The Years of Rice and Sugar: An NCAA 12 Alternate History Dynasty

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'Round the League With John Jumbles
By: John Jumbles of JJsportsofFacebook

Hey guys, it's JJ here with more rapid fire CFB updates!

Oregon and Stanford STILL #1 and #2 and STILL both undefeated. While Cardinal QB Dylan Holman is out of the Heisman run, he still putting up good numbers.

Sparty is the most shocking team in CFB right now as they outperform expectations and are currently undefeated and ranked 3rd in the Coaches poll.

In the previously mentioned Heisman race QB Paul Dudley of Ohio State is toping everyone in the race as he not only puts up quality performances in the air but great games on the ground too. Rival RB Tim Thibodeaux of Michigan is behind him, but Tim's lack luster stat line in a loss to Michigan St. will not see him take over the top spot anytime soon.

For this week's edition from around the SWC I apologize to Razorback fans everywhere for jinxing their whole season.

After my mention of Arkansas, they went on to lose 2 more games with one being a brutal conference loss at home to A&M.

The Aggies are currently the leaders in taking the Southwest title and the bid to the Sugar Bowl with them being the only undefeated team left in the conference. Teams like Arkansas, Houston, and Texas still only have 1 conference loss but will need A&M to drop some games to have a chance at the title.

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So Close Yet So Far, Rice(1-5) Loses to Tech(4-4) 41-35
By: Bobby Brass of HootOwlNetwork.com

In what many saw as Rice's only chance at a conference win other than North Texas, the Owls lost an up and down game in Lubbock on Saturday.

In a game that looked over before it started Rice fail two 4th down conversions to start the game. Luckily for the Owls the Red Raider only were able to gain one TD off the blunders. Mike Cole then cracked off a massive 47 yard run into the endzone to tie the game.

Later in the 2nd qtr. Ryan Fields ran in from 1 yard out to make it 14-7 for the Owls. TTU then rattled off an easy running TD from 13 yards out and a minute later a FG to end the half.

On the first drive of the half Sean Banks easily marched his squad down the field to the endzone that ended with a 40 yard TD pass to his teammate Matt Davis. Banks then aired out a 59 yard TD pass and that looked to be the end of the game for the Owls with it now being 31-14.

A massive pick by a lurking SS Donald Johnson gave the Owls a spark to take a long march down the field which ended in another short Ryan Fields run. Wille Pettway then had a incredible leaping grab and run for a 72 yard scoring pass to make it 38-21.

Mike Cole of Rice then broke the most impressive play of the Mother's coaching stint at Rice when off an option play Cole got the pitch then broke a pursuing defender's ankles then made another cut to take it 78 yards to the house.

Another pick from Rice LB Rashaad Bradley gave Rice another chance to cut the Red Raider lead which they did after a methodical march down the field to make it 38-35. The Owls defense then held Tech to only a 29 yard FG to make it a 6 point game. With 5 minutes left and a chance to take the lead with a score the Rice offense seemed to stall forcing a punt. The defense just couldn’t get another stop allowing TTU to run out the clock to reach .500 in the W-L column.

Coach Joe Mothers said this after their loss that now puts them at 1-5 “We really wanted this win and we really thought we could do it. The defense finally made some plays to put us back in the game and the offense put together solid drives. Not much we can do with the loss but there’s a lot we can take away from this game.”

RB Mike Cole ran for an amazing 234 and 2 TDs while multiple other players contributed to a 342 yard rushing day by the Owls. FB Ty Luke and QB Ryan Fields both rushed for 40 yards with Fields adding 2 TDs with his legs.

For the Red Raiders Sean Banks passed for 441 yards and 3 TDs on the Owls defense while as a team TTU ran for 48 yards just off of 16 carries while adding 2 TDs on the ground.

Next week for Rice(1-5) is the Battle for the Bayou Bucket at Houston(5-2) where the Owls will face a high flying offense led by star QB JD Todd.

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Houston’s JD Todd Slingin’ In The Rain As His Team Defeats The Rice Owls(1-6) 57-13 In The Battle For The Bayou Bucket
By: Bobby Brass of HootOwlNetwork.com

On a rainy Houston Saturday Rice will drop another game in SWC conference play, this time to rival Houston.

