NCAA point spread numbers show that Rice went 3-9 straight up and 5-6 versus the NCAA football point spread in 2007. Rice had a great offense in 2007 but a horrible defense according to NCAA point spread stats. This resulted in Rice being the best team in the NCAA football point spread. NCAA point spread numbers show that Rice was competitive in virtually every game in 2007 thanks to the offense. They set a school record for most points in a season. The offensive player of the season according to NCAA football point spread stats was quarterback Chase Clement. Rice got a huge upset win against Southern Mississippi 31-29 for the highlight of their season.
There is good news for Rice as Clement is back according to NCAA point spread experts. The team also returns their top four receivers according to NCAA point spread stats. Head coach David Bailiff had the offense rolling but the defense was a mess. The pass defense was the worst in the country allowing 312 yards per game according to NCAA point spread stats. The defense loses a few players from last year but NCAA football point spread experts wonder is that really a bad thing?
Conference USA has some very bad defenses according to NCAA point spread data but Rice was the worst. It is tough to be worse than SMU or Marshall on defense but Rice was. They ranked 119th overall in total yards and points allowed according to NCAA point spread numbers. The offense just couldn’t score enough to keep pace. The offense ranked 53rd in total yards and 42nd in points scored in 2007 according to NCAA point spread stats.
The defense for Rice in 2008 will be better than it was in 2007 because it can’t get any worse in terms of NCAA point spread stats. The offense may also be improved according to NCAA point spread experts with the top starters at the key positions returning for 2008.