Rice University Athletics
Football: Practice Report #33
11/7/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
HOUSTON -- One of the defensive keys for Rice in Saturday's game at Texas-El Paso will be to put pressure on Miner quarterback Rocky Perez. That won't be easy with the deteriorating health of the Owls' defensive line.
Senior end Jarrett Erwin and junior noseguard B.J. Forguson, starters at the beginning of the season, are already out for the year with injuries. Sophomore end Brandon Green did not play in the win last week over SMU, and junior tackle Larry Brown has been slowed in recent weeks.
As a result, the Owls recorded no sacks on SMU quarterbacks in last week's game, a stat that Rice coach Ken Hatfield doesn't think his team can repeat this week if it hopes to win at El Paso.
"The main rushers aren't there, so you have to defend better in the secondary," Hatfield said Tuesday. "You pretty much have to make him throw the ball good all the time. "(Perez) is just so darned accurate. That's what's so good about him."
Rice has only recorded 10 sacks this season, but only two in the Owls' last five games. Conversely, they have come up with 17 interceptions on the year, 13 in that five-game span.
Game time in the Sun Bowl is 8:05 pm (CST, 7:05 pm MST). The Miners can clinch no worse than a tie for the Western Athletic Conference title with a win over the Owls.
