Owls Get Old Face At New Position
Project Z has ended. Ed Zaunbrecher has left his position at offensive coordinator of the Owls to "pursue other interests". Enter David Beaty, former wide receivers coach at Rice, who oversaw NFL talent such as Jarett Dillard and James Casey during the 2006 and 2007 seasons, facilitating the move of the latter to the wide receiver/tight end position. After 2007, Beaty moved on to the University of Kansas, coaching record-breaking wide receivers such as Kerry Meier, who caught a school record 102 passes in 2008, as well as Dezmon Briscoe who flourished under Beaty's leadership, catching 24 touchdowns in 2008 and 2009 combined.
Beaty will inherit an anemic offense that struggled to find a leader for the first half of the season, and subsequently ranked near the bottom of every offensive category. Beaty will participate in the little that is left of the recruiting process in preparation for signing day on February 3, as well as spring practices. For now, Owls fans must wait to see if two David B's are better than one.
Football Final Grades
With the Owls finishing up the 2009 campaign two weeks ago, it's time to look back at how the individual units on the football team graded out for the entire year.
Running Backs: The running backs finished out the year by reminding people of great Rice running backs of yesteryear. Freshman Charles Ross did his best impression of 1991 Doak Walker Award winner Trevor Cobb, by becoming the first freshman since Cobb to lead the team in rushing. Ross finished with 491 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 5.1 yards per carry and was named to the All-CUSA Freshmen squad. Sophomore Tyler Smith helped remind people of his brother, Quinton Smith, Jr. (the second leading career rusher in Rice history), by rushing for 428 yards and 1 touchdown in 8 games after missing games early in the season with turf toe. With both of these players having two or more years of eligibility remaining, along with the addition of redshirt freshman Sam McGuffie next season, the Owls backfield should be one of the offense’s strong suits next year. Grade: B-
Wide Receivers: Quarterback Nick Fanuzzi was somewhat able to develop a rapport on the gridiron with seniors Toren Dixon and Taylor Wardlow, as well as junior Patrick Randolph. Dixon’s four combined touchdowns against SMU and Tulane allowed him to finish his career on a high note, finishing third on Rice’s career receptions list. Randolph finished the season nicely with 136 yards and 2 touchdowns in the last 5 games, while Wardlow had a lackluster second half (97 yards). Grade: C-
Quarterbacks: Sophomore Nick Fanuzzi shined in his last five games, throwing for seven touchdowns and only four interceptions, while gaining confidence in performances such as his 250 yard and three touchdown effort against SMU. However, Fanuzzi, touted in high school as a dual-threat quarterback, has shown little mobility, which can only partially be attributed to a young offensive line. His awareness in the pocket, as well as his ability to make accurate throws under duress is something that should be addressed in the spring. Grade: C
Offensive Line: Even with the offensive line in constant flux due to injuries, this group managed to show some progress during the latter half of the season. Junior left tackle Scott Mitchell showed his versatility, playing both tackle positions when necessary, and was rewarded with second-team All-CUSA honors. Sophomore right guard Jake Hicks was a member of the All-CUSA honorable mention squad, but maturation will be expected next year from a group that allowed 30 sacks this year. Grade: C+
Defensive Line: With senior defensive tackle Chance Talbert limited to six games due to nagging back spasms, sophomore Mike Smith took over starting duties, finishing with 24 tackles. Junior defensive end Scott Solomon was named to the All-CUSA second team for his 63 tackle performance coupled with 6.5 sacks. His partner in crime at defensive end, junior Cheta Ozougwu, contributed 55 tackles and 4.5 sacks as well. Overall, the line did a satisfactory job of making the most of the talent that it had. Grade: B
Linebackers: While the linebacker corps experienced inconsistencies in their starting lineup, the 10 games started by senior Terrance Garmon (55 tackles, 2 sacks) allowed for a measure of certainty in a unit that was decimated by injuries the first half of the season. Junior Justin Hill had an excellent first season at linebacker (43 tackles, 1 sack) after moving from running back in the fall. Still, the linebackers allowed too many opposing running backs to work their way into the secondary, and were largely ineffective at defending the passing game. Grade: B-
Secondary: Despite sophomore strong safety Travis Bradshaw leading the nation in solo tackles with 121, the secondary experienced too many problems, ranking 115th nationally, causing sophomore cornerbacks Chris Jammer and Jarrett Ben to be replaced in the starting lineup by true freshmen Kevin Gaddis (an all-CUSA freshman team selection) and Phillip Gaines. Senior free safety Andrew Sendejo’s final round as an Owl was curtailed by a high ankle sprain, leaving him in a tie for second on Rice’s career tackles list. Grade: C+
Special Teams: Really the only unit that regressed during the latter half of the season. Senior placekicker Clark Fangmeier made only three of seven field goals during his last five games as an Owl, finishing eight for thirteen on the season. Sophomore punter Kyle Martens continued his breakthrough season before missing the final two games with an injury. Sophomore Shane Turner gave the Owls a reliable kick returner, averaging 23.8 yards per return. Grade: B+
Coaching: The Owls certainly looked like a different team in the final five games, as they were competitive in the three of the games. However, the debacle against the University of Houston was completely inexcusable. Despite the fact that Houston was a top 25 team for the majority of the season, there is no justification for losing that game by a score of 73-14, in which the Cougars could have reached the century mark if they so desired. The coaching staff’s preparation markedly improved in the second half, but David Bailiff’s decision to stick with his guns and keep everyone on the coaching staff will only make a stellar record in the 2010 season that much more of a necessity. Grade: D+