In a setting much like Rice’s only win at BYU, the Owls faced an air raid team in rainy conditions. The Rice offense started with the ball and made their intentions clear for this game, maintain possession and run the clock. “We wanted to run the ball like any other week but also keep the football out of their QB’s hands.” said Rice HC Joe Mothers.

That strategy partly work in the 1st half as the score was 10-7 Houston going in the locker room. At half Houston must’ve brought out the spare dry footballs as while Rice’s offense fought for every yard, the Cougars started to rip the Owl defense apart. “As a staff we feel like our play calling has improve since the start of the season but so many plays this game were guys simply not making the plays they needed to.” Mothers stated while still drenched in his jacket.

As the lead kept growing the Owls resorted to more and more passing as the run game failed to net them any significant yardage. When they did drop back to pass Ryan Fields most likely was running for his life as Rice gave up 5 sacks on the day. “I feel like we took a massive step back compared to last week. These guys wanted to kick us around and we let it happen.” said Senior QB Ryan Field “I love to see the 221(Passing yards) on my stat sheet but it’s all pointless when you lose this big.”.

Mike Cole had nowhere to go other than the dirt as he was only able to gain 97 yards off of 33 touches which averages out to 2.9 yards a carry. In the air he faired better as he caught 2 passes for 122 yards, one of which came off an 81 yard streak to the endzone in the 4th. Rice TE Dan Patrick also showed some great promise as a pass catcher. The pre-season 2nd team All-SWC selection was Field’s go to receiver hauling in 4 catches for 68 yards.

For Houston JD Todd shined in the rain putting up another causally incredible performance. His 404 yard passing performance will securely keep him as the nation leader in passing yards and his 5 TDs will keep Todd at the top spot in that category too. His only blemish was an overthrown ball picked off by Rice FS Darrius Wilson.

As the loses continue to pile up the Owls have 5 games left until they reach the finish line of the 2011 season. Next week Rice will travel to Fort Worth to play the Horned Frogs of Texas Christian(4-3)

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The Downward Spiral for Rice(1-7) Continues As TCU(5-3) Wins 34-7
By: Bobby Brass of HootOwlNetwork.com

The Rice Owls are now deemed bowl ineligible as they pick up their 7th straight loss on the season in Fort Worth.

While the game started close, with Rice surprisingly making multiple stops, the offense still looked lost especially in the run game. “My heart aches as an old school coach. We started the year strong running the ball, but we’ve lost light of the big and little things up front. What’s the point of these guys being fat if they can’t move some bodies!” said Coach Mothers post-game. The running game had certainly regressed as Mike Cole only 52 yards off 18 carries on the day.

The Owls were forced to resort to the air where the pickings were slim. But whatever QB Ryan Field was able to get went for massive yardage. TE Dan Patrick once again caught 4 balls but this week got 157 yards in receiving. Patrick after his monster game said “When Ryan (Field) had the time he would just rip it and I was there every time. I take pride in being the go-to man when he’s in trouble.”. Some highlights were a 76 yard streak up the seams by Patrick to get inside the redzone which then led to a 4th and goal 10 yard passing TD to Antonio Barnes, who broke a tackle on the one to slip into the endzone. But it wasn’t all sunshine in the air for the Owls as Fields also threw 2 INTs to the TCU defense.

Kevin Dawson of TCU had a laid-back day only passing 16 times for 98 yards while the ground game did all the work. Star RB Ray Harwell left the game early with a concussion, but backup Pat Davis took over and ran for 118 yards and 2 TDs. The Horned Frogs as a team rushed for 231 yards, tearing apart a defenseless Rice squad.

Can the Owls(1-7) manage to change their losing ways? Many say that it's unlikely next week as they head back to Houston to play the Bears of Baylor(4-5).

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BCS Madness As Multiple Losses Change Rankings
By: Todd Greenwich of ESPN.com

A large shake up this week in the BCS poll as a handful of teams fall and a handful of teams rise in the latest computer rankings.

Former #1 Oregon Ducks fall in a blowout to PAC-10 rival Washington Huskies 31-10. This shot the unranked 5-3 Huskies to #18 while the Ducks drop to #8. This loss spoils the #1 vs #2 match-up that was supposed to take place this weekend as the now #1 former #2 Stanford Cardenal head up to Eugene, Oregon.

