22 new Owlets on board
Time to get going...

New Rice head football coach David Bailiff checks his watch before Wednesday's Signing Day press conference, as if he felt  time were a'wasting and he can't wait for next season to get here.  Coach Bailiff and his staff signed 22 players to letters of intent Wednesday,  and the names and details were announced at the press conference. (PTH photo)

HOUSTON (Feb. 8) – With a tip of the hat to his holdover assistant, and the Rice athletic director, new head football coach David Bailiff beamed as he announced a recruiting class of 22 schoolboys at the R-Room here Wednesday.

All but two of the recruits were Texans. The class includes four offensive linemen, three running backs, linebackers and defensive ends, two defensive tackles, defensive backs and athletes, and one tight end, wide receiver and quarterback.  

Of the group, Coach Bailiff revealed that an even dozen of them were commitments from players who’d been offered by the previous regime. The new Rice coach honored every commitment, rescinding none, although seven previous commits wound up going elsewhere.

"The work that David Beaty and our athletic director did to hold twelve of the commitments was a tribute to how dedicated those guys are," Coach Bailiff said. "David did just a fabulous job holding on to some of these commitments. He was a one man show. He completely drove the rubber off his car."

The new head man said he also had some direct help from Rice Athletic Director Chris Del Conte. It seems the very first weekend that Coach Bailiff was hired, it was necessary to dive right in and greet the recruits who’d already been invited for an official visit.

"I had about a 20-minute class on the history of Rice, and then walked into the restaurant to meet recruits," Coach Bailiff said. "And we recruited our tails off that Friday and Saturday and Sunday, and as soon as they left, we sat down and had a staff meeting..

"We were in there ten hours. And Chris Del Conte stayed in that whole meeting. I’ve never seen an athletic director doing anything like that. He stayed in the whole time, and getting on the internet helping us check on players and see who was and wasn’t committed."

That ten-hour meeting did cause at least one mid-course correction. "We went in there and went over the whole depth chart and saw the numbers – and realized we had to have some defensive linemen," Coach said.

So he signed five of ‘em. "We took five really great players; some of them are going to play early," he said.

Perhaps it’s folly to single out any indvidual recruits as being especially noteworthy, but nonetheless several do stand out even among the rest.

One may start with this: You know, for four years we’ve had us a ‘Q’ at running back.

Now it seems, we’ve got us a ‘T’.

That’s because Quinton Smith’s younger brother, Tyler, was a Rice signee this year. Also a Cedar Park High graduate, he rushed for over 2,500 yards and scored 42 touchdowns in his career. "Tyler could play any number of spots for us," Coach Bailiff noted. "He was the fastest player at the Rice camp last summer. We will start him at slot receiver but he could be a cornerback on defense."

Although it would appear the Owl larder is adequately stocked with linebackers, the opportunity to sign Tanner Shuck, a 5-11, 225-pounder out of Jenks, Oklahoma, High School, proved irresistable. Tanner was named Oklahoma's 6A Player of the Year by The Tulsa World and a consensus All State selection after leading Jenks to the state championship. "He might be just 5-11, but this guy can run – and he makes play after play after play," Coach B said. "He's one of those guys who, when you watch his film, you make noises like ‘Oof!"...."Augh!"....because he hits people so hard. He has a passion to play football."

Then there’s a local prize, former Katy Tiger Michael Fuda. The 6-0, 180-pound wide receiver was a 5A first team all-stater as a junior, but slipped to third team all-state this season. "I am fired up about Michael," Coach said. "You keep watching that video and he just continues to make plays. We think we hit a home run with Fuda."

The Owls lost early quarterback pledge Nathan Dick when Arkansas offered him, but the new staff came back and got a quarterback they’re quite happy with, thank you. He’s Brent Hotard, a 6-2, 195-pounder from Round Rock. He’s only played at the man-under spot for a single season, having been moved to quarterback as a senior after earning all district honors as a wide receiver as a junior. Coach Bailiff said he and his staff took special note of that. "He's only been a quarterback for one year," the big guy said. "He was an all district wide receiver and moved to quarterback as a senior. He has tremendous feet and can get out of trouble with his feet and with his arm. He's got a great arm and is very accurate. His upside is why we settled in on him. We think he's going to be really special at that position."

A guy who just might win the Freshman Big Minutes Award is Joseph Leary, a 6-1, 180-pound defensive back from Copperas Cove. "As we make this transition to the 4-2-5 we are looking for players like him," Coach said. " He could be in a position to see a lot of playing time."

We could spend a lot of time talking about the new linemen coming in on both sides of the ball, but we shouldl at least touch upon Cheta Ozougwu, a defensive end from Alief who’s 6-3, 230 and still growing. This is a guy who’s tailor-made for Rice, Coach Bailiff said. "He is a young man who is serious about his education and about his football. He had a lot of opportunities, but when we walked in to his house, he said 'I want to go to Rice'. He is something special, he has a lot of personality and a zest for life."

In summary, this group is simply bigger, stronger and faster – and that is what was needed to build upon the accomplishments of last season, the new Head Man said.

"Inside I’m smiling so big right now, that we’ve got those kids," Coach B. Beamed. "We didn’t take guys just to take them. We took guys who we felt could help to keep the momentum going."

"But that’s what Rice has to offer. When you hit these guys’ homes, a lot of them say, ‘Coach, where have you been?’ So it was easy to get them to go from a soft commit to a formal commitment to this university."

"Parents aren’t just going to drop their kids off anywhere. Parents want to know who you are. Once we got in there and they had a chance to meet this coaching staff and they saw how we were committed to the student athlete, that we understand that’s the family treasure, there was a sense of relief by parent and player, and that’s what let us keep a whole lot of those kids."

Eight-game walk on a a tightrope
Dillard lever, Barber fulcrum when Owl tipping point came
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Disgust registers on UAB linebacker Kris Guyton's face as Rice's Lute Barber (number 68, far right) smothers  season-turning fumble recovery (Mark Anderson photo)

HOUSTON (Feb. 3) -- As signing date nears, perhaps we can add just a smidgen to the impending adrenalin rush by recalling the high points of Rice's '06 campaign, one in which the Owls went from a 1-10 team the year before to a team that came within an extra point of winning the division crown.

It was a season of big games and big plays, rendered all the more dramatic by the fact that, after the Tulane game, a then 2-and-5 Owl team was faced with sudden death every time it took the field.

For the last five games of the season, a loss would have meant elimination as a bowl contestant. So five -- really eight -- games in a row, the Feathered Flock buttoned up the chin straps and went out and walked the tightrope, doing what it took to survive for another week.

The Turning Point

Jarett Dillard's leaping catch -- actually theft -- of a Jon Thomas Shepherd pass sealed East Carolina's doom (Mark Anderson photo)

The bulk of the commentary made it clear that there were three plays upon which Rice's chances at a winning season and a bowl game turned. Those were Jarett Dillard's game- winning catch at Tulsa , Lute Barber's alert fumble recovery in the UAB game, and JD's sky-high reception -- actually a take-away-- resulting in a 40-yard gain on fourth down to set up the Rice offense for the winning field goal against East Carolina .

