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SPORTS 11/25/14 8:32am

Soccer ends season with loss in first round of NCAAs

By Michael Kidd

The Rice University women’s soccer season officially ended following a 3-0 loss to the University of Texas, Austin in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. The loss ended a seven-game winning streak for Rice, the longest since the 2003 season. Rice finished the season with an overall record of 14-4-3, tying a school record for wins in a season.The Owls clinched the opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament on Nov. 9 by defeating the University of North Texas in the Conference USA Championship game. The 2014 Owls received numerous C-USA individual accolades, including Coach of the Year (Nicky Adams), Offensive Player of the Year (junior forward Lauren Hughes) and Midfielder of the Year (senior Quinny Truong). Rice will lose four seniors to graduation, all of whom were starters for this year’s team: goalkeeper Amy Czyz, defender Ashton Geisendorff, and midfielders Quinny Truong and Gabriella Iribarne. On Friday, Nov. 14, the Owls played the hosting UT Longhorns for an opportunity to advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Owls went into the game without the leading goal-scorer in C-USA, Hughes, due to a lower leg injury she sustained earlier in the week. In the first NCAA tournament game for Rice since the 2005 season, the Owls had a hard time garnering any momentum. UT scored the initial goal in the 29th minute of the match. After two deflections, UT shot the ball into the bottom right corner of the net for the first goal scored against the Owls in over four matches. The Longhorns tacked on two more goals in the second half. UT’s Olivia Brook scored the second goal in the 48th minute off a long and fast-paced cross into the box. A high strike from 30 yards out in the 66th minute put the Longhorns up 3-0. The Owls spent most of the half on the defensive side of the ball and recorded just one shot. Adams said the team needs to reflect on the successful season and look ahead to the future of Rice soccer despite the loss. “[I’m] obviously disappointed in the way we played today,” Adams said. “I thought there were spurts where we had some really good opportunities … [but] overall I’m really pleased with the season we had. We’re creating a standard here and an expectation that we want to continue.” According to Adams, Hughes’ injury was a major setback. “Lauren Hughes is arguably one of the best players on our team, and what she provides in the final third for us is something very special,” Adams said. “We’re glad we get her for [her] senior season. Iribarne replaced Hughes as the starting forward for the match. Iribarne said, despite the loss, just making it to the tournament can be viewed as a success for the season. “At the beginning of the season, we got together as a team, and one of our goals was to make it to the NCAA tournament,” Iribarne said. “[Making the NCAA tournament] has been a huge success for us. Coming out here to play a big-time team … was a great opportunity, and I think it’s now an expectation for us.” Czyz also played in her final match of her historic Rice career on Friday night. Czyz, the school record-holder for career shutouts (28) and career wins (41), said she guarantees that Rice will be back in the NCAA tournament. “In the grand scheme of the season, we’ve talked about being the best in Rice history,” Czyz said. “We didn’t show as good as we could, and that’s unfortunate … [but] I promise you this won’t be the last time you see the Rice Owls in this tournament.”

SPORTS 11/25/14 8:31am

Basketball falls in opener to Oregon State

By Kevin Mohanram

The Rice University men’s basketball team lost their season opener to Oregon State University this past Friday, Nov. 14, 54-67, bringing their record to 0-1 overall. The Owls were outscored 22-32 in the first half and 32-35 in the second half by the Beavers.Rice connected on 16 of 52 field goals in the game, including 8 of 29 from beyond the three-point line. The Owls did record over 90 percent free throw percentage however, knocking down 14 of their 15 attempts.Senior forward Seth Gearhart led the way offensively, scoring 14 points. Gearhart shot 4-11 in the game, including 3-6 from the three-point range. Junior point guard Max Guercy led the team in assists with eight, and sophomore center Andrew Drone recorded a career-high eight rebounds in his first start. Freshman guard Bishop Mency recorded double figures in his first collegiate game, scoring 11 points off the bench in 17 minutes.Gearhart said the team performed well at times, but they can improve on their in-game consistency.“We did some things good and we played well in spurts,” Gearhart said. “But our focus wasn’t consistent. Because of that, we allowed them to do some things we didn’t want them to do. We’re just going to work on focusing on the little things and staying consistent.”Head Coach Mike Rhoades said he was disappointed with the loss but is looking forward to winning the next game. “We’re expecting to win the next game,” Rhoades said. “We have to get better. We did some good things in the game, but we just weren’t consistent enough to win on the road … We had some rookie mistakes. We had some guys [whose] shots weren’t falling. We didn’t play through misses and stuff like that. We just have to continually improve and keep working to get better.” The Owls have their home opener on Wednesday, Nov. 19, against Prairie View A&M University. The Panthers are 0-2 on the season and are coming off consecutive double-digit losses to Texas Christian University and Oklahoma State University.Gearhart said the team is playing more exciting basketball than before and is hoping fans come to the opener.“Everyone should come out because we’re going to play a style of basketball that’s fun to watch,” Gearhart said. “We’re going to get up and down. We work really hard and we just want to show off all the work that we’ve done. 

