Thundering Herd keep the Owls winless
True freshman QB provides spark, but not enough for Rice
Nine games into last season, then-true freshman Wiley Green made his first career start at quarterback for Rice in a losing effort to North Texas.
Nine games into the Owls’ winless 2019 season, another true freshman quarterback made his starting debut against Marshall on Saturday, but the result remained the same in a 20-7 loss at Rice Stadium.
“It’s the first time in a conference game this year where I felt like we got out-physicaled,” coach Mike Bloomgren said.
Last year, quarterback injuries led to Green’s start. Saturday, Tom Stewart’s lingering back injury and Green’s recent turnover habit invited JoVoni Johnson’s promotion from the scout team.
“He was able to move the sticks,” Bloomgren said. “I think when JoVoni was in there, the offense looked and felt different.”
After freshman defensive end Adrian Bickham blocked Justin Rohrwasser’s 28-yard field goal on the opening drive of the game, Johnson completed his first two passes. But an offensive pass interference, a Johnson fumble and a sack ended the drive.
In the second quarter, following Rohrwasser’s 22-yard field goal, Rice responded when Johnson marched the Owls 66 yards downfield in 11 plays to cap off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Austin Trammell.
But that would be the last time Rice (0-9, 0-5 Conference USA) scored, and Johnson eventually left in the fourth quarter after getting injured on an 18-yard first down run.
Marshall (6-3, 4-1) took over shortly after Johnson’s first touchdown.
On its first play of the ensuing drive, quarterback Isaiah Green tossed a 63-yard completion to Xavier Gaines. Running back Brenden Knox, who rushed for 130 yards, scored a touchdown on the next play.
On Marshall’s next drive, Green found Talik Keaton in the back of the end zone to establish a 10point lead 28 seconds before halftime. Marshall scored 17 unanswered points when Rohrwasser slotted a 49-yard field goal in the third quarter.
“I have a lot of confidence in (Johnson),” Bloomgren said. “I have confidence in his ability as well as what he brings to the table and how he commands the offense when he’s in there.”
Johnson completed 10 of 17 passes for 97 yards and the touchdown to Trammell. He added 65 yards on the ground. When he left the game, Stewart came in and completed 1 of 9 passes for 6 yards (and two sacks to Johnson’s one).
Desperate for a win, Bloomgren has a decision to make entering the team’s bye week with three games left.
His plan had been to redshirt Johnson, who’s now played in three of the four games that are available to players hoping to preserve their eligibility. But Johnson’s ability combined with offensive coordinator Jerry Mack’s philosophy—Mack was given more space to expand the Owls offense this week — proved to be a more productive combination although Rice only generated 231 yards of offense Saturday.
“Where I got with this offense last week was the definition of insanity,” Bloomgren said of the Owls’ 139-yard performance against Southern Miss.
“I don’t know that I can give you a definitive answer (about Johnson), I want to see the film. … But you can see that our offense had some life today.”