As for the point where the lever tipped on the fulcrum, some said it was Jarett's game-winner in double overtime at Tulsa . "It was then that everybody realized this team really had a chance to win out and go bowling," one reader remarked.

But Big Lute's fumble recovery got the most support for Turning Point -- and was it ever. "First time in a long time that I could use the word 'giddy' to describe my experience watching the Owls began with this fumble," one correspondent noted. "The announcers had just commented on how UAB defender Kris Guyton kept knocking balls down, but needed to actually catch one. Well he did, and the game, and Rice's bowl aspirations, should have been over. But somehow the ball slithered out of his hands and the Owls used the new life to go on a run."

That's what happened, sure enough, and another reader commented extensive on the significance of it all.

"They won't admit it, but everyone in the stadium knew the game was over on the interception, when all of a sudden the ball magically fell out of the defenders hands and Lute Barber recovered," this obvious Rice die-hard wrote.

"I choose -- believe -- that Dale Lloyd punched it out of the defender's hand. Before the fumble, everybody feared that the Owls were still living in a world where they would try so hard and have victory in their grasp, only to be thwarted by a miscue. But that play symbolized that this year would be different. It was the first time I thought that this team might have a preordained destiny with a bowl game."

"There was no margin for error after the Tulane loss and that play started something pretty special on South Main . I also believe that the players realized that all they had worked for could be accomplished and that each game was winnable when this occurred and they were able to capitalize on the play and drive to score the winning touchdown, unlike the heartbreak with U of H."

Another Owl fan wrote, "Without that one single play, we're not talking about most of the other plays. Secondly, I think Lute needs to always be remembered for that one, too."

Play of the season

Army's Corps of Cadets got a bird's-eye view of Rice offensive skills as Owls rolled at Michie Stadium (PTH photo)

Several different approaches were taken by our readers in this category. There was significant support for the following:

--The fourth down pass, Shep to JD, in the ECU game. "Just amazing athleticism by JD to wrestle the ball away from the taller ECU defender," one reader wrote. And another: "WOW -- lots of voices were lost on that one!!"

--JD's game winning catch against UAB. "He made it look easy," one fan observed.

--Chad Price's interception in the Tulsa game. "The team's spirit was down, and the interception gave us an incredible boost," one Owl fan remarked.

--The goal-line stands against SMU. Here's how the reasoning went: "All of the plays cited were critical, but there is no doubt in my mind that the three goal line stands against SMU in the final game allowed the Owls to come back and win their seventh and bowl clinching victory. If SMU puts six on the board in any of these drives, Rice possibly sits home pouting 'shoulda-coulda-woulda' while the accolades, good will and recruiting advantage in Texas goes to the pygmy ponies from Dallas ."

"I cannot comment if the plays at Tulsa or UTEP were just as important because I did not see them, but I will always remember the defensive stands against SMU."

Several fans said they just couldn't manage a vote for a single play, because there were so many that were crucial during Rice's Bowl Run.

But the leading vote-getter? Turns out it was Jarett Dillard's miracle catch of Jon Shepherd's desperation fourth-down heave in the ECU game, primarily on the basis of its near impossibility in the execution. In other words, it was JD at his best and that pretty darn good.

Best game

Jarett Dillard's touchdown catch in double overtime was the nailin the coffin for Tulsa (PTH photo)

The Army, Tulsa , SMU and ECU games all had solid support. Although the Owls performed well in Orlando against Central Florida , that one was on the road, not on TV, and seen by only a small handful, show it didn't show up on anybody's list.

Here are some of our readers' comments:

--"It's a tough call between Army and Tulsa . I was at the Army game, and it was incredible. But I'm going to vote for the Tulsa game. Beating the defending C-USA and Liberty Bowl champions on their home field was a feather in the Owls' cap."

--"You've got to go with Tulsa . I think our guys made believers of everyone in that game. That was the one where 'refuse to lose' became more than just a cliche."

--"I vote for the SMU game. Has to have been our best this was the one that put us in our first bowl game in 45 years, and it was winner-take-all, in that respect."

--"Our best game was the defeat of ECU at Homecoming. A 40 yard pass on 4th down -- and then a 40-yard FG to win it? You've gotta be kidding me! Defensive stands, offensive heroics. No contest."

And then there was this somewhat contrarian, but intriguing, nomination:

"I guess I have to go with the U of H game even though the Owls lost. That game proved that they could compete with the best in the conference, and made many fans optimistic about the season."

But Tulsa game won out, mysteriously as a result of a late surge in support it received starting on January 12th. Can anybody figure that one out?

Seems we may have the seeds of a new rivalry germinating.

--P.T.H.

Krueger leads all vote-getters in Project MVP
Fans go with youth for MVP,
leadership for senior honors

Rice's Honor Senior Mike Falco: "If we had 22 Falcos we'd be undefeated. He's the smartest player on the field, he's physically gifted, he does the big things and he does the little things, and he's fearless" (PTH photo)

HOUSTON (Jan. 25) -- After that brief intermission we've all been forced to take in connection with the minor blip on the coaching radar screen, how about let's get back in 'normal' mode and talk some more football!

The search committee has gone out and hired us a fine coach, and things are now settling into place in anticipation of this year's recruiting class and spring drills. And David Bailiff, in his introductory press conference, made it clear to us that, under his tutelage, the glory and the publicity, this time around, will go to the players.

A consistent theme among the many conversations and discussions which were had over the sudden departure of the Dearly Departed Rice coach employed an aphorism which the former mentor liked to use: "Coaches don't win football games -- they only lose them. Players win football games."

With such a notion in mind, we now turn to the very difficult task of handing out some MVP awards to a few of our Owl gridders among the very many who distinguished themselves by their strenuous efforts, perseverance and grit on the football field in '06, a season which Owl fans continue firmly to believe will have proven to be a watershed, once all is said and done.

Singling out an individual player is doubly tough when so many gave it up for the team in a year like the one we've just had. One reader pretty much summed of the feeling of most of us: " It was clear that this last year was a team effort. I say make every one of them MVPs."

But since a couple hundred of you took the time out of your day to cast votes and, in many cases, comment on the awards, we here are bound to present the results dictated by the selections you made.

Most Valuable Player, Offense: Jarett Dillard

Offensive MVP Jarett Dillard: "Too many clutch perfor- mances and catches on balls that were contested. He was constantly double teamed and still he was a difference maker -- regardless if it was Clement, Armstrong, or Shepherd at the helm" (PTH photo)

This one wasn't as clear- cut as one might have expected. Sure, Rice All-American sophomore wide receiver Jarett Dillard got the most votes, but there was significant support for the other three nominees as well.