SPORTS 11/25/14 8:29am

Seniors look ahead to final home game

By Evan Neustater

Following a 41-14 loss to nationally-ranked Marshall University, the Rice University football team (6-4, 4-2 C-USA) will host the University of Texas, El Paso on Friday night at 7 p.m. in the final home game for seniors on the roster.Of the 29 fourth- or fifth-year players on the team, 17 are playing in their final year of eligibility. The seniors have accumulated a record of 27-22 over the last four seasons, a winning percentage of 54 percent — significantly higher than the program’s all-time mark of 428–548–32, roughly 42 percent. Of those 27 wins, 23 were in the last three seasons, a school record for wins over a three-year span.Wide receiver Jordan Taylor is finishing up as one of the better receivers in Rice football history and currently has the third most receiving yards in school history with 2,351. Taylor is also tied for third with 17 receiving touchdowns, and, on Saturday, he surpassed David Houser and James Casey for fourth on the program’s career receptions list with 158 catches.Last season against UTEP, Taylor recorded four receptions for a career-best 185 yards and three receiving touchdowns. According to Taylor, however, he is not counting on having another career day against a UTEP team that has improved its defense since last season.“Obviously it’d be great to have another [game] like that,” Taylor said. “They’re a completely different defense [from last year]. I’m not expecting anything like that; I’m just trying to help the team win, but if it happens, it happens.”Head Coach David Bailiff said the seniors have been role models to the younger players on the team and deserve to go out with a victory in their final home game.“This has really been an amazing senior class,” Bailiff said. “It’s an emotional time where the senior class knows its the last time they’re going to wear that blue home jersey in Rice Stadium. That’s a very special place for us, and the rest of the team needs to make sure we’re all-in this week, and in their final home game, we need to make sure we send them out right.”In 2010, the year most current seniors were high school seniors, Rice football finished with a 4-8 record, including a 3-5 record in Conference USA play. According to Bailiff, the class’s willingness to sacrifice a few rebuilding years to establish a winning tradition sets them apart.“I walked in their home five years ago and said, ‘You know what, for the next two years we’re going to struggle, but we’re getting better,’” Bailiff said. “I said, ‘In three years I think we can go to a bowl; I think we can win the conference every year after that.’ They believed the message, and we’ve all grown together. I’m a better man from being around them. All they’ve done since they got here was do everything I asked.”Bailiff also said while the seniors have worked hard to improve the football program, they also know how to enjoy their time in college.“This senior class has a lot of personality,” Bailiff said. “They’ve had a lot of fun during their time at Rice, on this football field, on the other side of campus. I really look forward to 10 years from now, where hopefully we’ll have a reunion to honor this bunch.”Linebacker James Radcliffe said walking out of the tunnel for the last time at home will be a unique but unforgettable experience.“It’s going to be emotional,” Radcliffe, a redshirt senior, said. “Five years here is a long time, longer here than in high school. I’ve grown a lot with these guys, and it’s going to be my last home game with them, but I’m looking forward to it.”Radcliffe also said the senior class believes it is the best class to ever come through Rice due to the chemistry the team has in addition to its successes.“There’s a joke going around the locker room when we talk about who had the best class; we always like to think we had the best class to come through Rice,” Radcliffe said. “It’s just awesome. I love these guys. I think of these guys as my brothers. I love playing with them, and I’ll do anything to make sure we win.”According to Radcliffe, the team’s goal remains making it to a bowl game. Radcliffe said the team will take going to any bowl game as a sign of a successful season.“For one, I don’t care where we go really, as long as we’re going to a bowl game,” Radcliffe said. “I’d love to go to the conference championship as well and then to a bowl game. If we just make a bowl game, though, that’s really the goal here.”

SPORTS 11/25/14 8:29am

Volleyball drops final two regular season matches

By Juan Saldaña

This weekend at Tudor Fieldhouse, the Rice University volleyball team’s regular season came to an end with two losses against conference opponents. On Thursday, the Owls (21-9, C-USA 11-5) fell short 2-3 against Marshall University (16-15, C-USA 10-6). On Saturday’s senior night, the Owls suffered a 0-3 sweep at the hands of the University of Texas, San Antonio (19-8, C-USA 15-1). In Thursday’s loss against Marshall, right side hitter Chelsea Harris led the Owls offensively. Despite her career-high 21 kills, Marshall managed to pull off the upset behind the performance of their defensive specialist, Allie Kellerman, who recorded 25 digs.  Head Coach Genny Volpe said she blames defensive play and mental errors for the team’s struggle against Marshall.  “I think against Marshall we were pretty hesitant and tight,” Volpe said. “I was not happy with our pursuit of balls on defense and Marshall capitalized on some of our errors. Even with all of that we battled to five sets and just couldn’t make the plays that mattered at critical times.” On Saturday’s senior night, the Owls faced a rematch against conference-leading UTSA. The seniors could not secure a final home win to end their careers at Rice. Although the Owls kept it competitive in all three sets, they could never manage to maintain their leads, falling 25-19, 25-21, 25-22. UTSA took advantage of Rice’s mistakes for a sweep that earned them the first seed in the conference tournament. Volpe said offensive struggles and inconsistency were the key reason for Saturday’s loss.  “Against UTSA, we played much better defense and pursued balls with authority,” Volpe said. “Our offense is usually very sharp and it was a little bit sketchy. Chelsey Harris and Jillian Humphrey were pretty consistent, but we win matches convincingly when all of our hitters are contributing.” Saturday’s home game included a pre-game ceremony to honor the senior class consisting of Daniela Arenas, Lizzy Bache and Jillian Humphrey, in their final home game as Owls.  Volpe said she has nothing but praise for all the members of the senior class for their leadership and ability. “The senior class as a whole has been amazing,” Volpe said. “All three seniors have provided us with different strengths and a sincere desire to win. Hands down, this class is just so full of talent and desire. They have definitely set the standards high for the future seniors on this team.” Humphrey will end her career at Rice as one of the top players in recent history. Humphrey, a middle blocker, will go into the Rice record books ranking in the top five in Rice history in block assists (407), total blocks (499), solo blocks (92) and hitting percentage (.295). Volpe said Humphrey is a central part of the team’s games and their opponent’s defensive strategy. “Jillian, from day one, has proven that she is one of the most physical players in the conference and is at the top of her game right now,” Volpe said. “ She can dominate a match and our opponents have to gameplan around her.” Bache, also a middle blocker, will end her Rice career with 180 blocks and 646 digs in her four years on the team. Volpe said Bache’s resilience in overcoming injury has her ready to make an impact in postseason play.  “[Bache] is the most versatile player we have had in years,” Volpe said. “Unfortunately, she suffered a pretty severe injury this season, and before that, she was leading the conference in hitting percentage. But she is also another extremely team-oriented player and has bounced back from her injury and is ready to go for the conference tournament in any capacity that we need her.” Daniela Arenas’s four-year tenure at Rice will place her among the top defensive specialists in the team’s history. Her 1,708 career digs as well as her 3.79 digs per set rank second in Rice history. According to Volpe, Arenas’ enthusiasm and leadership, in addition to her notable defensive play, have been a great contribution to the team. “Daniela has a spirit about her that is unlike any other,” Volpe said. “She too is having the best year statistically, but not only that, she is the ultimate team player and wants nothing but the best for the team. She has been a solid leader.”  The Owls will now head to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to participate in the Conference USA tournament as the fourth seed. The tournament winner will earn an automatic berth in the NCAA Championship Tournament. The Owls will face a rematch with Marshall, the fifth seed, in the first round of the tournament. The game will be held at Southern Mississippi University’s Reed Green Coliseum on Friday, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. Volpe said she has high expectations for the team in the tournament as they look to rebound from their only back-to-back losses during the regular season. “At this point in the season, we need a strong focus on competing and fighting for points,” Volpe said. “There is no doubt in my mind that this team has something special and is probably the most talented team we have ever had at Rice. When we have that killer instinct, nobody can stop us.”

