Football solidifies bowl chances with win
The Rice University football team (7-4, 5-2 C-USA) solidified its postseason bowl status by defeating the University of Texas, El Paso 31-13 on Friday, Nov. 21.
Rice only recorded five yards of offense in the first quarter, but went into halftime with a 10-3 lead off a field goal from senior kicker James Hairston and a five-yard touchdown run from sophomore running back Darik Dillard.
The Owls went 82 yards on four plays on the opening drive of the second half, which ended in a touchdown pass from junior quarterback Driphus Jackson to senior wide receiver Jordan Taylor. UTEP then went on to score 10 unanswered points in the third quarter, narrowing Rice’s lead to 17-13 with three minutes remaining in the third. Dillard then added another touchdown with 39 seconds remaining in the quarter on a three-yard run, giving Rice an 11-point cushion entering the fourth quarter. Jackson threw his second touchdown of the game midway through the fourth quarter to senior wide receiver Mario Hull, cementing the 31-13 victory for the Owls.
Jackson surpassed 2,000 yards passing on the season during the game and now has 2,187 yards and 17 touchdowns on the year. Hull led all receivers in the game on a career night in which he recorded six catches for 150 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore running back Jowan Davis led all players with 67 yards rushing on 21 carries, and Dillard reached 10 touchdowns for the season.
Rice will next face Louisiana Tech University (7-4, 6-1 C-USA) on Saturday, Nov. 29 in Ruston, Louisiana to determine who will be the C-USA West Champion. The winner will advance to the Conference USA Championship Game to face Marshall University (11-0, 7-0 C-USA) in Huntington, West Virginia. Rice previously lost to Marshall 41-14 on Nov. 15 and will look to earn a rematch of the 2013 Conference Championship game by defeating Louisiana Tech.
Louisiana Tech is led offensively by senior quarterback Cody Sokol, who has thrown for 2,513 yards and 24 touchdowns on the season. Junior running back Kenneth Dixon has also been productive on offense and has rushed for 837 yards and 14 touchdowns on the year.
The game against Louisiana Tech will kick off at 11 a.m. in Ruston, Louisiana and will be broadcasted nationally on CBS Sports Network.
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