QBs get chance to impress
Green, McCaffrey begin competition in first scrimmage
Eight days into football camp, Rice held its first scrimmage Saturday. It was a 112-play endeavor in which the Owls’ defense got the upper hand.
“It will be great film for us to coach off of, and I sure hope we see the offense take a jump next week and continue a great effort from our defense,” Owls coach Mike Bloomgren said.
Wiley Green, who has been in the program four years, and newcomer Luke McCaffrey are 1-2 on the current depth chart at quarterback. Both worked with the 1s on Saturday.
“We struggled a little today in the scrimmage, but overall it’s been awesome. And we’re excited to attack those game-like situations where, situationally, we’re getting stronger,” Green said.
Rice played six quarterbacks throughout the two-hour session on the outdoor practice field by Rice Stadium. Green completed several nice throws, and McCaffrey converted a big gainer off of play action and connected with the tight end on a couple of occasions.
“Wiley is incredibly comfortable in this system,” Bloomgren said. “Looks comfortable from the time he’s calling a play in the huddle until he gets to the line of scrimmage and until he gets the ball out. And there’s things that Luke does really natural and really good.
“Again, that’s why we practice. We’re going to give (Luke) more reps. It’s great competition, and there’s no need to speed it up right now. I look forward to watching it every day at practice.”
Rice is three weeks from its opener at Arkansas, and Bloomgren is not ready to name a starting quarterback. Bloomgren said he has faith in whoever the backup will be.
McCaffrey (6-2, 200) didn’t go through spring ball with the Owls and re-entered the transfer portal in early June. He’s now getting his opportunity to compete for the starting position.
“There’s a lot of snaps that I need, and we all need, in order to grow as an offense, but to be out there for the first (scrimmage) was fun,” said McCaffrey, a redshirt freshman who made two starts at quarterback for Nebraska in 2020. He appeared in four games with the Cornhuskers in 2019, preserving his redshirt status.
Early on in the scrimmage, McCaffrey displayed his play making and his ability to run in space. McCaffrey got out on the edge on a run out and ran past outside linebacker Treshawn Chamberlain for a first down. McCaffrey did have the advantage of wearing a red jersey, meaning no physical contact.
“Luke’s a special runner, and Luke can be a special quarterback,” Bloomgren said. “That’s what we’re continuing to work toward, is getting him comfortable in the West Coast offense, where he can execute all of it.”
The defense, under the supervision of coordinator Brian Smith, rolled players out as the 1s and 2s played equal snaps. Regardless of the defensive combinations on Saturday, Bloomgren said it was an effective unit, and he’s thrilled where that group is heading.
Rice was 12th nationally in scoring defense in 2020. The Owls return 10 starters on that side of the ball.
Good competition is brewing at weakside inside linebacker involving Myron Morrison, Desmyn Baker and Terreance Ellis. Morrison is doing a lot of things within the defense. At times on Saturday, he lined up at safety, giving coach Smith a lot of creativity.
The offense managed only one touchdown on the day. But Bloomgren was excited about the tempo and that the offense moved the ball on occasion.
“It was good to see the offense dig their way out a couple of times but also good to see the defense keep them out of the end zone, holding the field even after a few explosive plays,” Bloomgren said.
In general, the head coach was pleased with the team’s effort. After each scrimmage, the depth chart will be altered. Bloomgren said he’s eager to watch the video and evaluate each player’s performance.
First-year offensive coordinator Marques Tuiasosopo said he saw a lot of positives coming out of his unit in the first scrimmage of football camp.
“We had a good day today. The film is going to show that we can be a lot better, and right now that’s what we’re focused on,” Tuiasosopo said.
At running back, Christian Francisco broke off a couple of nice runs, and Cameron Montgomery picked up huge yardage on one play.
“We’re still growing as an offense,” Bloomgren said.