SPORTS 11/12/14 2:32pm

Senior forward brings experience, defense to revamped team

By Evan Neustater and Maddy Adams

Following the loss of Rice University’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder Jessica Kuster, senior forward Christal Porter looks to step up and become a senior leader on the Rice women’s basketball team. After starting in 29 games last season, the Germantown, Tennessee native was second on the team in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 7.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Additionally, Porter was selected by players and coaches as the Rice Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll.According to Porter, choosing to attend Rice was a combination of parental influence and her enthusiasm for the program and its athletes.“I picked Rice because I really connected with the team that was here,” Porter, a Lovett College senior, said. “My dad was really impressed with Rice’s beautiful campus, but I didn’t even realize how beautiful the campus was. What really drew me was the players.”For Porter, her teammates continue to help her and the team succeed. Porter said her teammates are the reason she has grown as a player and will help her take the next step as she becomes a leader on the team.“My teammates have been very impactful in play development,” Porter said. “They encourage  me on and off the court and help identify things I can do better, what I can try to do differently. They help me analyze my style of play and get better and push me to work hard by setting an example.”Following a 2013-14 season that saw the Owls go 13-17 and 6-10 in conference, Rice looks to improve upon its record and become a contender in the C-USA. Porter said she is looking forward to playing large state schools during the non-conference portion of the schedule, but she remains focused on staying motivated during conference play and the postseason.“I see us definitely going deep into the conference tournament,” Porter said. “I think the [non-conference schedule] will be fun against big schools like [Texas A&M University] and [the University of Texas, Austin], but this team will stay energized and pull together during post season.”Porter said she is looking forward to her final year of collegiate athletics. According to Porter, she wants to enjoy her final year as a collegiate athlete while setting an example for her younger teammates.“This last year I’m really excited to experience and enjoy it one last time,” Porter said. “My goal is to play hard and do my best every day. I want to be a leader for the team by being vocal and supportive.”On a team featuring five seniors, dubbed “The Fab Five” by players and coaches, Porter wants to spend her final season playing with the friends she has made on the team over the years. However, Porter said her primary goal is to leave a legacy that promotes leadership and support for the younger athletes on the team.“The legacy I want to leave the team are the values of a good leader,” Porter said. “I want to show them how to [be] vocally supportive and how to be a good teammate on and off the court.”

SPORTS 11/12/14 2:31pm

Graduate student transfer makes presence felt on team

By Evan Neustater and Maddy Adams

This season, the Rice University men’s basketball team gained an unconventional new guard. Graduate student Van Green is eligible to play for the Owls for the 2014-15 season because of an untimely end to his undergraduate basketball career at Columbia University. Due to an injury, Green was unable to play for the Lions during his junior and senior years at Columbia. According to NCAA rules, Green is still eligible to compete in a final season.     Green, a Birmingham, Alabama native, matriculated at Columbia in fall 2010 after graduating from Central Park Christian School as valedictorian. At Columbia, he earned a bachelor’s degree and is pursuing a master’s degree in education at Rice.      Green said he appreciates his experiences at Columbia and the opportunities Rice has to offer.        “It’s really a blessing to be able to graduate from Columbia,” Green said. “To be able to come to a school like Rice, I’m trying to get the most out of it that I can.”        Even after his injury during his sophomore year, Green remained committed to basketball and continued to train with Carlin Hartman, an associate head coach for Columbia. When Rice recruited Green during his senior year at Columbia, Hartman prepared to join the Rice basketball staff as an associate head coach in April 2014.     Green said Hartman’s influence contributed to his decision to join the Owls. According to Green, Hartman’s presence at Rice was an appealing prospect.       “I think the big key is Coach Hartman; we were really close when I was at Columbia, and he coached me every day,” Green said. “Once this opportunity opened up, we talked about it and I said [to Hartman], ‘I would love to be a part of it, and I would love to have another year to spend with you.’”       Green said, while playing at Rice is very demanding, the Owls are the closest team Green has joined.   “Practice is going really well,” Green said. “We’re really close, this is the closest team I’ve ever been a part of.”While he isn’t going to be a consistent member of the starting lineup, Head Coach Mike Rhoades said Green’s experience as a college student and athlete has had a positive influence on the younger players.“Green has really made a big impact in our program,” Rhoades said. “Not sure how many points he’s going to score or how many steals he’s going to make, but he’s already made a huge impact on our young guys. He’s in the gym every morning with Marcus [Jackson] and Max [Guercy]; he’s leading by example for our younger guys.”         Green said while his unique background benefits him with a wealth of knowledge about collegiate basketball, he is a newcomer to Rice’s program and can relate to his freshmen teammates. “I am the older guy, so I’m kind of like the big brother on the team, but I’m also a freshman in the aspect that it’s my first year here, and I’m still learning the coaches and the program,” Green said. “The things that the freshmen are going through are the same things I am, but I can also offer a different perspective. Being from Columbia, being an older guy on the team, I just try to give them the advice I have.”This season, Rice looks to earn a trip to the Conference USA Tournament in Birmingham, Alabama. For Green, the tournament being in his hometown provides even more motivation to perform well this season, especially because he hasn’t played in his home state since his high school years.“I’ve never played in Birmingham, and I was never even close in my four years at Columbia,” Green said. “So to be able to get back to Birmingham would be monumental. I have a lot of family that would love to attend. So yes, it’s very motivating to have the opportunity. For the older guys like myself we’re really pushing everything we have this year because we would love to get to the conference tournament.”

