomas got hurt in the second half of Saturday's 42-25 loss to Florida Atlantic.

Doubtful for the Charlotte game: redshirt senior cornerback J.T. Blasingame, redshirt freshman offensive lineman Isaiah Edwards, redshirt sophomore tailback Sam Stewart, redshirt sophomore safety J.T. Ibe and redshirt sophomore receivers Parker Smith and Lance Wright.

"There are some days you go out there in practice and think we just stared at each other and somebody twists an ankle," Bailiff said.

It's hurt depth more than anything this year and has Bailiff harkening back to the 2013 conference title season or 2008's 10-win campaign when the team rarely had injuries.

So what can Rice do next year to prevent it?

Not much, Bailiff said. It's part of the game. But any solution starts in the weight room.

Junior safety Destri White is even alarmed by how much it's hurt Rice this year.

"We go into the season thinking no one is going to get hurt," White said. "That's the last thing on your mind. Feel like with the people that you have, we're all going to be healthy and play all the way through the season."

 

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It's been a see-saw of a year in the trenches for Rice, particularly along the offensive line.

The Owls now have played eight different offensive lines in nine games this season because of injuries and the constant shuffling doesn't look like it will stop any time soon.

Rice allowed five sacks in the first half against Florida Atlantic but none in the second half. Although, Rice head coach David Bailiff said not every sack was on the offensive line.



Sophomore offensive lineman Cory Klingler said the halftime adjustments were slight, but made a difference. It's one of the few positives from Saturday.

"We were going into more of an attacking mode to get on them quick so they didn't have enough room to work certain moves," Klingler said. "We could get on them fast."

Because of the change in mindset, Rice pieced together a few decent drives through the running attack and senior quarterback Tyler Stehling had a bit more room to breathe.

And the shuffling has forced this offensive line to become an athletic one, something Klingler hopes matters next year. Klingler has played both guard positions and at center this year, for example.

However, all that has nothing to do with FAU freshman running back Devin Singletary going wild for 252 yards and three scores ? a major reason for the loss.

It's still a constant theme for the team in general. The constant lows outshine the few highs.

 

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David Bailiff was greeting everyone with a fist bump on Monday. The Rice football coach was taking no chances. Not after a good number of his players were stricken with a stomach virus in the days leading up to last Saturday's 61-16 loss at Louisiana Tech.

By Bailiff's count, 32 Rice players as well as 10 coaches and staff members, came down with the virus, including Bailiff.

The final player to become ill was cornerback V.J. Banks, just before kickoff.



"He was throwing up over the bench, so he's been the last reported case," Bailiff said. "I don't know what kind of virus it was, but I'm glad that's behind us."

Injuries have also taken a toll on the 1-7 Owls, who on Saturday host the 1-7 Florida Atlantic Owls at 2:30 p.m. at Rice Stadium.

Rice has 24 injured players, with 14 out for the season. Ten players are being evaluated week to week, including center Trey Martin, who has been out a month with a foot sprain.

Right guard Isaiah Edwards, a 6-8, 360-pound redshirt freshman who had six pancake blocks against Louisiana Tech, will not play on Saturday because of an injury.

 

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Three months ago, as the Charlotte football team prepared for its second season at the FBS level, coach Brad Lambert stressed to his players that November would be the most important month of the year.

After the 49ers (4-5, 3-2 Conference-USA) secured a 38-27 road win against Southern Mississippi, Lambert?s words ring true ahead of Saturday?s home game against Rice.



A victory against the Owls would match the school record for wins in a season. More importantly, Charlotte would enter its final two games needing just one win to become bowl eligible in its first year of eligibility.

?We?ve just got to keep balling,? said redshirt sophomore quarterback Hasaan Klugh. ?We have it in the back of our heads about a bowl game and whatnot, but we?ve just got to take it one game at a time.?

Behind their rushing offense, which ranks first in the conference with 198.2 yards per game, the 49ers have flipped the script from where they were a season ago.




Charlotte has doubled its win total from the 2015 campaign. After scoring 210 points all year, the 49ers have tallied 236 this season.

?They?ve already surpassed what we did last year from a win total, from an offensive total and things like that,? Lambert said. ?But ultimately we just want to win this next game and put ourselves in position to play for something each and every week.?

Saluting the troops

As part of Charlotte?s Military Appreciation Weekend, which will begin Friday night with men?s and women?s basketball games at Halton Arena, Saturday?s football game will mark the 49ers? Military Appreciation Day.




