Owl Vision 2: The Return of Coach PJ Thomas

[djp73]

s/o #26

[Google[Bot]]

that’s a lot of carries to have zero fumbles

[Soapy]

CFB 26 around the corner brother

[chosenone58]

Warner putting together a solid draft resume

He transferred out (playing style), so we don't give a damn what he does.

s/o #26

that’s a lot of carries to have zero fumbles

Yeah, I had to go back and look again

CFB 26 around the corner brother

I know but I don't think I'm gonna get it right off. Just gonna build with this one.

[chosenone58]

OWL Vision: 2025 Season Preview

2024 overall record
10-4
2024 conference record
6-2

The Rice Owls set out to have a winning season last year and did they ever. They finished with a record of 10-4, won their first American Athletic Conference title, and took home a bowl victory against NC State in the Fenway Bowl in December. Since that great season by the Owls, lots of changes have taken place in the offseason. The first being head coach Mike Bloomgren accepting a job offer as a defensive coordinator at Florida State, replacing Adam Fuller who accepted a job offer from the Washington Commanders. The Owls have tapped offensive coordinator Marques Tuiasosopo as their new head coach. Tuiasosopo joined the Owls’ coaching staff in 2021 after stints at four different universities on the West Coast between 2009 and 2020.

Rice also lost quarterback E.J. Warner to Utah State via the transfer portal after the Owls featured a run heavy offense last season. The running back that caused Warner to decide to leave Houston? Heisman winner Dean Connors. Connors had a stellar senior season at Rice and was drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft in April.

The Owls managed to keep their defensive coordinator PJ Thomas, who was rumored to have been on the short list for the head coaching position at Appalachian State and Georgia Southern.

The expectations are a little higher for the Owls this season and they look to be in a position to have similar results to last season. The 2025 schedule doesn’t seem to be as difficult. The one stumbling block for the Owls will be Houston. All other games are a possible toss up for the Owls this season.

Keys to the Season

Key Plays: Play Smart on Offense The Owls had several opportunities to win by large margins, but it seemed that the offense enjoyed doing just enough to leave the final outcome in the hands of the defense. The defense can’t be completely to blame as they would provide the offense with chances throughout the game to score, but they didn’t take advantage of it.

Key Players: A.J. Padgett and Lamont Narcisse, Jr. The Owls have a new quarterback under center and a new offensive scheme to be learned. Padgett was expected to sit behind Warner for one more season before taking snaps, but with Warner entering the transfer portal, his time is now. In 2023, Rice picked off a total of five passes. Last season, Lamont Narcisse, Jr. nearly tied that number on his own, leading the defense with four interceptions. He also came up with 41 solo tackles and 8 tackles for losses. The Owls are expecting a lot more from the corner as the pass rush will be on the attack.

Key Game: Houston (September 13) Rice was so close to pulling off an upset last season against the Houston Cougars, but a few lapses on defense saw them drop the Battle of the Bayou Bucket. This game could be a huge test of just how good this Owls’ team really is.

It’s a better Rice team, but with a similar slate of games as last season.

The turning point for the Owls in 2024 was beating Memphis in Week 11. The 35-31 win gave the team the boost that it needed to roll through the rest of the opposition on their way to a bowl win. This season looks to yield similar results if the Owls can play smart offense.

Despite a number of new faces in starting spots, the Owls can definitely make their case for a fifth straight bowl season.

[Agent]

Good luck in the new season

[chosenone58]

Good luck in the new season

Preciate it.

Let's see what the boys can cook up this season.

[chosenone58]

[chosenone58]

[Captain Canada]

Glad to have this back bruv.