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2003 Rice Owls Offense - Ken Hatfield

The coach of the 2003 Rice football team was Ken Hatfield.

Ken Hatfield is a former American football player and coach. He was born on May 31, 1943, in Helena, Arkansas, and played college football at the University of Arkansas, where he was a standout defensive back and punt returner.

After a brief stint in the NFL, Hatfield began his coaching career as an assistant at the University of Arkansas. He went on to serve as the head coach at several universities, including the Air Force Academy, the University of Arkansas, Clemson University, and Rice University.

Hatfield was known for his emphasis on discipline and character development, and his teams were often noted for their tough, physical style of play. He also had a reputation for being an innovator on offense, introducing new concepts and formations to keep opposing defenses off-balance.

Over the course of his coaching career, Hatfield compiled a record of 168-140-4, and was named conference coach of the year five times. He retired from coaching in 2005, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

Ken Hatfield's 2003 Rice football team finished with a record of 5-7 overall and 3-5 in Conference USA play. While they did not have a winning season, the team showed improvement over the previous year and had some notable victories, including a win over rival Houston and a 63-34 victory over San Jose State.

Offensively, the Owls were led by quarterback Kyle Herm, who threw for over 1,900 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season. The running game was split between three different running backs, with Quinton Smith leading the way with 545 yards and four touchdowns.

Defensively, the Owls were led by linebacker Patrick Chukwurah, who had 5 sacks and 9 tackles for loss on the season. They were able to hold opponents to an average of just under 30 points per game, and had some standout performances in wins over Houston and San Jose State.

While the 2003 Rice football team did not have a particularly successful season, they showed promise under Hatfield's leadership and continued to improve in subsequent years.

Ken Hatfield's offensive philosophy at Rice was based on a ball control, run-first approach that focused on using the running game to set up the passing attack. The Owls' offense featured a lot of two tight end sets and multiple running backs, with the aim of controlling the clock and wearing down opposing defenses.

The quarterback position was primarily used to manage the offense and make efficient, high-percentage passes when necessary. In 2003, Rice quarterback Kyle Herm completed nearly 70% of his passes, but averaged just 6.6 yards per attempt, indicating that the offense was more focused on short, controlled passes rather than deep downfield throws.

Overall, Hatfield's offense at Rice was not known for its explosive playmaking or high-scoring output. Instead, it relied on a methodical approach to move the chains and control the tempo of the game. While this style of play may not have been as exciting to watch as some other offenses, it was effective at keeping Rice competitive and helping them to win games.

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