SPORTS 11/12/14 2:30pm

Men's basketball season preview

By Evan Neustater

Following the 2013-14 season that saw the Rice University men’s basketball team finish with a 7-23 overall record and a 2-14 record in Conference USA, Rice hired new Head Coach Mike Rhoades to help turn the team into a conference contender.Rhoades, one of the leading assistant coaches that guided Virginia Commonwealth University to its run of NCAA Tournament appearances, including its Final Four appearance in 2011, comes to Rice after recording a 137-46 record at VCU. Prior to VCU, Rhoades gained head coaching experience at Randolph-Macon College, where he finished with an overall record of 197-76 as a head coach in ten years, leading his team to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including trips to the Sweet 16 in 2002 and 2003. While coaching at VCU, the Rams utilized an offense dubbed the ‘HAVOC’ system, characterized by fast-paced play and full-court press on defense. This season, Rhoades plans to use the system to help Rice compete against bigger, faster teams. According to Rhoades, however, the system will take time to implement.“I’m realistic, we can’t play that way right now with the personnel we have,” Rhoades said. “We are going to play fast, and we’re going to try to play very aggressive. But I’m also realistic this year, there are certain things our team can do and certain things they can’t do; I’m not sure we can run up and down every single possession and throw it up there and go get it, so we have to have a level of team play and execution.”As the off-season winds down and the regular season begins, Rhoades’ notorious off-season workouts and practices come to a close. Practices feature grueling workouts that, according to Rhoades, will help the team react to any situation that may be presented this season.“We want to get to a point where we make our guys very quickly uncomfortable so they understand that that’s where they’re going to be a lot,” Rhoades said. “They might as well be comfortable being uncomfortable. Let’s make practices and workouts so hard that you’re so excited to play a game because they’re so much easier.”This season, Rice returns three out of last year’s five starters, including senior forward Seth Gearhart, senior guard Dan Peera and junior guard Max Guercy, who is the leading returning scorer on the team with 9.3 points per game last season. Although Rice lost its top two scorers from last season in Sean Obi and Austin Ramljak, Guercy, Peera and Gearhart bring a combined 199 games of playing experience to the table. Additionally, sophomore guard Marcus Jackson returns to the team after leading all freshmen in C-USA in steals last season and leading the Owls in assists in 11 games. Rhoades said the leadership of the older, more experienced players will pay dividends this season, especially under a new coach and system.“Our program is going to be led by Max [Guercy], Marcus [Jackson] and Seth [Gearhart], those three guys for sure,” Rhoades said. “I’m very happy with their attitudes and their approach. They’ve been really good with the young guys.”Guercy said despite having to transition to a new coaching staff and system, the players have bought into the work ethic the coaches have been preaching.“First day [Rhoades] got here, he wanted to instill in us that we were going to be one of the hardest working teams in the country,” Guercy said. “I think he’s been doing a great job of that ever since he got here.”Guercy also said the ‘HAVOC’ style of offense is both entertaining and will work in Rice’s favor due to the team’s lack of height and physical size.“We’re not a big team, so [the fast-paced offense] will work to our advantage,” Guercy said. “This style of play is fun and exciting, and I love it. It’s hard; it’s definitely hard to play. You’re going to have a lot of responsibilities, but you’re also going to have a lot of freedom.”According to sophomore center Andrew Drone, who had a 53.5 percent field goal percentage in 30 games off the bench last season, adjusting to the new system and coaching staff required starting right from the beginning again.“I had to take the mindset of almost being a freshman again,” Drone said. “While I came in and did a lot of work last year, I just had to completely start over the whole process; it was a new system, [and] there were new coaches I had to learn from.”Gearhart said he knows the new offense will be challenging to run, and the team needs to continue to train and practice in order to execute it effectively.“Really I just have to just buy into the system, because it’s nothing like we’ve done the past few years here at all,” Gearhart said. “One thing is we all need to get into better shape. No one was in the right shape for this offense coming in, so we just need to buy in to what [Rhoades] wants to do and how he wants to do it.”With only seven lettermen returning and eight newcomers arriving into the program, the Owls will have to turn to young talent to play early and often in the season. According to Rhoades, some freshmen will receive substantial playing time and will be expected to play at a high level despite their inexperience.“Bishop Mency, Maurice Rivers, Jordan Reed; those three guys are three other freshmen who are going to play a lot of minutes,” Rhoades said. “They have to step up. I think [Mency] and [Rivers] have done a great job. They’re athletic enough to hold their own at this level as freshmen. Our freshmen [have] been very coachable … these young guys have really stepped up.”With the season about to begin, all players and coaches have agreed that Rice has worked hard this offseason to improve on their seven-win campaign from last season and climb the ranks in the C-USA. Rhoades said while the team is coming off a relatively poor season, the team has bought into the program and is ready to take the next step.“Sometimes, when you’re a new coach in a new program, there are older guys and some younger guys that will fight you a little bit, but these guys have jumped in since day one and I’m very proud of them for that,” Rhoades said. “We’ve really improved; we still have a long way to go to where we want to get to, but I’ve been really excited about their approach, how much focus they’ve put into their game, how much time they’ve put into the weight room and their bodies and doing things on and off the court the way I expect them to.”The Owls open the regular season on Friday, Nov. 14, at Oregon State University. Rice will then have its first home game against Prairie View A&M University on Wednesday, Nov. 19, in Tudor Fieldhouse.

SPORTS 11/12/14 2:30pm

Women's basketball season preview

By Nicolette Chamberlain-Simon

The Rice University women’s basketball team begins a new season this Friday, Nov. 14, opening at home against Prairie View A&M University. After the loss of Jessica Kuster, the all-time leading scorer in both Rice men’s and women’s basketball history after scoring 2,081 career points, the team is shifting to a more collective mindset. According to senior guard Reem Moussa, this year’s team will focus more on sharing the ball and getting more players involved.“This year is different [from] every other year I’ve been here because we’re very team-oriented,” Moussa said. “It hasn’t been that way for a while. Before, it was just find Kuster, but now I feel like that’s going to be spread out onto all of us — all 15 people on the team.”With Kuster being the lead scorer in 28 out of 30 games in the 2013-14 season, the ball will have to be passed on to new hands this year. The question of whose hands those will be has yet to be determined. Head Coach Greg Williams said that as of now, there is no one person he is expecting to dominate the scoreboard. “Time will tell, once we start playing games, which players are going to be able to take advantage of that opportunity to step up,” Williams said. “We don’t know who that’s going to be, and quite honestly it’s probably going to be multiple players from game to game … I really think we’ll be a team where we’ll need to play nine or ten players a game to try to see which players are being productive on that particular night.”Other than a torn ACL for sophomore Maya Hawkins, who made 14 starts at point guard as a freshman, and the loss of Kuster, the women’s basketball team has kept every other player on its roster. Five of those returning players are seniors, including guards Maya Adetula and Nakachi Maduka, power forward Christal Porter, forward Megan Shafer and Moussa. Maduka, Moussa and Porter were all consistent starters during their junior years. Sophomore forward Jasmine Goodwine said the seniors have already taken up many leadership roles for this year’s squad. “[The seniors are] there in every aspect for us,” Goodwine said. “They step up as examples and show us what it takes to be good student-athletes and just good leaders in general.”Goodwine made an appearance in every game last year as the top freshman scorer, with the fourth-highest number of points on the team, averaging 5.5 pointsper contest. The women’s basketball team has also made three additions to its roster: Freshmen Courtney Brown, Wendy Knight and Shani Rainey are all Texas recruits with opportunities to see playing time during their first year. Porter said the freshmen have already been making an impact on the team. “They’re picking up everything very quickly, very fast,” Porter said. “They’re adjusting very well and also contributing, which is something that’s nice to have.”The team has been focusing its goals more on the intangibles this offseason. Williams said he is looking at the short-term for now and working to prepare the team as best as possible for theupcoming season.“Every team in America right now is going to talk about winning a conference championship,” Williams said. “Because we have a 14-team league, only one team’s going to do it. I just want our team to improve as the season goes on and continue to work hard and continue to be coachable and have good attitudes and enjoy their experience playing women’s basketball at Rice University.”Regardless of who will be starting or playing in the first game on Friday, Nov. 14, Williams said the players are guaranteed to bring a lot of energy tothe court. “They’re going to play hard, I think they’re going to compete, I think they’re going to have a lot of energy and enthusiasm, and I think they’re going to be fun to watch,” Williams said. The first game of the season will take place in Tudor Fieldhouse this Friday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m.

SPORTS 11/12/14 2:28pm

Volleyball splits weekend series, prepares for postseason

By Kevin Mohanram

After a loss on Friday, Nov. 7, to the University of North Texas, the Rice University women’s volleyball team responded with a sweep of Louisiana Tech University. On Sunday, Nov. 9, the Owls took three sets (25-18, 25-14, 25-14) to improve to 21-7 overall and 11-3 in conference play.The team was led by sophomore Leah Mikesky, who posted a double-double with a game-high 16 kills and 11 digs.aSophomore Sara Blasier also provided a season-high 42 assists coming back from injury, beating her own previous record of 41. After the 2013-14 season that saw the team go 11-19, the Owls are now ranked third in the Conference USA. Head Coach Genny Volpe said she attributes the change to the players’ determination and the leadership that emerged from last season.“We do have a lot of returning starters from last year’s team, and I think the biggest thing that changed was our determination and our levels of confidence and focus,” Volpe said. “[Last season] was definitely disappointing, and we didn’t have the confidence and the level of focus and determination that we do this year. I think a lot of that is coming from some of the leaders on our team, like our seniors; they’ve just done a great job of leading this group.”Mikesky also said the entire team’s mentality changed after last season.“I feel like the whole atmosphere of the team has changed,” Mikesky said. “We are a lot more competent. We just know that we can win every game. If we play [well], we know we can play with anybody.”The team is in the final stretch of the season, with only two home games left before the C-USA Tournament begins. Volpe said the team is focused on the end of the season, even with the tough loss against UNT. “We’ve talked a lot as a team about [how] it’s been a really good season for us, but it’s really about how you finish,” Volpe said. “So, we’re really trying to stay focused on doing the little things right. We took a step back [on Friday] against North Texas, but I think it was a good wake up call for the team. We’re one of the best teams in the conference, so people come after us pretty hard.”The team’s next game is on Thursday, Nov. 13, against Marshall University. However, the last game of the season is the Owls’ Senior Day, on Saturday, Nov. 15 against the University of Texas, San Antonio. According to Mikesky, the game has significant implications for the conference standings.“We’re playing UTSA, who is the undefeated conference leader right now,” Mikesky said. “We almost beat them at their [arena] last time, and they had a big crowd. We’re trying to pack Tudor and get as many people as we can to show our seniors our love and support and try and get this fanbase behind us so we can beat the undefeated leader of the conference.”Volpe said she wants as many students as possible to come out and support the seniors and the team against UTSA. “The students should definitely come out and support this great group of seniors, who have been through a lot,” Volpe said. “They’ve had a lot of ups and downs, but this is probably the most exciting Rice volleyball team we’ve had in years and the seniors have been a big part of it ... We are competing against the number one team in the conference right now. It’s on senior day, so there’s gonna be high motivation factors on both sides of the net to play a fantastic volleyball match.”

SPORTS 11/12/14 2:27pm

Freshmen prepare for IM Flag Playoffs

By Juan Saldaña

As fall intramural sports come to a close, the College Freshman Flag Football season enters the playoff season. Six colleges are left  seeking the Freshman Flag Championship and President’s Cup points. Will Rice College and Hanszen College, historically top colleges at freshman flag, once again lead the pack this year — both completed perfect regular seasons and earned a bye in the first round of the six-team playoffs. This is the first year that freshman flag is using a six-team playoffs system, a change from the traditional four-team bracket used in the past.  Outscoring their opponents by over 100 points on their way to a 5-0 record, Will Rice has put up points behind the play of quarterback Ben Herndon-Miller. En route to their No. 1 playoff seed, the freshmen shut out three of their five opponents, including two mercy rule victories to open the season against Lovett College and Martel College.  Will Rice coach John Robertson said the winning culture at Will Rice is due to the team’s dedication and performance.  “We’ve got a really close-knit group of guys who all take a lot of enjoyment in playing with each other and representing Will Rice,” Robertson, a senior, said. “The level of enthusiasm we play with is simply not matched by any other team out there, especially in our relentless flag-pulling. Going into the playoffs, our level of confidence is very high, and we expect to finish off the season the way we want to. We know we have a target on us as Will Ricers, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.”  Wiess College finished off the season with a 3-2 record, with losses against Will Rice and Sid Richardson College. Wiess sports a strong offense, which is focused around speedy quarterback Abhijit Brahme. This year, the Wiessmen improved from their one-win season last year and will be the No. 5 seed in the playoffs.  Baker College, coming off a winless freshman flag season in 2013, managed to secure the fourth seed in the playoff with a 3-1 record. Characterized by an explosive offense that recorded the largest single game point total of any team with a 35-0 victory over Brown College, the Bakerites’ only loss came against Hanszen in the final week of the season. Team Captain Lucas Jayne said he is looking forward to the team’s upcoming games and is looking for the team to show improvement.  “We haven’t been playing to the best of our capabilities,” Jayne said. “But we’re starting to practice and gain chemistry as a team.” Hanszen has picked up right where they left off last year to clinch a No. 2 seed with their undefeated regular season record. Leading the league in defense by allowing only 12 points all year, Hanszen’s defense has been a force in their 4-0 regular season.  After losing their opener 34-0 last season and forfeiting their remaining games, Sid Rich has rebounded this season. Sid Rich began the season with a perfect 4-0 record that ended with a shutout loss to Will Rice. Regardless, the team earned the third seed in the playoffs.  Sid Rich Captain Sameer Allahabadi, a wide receiver and safety, said the team’s unity and chemistry was essential to their season.  “This season has been a blast,” Allahabadi said. “We came in as a whole bunch of students just looking to get some exercise but have become brothers on and off the field. We are excited about the playoffs. We are going to go far.” Jones College joins the playoff picture as the sixth and final seed and the only north college in a playoff bracket consisting of five south colleges. After an 0-2 start, Jones won their remaining two games and got the final spot in the playoffs.    Playoffs are set to begin Saturday, Nov. 14, at 12:30 p.m. when Baker will take on Wiess for a spot in the semifinal against Will Rice. At 1:30 p.m., Sid Rich and Jones will face off for a chance to match up against Hanszen in the other semifinal. Both semifinal games will then be played on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. For students wishing to support their colleges, all games will take place at IM Field 5, located behind the Rec Center.

