RICE-PITTSBURGH
OWLS SET TO FACE PITTSBURGH SQUAD THAT’S HAD SIMILAR ISSUES SO FAR
Owls, Panthers have more similarities than differences.
Rice and Pittsburgh enter Saturday’s contest with 1-3 records. While the teams seem vastly different, a closer look at their losses suggest some similarities between the teams’ struggles.
Pittsburgh opened its season with an overtime win over Youngstown State — a team that lost last year’s FCS championship game — although the Panthers allowed more than 400 yards of offense.
Since then, Pittsburgh has lost three straight, highlighted by losses to top-10 opponents. The Panthers fell to No. 4 Penn State and then-No. 9 Oklahoma State by a combined score of 92-35. They allowed nearly 700 yards of offense against the latter.
Pittsburgh is coming off a 35-17 loss to Georgia Tech where it allowed nearly 500 yards of offense. Over the course of their three losses, the Panthers turned the ball over nine times.
Like Pittsburgh, Rice has floundered in the face of tough competition.
The Owls allowed 38 points in the first half against both Stanford and the University of Houston. In their three losses combined, Rice was outgained (1,411 yards to 731 yards) and outscored (113 points to just 17) by even rougher margins than Pitt.
Heading into Saturday’s game, Rice players understand ACC member Pittsburgh will be a challenge but are confident they’ll play better than they did against in a 13-7 loss last week to Florida International.
“This week it’s a good team, but we’re a good team so I think we’ll be good,” cornerback Justin Bickham said.
Bickham admits that Rice, like Pittsburgh, hasn’t played its stiffest competition very competitively. Still, he sees their shortcomings as more mental than physical.
“I wouldn’t say we played (worse) against non-conference teams, but I think we didn’t come out as confident as we were last game or against UTEP,” Bickham said of the defense. “I don’t think we ever go into a game nervous.”
The redshirt sophomore said tough non-conference opponents bring out the best in him.
“I love playing Power Five teams. Usually we’re underdogs so that just takes the pressure off us so we can go out there and play free,” Bickham said.
It’s a sentiment his teammates share. For some, it’s even more personal.
“Coming out of high school, you want those Power Five offers and when you don’t get those offers, you want to prove to everyone that they messed up,” guard Peter Godber said. “We’re all excited to prove that we belong.”
Although Pittsburgh is tied at the bottom of the ACC with just three sacks this season, Godber isn’t taking their front seven for granted.
“They have some athletes, they’re all big guys,” he said. “They’re big, physical players. Their linebackers come downhill. It’s going to be a physical challenge for us.”
For players and coaches, the key to a competitive game against Pittsburgh comes down to execution.
“It’s going to be a game where we need to go up there and have almost flawless execution,” Rice coach David Bailiff said.