Fry Rice

Hard to believe the season is upon us already, isn’t it? A very short summer, in my estimation, anyway. Kids are back at school. I have a senior (!) choosing colleges (one more ND recruiting trip in October, but not looking like she is South Bend bound). Labor Day is as early as it’s allowed to be. And now our area of California enters its hot season, so it feels like summer is just beginning, in some respects. But here we go, yeah!

I’ve seen the Godfather’s weather report. As I understand it, Rice (keep wanting to say Temple since they’re both the Owls) is an option team, primarily. Our old turf might have made that a bigger challenge for them. Let’s see if our new turf actually helps our first opponent to play on it!

I’m really hoping that the running game is a beast this year. I think, as Godfather said, the combo of New Everett + very good tailbacks is a big plus. As always, though, will the line open the holes? And we have replaced multiple starters on the O-line from last year, so it will be interesting to see how jelled the offense is as a whole.

I know we’re advertising a more pressure oriented defense, but against the option, I suppose we’ll have to play a little against type. As we’ve seen again and again vs Navy and Air Force and Georgia Tech, the key to stopping the option is to stay in your lanes, NOT over pursue, and force 3rd and long often. Then on 3rd and long, pin your ears back against a mediocre at best passer. I haven’t scouted Rice at all, so don’t know if they can pass. Let’s hope we make them find out.

The last spread I saw was 21, with an over/under of 51, which sounds like 36-15. That sounds about right even though those numbers aren’t “football numbers”. So let’s round it off a little, and call it Irish 34, Owls 17, but the game not feeling that close. We don’t cover and we hit the over/under exactly!

Onward to Victory.

GO IRISH!!! BEAT OWLS!!!

The Colonel