Dec 21, 2006, 16:40 GMT
New Orleans, LA - The Rice Owls will make their first postseason appearance in 45 years when they battle the Troy Trojans in the sixth-annual New Orleans Bowl, from the Superdome.
It has been a long time since the Owls have had the luxury of playing a postseason matchup. The last bowl game for Rice was back in 1961, as the team took part in the Bluebonnet Bowl where it was defeated by Kansas. It is a bit surprising the Owls were able to sneak into the postseason, especially considering how the team opened the season with four consecutive losses. Fortunately first year head coach Todd Graham was able to lead his team to victory in seven of its last eight games, including six in a row. Because of his tremendous job at the helm for Rice, Graham was selected as the Conference-USA Coach of the Year.
As for the Trojans, they are also new to this whole postseason extravaganza, as the team will be making just its second-ever bowl appearance. The team's first and only bowl game came in 2004 as the team suffered a 34-21 loss to Northern Illinois in the Silicon Valley Bowl. The Trojans finished with a 7-5 ledger this year, and capped off the regular season with its first Sun Belt Conference title. Much like the Owls, Troy opened its campaign with losses in four of its first five games, but fortunately the Trojans were able to regroup, closing out the season with six wins in their last seven games. A victory over Rice would give the Trojans their first-ever Bowl win.
Throughout the regular season the Owls were one of the more dangerous offensive units in Conference-USA and the team comes into this bowl game averaging a solid 27.8 ppg, while collecting 345.2 total ypg. The team's 'bread and butter' this season was the passing attack, as the Owls threw for 206.5 ypg, while 27 of the team's 42 offensive touchdowns came via the pass. Chase Clement did not have a huge season for the Owls, but the signal-caller did enough to help his team win. Clement only threw for 1,707 yards on the year, but closed out the 2006 campaign with 21 touchdowns against just five interceptions. Clement's success this season can be attributed to the play of Jarrett Dillard. Dillard was selected as a Second Team All-American and for good reason, as the wideout put up ridiculous numbers, grabbing 82 passes for 1,176 yards and 20 touchdowns. While the passing attack has no doubt had its success this year, opponents can not fall sleep on the Owls' ground game, which is producing 138.7 ypg. Quinton Smith was the main workhorse out of the backfield for the Owls, as he comes into this matchup with 1,092 yards and 10 scores.
Unfortunately for Rice, its downfall all season has been its defensive play, or lack thereof. The team finished the regular season allowing 32.6 ppg. Rice has struggled against the run as well as the pass, as teams are churning out 191.2 ypg on the ground, while collecting 226.5 ypg through the air. The defensive unit has allowed 46 touchdowns (28 passing, 18 rushing) and also permitted the opposition to convert 40 percent of their third down attempts. One bright spot for this unit was its ability to force the big play, as the Owls collected 31 sacks this season, while forcing 28 turnovers. Brian Raines was without a doubt, the emotional and physical leader of this defense, as the linebacker led the team with 110 tackles to go along with 11.5 TFLs and 4.5 sacks. Up front the Owls were led by Courtney Gordon, as the senior defensive lineman posted team-highs in TFLs (15) and sacks (8).
Unlike their counterpart, the Trojans were not very effective on the offensive side of the ball, as the team averaged a meager 315.2 total ypg, which led to just 21.2 ppg. The team's ground game was simply atrocious, as the Trojans averaged just 126.9 ypg, while collecting just 3.8 ypc. Kenny Cattouse proved to be the most reliable source out of the backfield, as the tailback finished the regular season with 774 rushing yards and four scores. Unfortunately the team's passing attack was not much better, as the Trojans averaged just 188.3 ypg through the air. Omar Haugabook season was filled with highs and lows, as the signal-caller comes into this matchup with 2,184 passing yards and a completion percentage of 62.2. However, at the same time, the quarterback threw just 17 scores against 16 interceptions. The team's only threat downfield is Gary Banks, as the wideout collected 66 passes for 595 yards and seven touchdowns.
Troy's success this season is due to the team's play at the defensive end of the field. The Trojans were very stingy throughout the season and come into this bowl game surrendering just 22.7 ppg, while holding the opposition to just 344.4 total ypg. The team played extremely well against the run, holding opponents to just 137.1 ypg on the ground, but unfortunately the unit did not do as well against the pass, as the opposition averaged 207.3 ypg through the air. Troy only forced 19 turnovers on the season, which is low, but the team was able to put pressure on the quarterback, finishing the year with 32 sacks. Brannon Condren was tenacious for the Trojans all season, as the defensive back led the team with 91 tackles and also collected six TFLs. Kenny Mainor and Ryan Babb became a dangerous duo for opposing quarterbacks, as Mainor finished the year with 8.5 TFLs and a team-high 6.5 sacks, while Babb added 7.0 TFLs to go along with 4.5 sacks.
© 2006 The Sports Network
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