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Rice is kicking WMU's tail (24-0 @ half) and it looks like decent crowd. Rice is doing CUSA right. Go Owls!

How come Rice can go 9-3 and win a bowl game and SMU can't?

Rice is doing a nice job and it is a positive thing that they are appropriately representing C-USA. Unfortunately for WMU nothing is working and they are becoming very frustrated.

Rice is senior heavy. That is a huge advantage. The experience killed us in the opener. We had them down very early 14-0. They didn't fold like a veteran team. Experience is a huge plus to borderline teams. We are not a borderline team unfortunately.

I was at the game tonight in Houston. I felt guilty for going, but since it was a local bowl game for me I felt I had to support CUSA. I couldn't believe how well Rice played (James Casey is amazing). The roof was stuck open from Hurricane Ike damage, so it made for a nice brisk evening. Good fan turnout for Rice. It didn't hurt that Rice was playing in its home town. SMU could get the same turnout at the Fort Worth Bowl. I would even venture to say that SMU could turn out just as many fans for the Texas Bowl in Houston as Rice given they enter the game with nine wins. The Texas Bowl is a nice venue for SMU to shoot for. There are worse bowls to play in. Go Mustangs in 2009!

Yes, Rice is senior heavy it is just too bad that their senior QB wanted to go to SMU and was told he didn't have the arm strength, and their WR Dillard was told he was too small for us. Sure would have liked to have those seniors on our team this year.

Pony in SA wrote:Yes, Rice is senior heavy it is just too bad that their senior QB wanted to go to SMU and was told he didn't have the arm strength, and their WR Dillard was told he was too small for us. Sure would have liked to have those seniors on our team this year.

Just remember which coaching staff told him that.

George S. Patton wrote:

Pony in SA wrote:Yes, Rice is senior heavy it is just too bad that their senior QB wanted to go to SMU and was told he didn't have the arm strength, and their WR Dillard was told he was too small for us. Sure would have liked to have those seniors on our team this year.

Just remember which coaching staff told him that.

To quote the great "Walter", "Dumba$$es."

Rice, Vanderbilt and Northwestern (all three in bowls) with competitive football teams? Obviously their low academic rankings are the reason. How else can you explain these football factories being competitive?

I love the General, but my concern is the word on the street down here is current staff has not made in roads yet in this area while others in our conference continue to do so. Askew the big receiver at Madison who is getting looks from Texas has also been contacted by Tulsa, UH, and UTEP, the Smithson Valley stud lineman is speaking with UH and Rice in addition to Ark, etc.

I would like to think some of these kids from winning programs down here (Smithson Valley, Judson, Madison, etc.) could help us, but the coaches here and the kids need to know that SMU is not just giving up on south Texas.

The Army All-American Bowl is here Saturday -- does SMU have anybody planned to be here? I know we won't get the kids playing in this game, but when our conference opponents have some coaches here just to make an appearance it looks bad when we don't.

Pony in SA wrote:I love the General, but my concern is the word on the street down here is current staff has not made in roads yet in this area while others in our conference continue to do so. Askew the big receiver at Madison who is getting looks from Texas has also been contacted by Tulsa, UH, and UTEP, the Smithson Valley stud lineman is speaking with UH and Rice in addition to Ark, etc.

I would like to think some of these kids from winning programs down here (Smithson Valley, Judson, Madison, etc.) could help us, but the coaches here and the kids need to know that SMU is not just giving up on south Texas.

The Army All-American Bowl is here Saturday -- does SMU have anybody planned to be here? I know we won't get the kids playing in this game, but when our conference opponents have some coaches here just to make an appearance it looks bad when we don't.

I hear what you're saying. I'm not sure about the rules of coaches being there.

I may be wrong, but I think we're at a dead period in recruiting where there can be no contact -- direct or indirect -- between a coach and a player. I think that runs until after the national championship game.

But our video recruiting experts can speak to that better of what can actually takes place.

So if you're hearing schools have coaches there, you may be hearing wrong.

As for us getting into San Antonio, it's a mystery to me. However, I was more upset that we didn't do a good job in Houston until June Jones got here.

Our haul from Houston -- an absolute goldmine for recruiting -- is better than past years.

George S. Patton wrote:

Pony in SA wrote:I love the General, but my concern is the word on the street down here is current staff has not made in roads yet in this area while others in our conference continue to do so. Askew the big receiver at Madison who is getting looks from Texas has also been contacted by Tulsa, UH, and UTEP, the Smithson Valley stud lineman is speaking with UH and Rice in addition to Ark, etc.

I would like to think some of these kids from winning programs down here (Smithson Valley, Judson, Madison, etc.) could help us, but the coaches here and the kids need to know that SMU is not just giving up on south Texas.

The Army All-American Bowl is here Saturday -- does SMU have anybody planned to be here? I know we won't get the kids playing in this game, but when our conference opponents have some coaches here just to make an appearance it looks bad when we don't.

I hear what you're saying. I'm not sure about the rules of coaches being there.

I may be wrong, but I think we're at a dead period in recruiting where there can be no contact -- direct or indirect -- between a coach and a player. I think that runs until after the national championship game.

But our video recruiting experts can speak to that better of what can actually takes place.

So if you're hearing schools have coaches there, you may be hearing wrong.

As for us getting into San Antonio, it's a mystery to me. However, I was more upset that we didn't do a good job in Houston until June Jones got here.

Our haul from Houston -- an absolute goldmine for recruiting -- is better than past years.

Hard to make inroads everywhere all in one year...especially in a coach's first year at a school.

Speaking of the game, though, Rice is a fun team to watch. The season they just had goes to show that a competitive team can be built in CUSA with talent that other schools appear is not up to their standards, and in a fairly short amount of time.

Selfishly, SMU should be glad that Clement and Dillard's careers are over. However, Rice apparently has a QB who transferred from Alabama that may be their starter next year.

I still can't believe that David Bailiffe (former HC at Texas State) is now the HC at Rice.

Mustang98 wrote: Good fan turnout for Rice. It didn't hurt that Rice was playing in its home town. SMU could get the same turnout at the Fort Worth Bowl.

Rice-WMU had 58k in the stands. SMU-WMU in Ft Worth would have 23-24k, tops.

does AGC even hold 56K?