In the words of one of our readers, "Offensive MVP has to be the toughest decision. Dillard is a rare talent. The offense is very dangerous with Chase at the helm. But Joel Armstrong, week-in, week-out has to be my offensive MVP. We may not have won as many games without Chase or Jarrett, but I'm pretty certain that the season would have been a disaster without Joel."

Some said the only thing that kept soph quarterback Chase Clement from taking the prize was the fact that he missed several games with an assortment of injuries -- but one voter said that was the very thing that demonstrated his 'valuable-ness' to the Owls. When Chase was in there, we won, and when he wasn't, it was a lot tougher to come out ahead.

And then there was the expression of appreciation, really, that a number of fans gave to outgoing senior running back Quinton Smith. "Here's a tough one," one voter said, "because if you want to talk about an impact player I think Q has shown the league that he was for sure the best back in the conference."

Another added: "I think one of our weaknesses was that we just never found enough ways to get Q the ball."

'Dillard is such a difference-maker'

But the bottom-line analysts simply had to go with the JD. After all, it's not all that often that a receiver of his caliber graces the South Main campus. Some would argue you'd have to go all the way back to '58, to a guy named Buddy Dial, to find one. When it came to the clutch, Jarett was definitely in Buddy's league.

"I have to vote for J. Dillard at the end of the day," one reader said. "Too many clutch performances and catches on balls that were contested. He was constantly double teamed and still he was a difference maker -- regardless if it was Clement, Armstrong, or Shepherd at the helm."

Still, people had second thoughts. For example

"For offensive MVP it's Jarrett Dillard -- though I thought about putting Chase here, as the team struggled mightily without him. But Dillard is such a difference-maker that he made big plays regardless of who was hoisting them up to him."

Another had an interesting point of view.

"I haven't missed a home game since graduating in '96 (even from here in Austin now) so I've got some perspective I guess," he said.

"I would add Clark Fangmeier as an offensive star nominee by walking on and delivering clutch and accurate field goals and extra points throughout the season. He has more early lift on his kicks, making them more difficult to block -- and he really complemented our kicking game."

One of our readers summed things up: "Offensive MVP -- for me its Dillard. He made plays that were literally amazing..time..after time...after time. No slight against Q or Chase; great years by both of those guys -- but JD was simply 'Da Man'."

So there you have it; MVP, Offense: Jarett Dillard -- with a whole lot of help from 10 other guys.

Most Valuable Player, Defense:  Brian Raines

Defensive MVP  Brian Raines: "He moves to the ball so well and is so involved in making the D work, I loved watching him play. Despite leading the team in tackles, he has serious upside, he can get even better. That is truly exciting" (PTH photo)

The Rice defense had to learn an entirely new system, and overcome personnel shortages at key positions that resulted in eleventh-hour position moves by several Owls on both sides of the ball. That fact went well-recognized by our readers, who gave  support and votes to all of our nominees.  For example:

--"Courtney Gordon gets the nod over Brian Raines in my mind. He provided senior leadership on a defensive line in a new scheme, when having a firm hand on the tiller was desperately needed."

--"I think Andray Downs should get defensive MVP because he did a heck of a job while playing hurt all year. He literally helped coach the younger secondary players and made them better football players by the end of the year. And Andre's just a good guy."

In the end, however, "Braines" from Lovett took the cake. Sophomore linebacker Brian Raines was all over the field, all season, each and every game. And our readers are drooling at the prospect of having him on the field a couple more seasons. Can you say, "All-American?"

"On the D, Brian Raines was unbelievable," one participant wrote. "He moves to the ball so well and is so involved in making the D work, I loved watching him play. Despite leading the team in tackles, he has serious upside, he can get even better. That is truly exciting

"Defensive MVP has to be Brian Raines," another reader noted. "He is really the first player since Izzo that is literally in on every tackle. They have to stop calling his name just to call someone else's for a change. It may not be for a loss or short gain every time but he is in on the play -- sideline to sideline. Has to also be the 'came out of nowhere' player of the year. A couple more like this and we have a real defense."

And another reader said he had to choose youth over experience. "I think Courtney Gordon had a fantastic year and he's my number two choice but the guy that was the biggest impact player on defense is none other than B Raines."

We sure won't argue with that. MVP, Defense: Brian Raines.

Outstanding newcomer:  Clark Fangmeier

Clark Fangmeier gets mobbed by his teammates as he enters locker room after kicking last second field goal to get Owls win over ECU (PTH photo)

Outstanding Newcomer Clark Fangmeier: "Clark Fangmeier had a huge impact and really solidified a part of the team's special teams play that needed serious work.  Given the closeness of the games the Owls played, each extra point and field goal was essential this past year." (PTH photo)

If we were rigging the vote, we'd definitely have pushed Dale Lloyd to the head of the class as Outstanding Newcomer. Sure, he was only in on a couple of plays at the beginning of the season. But his untimely death proved a rallying point for the team, and more than one Rice player will insist that the Feathered Flock had a Twelfth Man invisibly playing for them this year. And with those wild and crazy last-minute wins, who could say otherwise?

One booster close to the team said, "Dale was a great guy and really let it all hang out on the field. He worked extremely hard and the guys who went-one-on one against him a few times in practice were very familiar with his desire and aggressiveness. The guy had 'mad skills'. I think it was the greatest tragedy losing that great young man, but it was the way he lived and played that made a very positive impact on our players long before that."

But tallying up the votes, we find that, for the first time, a walk-on player has taken the marbles as Outstanding Newcomer. Yup, it's Clark Kent, er,  Fangmeier, the true freshman place kicker who played high school ball at a small, north-side parochial school, but who walked on to the team with the blood in his veins the temperature of ice water.

"Clark Fangmeier had a huge impact and really solidified a part of the team's special teams play that needed serious work," one reader noted. "Given the closeness of the games the Owls played, each extra point and field goal was essential this past year."

Another regular reader wrote, "It is hard to go wrong with any of the nominees listed. But Clark Fangmeier is head and shoulders above the others. I don't think that extra point would have blocked with U of H if he had been the kicker. The kicking game is so important and we have struggled for a long time in that arena."

One correspondent included a personal note. "I have to vote for Clark Fangmeier as Outstanding Newcomer -- for winning the one game my kids were able to attend and helping to keep them as lifelong Owls fans."

So there it is: Outstanding Newcomer:  Clark Fangmeier.

Most Missed Senior: Rolf Krueger

Most Missed Senior Rolf Krueger in a familiar place -- blasting a hole for his running back (PTH photo)

Once again, we received expressions of regret that a single player had to be chosen in this category. For instance:

"In the end, I think all the seniors will be missed a lot. These guys went through some incredibly embarrassing times. They took a lot of heat, heard about almost having the program shut down altogether, were labeled as losers, guys that couldn't play anywhere else and all the other insults and still, through it all THEY represented Rice with honor and dignity. They showed everyone what the definition of tough and no-quit really means. I really respect these guys."

