Rice University
3-9 , 3-5
Tulsa
9-3 , 6-2
Owls Fall In Shootout
11/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 24, 2007
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes | AP Photo Gallery 
HOUSTON, - Chase Clement shredded the school and conference record books on Saturday, but his career day wasn't enough to hold off Tulsa from taking a 48-43 victory and a berth in the Conference USA Championship game.
On a day that began in heavy downpours, the two teams combined for nearly 1,000 yards in the air, as raindrops were replaced by footballs, flying fast and furious through the air.
Clement sliced through the Tulsa defense for 601 yards of total offense, connecting on 40 of 66 passes for 541 yards and three touchdowns. His total offense total set a conference single-game record, as did his 66 attempts and 84 total offensive plays. His 541 yards passing and 40 completions were Rice single game marks, as were his total for attempts. His output for the day allowed him to snare two more of Tommy Kramer's Rice records. Clement finished the season with 3,377 yards passing and 6,741 career total offensive yards.
The Owls rolled to 700 yards in total offense, the second highest total in school history, and pushed their season total to 4,848, five yards better than the previous school mark set in 2001. They also set school marks for first downs in a game (38) and in a season (279) as well as shattering the mark for points, finishing with 377 in 12 games (31.4 per game).
Tulsa (9-3, 6-2), had 592 yards and finished the regular season with five straight wins after losing at Central Florida on Oct. 20. The will meet UCF again in the C-USA title game on December 1.
Paul Smith completed 22 of 39 passes for 441 yards and threw a pair of touchdown passes apiece to Brennan Marion and Trae Johnson, who caught a 19-yard pass that put Tulsa ahead 48-36 with 5:43 left.
Clement responded later by driving the Owls 99 yards, the final 36 on a pass to senior Joel Armstrong with 1:44 to set up one last attempt by the Owls for an onside kick and a magical finish.
Tulsa's Tarrion Adams, who had 150 rushing yards, recovered the ensuing onside kick, and the Golden Hurricane ran out the clock.
Rice's James Casey caught 11 passes for a team-high 110 yards, while Armstrong finished with 109 yards on just five catches.
Clement led the Owls with 60 yards rushing on 17 carries while C.J. Ugokwe ran for 51 yards and two touchdowns. Justin Hill chipped in 45 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.
Smith had three of his touchdown passes in a 20-point first quarter for Tulsa after Rice had taken a 7-0 lead on a pass from Clement to Chance Talbert, the first touchdown catch of his career.
Tulsa struck right back with their first touchdown, but missed a chance to tie when George Chukwu broke through the middle to block his second PAT in the last four games. Willie Garley picked up the loose ball and eventually lateralled to Brandon King, who returned it the rest of the way for a two-point conversion for the Owls. It was the second time in their history that the Owls have returned a blocked PAT for a score. Billy Stone became the first player in NCAA history to record at return, against Notre Dame in 1988, the first year that the returns were adopted by the NCAA.
The Golden Hurricane then scored 21 straight points to take a 27-9 lead as Smith ran in from 2 yards four seconds into the second quarter. But Rice made things interesting with Ugokwe's 12-yard scoring run, following by a 25-yard TD pass from Clement to Jarett Dillard just 80 seconds before halftime. It was Dillard's 40th career touchdown catch, making him just the eight player in NCAA history to reach that mark. Dillard finished the day with six catches for 89 yards. He topped 1,000 yards for the second straight season, finishing with 1,057.
Andrew Sendejo led the Owl defense, finishing with 13 tackles to run his season mark to 107. He also intercepted his fifth pass of the year.
King finished the day with four tackles and broke up three passes to increase his league-leading total of passes defended to 19.
Team Stats
TLS 0, RICE 7
RICE - TALBERT, Chance 24 yd pass from CLEMENT, Chase (FANGMEIER, C. kick) 9 plays, 72 yards, TOP 2:27
TLS 6, RICE 7
TLS - MARION, Brennan 49 yd pass from SMITH, Paul (TRACY, Jarod kickblocked) 1 plays, 49 yards, TOP 0:08
TLS 6, RICE 9
RICE - KING, Brandon 98 yd PAT return
TLS 13, RICE 9
TLS - MARION, Brennan 31 yd pass from SMITH, Paul (TRACY, Jarod kick) 3 plays, 44 yards, TOP 0:51
TLS 20, RICE 9
TLS - JOHNSON, Trae 29 yd pass from SMITH, Paul (TRACY, Jarod kick) 8 plays, 80 yards, TOP 3:03
TLS 27, RICE 9
TLS - SMITH, Paul 2 yd run (TRACY, Jarod kick), 5 plays, 88 yards, TOP 0:47
TLS 27, RICE 16
RICE - UGOKWE, C.J. 12 yd run (FANGMEIER, C. kick), 12 plays, 68 yards, TOP 4:36
TLS 27, RICE 22
RICE - DILLARD, Jarett 25 yd pass from CLEMENT, Chase (CLEMENT, Chase passfailed) 5 plays, 77 yards, TOP 0:55
TLS 34, RICE 22
TLS - MADISON, Cody 2 yd pass from SMITH, Paul (TRACY, Jarod kick) 5 plays, 82 yards, TOP 1:04
TLS 34, RICE 29
RICE - HILL, Justin 5 yd run (FANGMEIER, C. kick), 5 plays, 71 yards, TOP 2:02
TLS 41, RICE 29
TLS - WILLIAMS, Jamad 13 yd run (TRACY, Jarod kick), 4 plays, 39 yards, TOP 1:27
TLS 41, RICE 36
RICE - UGOKWE, C.J. 6 yd run (FANGMEIER, C. kick), 9 plays, 66 yards, TOP 2:48
TLS 48, RICE 36
TLS - JOHNSON, Trae 19 yd pass from SMITH, Paul (TRACY, Jarod kick) 5 plays, 37 yards, TOP 1:59
TLS 48, RICE 43
RICE - ARMSTRONG, Joel 36 yd pass from CLEMENT, Chase (FANGMEIER, C. kick) 8 plays, 99 yards, TOP 0:58
