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Rice University Athletics
Truly, A Homecoming
11/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
HOMECOMING 2006
RICE (5-5; 4-2) vs. EAST CAROLINA (6-4, 5-2):
GAME TIME: 2:00 pm (Central)
RICE STADIUM, Houston, TX
TICKETS: 713-522-OWLS or on-line
RADIO: SuperTalk 97.5 FM (Matt Musil, Bobby Dixon and Jorge Vargas)
TELEVISION: None
GAME #11: Todd Graham and the Owls bring a four-game winning streak back to Houston for the final two games of the 2006 regular season when they host East Carolina for Homecoming at 2 pm at Rice Stadium. Rice will be looking to win five in a row for the first time since 1999, and win their sixth game in a season for the first time since 2001 (8-4).
GAME #10 RECAP:Chase Clement hit Jarett Dillard with a 25-yard scoring strike in the second overtime to give Rice a 41-38 win over defending C-USA champion Tulsa. Dillard caught three TDs to set both a C-USA season (16) and Rice career (21) record while extending his nation-leading streak for consecutive games with a TD pass to 12.
LOOKING AT EAST CAROLINA: The Pirates enter the game matching the Owls with a four-game winning streak and the inside track to represent the East Division in the C-USA Championship game. The will be looking to extend their winning streak to five games for the first time since 1999. They will bring one of the conference's best defenses to face the Owls. ECU is third in C-USA in total defense (324.4 yards per game) and scoring defense (21.2 per game).
IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD: While the tag of Homecoming on some campuses might be nothing more than a designation, for the Owls it is true in every sense of the word. They have played just two games at Rice Stadium this season, opening the year here against Houston on Labor Day weekend and then coming back home to host UAB on October 14.
DILLARD NAMED BILETNIKOFF FINALIST: Jarett Dillard, who has re-written the Rice receiving record book while sparking the Owls into contention for a bowl bid, has been named as one of three finalists for the 13th Biletnikoff Award, which is presented annually by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation. Dillard joins Calvin Johnson of Georgia Tech and Jeff Samardzija of Notre Dame as finalists for the award. The winner of the award will be announced on Thursday, December 7 as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN. The actual trophy presentation will be made at the annual Biletnikoff Award Dinner, which will be held on February 7 in Tallahassee, FL.
TURN IT AROUND: The Owls have already improved their 2005 record by four wins, the second-best improvement this year in the NCAA. Ohio, San Jose State and Texas A&M have also improved by three wins so far this year. Arkansas (9-1) has already improved its 2005 win total by five.
INITIAL SUCCESS With two games left on the schedule, Todd Graham has already posted the second best turnaround by a first year Rice football coach since 1940. Graham's Owls have won four more than last year's squad, which only trails Jess Neely's first time, which won six more in his first season at the helm. Graham's five wins this year match the second best win total by a Owl coach in his first year. He joins Al Conover (1972), and Ken Hatfield (1994) in winning five in his first year.
DILLARD TIES HOWARD & MOSS: Biletnikoff finalist Jarett Dillard has now caught a touchdown pass in 12 consecutive games, which matches the third longest streak of its kind in NCAA history. It is also the longest current streak for scoring touchdowns of any kind as well. He is currently tied with Desmond Howard, Randy Moss and Aaron Turner of Pacific for the third longest streak in history. Charles Rogers has the second longest streak (13) while Larry Fitzgerald holds the NCAA mark with an 18-game streak. Moss and Fitzgerald hold the streak for one season (12).
DILLARD KEEPS ROLLING: Biletnikoff finalist Jarett Dillard continues to make a strong case as one of the top receivers in the country. In his most recent effort, he caught eight passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Tulsa. His first score, a 65-yarder, was the longest of his career, and extended his streak for games with a TD catch and broke the Owls career record. His second, an 11-yarder in the first overtime, broke the C-USA single season record for TD catches, and this third (25-yards) gave him his second game-ending catch in the Owls four-game winning streak. His 71 catches on the season are the most by an Owl since Eric Henley set the Rice single-season record with 81 in 1989. He has caught at least two passes in all 21 games of his college career and has caught TD passes in the last 12 games. He has caught three TDs in a game three times this year to tie the Owls' single-game record (it had been done just twice in school history prior to 2006). His 16 TD catches for the year are a school and conference single-season mark, while his 21 careeer TDs (in 21 games) is a Rice careeer mark. Dillard's 137 yards against UAB was his fifth 100-yard receiving day of the year, the most by a Rice receiver in a season. He established career-highs as he totaled 11 catches, 171 receiving yards and three touchdowns against Army. His 171 yards receiving were the third-highest total in school history while his 11 catches matched the second-highest total in school history. He is the first Owl to record 11 catches in a game since Eric Henley caught 11 for 115 yards and two scores in a 38-17 loss vs. Arkansas on 11/4/89.
