Saturday's Sports Update : Football remains winless after 63-14 trouncing by Navy
If at all possible, the Owls seem to have hit a down point in their season. Rice entered the game without a win in its first five games but sunk to a new low after losing to Navy, 63-14.Rice (0-6, 0-2 Conference USA) had possession first, and the Owls' seven-play opening drive ended with a blocked field goal off the foot of Clark Fangmeier. Navy (4-2) took control and within two plays was in the end zone. Quarterback Ricky Dobbs took the first snap and fired off a 51-yard pass, surprising everyone with a counterpart to Navy's run-heavy offense. Dobbs then took the ball in himself from the two-yard line, giving Navy a 7-0 lead it would never relinquish.
While relying heavily on its running game and eschewing the pass, Navy scored a rushing touchdown on every one of its possessions in the first half, save the final one when time ran out. Meanwhile, the Owls kicked off the second quarter by turning the ball over on downs and ended another on redshirt sophomore Nick Fanuzzi's interception. Then in their last drive of the half, Rice reeled off a 74-yard drive that ended with redshirt junior receiver Patrick Randolph's 12-yard reception.
The teams came back from their break with Rice down 35-7. The Midshipmen scored on their first possession and after another interception from Fanuzzi, they scored on the next drive. The Owls managed one more touchdown in the fourth, a seven-yard pass from Fanuzzi to Randolph, but Navy kept running to a final score of 63-14.
The Navy offense picked up 471 yards on the ground, with an average of nearly six yards per attempt. Dobbs led the team with 104 yards and four touchdowns on the ground to go along with 66 yards passing on two throws.
After missing two games due to a shoulder injury, Fanuzzi played solidly, finishing 20-33 with 242 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. The Owls only picked up 21 yards on the ground, and senior tight end Taylor Wardlow caught six passes for 78 yards.
Rice will keep seeking its first win next week, with a 2:30 p.m. conference road game at East Carolina University.
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