Rice holds on against Houston 34-31
HOUSTON
The Cougars (3-3, 2-1 Conference USA) trailed 27-7 before
scoring 24 unanswered points to take a 31-27 lead on a field goal
by Matt Hogan with about nine minutes remaining.
But Fanuzzi threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Vance McDonald
with 4:24 remaining for the win.
The Cougars tried to come back again, but on fourth-and-inches
from the Rice 42, quarterback David Piland fumbled the snap and the
Owls (2-5, 1-2) took over on downs.
Sam McGuffie rushed for 63 yards on 19 carries to lead Rice on
the ground.
Piland threw for 282 yards and three touchdown on 23-of-45
passing, and Bryce Beall rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown on 24
carries to lead Houston. Patrick Edwards had 169 yards and three
touchdowns on nine receptions.
Rice scored first when Jeremy Eddington ran in to make it 6-0
with about 12 minutes left in the first quarter. The Owls then
extended their lead with a 29-yard pass from Fanuzzi to Luke Wilson
to make it 13-0 midway through the quarter.
Houston answered with a touchdown pass from Piland to Edwards to
cut the lead to 13-7 in the opening quarter.
Turner Petersen upped the lead to 20-7 with a touchdown run in
the second quarter, and Fanuzzi found Randy Kitchens on the Owls'
next possession for a 59-yard touchdown pass to make it 27-7 with a
little more than six minutes left in the first half.
The Cougars responded with a 38-yard touchdown pass from Piland
to Edwards to cut the lead to 27-14 before halftime.
In the third quarter, Piland connected with Edwards again on a
48-yard touchdown pass to make it 27-21, capping a 10-play, 99-yard
drive.
Beall then punched it in from a yard out to give the Cougars a
28-27 lead in the third.