 Chase Clement  | |
CONFERENCE MARK: Dillard's 16 TD catches this season have set a new C-USA record, breaking the old mark of 14 which is held by three receivers (Adrian Burnette of Tulane, 2000; Brandon Middleton of Houston, 2003; Roddy White of UAB, 2004).
LOOKING AT THE STREAK: Only once during his 12-game TD catch streak has Jarett Dillard gone deep into the fourth quarter before he extended the streak. He scored the Owls only points against Texas and added to the streak when Joel Armstrong found him in the end zone with just 3:15 left on the clock. He has extended the streak four times with a score in the first, three times in the second, three times in the third and twice in the fourth quarter. His 21 career scores break down this way: four in the first quarter, three in the second, five in the third, seven in the fourth and two in overtime.
RANK HIM: Dillard leads the nation with his 16 TD catches and ranks fifth with 9.6 points per game (tops in C-USA). He is fith in the NCAA with 7.10 catches per contest (2nd in C-USA). He is ninth in the country and third in the conference) wth 95.8 yards per game.
IN TANDEM In their two seasons together, Chase Clement and Jarett Dillard have already become the most productive passing tandem in school history. Clement has thrown 17 of Dillard's 21 career TDs. Tommy Kramer and Kenneth Roy connected for 13 TD passes from 1973-76. No game summaries are available from the 1940's but Froggie Williams caught 13 TD passes from 1946-49 and Tobin Rote threw for 18 in the same period.
 Quinton Smith has rushed for over 410 yards the last three weeks. | |
Q ON THE OFFENSIVE: Senior Quinton Smith, a second-team, all-conference selection last year, has rushed for 724 yards in the last seven games, 414 of them in the last three. He is just 109 yards away from moving past Robbie Beck into 3rd on the Owls career rushing list. He ranks fifth in the conference with 89.8 yards per game and 127.3 all-purpose yards per game. He has seven plays from scrimmage this season of 37 yards or better, including a 69-yard scoring run and a 41-yard non-scoring jaunt. He has scored on pass plays of 80 and 64 yards this year. His 80-yard catch and run against Houston is the longest scoring play of the year in the conference and matched the fourth longest scoring pass in Rice history. Smith is looking to become the first Owl to lead the team in rushing in back-to-back seasons since Chad Richardson in 1998-99. After being shut out for four games, Quinton Smith has scored seven times in the last three games, including six on the ground. He has rushed for nine scores this year, two more than his career total heading into this season.
BACK IN THE ZONE: After being shut out for four games, Quinton Smith has scored seven times in the last three games, including six on the ground. He has rushed for nine scores this year, one more than his career total heading into this season.
ALL PURPOSE Q Quinton Smith's 243 all purpose yards against UTEP ranks as the 9th best single-game total in Rice history. He now has 1,273 all purpose yards this year, the most by an Owl since Michael Perry totaled 1,306 in 1998. Perry's total also ranks as the 10th best season mark in school history. Smith has 2,720 all purpose yards in his career, and needs just 28 more to pass College Hall of Famer Dickie Maegle (2,747) for 10th on the Rice career list.
CHASE IN CHARGE: In seven games this year, Chase Clement is averaging 217.9 yards passing and 282.9 yards of total offense. He would rank seventh in the nation (just ahead of Brady Quinn of Notre Dame) and third in the conference in total offense, but has not played in 75% of the Owls games this year and does not qualify for the rankings. In six games since he returned from an injury, he has averaged 300.2 yards of total offense and 228.8 yards passing while accounting for 21 touchdowns (18 passing, four running). Clement has thrown for 1525 yards this season the most since Bert Emanuel threw for 1558 in 1992
 Courtney Gordon | |
RAINES GAINES NOTICE: Linebacker Brian Raines was tabbed by College Football News.com as the C-USA Defensive Player of the First Half and he continues to rack up impressive tackle numbers. He has 92 total tackles. He is 11th in the nation with 6.3 solo tackles per game. His 92 tackles on the year are already more than any Rice defender has totaled since Terry Holley led the team with 92 in 2003. He is on a pace to finish with 110 tackles. He was credited with 11 tackles against Tulsa, his fifth game this year with double figures in tackles. Raines is tied for third in the league with three forced fumbles, seventh in the league with 4.5 sackes and ninth in the league with nine tackles for loss.
GOOD LOSSES:Courtney Gordon has recorded a tackle for loss in each of the last nine games. He has 12 TFL this season, including six sacks, to lead the team in each category. His 12 TFL's this year match his career total heading into 2006. Gordon now has 12 career sacks and needs two to move past Tim Fitzpatrick for fifth on the Owls career list.
DOWNS ON THE WAY UP: Senior Andray Downs is second on the team with 71 tackles this year and has moved to within eight stops of cracking into the top 10 on the Owls career tackle chart. Downs, who has made 36 consecutive starts, has 261 career tackles. Joe Heikkinen is currently 10th on the list witih 269 tackles from 1983-86.
NEXT UP: The Owls wrap up the 2006 regular season schedule with their second straight home game, a 2:00 meeting with SMU.
