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Houston Doesn't Have An Answer As The Rice Owls Win To Claim The Bayou Bucket

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Football

Jonathan Jean knocked away Donovan Smith's attempt for a tying two-point conversion in the second overtime to give Rice a 43-41 win over Houston and bring the Bayou Bucket back to South Main for the first time since 2010.

The Details:  JT Daniels, who tied his career high with 401 yards passing, moved the Owls down the field at will on their first four possessions and the Owls seemed to be in firm grasp of snapping a seven-game losing to streak to the Cougars.  But Daniels' 15-yard TD pass to Braylen Walker with  6:14 left in the second quarter would be the Owls final points in regulation as Houston scored once in the second quarter and then tied it with 21-points in the fourth quarter, 14 of them in the final 3:45. True freshman Daelen Alexander, who scored his first career touchdown on a one-yard run in the first quarter, scored 14 of the Owls' 15 points in overtime, including the decisive two-point conversion after Rice's second touchdown.  Rice won the coin flip and chose to start the overtime session on defense in the north end zone and Houston took its first and only lead of the night five plays later.  Rice needed the same number of plays to tie it up on a three-yard run by Alexander.  After moving to the south end zone, Daniels moved the Owls to the seven with a first-down strike of 18 yards to Luke McCaffrey.  Two plays later, Alexander bulled over from one yard. Forced to go for two, Daniels threw incomplete into the end zone, but Houston was flagged for pass interference, moving the ball to the one and Alexander bounced outside and into the end zone to complete the two-point conversion.  Houston came back to score on a two-yard run by Smith, but after a Rice timeout, Houston elected to throw the ball into the corner, where Jean, who was making his first career start, knocked it away to end the game.  The setting was reminiscent of the ending of the Owls' first win in the series, which came 51-years to the day of their most recent win. In the same end zone, Houston's last-gasp attempt was stopped at the goal line to preserve a 14-13 Rice win in 1971.

Notes

  • Rice defeated a Power Five opponent for the first time since a 23-14 win over Kansas on Sept.
  • Houston won the toss and deferred to the second half.
  • Rice moves to 8-9 all-time in overtime games and 2-3 in double overtime.
  • This was the second overtime game between Rice and Houston and the first since Sept. 2, 2000.
  • Rice has played at least one overtime game every year since 2019.
  • Rice's 21 points in the first quarter are the most since scoring 21 at New Mexico State on Oct. 19, 2013.
  • The Owls' 28 first-half points and 43 total points are the most against Houston since scoring 35 and 56, respectively, on Nov. 29, 2008.
  • The 43 points are the most for Rice against a Big XII opponent and the most against a Power Five opponent since the term was adopted.

Individual

  • QB JT Daniels was 28-of-42 for a career-high tying 401 yards and three touchdowns.
  • It was also his eighth career 300-yard passing game.
  • The 401 passing yards are the sixth-most in school history.
  • WR Luke McCaffrey caught seven passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns.
  • It was McCaffrey's third career game with two touchdown receptions.
  • RB Daelen Alexander scored the first three touchdowns of his career, a one-yard run in the first quarter, a three-yarder in the first overtime and a one-yarder in the second overtime.
  • He is the first player with three touchdowns since Jordan Myers had four against Texas Southern on Sept. 25, 2021.
  • RB Dean Connors set career-highs with seven receptions for 82 yards.
  • Connors also had eight rushes for a career-high 48 yards.
  • His 145 all-purpose yards are a career-best.
  • His 37-yard rush in the first quarter was a career-long.
  • LB Josh Pearcy and CB Gabriel Taylor led the Owls with seven tackles.
  • CB Tre'shon Devones recorded an interception in the first quarter.
  • It was his fourth career interception and first since 2020.
  • DL Demone Green recorded a career-high three tackles for loss, including his second career sack.
  • DE Coleman Coco recorded a career-high two sacks. He now has 11 in his career.