?When I showed up on the very front end of us becoming a D-I team, we really didn?t do much for Military Appreciation Day other than just say it was and do some things here and there,? said Air Force Capt. Stephen Evans. ?I figured this would be a great time to balloon this thing and make it big for veterans and active duty folks.?

Among the multiple events planned for Saturday, Evans said Air Force ROTC cadets will march with the team to Richardson Stadium before the game and a ceremony will be held at halftime to commemorate prisoners of war and those who lost their lives in battle.

Injury report

Charlotte will likely be without defensive back Alex Duncan on Saturday. A redshirt sophomore who sat out the 2015 season after transferring from Navy, he sustained a concussion in the win against Southern Miss.




Having primarily played on special teams, Duncan has registered 19 total tackles and an interception this year.

About the Owls

▪ Rice (1-8, 0-6) remains winless in conference play after falling to Florida Atlantic 42-25 Saturday. The Owls? lone win was against Prairie View A&M on Oct. 22.

▪ In the 49ers? 2015 season finale, Charlotte held Rice scoreless in the first half before allowing the Owls to score on five straight second-half possessions en route to a 27-7 defeat.

▪ Rice ranks third in C-USA and is tied with Wake Forest for 32nd nationally with 89 percent efficiency inside the red zone.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/college/article113383613.html#storylink=cpy

 

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Rice has a chance to upset some promising seasons down the stretch.

The Owls' last three games are against teams either headed to bowls or on the doorstep of becoming bowl eligible.

Charlotte, only in its second year as a Football Bowl Subdivision program, can be bowl eligible with two wins in its last three. UTEP is just a win off and Stanford already is in.

Bailiff is impressed with the quick turnaround for Charlotte head coach Brad Lambert and his 19 fifth-year seniors ? a term Rice is certainly familiar with.



"They've done a good job," Rice head coach David Bailiff said. "They've got that big running back Kalif Phillips. They're solid. They're not a high-risk defense but they make you earn every yard that you get."

So is playing spoiler a motivator for the Owls?

"Charlotte's a really good team and spoiling it would be nice but at the end of the day, I feel like worrying about ourselves and playing more consistent is more important than spoiling somebody's season," safety Destri White said.

 

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Winchester; Foggie Named C-USA Players of the Week


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Charlotte 49ers Terrance Winchester and Juwan Foggie have been named Conference USA Players of the Week, following the 49ers 38-27 C-USA road win at Southern Miss. Winchester, who had two interceptions upon his return from injury, was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week while Foggie, who blocked a punt for touchdown, was named the league's Special Teams Player of the Week. C-USA Football Players of the Week are voted on by a panel of the league's media.

Winchester, who missed the previous four games with injury, returned to make a huge impact in the 49ers secondary. Winchester grabbed a school-record two interceptions to thwart a pair of Golden Eagles' scoring opportunities. He had a first-quarter pick in the end zone for a touchback and added his second on the Golden Eagles' final fourth quarter comeback attempt, this time at the 49ers' five yard line. With his two red zone interceptions, Winchester became the first 49er to pull down two picks in the same game and helped the 49ers match their team record with three interceptions. Charlotte leads Conference USA with 12 interceptions, this year.

While Winchester kept the Southern Miss offense at bay, Juwan Foggie's blocked punt helped Charlotte's offense put the game away, Foggie raced through the Southern Miss punt block protection to block a third-quarter Golden Eagles punt from the USM 12. The blocked punt popped straight up in the air and came down in the arms of 49ers defensive back Ed Rolle for a touchdown. The score put the 49ers ahead, 38-14, and for all intents and purposes, out of reach of the 2015 C-USA West Division Champs. Foggie has both blocked punts in 49ers history.

"The big play in the game was the blocked punt," said 49ers head coach Brad Lambert.

Winchester becomes the first 49er to win Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week honors while Foggie is the 49ers' second Special Teams award winner. They are the second and third award winners, this season. Earlier this season, QB Hasaan Klugh was named the league's Offensive Player of the Week.

