nropp11
Vice-President of Fondy Fanclub
0-0, +0.00
Not too many conference games on slate for week 1, but we got a few we can lean on:
#7 Oregon State at #8 Stanford
#3 Troy at #4 Middle Tennessee State
#4 SMU at #6 Rice
#9 Washington at #2 Oregon
#2 TCU at #5 New Mexico
August 29, 2008
SMU at Rice
SMU +3
There are a few things present in this play. One, I think SMU’s a better team which is evident in my Conference USA West pre-season rankings. Two, new coaches. After a few good years at Texas State, David Bailiff joined the reigns at Rice last year, and admitted to doing a horrible job. He tried implementing his own system, which gave them a pretty damn good offense, but their defense was the worst in the conference, 2nd worst in the nation. He’s stated numerous times this off-season that he’s changing everything to suit his personnel. These kids are probably sick of it. For some of them, this will be their third coach in the last four years, and this marks the fourth time this team has changed it’s offensive and defensive style of play. The problem is, Bailiff has always been known as a defensive coach. Yet, last year, his team gives up a whopping 510 yards a game. I don’t see this defense improving.
On the other side of the ball, you have million dollar man June Jones added into the mix for the Mustangs. How does Rice prepare for this offense? They don’t have a clue what to prepare for, how to prepare, or even why to prepare. It’s virtually impossible to predict what this team is going to do in it’s first game under it’s new coach, but I’m going to assume that it’s going to be a run and gun offense, where the receivers will shine. They have the talent with Willis at quarterback. He can run, he can pass, and do it all. Problem is, he missed spring camp due to some trouble, but everything points he’ll be ready to go for the opener. Clearly, it’s Willis/Sanders versus Clement/Dillard on the offensive side of things, and I’m gonna side with the better defense with a bit of a size advantage on Dillard here. I also just don’t think that a horrible Rice defense can contain a QB who averaged over 300 total yards of offense combined last year, especially with the new style of offense, and very little preparation knowledge. Also, SMU is returning their complete defensive front, and a few of their cornerbacks who have previous experience against Clement here, so they know what they’re looking at. As for special teams being the game is lines at a field goal, SMU probably has the best punter in the conference, and one of the top field goal kickers in the conference in Morstead should this game come down to field position or a close game down the stretch.
I just think that the addition of Jones to SMU, and everything that Rice has gone through as far as changing schemes sets up for an SMU win here in game 1 of the season. I will probably add more info to this closer to game time.
2* SMU +3
Lean Oregon – hate chalk. Lean TCU – hate chalk. Got about a month to check out the rest, few stick out, but hate first few weeks non-conference games.
I-L-L
GL
Not too many conference games on slate for week 1, but we got a few we can lean on:
#7 Oregon State at #8 Stanford
#3 Troy at #4 Middle Tennessee State
#4 SMU at #6 Rice
#9 Washington at #2 Oregon
#2 TCU at #5 New Mexico
August 29, 2008
SMU at Rice
SMU +3
There are a few things present in this play. One, I think SMU’s a better team which is evident in my Conference USA West pre-season rankings. Two, new coaches. After a few good years at Texas State, David Bailiff joined the reigns at Rice last year, and admitted to doing a horrible job. He tried implementing his own system, which gave them a pretty damn good offense, but their defense was the worst in the conference, 2nd worst in the nation. He’s stated numerous times this off-season that he’s changing everything to suit his personnel. These kids are probably sick of it. For some of them, this will be their third coach in the last four years, and this marks the fourth time this team has changed it’s offensive and defensive style of play. The problem is, Bailiff has always been known as a defensive coach. Yet, last year, his team gives up a whopping 510 yards a game. I don’t see this defense improving.
On the other side of the ball, you have million dollar man June Jones added into the mix for the Mustangs. How does Rice prepare for this offense? They don’t have a clue what to prepare for, how to prepare, or even why to prepare. It’s virtually impossible to predict what this team is going to do in it’s first game under it’s new coach, but I’m going to assume that it’s going to be a run and gun offense, where the receivers will shine. They have the talent with Willis at quarterback. He can run, he can pass, and do it all. Problem is, he missed spring camp due to some trouble, but everything points he’ll be ready to go for the opener. Clearly, it’s Willis/Sanders versus Clement/Dillard on the offensive side of things, and I’m gonna side with the better defense with a bit of a size advantage on Dillard here. I also just don’t think that a horrible Rice defense can contain a QB who averaged over 300 total yards of offense combined last year, especially with the new style of offense, and very little preparation knowledge. Also, SMU is returning their complete defensive front, and a few of their cornerbacks who have previous experience against Clement here, so they know what they’re looking at. As for special teams being the game is lines at a field goal, SMU probably has the best punter in the conference, and one of the top field goal kickers in the conference in Morstead should this game come down to field position or a close game down the stretch.
I just think that the addition of Jones to SMU, and everything that Rice has gone through as far as changing schemes sets up for an SMU win here in game 1 of the season. I will probably add more info to this closer to game time.
2* SMU +3
Lean Oregon – hate chalk. Lean TCU – hate chalk. Got about a month to check out the rest, few stick out, but hate first few weeks non-conference games.
I-L-L
GL
opcorn:
