Rice University
1-8 , 1-5
Tulane (C-USA, Homecoming)
2-7 , 1-5
Rice Ends Losing Streak Against Tulane, 42-34
11/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 12, 2005
HOUSTON (AP) - John Wall rushed for 156 yards and three touchdowns as Rice rolled up 392 yards on the ground, ending the nation's longest losing streak at 14 games with a 42-34 victory against Tulane on Saturday.
Wall and backfield mate Quinton Smith each had 20 carries, with Smith pitching in another 143 yards and a touchdown. Wall scored from 25 and 75 yards before a 1-yard plunge, and Smith's 58-yard run provided the last of eight lead changes, putting Rice ahead 35-31 midway through the third quarter.
The Owls (1-8, 1-5 Conference USA) gave themselves a cushion on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Joel Armstrong to tight end Joe Don Wood with 4:45 left in the game.
Tulane (2-7, 1-5), which played in its ninth different stadium, extended its losing streak to six games after starting the season 2-1.
The Green Wave led 31-28 before Smith's score and pulled within 35-34 on a 22-yard field goal by Jacob Hartgroves with 9:06 left in the game.
But Rice's Carl Taylor recovered a fumble by Matt Forte at the Tulane 42-yard line with 6:14 to play. Five plays later, Armstrong threw the scoring pass to Wood.
Rice's Chad Price broke up a fourth-down pass with 1:22 to play, and Taylor intercepted a Scott Elliott pass with five seconds to go for the final stop.
Rice's last win was Oct. 9, 2004, when the Owls beat SMU 44-10 in Houston.
Rice jumped to a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter. The Owls drove 69 yards in eight plays, capped by Wall's 25-yard run, and Armstrong finished a 10-play, 52-yard drive with a 4-yard run on the first play of the second quarter.
Tulane came back with two quick touchdowns in the second quarter, and the teams traded touchdowns after that as Tulane led 24-21 at the half.
The Owls scored on drives of four and three plays on their first two possessions of the second half, the latter capped by Smith's long scoring run.
Team Stats
TLN 3, RICE 0
TLN - Hartgroves 22 yd field goal 13 plays, 53 yards, TOP 5:55
TLN 3, RICE 7
RICE - Wall 25 yd run (Landry kick), 8 plays, 69 yards, TOP 3:09
TLN 3, RICE 14
RICE - Armstrong 4 yd run (Landry kick), 10 plays, 52 yards, TOP 4:11
TLN 10, RICE 14
TLN - Hoover 15 yd pass from Elliott (Hartgroves kick) 8 plays, 64 yards, TOP 4:02
TLN 17, RICE 14
TLN - P.Brown 68 yd pass from Elliott (Hartgroves kick) 2 plays, 68 yards, TOP 0:17
TLN 17, RICE 21
RICE - Wall 75 yd run (Landry kick), 4 plays, 90 yards, TOP 1:13
TLN 24, RICE 21
TLN - Forte 8 yd run (Hartgroves kick), 8 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:16
TLN 24, RICE 28
RICE - Wall 1 yd run (Landry kick), 4 plays, 65 yards, TOP 1:38
TLN 31, RICE 28
TLN - Forte 18 yd pass from Elliott (Hartgroves kick) 11 plays, 80 yards, TOP 5:41
TLN 31, RICE 35
RICE - Q.Smith 58 yd run (Landry kick), 3 plays, 64 yards, TOP 1:24
TLN 34, RICE 35
TLN - Hartgroves 22 yd field goal 4 plays, 6 yards, TOP 1:21
TLN 34, RICE 42
RICE - J.D.Wood 29 yd pass from Armstrong (Landry kick) 5 plays, 58 yards, TOP 1:34
