--After earning freshman All-America honors last season, TE James Casey should become an even more frequent target this fall. The 6-4, 245-pounder, who enrolled at Rice after four seasons of pro baseball, was a force in the Blue-Gray scrimmage. He caught six passes for 63 yards.

--The Owls' rushing attack was woeful last season, which is why coaches were encouraged by the hard running they saw this spring from C.J. Ugokwe. The 5-11, 213-pound junior rumbled for 33 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries in the Blue-Gray scrimmage.

SPRING MOVERS

--DE Scott Solomon, a 6-3, 250-pound sophomore, showed his uncommon strength by bulling past offensive linemen all spring. He had three sacks and two tackles for loss in the Blue-Gray scrimmage, and could draw double teams this fall.

--OL Scott Mitchell earned a starting spot late in his freshman season and was an All-C-USA freshman selection. The sophomore has bulked up to 270 pounds and will anchor the line at left tackle. Look for the Owls to run behind Mitchell often.

--LB Terrance Garmon had two sacks among his 10 tackles in the Blue-Gray scrimmage. The 6-2, 220-pound junior was hampered by injuries last season, when he finished with just 26 tackles in limited time. If he can stay healthy, the former high school track standout will add much-needed speed to Rice's defense.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"At times, I thought the defense showed just how much it has improved. You saw some extremely hard, violent tackles. And you saw the offense at times look like the big play, quick-strike offense that we want to become." -- Coach David Bailiff, after the Blue-Gray scrimmage.

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