In a top ten match up of #6 Texas A&M vs #10 OU the Sooners got the W at home and take the Aggie’s former ranking just outside the top 5. While Texas A&M now sits at OU old spot of #10 and out of championship talk, it was just a non-conference game, and they still lead the SWC.

Last weekend’s biggest loser was Oklahoma State as they lost to a 3-5 K-State squad in Manhattan, KS. The Cowboys who were saddled up at #4 fell off a cliff to #16 after the 31-17 loss.

FSU is now at #2 with Bosie State out of the WAC at #3. Miami shot up from #9 to #4 and Ohio State takes the last spot to round out the top 5.

With just over a couple weeks left in the season, the fight for the title game is reaching a boiling point.

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Rice(2-7) Goes a’huntin Bear in Houston. Shocking Baylor(4-6) 45-17
By: Bobby Brass of HootOwlNetwork.com

It’s a bad week to be a Baylor fan as all of them are being asked and mocked at work with the quote “You lost to Rice!?”.

In the 1st quarter Rice opened with two massive rushing TDs. One off a 58 yard fly sweep out of flexbone by WR Chris Watson. The second came from the master of the big runs himself, RB Mike Cole. Little did anyone know Cole was just getting started. In the 2nd he busted off a 44 yard and 4 yard TD run to make the halftime score 28-3. Wait Baylor only had 3 points?

While it was unlikely for Rice to score more than 28 the entire game, it was even more unlikely for the defense to hold Baylor to three points for more than two minutes. “Our defense came out like dogs. They were also playing less than stellar themselves, so we don’t take all the credit” said Coach Mothers “They must’ve had a late-night Bible study or whatever they do for fun in Waco.” Mothers added.

In the 2nd half, Cole rushed for a fourth and final TD on the day for him. “Call up Nike and tell them to start a new “Be Like Mike” campaign. We’re called one of the worst teams in America yet I’m breaking runs left and right on these bums.” Cole told reporters in the post-game conference. When a designed QB run for Ryan Fields resulted in a score from 26 yards out, it 100% sealed the victory for Rice.

While the word “Bum” by Cole might be an over exaggeration to describe the bears, their performance against the Owls was downright terrible. Ronnie Lucas, one of the nation’s most athletic QBs, looked lack luster only going 11/21 for 147 yards. He threw two 4th quarter TDs but also pick to Antohny Gutierrez. The run game was mostly silenced as Baylor’s two biggest runners QB Lucas and RB Nate Morries tallied up 0 and 89 yards on the ground respectfully.

With the defense playing so stoutly and Mike Cole having a dazzling 222 yard and 4 TD performance, the Owls hold a lot of hope in the program and Mothers can now relax a bit in his cooled down coaching seat.

All pride will be on the line next week as Rice(2-7) will face fellow basement dweller North Texas(1-9) for a scrap where a conference W is on the line.

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Update

Sadly, I had to restart the dynasty after it failed to sim to the conference championship week since no conferences had one. This time I simply gave the MAC a championship game. With this being year 1 with a lot of losing happening this isn't a death blow. The only difference is now our non-relevant players have different auto-generated names. I also changed my offense since running is sometimes too easy in NCAA 12. It's still run heavy but more spread out and less option. We finished 2-10(Still beating Baylor somehow) with some games being closer than before while others were blowouts.

I'll now pick up at the start of season two.

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Rice Looks to Defy Expectations and Continue to Build in Year Two of the Mothers Era
By: Tommy Rustfield of HootOwlNetwork.com

As I hoped they would last year, the admin of Rice holds their hope in Joe Mothers as he will lead the Owls in his second as the head coach. The hope seems well placed as he brought in a top 50 recruiting class that put other classes of the last decade to shame. This class could look to bring an immediate impact to this team but it’s still in the hands of the past regime's players to guide Rice to any higher success. Projected to finish 9th in the SWC, the Owls will have to steal some conference games to keep this rebuild going in the right direction.

Positional Previews

Quarterback: The graduation of Ryan Fields has opened the starting QB job for competition and so far it’s been a two-man race. Last year's back-up Trey Walker(Sr.) on paper looked to be next in line but former 3rd-stringer Austin Dixon(RS Jr.) has made massive strides in the offseason. In the first few days of Fall camp Dixon looked to have leapfrogged Walker for the top spot. Both provide similar arm abilities, but Walker is noticeably more of a statue in the pocket due in part to his 6’7 240 frame. Dixon’s edge in athleticism will look to get him the week 1 start.