Each one of our four nominees was mentioned by at least a couple of voters. But the winner of the Most Missed Senior Award by a landslide was Rolf Krueger.

Here's a comment that sums up the consensus: "Looking forward I think next year if you pick one of these guys you would really like to have around another year, it's got to be Krueger. We never have enough big bodies and the left tackle position is so crucial , especially that line play was one of our weaker spots this year. Honestly perhaps not the best natural athlete of the lot, but probably most missed, nonetheless."

A couple more voters said they'd known Rolf since he was a toddler, and could vouch for his absolute loyalty to his team, coaches and his University. And it didn't go unnoticed among our readers that Rolf played hurt for most of the year.

In fact, one reader who obviously was close to the situation had this inside scoop on Todd Graham's "play hurt or else" edict that Rolf dutifully absorbed.

'He was made to play hurt'

"Rolf had been playing with a sprained PCL and MCL, a deep bone bruise,water on the back of his knee, and a torn cartilage since the second quarter of the UCLA game," our correspondent reported. "He was made to play hurt without an MRI, despite Doc (team physician Leland) Winston saying he should get one. Finally he was given one at Big Rolf's request and as a result was told by Dr. Winston to sit out three games."

"But Coach Graham told Rolf he would lose his spot if he sat out. His parents made him sit out three games. Then, after the Owls lost to Tulane, Graham asked Rolf to come back."

"Rolf played the rest of the year with the stretched PCL and a torn cartilage. And he played the SMU game and the bowl game with a pinched nerve in his back, which caused his right leg to go numb. At Graham's insistence, Rolf practiced full contact for the SMU game and the bowl game with this pinched nerve, even though Doc said NO contact in practice. But Graham insisted on full contact."

Gee, doesn't that Toddy Graham just warm the cockles of your heart with his concern for "the kids"?

(Editor's note:  readers should consider casting their opprobrium here where it's deserved -- ie., up Tulsa way -- and not toward any member of the Rice Sports Medicine and/or training staff, all of whom, as we're certainly aware, jump through hoops and work late to keep Rice's student-athletes in the best physical condition possible.)

"Well, he made it through the year and this is why I think he's deserving of any award he gets."

"Plus the fact he's a damn good football player."

Another reader cast his vote for Rolf and added this puzzling, but nevertheless somehow convincing, comment:

"Leadership and that 'coalescing' you referred to are what will make Rolf most missed. It is harder to replace a leader than a star that becomes a star due to leaders."

By the way, Rolf also got the award for most distant vote -- we traced it back, literally, to the plains of Hungary. Someone with at least a passing acquaintance with Rolf was rumored to be there on an  engineering project. The guy's said to be an old Aggie lineman, himself, who probably got banged on the helmet one too many times during his own football playing days. Anyway, this is what he said:

"I guess I better vote for Rolf for Most Missed Senior and Honor Senior."

"He's a knucklehead, but he's a good knucklehead."

So there it is Most Missed Senior, and by far the top vote getter in Project MVP/2006: Rolf Krueger.

Rice's Honor Senior:  Mike Falco

Rice's Honor Senior Mike Falco, his ankles and calves taped to the max, gets out and makes big plays against SMU (Mark Anderson photo)

Rolf Krueger also got plenty of support for the position of Rice's Honor Senior. Clearly, there's considerable overlap in these two awards. One says, "you're the guy we're going to miss the most," while the other indicates, "you're the guy we're most eagerly going to welcome into the fold of Rice Alumni." The winners of these two spots clearly could switch places. But the nice thing about it is, it gives us a chance to honor not one, but two of our terrific Rice senior student-athletes.

Here are a couple of comments in support of Rolf:

--"I think Rolf should be the Rice's Honor Senior as he is a quiet person who doesn't make waves, and he switched positions without asking why, even though it was the last minute. He is a team player. He also has a great work ethic which was shown by his playing hurt."

--"I vote for Rolf Krueger for Rice's Honor Senior because he recognizes that football is not the end result, but rather is a warmup for the rest of your life. His great work ethic, that he learned in football will help make him successful in whatever he chooses for the rest of his life."

Don't believe for a second that either Andray Downs or Marcus Rucker went unmentioned, either.

One voter, for example, had this to say about 'Dray. "Andray was an awesome four-year contributor. I had the opportunity to sit with him at the final Extra Point Club dinner and after that experience, I can say for a fact that he exemplifies everything that is great about Rice University."

Another contributor had good words for Marcus Rucker: "I have to go with Marcus for Rice's Honor Senior. People don't realize what a sacrifice he made by switching positions (from running back to linebacker) at the tail end of his career. He was totally selfless, and his only concern was how he could help the team. A man among men."

But we've gone on for several pages here without yet mentioning the name of a guy who surely will go down in Rice football lore with the Robbie Sheltons and the Frank Ryans and the Froggie Williamses -- players whose stats perhaps weren't all that gaudy, who weren't overwhelmingly physical -- but who nevertheless made huge contributions by way of the enormous hearts that beat within those ribcages of theirs.

Yup, you know it's Mike Falco.

'If we had 22 Falcos we'd be undefeated'

Here's a typical comment about our own Italian Stallion:

"Falco is my favorite player on the team. If we had 22 Falcos we'd be undefeated. He's the smartest player on the field, he's physically gifted, he does the big things and he does the little things, and he's fearless. That said, he was just not on the field enough during his career to be 'most missed.' "

"But he's All for Rice's Honor, that's for sure."

Another participant noted, "I think the combination of talent, toughness and intangibles go to Mike. How much did Mike impact the spirit and attitude of this team this year and especially when he came back from what looked like another season ending injury?"

And yet another this from a well informed Owl fan who's an occasional contributor to our publication:

"I will miss watching Mike Falco perform the most, despite the missed games due to injuries. I was so proud of his touchdown catch in the New Orleans bowl and his fearlessness as he competed as a running back, receiver and special teams player over the years. Great hands, great heart. Dangerous punt returner. Did he ever fumble a punt or a kickoff? I don't remember one..."

One reader summed up quite well the feelings most of us share about the entire lot of this year's senior class:

"I can honestly say, if any of the guys that you mentioned here win, they certainly are deserving. What a great group of seniors we've had the privilege to enjoy. I hope that the upcoming classes think about the torch that's been passed to them, and want to honor these guys just as these seniors sincerely thought about the Alumni that supported them, the players that came before and the tradition that was once really great -- and can be again."

Next week:  a look at our readers' opinions re Best Game, Best Play, Turning Point of the '06 season

--P.T.H.

Project MVP, part two...
A season to remember when it came to key players, big plays
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Freshman place kicker wins ECU game with 40-yard field goal as clock expires (Mark Anderson photo)

HOUSTON (Jan. 8) -- It's time to move on, then, to the remaining categories in our Readers' Choice Awards for Rice football 2006. We've got a couple more individual categories, and also turn to take a look at some big plays and some big games.

