Rice University Owls vs. SMU Mustangs; Betting Line, Rice by -3 ½ (total 69 ½); television ESPN; kickoff 8:05 PM ET; Rice Stadium, Houston, Texas. Betting line provided by Sportsbook.com.We think we know why , besides a national ESPN television audience, that SMU and Rice kick off their football season Friday night in Houston. They want to get the game done so the score can make the Sunday morning papers. The SAT's aren't the only thing high at these schools. Their defenses suck…aw are awful. That was last year and, especially in Rice's case, not much has improved. The Owls allowed 42.9 points a game and 511 yards. Only the not so Mean-Green of University of North Texas were worst. Rice has actually lost three key starters from that defense and nothing in the new crop even portends a decent defense for several years.
Thank goodness the Owls can score. They return Walter Camp nominee, J Dillard, two consecutive 1000 yard receiving seasons and quarterback Chase Clements, who threw for 29 touchdowns a year ago. The dynamic duo combined for 32 touchdown passes the past two seasons, six shy of a national record. For the record, Clements was also the Owls leading rusher with 535 yards although much of that was from scrambling. The Owls have 8 of 11 offensive starters back.
SMU, the heartbreak kids of college ball last year , won only one game. They lost three in OT and one on the last play of the game. Its defense also put up little resistance allowing 39.8 points a game. SMU could improve a bit on defense as juco standout Rock Dennis (love that name) was injured all of last year and this standout blend of speed and hitting ability could help the Mustangs have one of the best defenses in C-USA.
The Ponies have visions of moving to the "promised land" and found their "prophet" wandering around in paradise known as Hawaii. June Jones has been on this road before. He took his run and gun offense to Hawaii in 1999 and took a Warrior team coming off its first no win season ever to a 9-4 finish. He was a national coach of the year. You'll remember his 2007 team was 12-0. So he gives up the beach for the "bitch" of trying to bring the Ponies back.
We expect 4 wide-outs with Jones' offense and we also expect "star" Justin Willis would be the quarterback. Willis 2006 C-USA Freshman of the year did throw 25 touchdown passes (2nd most in school history- to his 26 in 2006) in 2007. He also became the first SMU player in a decade to rush for over 100 and pass for over 100. But there are problems in pony paradise. Willis missed spring practice for the old "violation of team rules." Then 2 weeks ago, Jones announced that Willis might not even be the second string quarteback this fall. Jones said that true freshman Bo Levi Mitchell of Texas high school power state champ Katy and true freshman Braden Smith of Rockwall "had a better understanding of the offense" and were the top choices. Mitchell was “Aloha” bound before the coaching switch and his Katy high school team embraced some of the basics of Jones offensive style. Far be it, from this writer to question the choice but it would seem that Willis must play somewhere. Wide Receiver anyone?
The inexperience at QB might favor the Owls and so would the home field. Rice has fewer students in total than most big schools have skipping class on a given day. (Less than 3,000) They have a big (but due to disrepair and other reasons) stadium that now seats 47,000 but could go to 70K. Last year they averaged only about 14,000 per game. So for this first game and TV: it is time again for operation stadium sell-out. A few rich Houstonians (not alumni) scores of full page newspaper/radio ads/ concerts/ and even a popular mayor as guest coach are trying to get a big crowd. The last time the Owls tried this (2003 versus Navy) 28,000 made it. It almost sounds like the Owls would pay people to go. They almost are: they are using the Houston Livestock and Rodeo Association (those guys know how to run a show) is putting on a cook-off, The first 6,000 fans get to eat free. (The rest will have their cost go to charity) I wonder if they have a breakfast menu?
Prediction: Rice survives this game -3 ½ ATS.
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