Halfback: Ryan Wise(RS Sr.) once again looks to head the offense in his final season as an Owl. The question is if he can stay healthy. His playmaking ability will play a massive role in Rice’s success this year. If his season isn't constantly interrupted by injury then an All-Conference spot could be in his future. To give Wise a break will be Jeff Key(Sr.). Key brings strength to the running back position and will look to bring a change up in style whenever he subs in.

Fullback: The only pure FB on Rice will be Trent Harris(Jr.). He made good strides this offseason and whenever the Owls go to the I-Formation he’ll be the guy plunging his body into a defender. Last year the Owls loved to use the I-Form in short yardage to take advantage of the favorable blocking angles the FB had.

Wide Receiver: The Owls hope to replace a lot of production from last year after the loss of their 1200 yard slot receiver Jeff Daniels. Returning starter Greg Carter(RS Jr.) will be featured on the outside while Aaron Brown(RS Sr.) will bring more speed to the other outside spot. In the coveted slot position will be Josh King(Jr.) who looks to use his solid hands to march the Owls down the field. Youngster Devin Carlson(RS Fr.) will bring a big punch of speed to this core. This squad has yet to grow into a highlight of this offense but the young guys currently on the bench can definitely change that in the coming years.

Tight Ends: Ole reliable Dan Patrick(RS Sr.) will look to set his sights on an even bigger season than his 800 yard campaign last year. Alan Smith(Sr.) and Luke Rouse(RS So.) will provide solid depth with the latter providing WR like speed to the big man position.



Offensive Line: It’s a tale of two lines for Rice. The left side and center position will be a solid offensive anchor while the right side is quite unproven. Former DL and LT convert Joe Owens(RS Jr.) will lead this line. He played some OL last year and showed much promise at the position. With a full offseason under his belt to learn the position he has made large gains mentally and physically. Arthur Brown(RS Sr.) will man the LG spot and Jon Jones(RS Sr.) will return at center. The 6’7 325 Jahmal Terry(RS Fr.) will look to prove himself at RG and Sam Davis(Jr.) will round out the group at RT. This group can still run block well, but the staff will hope for them to improve by providing more time for whoever is at QB.

Defensive Line: This group is once again undermanned in talent and bodies. Tyson Jones(Sr.) put up multiple decent performances last year at left end and Robert Fisher(Jr.) also had his moments. The most notable lineman is Rory Boyd(RS Fr.) who in his young career hopes to start wreaking havoc in SWC backfields.

Linebacker: From the looks of it no one wants to play LB at Rice. The amount of talent at this position is probably the worst in the power conferences. They do return 2nd team All-SWC Sid Thomas(Sr.) who hopes to earn back to back honors. Dave Mitchell(Jr.) will be his partner in crime in his first year as a starter.

Cornerbacks: Rice got burned in the passing game last year and nothing much looks to change. Anthony Gutierrez(Sr.) led the team in picks last year and will be the fastest CB on the roster. Julius Smith(Fr.) will be one of those young guys the Mothers brought in to make a change and he will take over the second corner spot.

Safeties: Jason Allen(Fr.) will take on the big responsibly of FS. The Owls played a lot with their FS playing one high last year so it will be Allen’s job to halt any big plays over the middle. At the SS position is the team captain Cedric Harris(Sr.) who won’t have much talent behind him. With the lack of SS talent will the Owls have to change their scheme away from the traditional 4-2-5?

Special Teams: Kicker Wayne Wilson(RS Jr.) was 3 for 4 last year with a long of 39. Hopefully he can extend his game this year. JUCO Roy Cooper(Jr.) will take on the punting duties but his talent has yet to be seen. With Ryan Wise leading the charge, we expect the special teams unit to be a major X-factor in games this season. Expect thrilling returns, game-changing moments, and a significant contribution to the team's overall success. If everything clicks Rice might just have one of the most exciting special teams units in the SWC.

Summary: The offense has some solid components. The QB play look promising, and a star Swiss army knife is in the backfield. The defense is a massive concern. The lack of depth will require some adjustments in the scheme in multiple ways. This year the best defense will be the offense.