Rice's Honor Senior

Marcus Rucker weathered the switch from running back to linebacker with nary a complaint (PTH photo)

This is a new award which inevitably will exhibit some overlap with the "Most Missed Senior" category, but which takes notes of some additional characteristics. Here, we're trying to answer the question: which of our seniors was best all-around; of which one can most say, 'we're glad he came here'? Which of them most exhibits those characteristics we tend to identify in the ideal Rice student athlete – which is to say, first-rate skills which are put to use at the best of the athlete’s abilities, earnest if not outstanding academic performance, leadership traits which are exhibited both on and off the field, and a high level of involvement and give-and-take with the Rice community, including students, alumni, lettermen and fans?

A couple of men from our Most Missed Senior list immediately spring to mind, and for much of the same reasons that earned them the nod therein: Krueger and Falco. Both players faced a similar, winding road in their Rice careers. Both suffered from a sequence of injuries that wound up restricting them from consistently performing at peak levels which almost certainly would have gained them additional, formal recognition.

But both turned their lemons into lemonade, first by making the most of their time on the field, playing through injuries if need be and in so doing, achieving key roles in this year's success; and second, by exhibiting leadership qualities off the field that helped rally their younger teammates to extend their games and reach deeper into their individual wells of ability.

Andray Downs fits into this same mold. He, too, fought through chronic injury to play a major role in this year's turnaround. At the same time, he fulfilled the role of big brother, on-field coach and mentor to a green, but talented crop of Rice defensive secondary men who received their baptism of fire during Rice's daunting early-season stretch of a killer schedule.

Marcus Rucker deserves to be added to this list for a somewhat different set of reasons. Here was a man who had performed ably at running back for the Owls for three seasons, but who, when Rice went to a one-back offense, was asked to plug a major hole on the defensive side, shoring up a corps of linebackers that desperately needed more athletes -- especially considering that there are as many as five LBs on the field at any given time in the Rice defensive scheme.

A lesser man would have resented the eleventh-hour switch in roles from feature performer to chorus. But Ruck shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, I was tired of getting banged up all the time, anyway. Now, instead of being hit, I get to do the hitting." And he did just that, peforming consistently as a starting linebacker all season.

Rice's exciting, seven-out-of-eight run to the New Orleans Bowl must have been particularly gratifying to all of Rice's senior players, not the least of which include the guys above-mentioned. It certainly was satisfying for Rice's hard-care fans to see guys like Falco, Krueger, Downs and Rucker earn that icing on the cake of their outstanding careers.

Mike Falco insisted that the bowl run added a special meaning to the seniors' respective careers. "It was about restoring all the tradition that Rice football deserves," he said. "It was for all the guys who came before us."

Our choices for "Rice's Honor Senior" then? Krueger, Falco, Downs and Rucker. Yours?

Outstanding Newcomer

Frosh kicker Clark Fangmeier turned out to have ice water in his veins (PTH photo)

This season seemed to be the Year of the Sophomore as far as Rice football superlatives go, but nevertheless a talented group of freshmen and redshirt freshmen contributed significantly to the Rice cause.

One might easily start with Clark Fangmeier, a walk-on kicker who was 35-for-35 on PATs and made eight out of his 11 field goal attempts, including the game-winner from 40 yards out against East Carolina. The 2006 graduate of Northland Christian Academy had a 55-yarder and a 47-yarder during his high school career, but basically came out of nowhere, in the eyes of the Rice faithful, to provide a steady hand on the wheel of the Rice place-kicking game, the likes of which has not been seen for years. And he was the big, big hero of the ECU game.

Terrance Garmon and Andrew Sendejo are two names that stand out on the defensive side for Rice. Andrew surged to the fore early in the season, drawing attention and earning a starting spot in the secondary for his stellar play against the big boys in September. Terrance come on later in the season, highlighted by his key interception in the ECU game.

On the season, Andrew started every game except the Tulane contest which he sat out with an injury. He recorded 53 total tackles including seven TFLs and two sacks. Terrance, on the other hand, didn’t start until the ECU game, but nevertheless finished among the team’s top ten tacklers with 35, plus two big interceptions.

So those are three, but perhaps it’s appropriate to include a fourth young Owl who appeared in only one game this season, but nevertheless appeared to exert an overarching influence on the team as the season went forward and the team picked up momentum. That Owl, of course, is Dale Lloyd.

After the SMU game, Owl senior Andray Downs talked about the importance of Dale’s memory, in fact somehow the perception of his continued presence, which drove the team on to bigger and better things each game.

"We think of Dale every week," he said, "ever since he passed. There’s not a moment that goes by when we forget about him and what he means to our team." 

So there are our choices for top frosh: Sendejo, Fangmeier, Garmon, Lloyd. Your take....

The Turning Point

This was a season full of big plays, many of them spectacular, but some of them having a meaning to the season above and beyond what dges down in the record books. So first, let’s take a look at some of the season’s big plays (or small plays, for that matter) which turned out to be in the nature of a turning point for the team on its road to bowldom. There are four of those we’d like to suggest and recount

‘Dray’s TD interception against Army

An 0-4 Rice led Army 21-7 early in the second quarter when the Cadets came storming back, as Wesley McMahand took a delayed handoff and threaded his way for 32 yards to the Rice 36 before Ja'Corey Shepherd dragged him down. McMahand picked up six more on the next play, but that's when the train stopped for Army.

First, George Chukwu threw off his blocker and nailed Jamal Robinson for a loss of two. Then, Army QB David Pevoto went to the well once too often on his slant pattern -- something that the Rice defensive masterminds in the press box had picked up and relayed down to the field.

"I made an adjustment," Rice corner Andray Downs said afterwards. That adjustment put him right in position to make the pick, with smooth sailing ahead. There was no chance of a clip, as Andray had a ten-yard head start on his nearest defender and, as for the rest of it, he let instinct take over.

"I was thinking, 'Don't get caught," he said after the game, with a slight grin on his face. "Coach had told us at practice during the week, if anyone of us got the interception and had a chance for a runback, don't let the quarterback catch you, or you'll never stop hearing about it."

That lightning-strike interception return covered 72 yards, and it came at 10:06 of the second quarter. The Owls had been playing ball for less than 20 minutes, had had three offensive possessions, and by golly, had just lit up the scoreboard for 28 points.

Andray's interception return was the coffin nail for Army, according to Army quarterback David Pevoto. "We dug ourselves in a hole with that interception," Cadet Pevoto said, "and we tried to come back. Give credit to Rice. They played a great game."

The Owls’ 48-14 runaway win over the Black Knights, broken open by Andray Downs’ interception return, was Todd Graham’s first victory as a college head coach, and it broke Rice’s 0-for-September losing skein.

Lute Barber's fumble recovery against UAB

A happy Lute Barber faces press after making key fumble recovery in UAB game (PTH photo)

Leading 33-28 late in the fourth quarter at Rice Stadium, the boys from Birmingham committed a gaffe that shouldn't have been, fumbling away a potential game-clinching interception that was alertly grabbed by Rice offensive lineman Lute Barber, and the Owls used it to breathe life back into their drive.