With the win at Southern Miss, Charlotte improved to 3-2 in Conference USA play and moved into third-place in the league's East Division. It was Charlotte's third straight road win. This weekend, the 49ers return home to host Rice, Saturday at 2 p.m.
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[LonghornMM]

I live in Houston and Rice is just downright awful this year. I think Charlotte covers this easily. This might be one of my biggest plays of the year. :0074

 

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Rice vs. Charlotte Game Preview

When: Saturday, Nov. 12 ? 2:00 p.m. ET
Where: McColl-Richardson Field, Charlotte, NC
TV Broadcast: N/A

The Owls (1-8, 0-6 Conference USA) were overwhelmed by Florida Atlantic last week in a 42-25 home loss. David Bailiff?s squad allowed FAU to put up a program-record 657 total yards, which eclipsed its previous record of 624 total yards set in 2008. Rice quarterback Tyler Stehling threw for 254 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

Meanwhile, the 49ers (4-5, 3-2) rallied on the road for a 38-27 win over Southern Miss last week behind the play of quarterback Hasaan Klugh, who ran for a touchdown and capped a 21-point second quarter with an 18-yard pass to T.L. Ford II. It was the young program?s best win since transitioning into FBS.

When these teams met in 2015, Rice scored all of its points in the second half to claim a 27-7 win in Houston. Driphus Jackson finished 14-of-22 passing for 122 yards and an interception. The Owls recorded 307 yards on the ground in the victory.

What To Know About Rice

One week after the Owls were dominated by Louisiana Tech in a 61-16 beat down that featured the Bulldogs piling up a season-high 735 total yards, including four plays of 70 yards or longer, they allowed FAU to set a program-record for total yards in a 17-point setback. The lone victory for the Owls this season came against Prairie View, a 65-44 contest that saw Stehling throw for 407 yards and five touchdowns. It has been a very rough campaign for Bailiff and Co., as the Owls are one of the worst teams in the FBS. While there have been a couple of close losses, the overall level of play has not been great for the Houston-based school.

What to Know About Charlotte

Brad Lambert?s 49ers continue to improve, as they notched their third win in four games last week against Southern Miss after enduring a four-game skid. There is real progress being made in the program?s second year at the FBS level. Star tackle Larry Ogunjobi is part of a defense that has been solid against the run the last few weeks, and the offense looks much different with Klugh at quarterback, who is able to create something out of nothing on broken plays. The team is 3-1 since Klugh took over the offense, although his play as a passer needs to be a bit more consistent. But the bottom line is that this is a much different Charlotte outfit than what we saw through the first part of the season.

Advantages

Offense: Charlotte. The 49ers are averaging 12.5 more yards per game than Rice, and it?s a unit now that is more intriguing with Klugh at the helm.

Defense: Neither unit it stout, but Rice is allowing an astounding 557.8 yards per game.

Special Teams: Charlotte. Blake Brewer has improved the 49ers? kicking game after Stephen Muscarello missed four extra points on the season.

Coaching: Charlotte. Lambert?s 49ers have improved each week.

Intangibles: Charlotte. The Owls are a wounded bunch right now after getting blown out in back-to-back weeks.

Matchup To Watch

Kalif Phillips vs. Rice run defense

Both passing defenses are porous, while the Rice rushing defense is very giving as well. Phillips has rushed for 405 yards over his last three games, and he should feast on this Owls run defense. That will only open things up more for Klugh and the 49ers offense.

Betting Odds

Spread: Charlotte -10.5
Over/Under: 64

Rice vs. Charlotte Prediction

It?s hard to see the Owls winning this game when they are coming off of back-to-back blowout losses while the 49ers are trending upward.

Rice vs. Charlotte Score Prediction: Charlotte 34, Rice 26

 

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David Bailiff Press Conference Quotes

Coach Bailiff held his weekly press conference prior to the Charlotte game.


Nov. 7, 2016


Coach David Bailiff held his weekly press conference prior to the Charlotte game.

Opening Statement

?It was a disappointing loss once again. It was a game that we thought if we played well, we could win. How the offense started, we took the ball and drove for a touchdown. It was a very solid drive. Then we turned around and have four straight three-and-outs. Then we went back with another solid drive to score our 14th point of the game. We had two great drives in the first half.

In the second half, we had five quality drives, but we just didn?t get the points. We had the touchdown, a two-point conversion and the field goal. But we were able to move the ball. I thought that Tyler Stehling, from start to finish for his completion ratio, it was one of his more solid games that he has played. His decision-making and taking care of the football, there were some times early when he was getting sacked. I thought he may lose it but he was able to hang on to the football. He made good decisions. Cory Klingler played one of his best games as far as his blocking (and) his assignment. He really had a very dominating performance for us.

