Rice University
0-4 , 0-2
at East Carolina (C-USA)
2-3 , 1-1
Rice Suffers 41-28 Loss to East Carolina
10/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 8, 2005
GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) - James Pinkney passed for three touchdowns and ran for another as East Carolina defeated Rice 41-28 on Saturday.
Pinkney completed 22-of-34 passes for a career-high 355 yards and also ran for a team-high 32 yards.
The Pirates scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, the highlight coming on an 81-yard touchdown reception by Chris Johnson that sealed the victory.
East Carolina receiver Aundrae Allison, who caught a game-high seven passes for 109 yards and a touchdown, set a single-season school record with his fourth 100-yard receiving game. The Pirates (2-3, 1-1 Conference USA) matched their best win total from the last two seasons.
Joel Armstrong and Quinton Smith rushed for two touchdowns apiece for the Owls (0-4, 0-2), whose 10th consecutive defeat tied them with Army for the longest losing streak in the nation.
Rice took a 28-24 lead when Smith, who led all rushers with 125 yards, went over the left side for a 19-yard touchdown with 13:18 left.
But on the next possession, Robert Tillman scored his first career touchdown on a 1-yard run to put East Carolina ahead for good at the 10:37 mark.
After a punt by the Owls pinned the Pirates at their own 3-yard line, Pinkney lofted a pass over the middle to Johnson who ran another 50 yards into the end zone with 6:51 left. Johnson finished with 129 yards on six receptions.
Robert Lee added a 32-yard field goal with less than two minutes to go.
Team Stats
RICE 7, ECU 0
RICE - Q.Smith 10 yd run (Landry kick), 6 plays, 64 yards, TOP 2:39
RICE 7, ECU 7
ECU - GOOD, Bobby 14 yd pass from PINKNEY, James (LEE, Robert kick) 11 plays, 80 yards, TOP 4:55
RICE 14, ECU 7
RICE - Armstrong 4 yd run (Landry kick), 9 plays, 64 yards, TOP 3:42
RICE 14, ECU 10
ECU - LEE, Robert 24 yd field goal 10 plays, 63 yards, TOP 3:28
RICE 14, ECU 17
ECU - ALLISON, Aundra 40 yd pass from PINKNEY, James (LEE, Robert kick) 2 plays, 40 yards, TOP 0:12
RICE 14, ECU 24
ECU - PINKNEY, James 6 yd run (LEE, Robert kick), 8 plays, 50 yards, TOP 2:47
RICE 21, ECU 24
RICE - Armstrong 17 yd run (Landry kick), 8 plays, 52 yards, TOP 3:44
RICE 28, ECU 24
RICE - Q.Smith 19 yd run (Landry kick), 5 plays, 48 yards, TOP 1:32
RICE 28, ECU 31
ECU - TILLMAN, Robert 1 yd run (LEE, Robert kick), 6 plays, 68 yards, TOP 2:41
RICE 28, ECU 38
ECU - JOHNSON, Chris 81 yd pass from PINKNEY, James (LEE, Robert kick) 6 plays, 97 yards, TOP 0:59
RICE 28, ECU 41
ECU - LEE, Robert 32 yd field goal 6 plays, 20 yards, TOP 2:58