Facing the necessity of completing a long TD drive to earn the win, the Owls had moved the ball 72 yards in 10 plays before Chase Clement's pass was intercepted by UAB's Kris Guyton at the eight yard line with 35 seconds left in the game.

Inexplicably, rather than falling on the pill, Guyton, seeing nothing but green space ahead of him, lit out for the opposing goal line. But after he covered about ten yards, as he was trying to move the ball from right arm to left -- or perhaps trying to do a little premature strutting -- the spheroid simply slithered out of his hands, and Lute was right there to recover it at the UAB 18.

"When I saw the ball on the ground," Lute said, "my mind flashed back to those drills in fall camp when we practice recovering the ball. I was so glad that I got to it and held on."

Chase said the UAB defender just appeared to come out of nowhere on the pickoff. "He'd been making plays all day. I just went straight to the ground, I was at such a low right there," a tired but elated young man said afterwards. "Then I hear everybody get loud, and I look up and they're pointing 'our ball'."

Two plays later, Chase connected to Jarett Dillard on a sideline fade pattern in the end zone as the clock expired, and the game belonged to the Owls.

Chase to JD in the UAB game

Might as well add to this list the ensuing touchdown pass that brought Todd Graham his first Conference USA victory.

Seven seconds left, and there was but time for one more play from the UAB nine. Double- teamed, Jarett circled out until he reached his favorite end zone sweet spot, camped up against the out-of-bounds line about three yards deep in the pay station. Chase made the quick drop, wheeled and threw a line drive scheduled to hit that sweet spot, about ten feet in the air, a split-second later. Jarett leaped high, fading only slightly, and snagged the ball with both hands at the top of his leap, sandwiched between two white-shirted defenders.

It was Jarett's third touchdown reception of the game, his eleventh of the season. It broke an all-time single season TD catch record that had stood for over 30 years, and, by golly, it won the game.

"It was meant for us to win," Rice head coach Todd Graham said, post-game. "That's just Conference USA for you. You're going to have a chance to win every game if you play every play to the end."

JD’s game-winning catch at Tulsa

JD makes winning catch against Tulsa (PTH photo)

Down by three in overtime, the Owls struck quickly against the Golden Hurricane, calling the play that may go down as one of the bigger ones in Rice's 85-year football annals. Coach Graham set the scene for us.

"We came to the sideline, and I knew their construction, what they were doing in the secondary," he said. "So we actually got in an empty set, and we put Dillard at the number two slot instead at the outside slot."

"We get him matched up and they had their best player (Graham) matched up on our best player. But we had him in a different location on the field. We put their 22, we put Nick in a position where he's not used to playing Jarett."

"Sometimes when you've always got a wide receiver that really good out wide, they can bracket him. You put him at number two now they have to match up. And he's got a lot of space to work with."

"I really just kind of listened to Jarett, and asked him, 'what about putting you at number two and taking a shot down the field.?' I really was worried about throwing an interception, too. So I said, 'don't take the side; let's take a shot.'

So JD lined up in the slot full of confidence, too, by the way. This was backyard football, he later said. "Chase and I have that down, to where he knows when to underthrow it and when to overthrow it. That ball was just perfect; he saw the defense playing over the top and he underthrew it. In that kind of situation, the ball short and underthrown is easy to catch."

And in fact, the Rice phenom made what could only be described as an easy catch, going against Tulsa's top pass defender. Jarett had a right to come back for the intentionally-underthrown ball, and he did so, refusing to be pinned to the out-of-bounds marker by Tulsa's Graham.

Some Tulsa fans later said JD was guilty of offensive interference, but in fact his move was more in the nature of don't-allow-yourself-to-be-mugged. The official was right on top of the play, and he didn't hesitate for a split second once Jarett skipped across the goal. Touchdown. Game over. Rice wins – and back home they go for the final two contests.

Those were some big ones.  What play is looks to you to be the turning point?

Best Play of the Season

The prolific Rice offense and the big-play Owl defense had more than their shares of big plays this fall, including some that were mighty impressive without necessarily providing the dime upon which the fortunes of a game turned. For instance:

Q's 80-yard pass and run against Houston

The Cougars had suddenly jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead, but the Owls came back with a long drive get back within seven. The second quarter of this game was a time when lightning struck three more times to take the Owls to what should have been an insurmountable, 27-14 halftime lead.

The first bomb originated at the Rice 20 yard line, starting out as just a little flare pass to Quinton Smith coming out of the backfield to try and reach the first down marker. But Q said afterwards that suddenly he saw some daylight to run to – if he could just beat his defender to the corner.

"On that play," Q said, "I'd just had another play, just before, that picked up around 50 yards, when in my mind, I was thinking ‘ball security' and I was running with both hands over the ball. But on the TD run I just decided to just let it all out, to just go all out with it."

And that he did, suddenly turning on a burst of speed and breaking into the clear, outrunning several UH defenders who appeared to have at least a shot at him coming across the oblique. But Q made it into the end zone untouched, and suddenly, shockingly, the game was tied, 14-14.

And the Owls went on from there.

Chad Price’s intercept in the Tulsa game 

Senior DB Chad Price (L) poised to make the most unlikely of interceptions against Tulsa (PTH photo)

Tulsa took the opening kicking and moved right down the field with ease to go up, 7-0. One thing the Owls could not stand was to fall behind a couple of touchdowns on the road.

Rice's first possession then unfolded in an unsettling matter, to boot. After Quinton Smith ripped off a 23-yard run down the sideline on the option, he was mugged by Tulsa ace cornerback, Nick Graham, and the refs caught Q in the act of a well-deserved retaliation. The 15 yard walkoff threw a monkey wrench in the Owls' scheme for that possession, and they had to punt it away.

Pinned back on their own 18 after a 44-yard Jared Scruggs punt, the Hurricane offense picked away at the Rice defense once more, mostly on the ground. That is, until Chad Price took matters in his own hands.

First, he nailed Ryan Bugg taking the swing pass out of the backfield for a loss of five yards. Next play, Smith connected with Idris Moss twenty yards downfield for what looked like a big gainer and a first down. But Moss lost control of the ball as he slanted toward the sideline -- it actually wound up in the small of his back, as he was fighting to maintain possession. But Chad swooped and picked it like a dewberry off the vine, and Rice had its first turnover of the day -- this one ruled an interception, but basically just a takeaway.

The Owls then came back and tied the score in three plays.

Chase Clement's TD run on first play of UAB game

Vroom! And Chase Clement's in th end zone, just like that, first play of the UAB game (Mark Anderson photo)

Rice came out and established offensive mastery against Watson Brown’s team on the game’s very first play from scrimmage. On first and ten at the Rice 43, Chase faked to Q in the middle of the line, and everybody for UAB but the bus driver bit on it. Quickly, the Owl quarterback circled wide to the far sideline. By the time he crossed the goal line, 57 yards away, nobody was within 15 yards of him.