Defensively, there were too many mistakes and too many big plays. Our biggest issue there is depth right now. We?re just beat up. We had some new guys playing new positions. They did the best they could do on a short week. Destri White, our weak (side) safety had a fine ballgame. He had eight tackles. We had a lot of production trying to get the secondary set up and the new guys aligned right. So we were really pleased with how Destri played. In the front, Blain Padgett was very solid and Alex Lyons also played solid. We had to move Tabari McGaskey from strong safety to linebacker, which he played a year ago. He had a very solid game for us. He missed the third quarter with an injury but came back in the fourth to finish the game. But there were too many big plays. We have to get the big plays eliminated.

In special teams, I thought Jack Fox really did a great job punting the ball and with his kickoffs. Also, Haden Tobola on field goals. We?ve had some issues in protection on field goals but I thought the (offensive) line really got solidified this week.

Nobody likes to be in this position. We have some incredible young men who just continue to work hard. We have to go on the road to Charlotte who just had a big win on the road at Southern Miss. They?ve beat Southern Miss and Marshall on the road this year. They?re improving every week. Brad Lambert?s done a nice job of getting them in position to compete. They have a great running game with their big running back, Kalif Phillips. They have great receivers and defensively they have Larry Ogunjobi, the defensive tackle, who?s very disruptive and has started four years in a row. He?s a great player for them. They?re solid defensively. They don?t make a lot of mistakes. They?re on a roll right now. They?re 3-2 in conference and we?ve got to keep getting better.

The young guys have to step up. We have to continue to coach them hard; continue to stay upbeat; continue to stay together and try to work through this. The only way to get through these hard times is to work and stay together. It?s a tribute to these young men and what they?ve tried to do. They continue to come over here and give us their best every time they come into this facility or step on the field.?

On if it was another example on sometimes things go right and sometimes they go wrong:

?We?ve had eight different starting lineups in the offensive line. It?s just a lead (where) we?ve had a hard time being consistent and we?ve had a hard time staying healthy. Those aren?t two things that help you. We?re all doing our best. We?ve won one game this year. We?re a better football team than that. The only way through it is to keep working. Last week, a lot of the young men had never played positionally what we were asking them to play because we?re just having big depth issues right now. It?s hard sometimes for a young man to get all the route combinations. So we continue to delete our menus on both sides of the ball. It?s not important what coaches know. We have to make sure that these young men know it. That?s what we?re trying to battle through.?

On what would this team be like with a full roster:

?We?d have 25 more players practicing. That would help a lot. We?re down 14 for the season and another 11 for this game right now. On the defensive line, three of our top four interior defensive linemen have had season-ending injuries. It?s just one of those tragic years where the injury bug has bit us two years in a row. In (2013), we didn?t have anybody hurt. We had the same starting lineup in the offensive and defensive lines. In 2015 and 2016, last year it was eight changes in the offensive line and right now this year it?s eight.?

Going into the offseason, is that something you work on:

?You work in the weight room to prevent injuries. Tragically, injuries are one of those things that if you could control them, there would be none in the NFL. It?s a contact sport and people are going to get hurt. We practice smart. We practice to try to be as injury free as you can. Most of the injuries occur in the games, not in practice. You really do so much less contact now to prevent the concussions and that ACL?s. You get the three scrimmages during two-a-days that you take advantage of. In the last two years we?ve been in that cycle and you have to cycle out of it. There are some days that you go out in practice and you think if you just stare at each other someone will twist an ankle. We?ve just got to keep working through it. In the offseason, we all did an injury report. You study injuries to try to prevent them. But, that?s something that you really can?t prevent.?

On Austin Walter:

?Austin averaged 5.4 yards a carry. I?m really proud of him. Where I was most pleased with him was in his pass-protection and when we would slide protect. He actually held up against (Azeez Al-Shaair) who?s a great player. He?s had tremendous runs and tremendous ball security. I really like how he?s playing. He?s got great hands. He catches the ball well when we throw it to him.?

On Charlotte:

?Brad Lambert?s done a fabulous job there. I?ve known Brad for a long time. He has 19 fifth-year seniors that have been a part of that program. As they?re building, they?ve had some nice transfers come in there. They?ve done a good job. They have that big running back, Kalif Phillips. They?re solid. Defensively, they?re not a high-risk defense but they make you earn every yard that you get. They?re solid on both sides of the ball.?

On if Jackson Tyner and J.T. Granato will play more:

?Their roles will increase. A lot of it will be by personnel. They?ll each have packages that they will work with. They need some reps for next season. They both have got in and played well.?