SPORTS 11/12/14 2:26pm

Soccer wins Conference USA trophy

By Michael Kidd

The Rice University soccer team entered the Conference USA tournament as the No. 2 overall seed while riding a four-game winning streak. With three consecutive wins in tournament play, the Owls stretched their winning streak to a season-best seven games and were crowned the 2014 C-USA champions.The Owls clinched the conference’s automatic bid for the NCAA tournament and will play in the opening round of games this upcoming Friday. This marks the second time in program history the Owls have won the C-USA tournament and the third time Rice has earned a trip to the NCAA tournament.Rice opened up the C-USA tournament on Wednesday afternoon against No. 7 seed Western Kentucky University. In the 16th minute of the match, junior forward and C-USA Offensive Player of the Year Lauren Hughes slipped the ball past the WKU goalkeeper to put Rice up 1-0. Hughes extended her Rice school record by scoring in her sixth consecutive game, proving to be the game winner as the defense earned their ninth shutout of the season and Rice advanced to the second round of the tournament.On Friday afternoon, the Owls played No. 6 seed Louisiana Tech University, who had upset the No. 3 seed University of Texas, El Paso two days before. Rice outshot LTU 12-2 in the first half and had many opportunities to push through for a goal, but the score remained 0-0 at halftime. Finally, in the 79th minute of the match, Hughes received the ball from sophomore Jenny Fichera and scored a goal off a deflection by the LTU goalkeeper for what proved to be the game-winning goal. The goal scored by Hughes marked her 14th of the season and the 32nd of her Rice career, a Rice record, and tied the all-time mark for goals in a season while breaking the record for points in a season with 37.Sunday’s championship game matchup featured Rice and the No. 1 seed and regular season C-USA champions the University of North Texas. The Owls got off to a quick start, taking the first seven shots of the match. The offensive pace paid off as senior midfielder Quinny Truong raced down the field and fired a pass to senior midfielder Gabriela Iribarne, who was open on the left side of the goal, striking the corner of the net to put Rice ahead 1-0. The senior duo of Iribarne and Truong again connected in the 64th minute of the match to double the margin and give Rice a 2-0 advantage. For the fourth consecutive game, senior goalkeeper Amy Czyz and the Rice defenders completed the shutout and did not allow a goal all tournament to bring home the title.Head Coach Nicky Adams took over the soccer program in 2010 and has led Rice to two C-USA championships in four years. Adams said she is proud of the team for accomplishing the feat, but she is not surprised they won the conference.“[The team] put in so much hard work in the preseason … and just stayed focused on our goal of winning the conference championship,” Adams said. “I’m not surprised in the least bit that we got this done because of the amazing all-around team we have and our determination to win.”Looking ahead to entering the NCAA tournament, Adams said she is confident in the team’s ability to compete with anyone they are matched up with.“Our very tough non-conference schedule we played this year has prepared us for this tournament,” Adams said. “We are going to give them all we have.”Czyz, a defensive captain and four-year starter at goalkeeper, said she commends her teammates for the way they played together as a team during the tournament.“In whole, it was a complete effort with [Iribarne] scoring twice in the final, [Hughes] scoring in the other games and our defense shutting them out,” Czyz said. “We had a team goal of staying the whole week [for the tournament] and not [coming] back to Rice without the trophy.”According to Czyz, the victory in the conference final is especially meaningful to the senior class.“For us in the senior class, I don’t think we could have written our last year any better,” Czyz said. “As for our program, it’s been awesome. This is the first time we’ve won the tournament in almost a decade, and I can’t wait to see where Rice soccer is headed in the next couple of years.”Iribarne, named the tournament’s Most Valuable Offensive Player, said the team’s success this year is due to the its work ethic and chemistry.“This year has been so special; it’s hard to describe,” Iribarne said. “We’ve all been getting so many accolades and awards that are truly a testament to all our hard work this year and our commitment to playing for each other.”The Owls will face the University of Texas, Austin in the opening round of the NCAA tournament in Austin. Rice will be looking to win their first ever NCAA tournament match on the road against in-state rival Texas Longhorns. The game is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 14, at 5 p.m. 

SPORTS 11/12/14 2:23pm

Football earns bowl eligibility following win

By Evan Neustater

The Rice University football team (6-3, 4-1 C-USA) defeated the University of Texas, San Antonio 17-7 on Saturday in front of a homecoming crowd of 19,464, giving the Owls their sixth-straight victory and granting them bowl eligibility.Junior quarterback Driphus Jackson scored the first and only touchdown of the first quarter on the first offensive drive of the game, scoring on a nine-yard touchdown run — Jackson’s first rushing score of the season. The Owls added a field goal from senior James Farrimond early in the second half, giving Rice a 10-0 lead. With just seven seconds left in the first half, UTSA was on the two-yard line with one timeout remaining. The Rice defense stopped UTSA on the goal line as time expired, cementing Rice’s 10-0 lead entering halftime.The second half continued the low-scoring output of the first half until Jackson found redshirt senior wide receiver Mario Hull in the back of the endzone, bringing the score to 17-0 with a few minutes remaining in the third quarter. Although UTSA scored a touchdown with 9:36 left in the game, Rice held on for the 17-7 victory.Jackson led the team offensively, completing 18 of 28 passes for 213 yards, a touchdown and one interception. Jackson also recorded 48 yards rushing and one touchdown on the ground. Jackson has now completed 130 of 222 passes on the year, recording 1861 yards passing and 15 touchdowns with four interceptions.The win marks Rice’s sixth-straight victory this season and its 10th consecutive homecoming victory. With the win, Rice is now bowl eligible for the third consecutive season, a school record. The Owls have now also won the most games in a three-year span in school history, winning 23 since the start of the 2012 campaign. Despite becoming bowl eligible with the win, Rice is not necessarily guaranteed a spot in a postseason game just yet. According to Head Coach David Bailiff, it’s important for the team to remain focused on winning out the remainder of the schedule.“We’ve done a good job of keeping everything in perspective,” Bailiff said. “Just because you’re bowl eligible doesn’t guarantee you a bowl game. There’s only so many bowl tie-ins for bowl-eligible teams, so we need to continue winning to guarantee a bowl game.”Sophomore running back Jowan Davis rushed for over 100 yards for the third time this season, rushing for 121 yards on 25 carries. Davis now has 748 yards rushing on the season, good for sixth in Conference USA. Senior wide receiver Jordan Taylor caught nine passes for 92 yards in the game, and now has 530 yards receiving on the year despite missing the first four games due to injury.Rice found itself in penalty trouble during the game as the team racked up eight penalties, costing the Owls 89 yards. According to Bailiff, the team needs to clean up its penalties in order to defeat Marshall University next week.“We’ve got to keep playing better,” Bailiff said. “We had some uncharacteristic penalties that cost us. That’s one of things going into Marshall: We have to make sure we’re playing our best football as we move forward. It’s great to win six, it’s great to win homecoming, but this week is extremely challenging.”Junior running back Luke Turner said the offense needs to work on finishing drives.“Offensively, we left a lot of points out there on the field,” Turner said. “We should have scored a couple times when we made it to the red zone, but we were offset by penalties and had stupid mistakes on our own part that took us out of the red zone. [Farrimond] is a really good kicker, but we want to score touchdowns every time.”Rice will next face undefeated Marshall (9-0, 5-0 C-USA), who is currently the Associated Press No. 21 ranked team in the nation. Marshall owns sole possession of first place in the Conference USA East Division and will look to earn their 10th victory of the season against the Owls. Marshall’s offense, ranked second in the nation, is led by junior running back Devon Johnson, who has recorded 1,203 yards on 137 attempts, giving him the nation’s fourth-best 8.8 yards per carry average. Marshall’s offense is also headed by senior quarterback Rakeem Cato, who has 2,316 yards passing and 22 touchdowns on the year. Marshall has the seventh-ranked rushing offense in the country at 295 yards per game, the second-ranked scoring offense at 47.8 points per game and the sixth-ranked scoring defense, surrendering just 16.6 points per game to opponents.According to Bailiff, stopping Cato will be a challenge due to the quarterback’s athleticism.“There’s really no weakness in [Cato’s] game,” Bailiff said. “He’s great when you keep in the pocket. When he breaks contain, though; that’s when he’s at his absolute best. There’s times where it looks like he’s surrounded and still somehow comes out. He just has a command of what he’s doing with that offense.”Redshirt sophomore linebacker Alex Lyons said stopping Cato will be the focus of the defense due to his ability to extend plays.“As Coach Bailiff said, there really is no weakness in his game,” Lyons said. “We’re going to execute what the coaches give us and do what we do.”Despite defeating Marshall 41-24 in last year’s Conference USA title game, the team says it is focusing on the present. According to Bailiff, this season features two completely different teams.“We’re such a different team than we were a year ago,” Bailiff said. “This will be a different game for us. This is going to be a great Conference USA game.”Rice’s game against Marshall will kick off at 1:30 p.m. in Huntington, West Virginia and will be broadcasted nationally on Fox Sports Network.