Chase’s scoring run was so sudden and so dramatic, that there’s not much else can be said to describe it. The run made it clear, however, to UAB and to all the defensive coordinators in C-USA, that this Rice quarterback was a threat to break open the big play on the ground as well as through the air.

Fourth down pass, Shep to JD, in the ECU game.

The Owls were down 17-15 to ECU when they got the ball back on their own 24 yard line. But only a minute remained. Frankly, during all those Hatfield years, it would've been time for Owl fans to head for the watering hole, what with 76 yards ahead of the Flock and only one time out left. But what happened next proved perhaps once and for all thing Things Are Different on South Main under the leadership of Todd Graham.

First thing he did was put it frosh quarterback John Shepherd . Between Joel and John Thomas, Shep had the stronger throwing arm, so TG was going with him, and, hey, let's go get some points.

The rest is, frankly, somewhat of a blur. We do remember that three straight passing attempts, two to JD, one to Corbin Smiter, went incomplete. We remember contemplating the utter impossibility of the situation facing young John Thomas, with fourth and long, almost no time left, and about a thousand yards to go to get even into field goal range.

But the youngster had been schooled by his mentors well. Staring football oblivion in the face, he retreated and let go a long, high, arching pass far downfield in the direction of a streaking Jarett Dillard.

JD's tormentor, Pierre Parker, was on the defense, and the ball appeared to start earthward more in the direction of the defender than the receiver. Now, a savvy pass defender in such case would have been schooled simply to bat down the pass and avoid the possibility of a reception.

But the strutting Pierre couldn't resist the temptation. He was going to end this game with an interception, cap it with an exclamation point. And when he reached the apogee of his jump, he had the ball in his grasp.

But this time, Jarett Dillard had timed and directed his leap to intersect with the defending Pirate. And when both players fell to the turf, JD had the ball firmly in his grasp. The tables had been turned, then, by Rice's Biletnikoff Award Finalist. But as it turned out, this duel had been going on for the entire duration of the afternoon.

"It all started at the beginning of the game," JD explained afterwards. "When I walked down the tunnel I saw that same cornerback (Parker) -- he sat there and laughed, like, 'Oh, I've got that 81; you know, he's little -- I've got him.' So that like pumps me up. He played some good defense; he knocked a couple of balls down; knocked a couple of them away. And then, you know, that pick. I can't even explain how mad I was after that. But on that last drive, all that was going through my head was, 'whatever I've got to do, to do it. If anybody can get the throw to my area, I'll get the job done.' "

The resulting 40-yard completion set up the Owls at the ECU 36, and two plays later, Clark Fangmeier came in and booted the 40-yard field goal that won the game as time ran out.

Which of these -- or others -- do you like the best?

Best Game

We’ve probably spent more than enough time strolling down memory lane, recounting eight big plays that put the icing on Rice’s season. So rather than talk in detail about some of the Owls’ better game-long efforts, we’ll just mention four here, and let you consider them or add one of your own choosing. And those four games are: Army, Tulsa, ECU, UTEP.  Your choice?

The rules: Please email us with your votes, suggestions and comments there's no 'official ballot.' Mainly, we're interested in what you have to say to back up your vote. If you feel we've missed a mention of somebody or some play worthy of nomination, please say so, and say why -- we'll give you the floor, then, in our followup articles. Feel free to use your own name, or your Parliament message board nickname, or whatever means of identification you like. The polls are open for one week; we'll close the balloting for these three categories at midnight, January 15. But of course, please only vote once for each category let's not stuff the ballot box. And don’t forget to watch out for those 'hanging chads'.

--P.T.H.

MVP time....
Lots of superlatives to go around,
but let's hear it from our readers
X

Rice running back Quinton Smith gets congratulations after punching it into the end zone

HOUSTON (Jan. 4) – It’s time once again to resurrect the Ricefootball.net Readers’ Choice Awards for the 2006 season. We’ve put it to a vote of our readers each season after the final game, but discontinued the practice last year given the conditions faced by the program in the wake of Ken Hatfield’s less- than- voluntary retirement.

This year naturally there are a lot of superlatives to spread around, and much conjecture could be expressed specifically among the Rice players deserving of particular accolade. Heck, they’re all MVP’s in our book, and each and every one of the seniors deserves the "Most Missed" tag.

But why not kick the issues around and have some fun with nominations, voting and commentary, in honor of these wonderful guys, each of whom surely General Patton himself would’ve been proud to take into battle?

There's no shortage of post-season awards and recognition, with the attendant plaques and trophies to be handed out.  But this is one time when Owl fans themselves -- dare we starting calling ourselves the "Owl Nation"? -- have a chance to make the selections directly.

OK, then, where to start?

Most Valuable Player, Offense

Owl fans fully appreciated value of Chase Clement only when he was relegated to bench duty via injury

For starters, when was the last time Rice football featured a player who was a first team All American, consensus second-team All-American, and a finalist in one of the major national position awards in a single season? Well, it was 1991, that’s when – when the Institute’s Trevor Cobb took the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s most outstanding running back, made a couple of All-America first teams and got mention among them all.

Of course the difference between senior Trevor, that year, and Jarett Dillard, this year, is that our current phenom was only a sophomore this season, and has two more years in which to dazzle his fans and  the national sportswriting community with his stunning ability to haul in pass receptions in seemingly impossible situations.

Jarett did make ESPN’s first-team group of All-Americans, and was a consensus second-team pick. As a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award as college football’s finest receiver, he's maintained a consecutive- games touchdown reception streak that’s still in the works going into next season.

As it is, he stands to be Rice’s biggest three-year star at least since quarterback Tommy Kramer in 1974-76, and if he keeps getting better, will certainly eclipse every accolade that his fellow San Antonian set a generation ago.

But speaking of great players from San Antonio, Rice sophomore quarterback Chase Clement simply can’t be ignored in any recounting of the Rice successes in ’06. Perhaps the best way to gauge Chase’s value to the team is to add by subtracting – that is to say, observe the team’s performance with a healthy Chase Clement at quarterback versus those games, or parts thereof, in which he was riding the bench due to injury.

Joel Armstrong did everything he was asked to do -- and more

In fact, just about the most excruciating method of what-iffing Rice’s ’06 season goes along these lines: What if Chase hadn’t jammed his thumb the second half of the UH game? What if we’d had him against UCLA? How miraculous it was that we were able to pull out the last five quarters of football at home, after Chase went down with the collar-bone injury against East Carolina. And last but not least, how much more of a contest the New Orleans Bowl would’ve been with Chase in the lineup, his absence therein being the proof of the pudding as to his value.

