This walk-on has been working with the special teams scout unit -- he's Mike Graham, said to be kin to somebody on the coaching staff.  We do know this:  Mike has his own locker and gear (Mark Anderson photo)

By Mark Anderson

HOUSTON (Nov. 17) -- If there is one aspect of any football team that goes unappreciated, that would have to be its special teams. It's an area that has shown marked improvement for the Rice Owls, both in comparison to prior years, and during the course of this ‘06 season. One could even go so far as to say that a significant reason for the Owls’ current four-game winning streak lay in the improved play of Rice’s special teams.

"We don’t get a lot of publicity, but we like it that way," Brandon Long, the Owl’s rookie deep snapper, told us. "The only time we’re in the paper is when we do something wrong."

This week, we spent time with seven Owl special teams members: Drew Clardy, Brandon Long, Chris Douglas, Marcus Knox, Jared Scruggs, Luke Juist, and Clark Fangmeier. Each one of these special team players has an important job—or in some cases, jobs—to do.

As good a place to start as any, would be regarding the kickoff chores. For the Owls, Luke Juist handles those duties. Luke told us there are two key aspects displayed by the the successful kickoff man. "From the start, it’s [the kick] got to have good hang time," he said. "And probably one of the most important things is placement. If you put the ball in the spot where the cover team is looking for it to land, then it makes their job a whole lot easier.
Story....           Jarett Dillard named Biletnikoff finalist....

After 8 out of 10 on the road, home sweet home
Whether payoff time, or payback time -- the time has come for Owls, their fans

Todd Graham:  'Our kids are extremely confident right now -- and they should be'

HOUSTON (Nov. 13) – Approach Todd Graham six months ago and tell him that you’d be supremely happy to see a Rice ‘06 campaign in which the Owls won five games, four in league play, and he would’ve likely given a response that would be more than remotely similar to General McAuliffe’s at Bastogne: ‘Nuts!’

After hearing his entreaties to the effect that he plans on winning more games than that, you likely would’ve walked away thinking ‘that poor deluded soul; he has no idea what he’s getting into.’ At the same time, surely you’d have been lifted up, at least just a bit, by the enthusiasm inherent in the new Rice mentor’s response.

In other words, you wouldn’t have bought in to his gospel – but you could not have helped being at least somewhat impressed by the reading of it.

Funny, that’s the same reaction quite a large number of the Boys from the Institute had when they first beheld their new coach.
Story....             Rice-Tulsa photo gallery....

Monday's press luncheon audios....

	Todd Graham:   'We're playing our best ball right now; they're (ECU) playing their best ball...'
	Marcus Rucker:   'I told him, 'I'm not sure if I'll be ready to start for us (at linebacker), Coach....''
	Jarett Dillard:  'No matter how many streaks you have, that means absolutely nothing if you lose...'

Rice 41, Tulsa 38 (2OT)

Cardiac Owls refuse to lose; nip Tulsa in double overtime

Jubilant Owls hoot it up in locker room after Rice's stirring  double overtime victory over Tulsa
(PTH photo)    If your web browser did not auto-play audio clip, click here to help make sense out of the following story lead-in...

TULSA (Nov. 12) It almost did take 'til judgment day.

Staring down defeat in double overtime, the Rice Owls pulled a rabbit out of a hat in the person of none other than Jarett Dillard, the Owls' vaunted receiver and occasional team magician, who lept and twisted in bringing down Chase Clement's 25-yard touchdown pass, to rock and sock the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, 41-38, as the sky darkened over the Tall Grass Prairie.

It was a lusciously sweet ending to Rice head coach Todd Graham's homecoming to face a team he had coached for three years, helping elevate them from bargain-basement level to Conference USA and Liberty Bowl championships before taking his act to South Main.

But whichever team wound up on the short end of this one would have been completely justified in what-iffing the ways this game should have been won, but was lost.

Fortunately for Rice fans, it was the home contingent that would up walking away from Skelly Stadium muttering to themselves. And mutter they did.

Tulsa roared out of the blocks with a long, initial touchdown drive and appeared to be well in control of the game, early. But the aggressive Rice defense started playing takeaway, elevating the Owls to a two-touchdown halftime lead, a mere step or two from being in a position to put the game in the bag.
Story....      Box score, statistics....     Links to game coverage....

The TD pass that won the game in overtime -- Chase Clement goes 25 yards to Jaret Dillard (photo sequence)....

Tulsa post-game interviews...

	Todd Graham:   "You don't have to motivate these guys anymore -- they are motivated...."
	Marcus Rucker: "Once we held them to three, the game was over...."
	Chase Clement: "I'll go to Jarett whatever the situation, no matter what...9 times out of 10, he's going to catch it...."
	Jarett Dillard:  "The second half the offense kind of went to sleep, but the defense was phenomenal...."
	Andrew Sendejo:   "We were just trying to get the ball back to our offense, so they could score some more points...."
	Joel Armstrong:   "We're a very confident offense, and we're a very confident team...."

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Rice 2006 media guide...