SPORTS 11/4/14 9:43am

Cross country teams compete in championship

By Maddy Adams

The Rice University men’s and women’s cross-country team competed in the Conference USA Cross Country Championship at the University of North Texas this weekend. The women’s team placed second overall in the meet with 62 points, trailing only Middle Tennessee State University with 55 points. The men’s team placed fourth in the meet, led by redshirt junior Will Firth, who finished sixth overall and had the best finish in the conference tournament in Rice history with a time of 24:29 in the 8K race.Sophomore Cali Roper led the women’s team with a first place individual finish with a time of 16:43, a full seven seconds faster than Middle Tennessee sophomore Hannah Maina’s second place finish. Roper’s time was the fourth-fastest mark in C-USA championship history for a 5K race. Roper was also the only Owl in Rice’s history to finish first at a C-USA title race and the second Owl to claim an individual cross-country title.Along with Roper, sophomore Katie Jensen and freshman Madi McLellan received First Team All-Conference Honors. Jensen finished fifth with a time of 16:59, and McLellan finished sixth with a time of 17:08.Along with Firth, who earned first team All-Conference Honors, sophomore Adam Davidson earned a spot on the second team All-Conference team by finishing in 11th place in 24:47. Freshmen Steve Booker and Brad Dohner earned third team All-Conference honors after finishing with times of 25:09 and 25:10, respectively.Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams will next compete in the NCAA South Central Regional in Fayetteville, Arkansas on Nov. 14. 

SPORTS 11/4/14 9:41am

Volleyball sweeps series in Florida

By Juan Saldaña

The Rice University volleyball team (20-6, 10-2 C-USA) earned two victories in Florida this weekend against conference opponents Florida International University (6-20, 3-10 C-USA) and Florida Atlantic University (17-9, 8-5 C-USA).  The first victory came on a Friday matchup in Miami, Florida against FIU. The Owls faced an FIU team riding a seven-game losing streak. The Owls broke a 16-16 tie in the first set and a 22-22 tie in the second to narrowly pull away with the first two sets, 25-18 and 25-22. Despite FIU taking the third set and avoiding the sweep, the Owls prevailed in a 3-1 victory and, with the win, clinched a spot in the Conference USA tournament.  On Sunday, the team traveled north to Boca Raton, Florida to take on the FAU Owls. With consistent and balanced play on offense and a defense that held FAU to a .200 hitting percentage, the Rice Owls completed their 13th 3-0 sweep of the season. The win also secured their place among the top Rice volleyball teams in recent history by becoming the 13th team to reach 20 wins in a season. Head Coach Genny Volpe said she was pleased with the resilience the team showed after a relatively poor start against FIU. Volpe also said she was happy with the way they overcame the difficult start to beat FIU on Friday and then defeated a tougher team in FAU on Sunday. “We started out a little bit rocky at Florida International but managed to pull out a win with pretty average play,” Volpe said. “Against Florida Atlantic, we knew we had to step up our game because they are a stronger team and we did.” Right side hitter Chelsey Harris recorded double-digit kills in both games with 16 against FIU and a team-high 13 against FAU. Volpe said Harris played a valuable role in the perfect weekend “Chelsey Harris did an awesome job for us over the weekend,” Volpe said. “She was extremely dependable checking for us on the right side.” In addition to Harris, Volpe said she was impressed with the job freshman Katie Steel has done as setter, stepping in for injured sophomore Sara Blasier.  “Katie has really come through being put in a very important position quarterbacking the team while Sara has been out with injury,” Volpe said. “I have been so impressed with her ability to focus and work through some tough match situations. Katie’s assist numbers have been stellar, and I think the team and she deserve a lot of credit for pulling together and gelling like they have these last two weeks.” The Owls now sit at third place in the Conference USA standings with a 10-2 conference record with the two losses coming from the current leaders in the conference — the University of Texas, San Antonio and Western Kentucky University. With four matches left in the season, the Owls are trying to climb in the Conference USA standings as they prepare for the conference tournament on Nov. 21. Volpe said the team is looking to finish the season strong and carry the winning streak into the C-USA tournament in order to receive a spot in the NCAA Tournament. “We want to obviously [win] out the rest of our matches in conference play and then continue that momentum into winning the conference tournament,” Volpe said. “We have that ability and we know what we need to do. The team is committed. We honestly have the best offense in the league and need to capitalize on that to keep winning out.” The Owls now have four conference home games in the next two weeks. This weekend features a 6 p.m. Friday matchup against the University of North Texas, followed by a 1 p.m. Sunday game against Louisiana Tech University.  Volpe said the importance of these final regular-season home games are critical for the team’s confidence and momentum going into postseason play. “We need the support of the Owl fans,” Volpe said. “We would absolutely love to see the members of the Rice community come out and support this awesome team. We hope that the student body comes out in full force and gives us the home-court advantage. We have been on the road a lot this season, and so I know the team is looking forward to playing in front of their fans.”