No doubt the man who stepped in to play quarterback in the season-ending and bowl-clenching win against SMU would concur with that impression.   Joel Armstrong insisted on shouldering the blame for Rice’s loss to Troy in the New Orleans Bowl, despite the fact that he’d just set a bowl record for passing yardage. If nothing else, the loss to Troy illustrated the difficulties of stepping in and running an offense designed for Chase’s multiple talents, rather than those of one who is an outstanding athlete, but one perhaps best suited for catching the ball instead of throwing it.

But Joel accepted all of his assignments, throwing the ball and catching it   –  backup quarterback, starting wide receiver, special teams player – with equal aplomb. He made it clear he was ready to do anything that would help the team win, without consideration of the light it would cast on him personally. That trait, certainly, is a very good measure of value.

But there’s still the yeoman performance put in by senior running back Quinton Smith, who quietly posted a thousand-yard season rushing -- 1,096 yards, to be exact. Q has proven his value to the team for the past three years, and has been the single most reliable aspect of the Rice offense during that time. Another Central Texas standout for the Owls,  the Cedar Park native was a consensus second- team all-conference this season, as he was as a junior, when he also won the George Martin Award as the Owls’ most valuable player, as well as the George R. Brown Award as Rice’s top running back.

So our nominees:  Jarett Dillard, Chase Clement, Quinton Smith, Joel Armstrong.  Let's hear yours, along with your votes and comments.

Most Valuable Player, Defense

Courtney Gordon quietly went about picking up eight sacks and 15 TFLs

Brian Raines’ teammates joshingly call him "Braines" but there’s simply no joke involved in the application of that moniker. The Fort Bend Willowridge grad, a chemical engineering major, came on strong this year to lead the team with 118 tackles, including 12.5 tackles-for-loss. Thumb through some of our game-by-game photo galleries of the Rice defense in action, and you won’t be able to help but notice that number 31 is in on, it seems, just about every picture. It’s not that he’s a camera hog at all, but rather, it’s because he’s just that much of a ball hawk, who flies straight into the action, wherever it is. Put another way: Brian Raines seems always to be making a tackle, has just made a tackle, or real soon is gonna be making another tackle. And we’ve got him for two more years.

Next on the defensive side, one must consider a trio of seniors, all of whom have been steady performers for the Owls throughout their careers. First comes DL Courtney Gordon, the Gladewater native who’s an Economics/Kinesiology double major from Martel College. Courtney will have been a four-year letterman at the defensive end spot, toiling in relative anonymity until this, his senior year, when second-team all- conference recognition came to him for his steady and heads-up play – not to mention the eight sacks and 15 TFLs that Courtney picked up on the gridiron this season.

Andray Downs led the team in word and deed, not to mention picking up 88 tackles

Then there’s Andray Downs, the senior from Garland Rowlett High School. The Hanszen resident is a triple major in economics, managerial studies and political science, and with those academic bona fides took over as a major leader and team spokesman for the Owls this year. Andray played hard all fall while shaking off chronic injuries that would have kept many a lesser man on the sideline. But not only did ‘Dray play, he also was one of those ‘on-field coaches’ mentoring the younger Rice DBs in a way that supported, in no small degree, the Owls’ six-game winning streak. Much was noted about Andray’s big-brother role to deceased Owl Dale Lloyd. Oh, and while he was up to all that, Andray also was the second-leading tackler on the team, as well, ending the season with 88, in addition to garnering two interceptions, one of which resulted in a Rice touchdown that broke the back of the Cadets at Army.

This list isn’t complete without the inclusion of DB Chad Price, the Bay City native. Another four-year starter for the Owls, Chad ended his career with 272 tackles. When the Owls fell behind at Tulsa this season, Chad had a spectacular ‘pick-pocket’ interception that turned momentum around for Rice en route to an overtime victory.

Those are our nominations for defensive MVP:  Brian Raines, Courtney Gordon, Andray Downs and
Chad Price.  Your thoughts, folks?

Most Missed Senior

Rolf Krueger was the embodiment of the Rice student-athlete

This category is perhaps a little more subjective than the previous two, but is one worthy of recognition, nonetheless. As mentioned before, we’d put the entire senior class in this category, as each and every one of them who persevered throughout their entire football career at Rice had something unique to contribute. But just to get the conversation started, allow us to make a few suggestions.

The list could start with Quinton Smith, whose exploits are briefly detailed above. Even though Rice possesses a stable of talented young running backs going into next season, none of them has the experience and maturity that Q exhibited throughout this turnaround campaign. Those traits, plus his thousand yards rushing, earned him several second-team all-league selections, post-season, but many Owl fans thought he was deserving to be named first-team running back. Certainly there wasn’t anyone better than he in C-USA.

A relatively quiet toiler in the vineyards is Rolf Krueger, but as a linchpin of the Rice offensive line, the Wallis native and Sealy High grad was a steadying presence both on and off the field with his soft- spoken, but demonstrative leadership style. Nagging injuries kept Rolf from performing at anywhere near 100 per cent both during his junior and senior seasons – else he almost certainly would have gained all-league recognition. As it was, nevertheless, the Rice offensive line appeared to coalesce around "Little Rolf" as the Owls went on their amazing string of seven wins in eight games. Yeah, he’ll be missed – big time.  But Rice's loss is the State Bar of Texas' -- or the NFL's -- gain.

Mike Falco, vindicated

The specter of injury was something, too, that might have made a dent in the statistics produced by slotback/receiver Mike Falco – but even when he was on the sideline, Mike was a positive force in the Rice Rennaisance. And when he was cleared to return to the field during Rice’s stretch run this fall, he played like a man possessed, catching passes, throwing open-field blocks, returning kickoffs, playing special teams, and generally lending encouragement to his teammates. If Mike were a born pessimist, he’d likely consider his career as a cup half-empty, in that every time he seemed to catch a head of steam on the field, he’d get nicked with some kind of injury. But Mike’s an optimist, and emphatically stated, at season’s end, that he felt completely vindicated by Rice’s exciting turn-around and bowl berth. No second-guessing from this guy. Only second – and third – effort.

It wouldn't be logical to leave senior punter Jared Scruggs off this list, either.  Though Jared had his statistical ups and downs early in the season, during the Owls' winning skein he regained his form that was so valuable to Rice during his entire, four-year career.

Our choices for "Most Missed Senior" then?  All of them, but especially Krueger, Smith, Falco and Scruggs.  Yours?

The rules: Please email us with your votes, suggestions and comments – there’s no ‘official ballot.’ Mainly, we’re interested in what you have to say about one or more of our Owls. If you feel we’ve missed a mention of somebody who’s worthy of nomination, please say so, and say why – we’ll give you the floor, then, in our followup articles. Feel free to use your own name, or your Parliament message board nickname, or whatever means of identification you like. The polls are open for one week; we'll close the balloting for these three categories at midnight, January 11. But of course, please only vote once for each category – let’s not stuff the ballot box. And watch out for those ‘hanging chads’. 

Next installment:  Vote for Rice’s Honor Senior, Best Newcomer, Best Play, Best Game, Turning Point

--P.T.H.