Diversity in game plan yields victory celebrationsHOUSTON (Nov. 2) -- Holy Moly! Three passes
to start the game--boom, boom, boom--touchdown! Was that my Rice Owls? Coach Hatfield
called it "an all-time first," and you can believe that!
The few fans who opted to spend a sunny Saturday
afternoon eating popcorn with their feet propped up on the empty seats in front of them
suddenly got shocked out of their lethargy. Popcorn went everywhere. Surprise, excitement,
disbelief--pure joy in Mudville on this day. And win or lose, at least there was the
expectation that this game was going to be different.
Those of you who know me best
know that I have badgered Coach Hatfield forever about passing more just to keep the
defense from knowing that that lone receiver Rice sends out every play might as well
be on the track team for all the balls he's going to have come his way.
We tout one of the best receivers in the country with
Marcus Battle and yet, game after game, he throws more blocks than half the line. I wish
he had been out there Saturday to enjoy a little air time--but we found that we had some
other fine receivers who could catch and run if given the chance, which shocked the
heck out of Rice fans who could usually call the plays from the stands.
It not only surprised the all-too few loyalists in the
stands, (which breaks my heart to see) but it woke them up from the doldrums of the same
old ground game. Old Owls stood up and cheered who haven't been out of their seats in ten
years! What's wrong with a few more surprises for the faithful fans who have grown
disheartened with the same old plays week after week year after year.?
I know that we won eight games a couple years ago with
those same plays and that we have been hit with some devastating injuries in
important positions this year, but is that not even more reason to employ something fresh
and new?
A few weeks ago Coach Hatfield told the Quarterback
Club that passing was just a 30 second thrill that some schools thrive on, and he
pooh-poohed such frivolous thrills for us. Well, 3 times 20 equals 60 (you can tell
that I passed Math 100,) and on Saturday, November 1st, we beat the odds by 6 whole
seconds--Three passes in a row in 54 seconds for a touchdown was worth a million grinds on
the ground. We could stand some more thrills like that, Coach. It sure got my old
heart pumping and a lot of young hearts smiling.
Herm kept the ground game exciting and successful in
our see-saw battle with Nevada. He is what we used to call a "scat back" and can
he scat! I was grateful for Henderson's filling in for Herm while he was hurt--but Herm is
the master of the option. Every play runs quicker--quick feet, quick hand-offs, quick
holes, quick decisions. In fact, every player on the field seems to quicken his moves and
his resolve.
Yes, the ground game can be a thing of beauty when it's
clicking, and certainly, Nevada was no Texas, but the real threat of more than token
passes from time to time kept the Wolf Pack off-balance and confused. I hope it got
the coaches' attention. It certainly got the fans' .
Some diversity in the game plan might bring the fans
back, curiosity might bring the students back, and some fine young men who play their
hearts out every game might get to enjoy a whole lot more victory celebrations like
Saturday's. I hope so.
Email
Joyce.....
Editor's note: Joyce Pounds
Hardy-McDonald graduated from the Institute in its football glory days. She
sent a whole generation of Hardy children to Rice, as both students and student-
athletes -- that familiarly-named classmate of yours was almost surely one of
them. Joyce has been among Rice's most omnipresent, loyal, never-say-die fans since
before most of you were born -- and you'd better believe she's managed to develop an
opinion or two about Rice athletics over the years. She'll be letting her opinions be
known from time to time during the 2003 season.
Joyce's Distaff archives....
Sort of like a piano just fell off my back
HOUSTON (Oct. 6) -- I guess I can quit holding my
breath now, and I thank you for that, Team! I am not here to analyze the game (there are
way too many of those pundits already) -- I am just a very loud fan who lives and dies
every play of every Rice game, and who wants to thank you for one of the sweetest
come-from-behind victories I have ever cheered for.
I am no fair-weather friend, I'm here win
or lose, but winning sure is fun. 1 and 4 may not look too good in the stats, but it looks
beautiful to me.
I have suffered some 0'fer seasons and they
are tough on the old heart. Beating San Jose State made me feel lighter than air, sort of
like a piano just fell off my back. All of a sudden in the fourth quarter the team came
alive, tackling with both arms and hanging on, blocking the legs out from under the
defense, catching passes like the other team usually does, sacking quarterbacks and
breaking up passes, running like they knew where the end zone was.
The stands came alive, too; two touchdowns in the last five
minutes to win the game will do that every time. We were high-fiving it, and hollering,
jumping up and down, and holding our collective breath until Henderson's knee hit the
ground for the last play. The team went bonkers and deservedly so--maybe not as awesome as
the dogpile when our baseball team won the World Championship in Omaha--but I was there
for both of the celebrations, and believe me, winning is sweet.
I loved what Marcus Battle said in the paper about that
amazing pass for the winning touchdown: "Greg put it in a place where I could make a
play. I just haven't jumped that high in a long time." Well, Marcus, neither have I!
Usually I have some suggestions for Coach Hatfield at our
Quarterback Club Dinners on ways to help our passing game--like sending out two long
receivers in order to split the double coverage; or then, a completely new idea that I
haven't shared with him yet--sending two receivers down the same sideline about ten yards
apart, and then if the passer underthrows or overthrows there will be somebody there.
My Rice son, usually sitting beside me at the games, said
he was sure that the coaches had already thought of my latest idea, so I didn't have to
mention it to them. He has a hard time digesting my rather vocal assessments of some of
our plays, offense and defense; and he explains calmly (usually) why what happened
happened.
Another son, who sits beside me at the Quarterback Dinners,
threatened to move to another table if I questioned Coach on the logic of the *#@!x*xx
pooch kicks, so I didn't say anything then. But aren't you just broadcasting to the other
team that we can't stop their punt returner? Sorry, Son, I'll be good.
Not even I could fault Robbie Beck for that fumble when it
happened on his hard-driving third effort, the same gutsy third effort that got us two
more touchdowns. Sure it hurt and sure I was afraid we were going to have to live with a
lot of "what-if's" again; but now we know that when we aren't playing the
Behemoths, we can play tough ball.
There were a lot of guys playing like giants out there whom
I had never heard of, but they earned their stripes last night--youngsters like John
Brock, John Syptak, Lance Byrd, Will Galusha, Marcus Rucker, Drew Clardy--filling the big
shoes of our wounded Owls. I have been looking forward to Kyle Herm's return to action,
but my hat's off and my heart's full of Greg Henderson's skill and leadership. Especially
in bringing Rice back from the brink of defeat--it was a masterful performance.
Good thing that I didn't have anything to say today, I
guess I just wanted you to know that I hadn't died or left town or given up on you--I'm
still in the bleachers with Owls in my ears, on my necklace, on my finger, on my shirt,
and in my heart--some things never change.
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From the distaff end of the bench...