SPORTS 11/4/14 9:40am

Soccer finishes regular season with win

By Michael Kidd

The Rice University soccer team closed out the 2014 regular season on the road this past Thursday with a 2-0 victory over the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Rice completed the season with an 11-3-3 record (7-2-1 C-USA) and earned 22 points in conference play.With Thursday’s victory, the Owls tied the University of North Texas for first place in C-USA. However, UNT had one more match to play. UNT won their game Friday night and managed to clinch the C-USA title, but the Owls’ record earned them second place in C-USA and the No. 2 seed in the Conference USA tournament held in Charlotte, North Carolina.On Thursday night, the Owls scored in the fourth minute of the match. Senior midfielder Gabriela Iribarne earned her third goal in the past two matches on a 15-yard strike. With Rice leading 1-0, junior forward Lauren Hughes fired a bending shot from outside the box that found its way into the top corner of the net. With the goal, Hughes set a Rice record by scoring in five consecutive matches. The defenders were tested during the game as Rice was outshot 14-12 and gave up 10 corner kicks. However, the Owls played their way to their eighth shutout on the season and the 2-0 victory.Head Coach Nicky Adams said she was pleased with the way the Owls jumped out to an early lead against a UAB team determined to clinch a C-USA tournament berth. “We came in knowing that UAB was going to give us their best game because their backs were against the wall to get in the conference tournament,” Adams said. “We came out and played well in the first half scoring two goals … That was a huge help.” The Owls now have their eyes on winning the Conference USA tournament and clinching an automatic NCAA Tournament berth. To clinch the berth, the Owls must win three consecutive games in an eight-team bracket, single-elimination system. The first game is scheduled between the No. 2 seed Owls and the No. 7 seed Western Kentucky University. Kick off is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5. The winner between the Owls and the Hilltoppers will play the winner of No. 3 seed University of Texas, El Paso and the No. 6 seed Louisiana Tech University two days later on Nov. 7.Hughes, the leading scorer in C-USA with 12 goals, said the team is confident and ready to play in this tournament. “We’re going into this tournament confident in ourselves and ready to fight to win,” Hughes said. “This is the best team I’ve seen since coming here, and I know that we have all the elements to win this tournament and move on to NCAAs.” Hughes said the current four-game win streak has helped establish momentum heading into the tournament. “Going into the tournament on a four-game win streak is really exciting,” Hughes said. “There have been a low number of chances for the other teams … and offensively we’ve been combining really well [to make sure] the ball goes in the back of the net.” Senior midfielder Quinny Truong said she attributes the improvement of this year’s team to the enhanced chemistry and teamwork on the squad.“The team dynamic [and] the selflessness this team has portrayed over this past season … [have] been the biggest factor to our success,” Truong said. “All the dedication, hard work and trust we have in one another has been what makes this one team unique compared to other teams of the past.”

SPORTS 11/4/14 9:25am

Football continues winning streak

By Kevin Mohanram

The Rice University football team defeated Florida International University 31-17 on Saturday, Nov. 1, extendeding their winning streak to five games and bringing the team to 5-3 overall and 3-1 in Conference USA.After the Owls defense recovered an early fumble from FIU, sophomore running back Jowan Davis ran 19 yards for a touchdown 33 seconds into the first quarter. Rice increased the lead to 17 after a career-long 40-yard field goal from junior James Farrimond and a 63-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Driphus Jackson to senior wide receiver Jordan Taylor.FIU then scored 14 unanswered points through the end of the first quarter and into the second quarter. Jackson retaliated with a 69-yard touchdown pass to true freshman James Mayden, and FIU answered with a field goal, closing out the half at 24-17. FIU was held scoreless in the second half, and junior Luke Turner scored the last touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter to bring the final score to 31-17.Jackson led the Rice offense in both passing and rushing, throwing for 230 yards and rushing for 66. Taylor led the team in receiving, catching six passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. Senior defensive end Zach Patt had a career day en route to earning his first conference defensive player of the week title after recording five sacks and forcing three fumbles. Patt said he was proud of the award and attributed it to the defense as a whole. “Being defensive player of the week is really a good thing for me because it’s the first time that I’ve done this,” Patt said. “That’s just really a testament to the [defensive line], our staff, the coaches and the unit as a core, rushing together, playing as a team and just having fun.”According to Bailiff, the seniors played well and led the team effectively. Bailiff also said it is important to acknowledge senior defensive back Bryce Callahan for his ability to lock down opposing receivers.“I thought our coaches at halftime really made some nice judgements, but also I more importantly thought our seniors just came out with more of a passion [and] played with a chip on their shoulders,” Bailiff said. “Bryce Callahan, our cornerback, [is] very talented. You’re not seeing his name a whole lot because he’s not getting a lot of activity ... He had a stellar game.”Junior defensive end Brian Nordstrom said he was happy with the team’s defensive performance but acknowledged the need for improvement. “I’m really happy with how the defense played in the second half of the game,” Nordstrom said. “But at the same time, we’re not satisfied. We still have the goals of winning conference and getting to a bowl game that we need to accomplish.”Jackson said he liked how the offense played to start the game but said they could have performed better in the second half. “As far as offense goes, I feel we played well in the first half,” Jackson said. “I feel like we have to play better in the second half ... I feel like we are making great strides. We are throwing the ball a lot better, even though the completion percentage is not where I would like it to be. We are actually putting points on the board in the air. That’s balancing out our ground attack. It’s going to get better going forward.”Jackson also said playing high-ranked schools at the beginning of the year helped prepare the team to face off against conference competition.“It takes a lot of pressure off, to be honest,” Jackson said. “Those big games [against Notre Dame and A&M] end up preparing you for the pressure of conference ... [We] want to be undefeated, but [our] goal is to be conference champions. Even though we dropped first conference game to Old Dominion, I felt like we played well in that game. We just came up short ... We can match up with the best and biggest.”Junior all-conference defensive tackle Christian Covington will be out for around two weeks with a lower leg injury from Saturday’s game. Coach Bailiff said the team will miss Covington’s presence but they have enough depth to recover quickly.“Dylan Klare is playing exceptionally,” Bailiff said. “Ross Winship has stepped up ... We’ve got good depth there in the middle of the defensive line. They’re making plays. Will we miss him? Absolutely, he’s a great player. Coach [Jim] Wacker, when I played for him, used to tell us ‘you don’t win a championship with a healthy club.’ People have to step up and I expect those guys behind him to.”Rice is looking to extend their win streak to six games as they host the University of Texas, San Antonio (2-6, 1-3 C-USA) on Saturday, Nov. 8. Bailiff said the return of their senior starting quarterback Tucker Carter will make the game more challenging. “They have their quarterback back; you know they’re going to come in here excited,” Bailiff said. “They still have a chance to go to a bowl game ... We’ll have a great week of practice [and we] look forward to his homecoming game.”The game against UTSA is Rice’s homecoming game and will kick off at 11 a.m. at Rice Stadium. 

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