Rice University
1-7 , 1-3
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UTEP
4-4 , 2-2
A Homecoming to Remember
11/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 3, 2007
Box Score | Photo Gallery 1 
| Photo Gallery 2
HOUSTON - On a day when the Rice Owls honored a team who produced one of the great wins in school history, the 2007 Owls produced more that a few memories of their own, as Chase Clement shattered the school record with 498 yards of total offense and eight total touchdowns, leading the Owls to a remarkable 56-48 Homecoming win over UTEP.
Rice survived seven turnovers and a pair of successful sky kicks by UTEP to take their first win at home in 2007 and improve their C-USA mark to 2-3. Three times in the comeback, they had to convert on fourth down to keep hopes of victory alive.
After Rice took a 14-3 lead after one quarter, the school honored the members of the 1957 Rice team who defeated then #1 Texas A&M, 7-6 at Rice Stadium. Few of the players of that era could have dreamed of what was in store over the final three quarters.
The Miners opened the second quarter by scoring 17 consecutive points to take a 20-14 lead before Clement drove the Owls downfield to take a 21-20 lead into the locker room for halftime.
UTEP re-took the lead at the start of the third quarter when Trevor Vittatoe hit Fred Rouse with a 76-yard scoring strike. Vittatoe finished the day throwing for 373 yards and five touchdowns of his own. Three plays later, Clement was intercepted, and it took the Miners five plays to extend their lead to 35-20 on a two-yard run by Marcus Thomas and a two-point conversion.
The Owls answered with a drive of their own to cut the margin to 35-28, but the Miners drove back down the field to take a 42-28 lead, and added to it early in the 4th quarter after another interception by Clement to boost the margin to 48-28. George Chukwu broke through the line to block the extra point attempt, but he and his defensive mates found them right back on the field after Patrick Randolph fumbled the kickoff after the UTEP score and the Miners were back on the attack at the Rice 21.
Andrew Sendejo broke through to drop Lorne Sam for a three-yard loss on first down. A holding penalty moved the Miners further back. A pair of Vittatoe incompletions followed and Jose Martinez's 51-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.
Clement then moved the Owls into the red zone where he hit Jarett Dillard on a crucial 4th down to set Rice up first and goal and the UTEP eight. On the next play, he found Tommy Henderson in the end zone for the touchdown, to cut the margin to 48-35.
The Owls forced a three-and-out on their next series, but could not move the ball. However, Quintin Demps of the Miners fumbled the punt and James Casey recovered to give the ball to the Owls at the UTEP 46. Clement moved the Owls to the UTEP nine when he was faced with another crucial fourth down. His pass to Dillard fell incomplete, but Demps was called for face guarding Dillard and the Owls had their first down.
Clement then found Toren Dixon in the front corner of the end zone to cut the margin to 48-42.
The Owls then turned the tables on UTEP, executing a sky kick of their own, which was knocked around until Bio Bilayae Benibo recovered it at the UTEP 11. Again the Miners defense stiffened and Clement and the Owls were faced yet another a fourth down play inside the UTEP ten.
Clement avoided pressure, rolled back to the left and found Dillard in the end zone. It was his 11th catch of the day, matching his career high, to go with 169 yards
The Owls got the ball back at their own 26 after three straight incomplete passes and Clement took matters into his own hands, rushing for all but one of the 74 yards needed, including a 59-yard run, and covering the last nine to push the margin to 56-48.
UTEP got the ball back with 3:38 to go and moved to the Rice 32 before their drive stalled, as Aubrey White sacked Vittatoe on fourth down. The Miners had one final grab for the victory, but Gary Anderson broke up Vittatoe's third and fourth-down efforts to clinch the win.
Anderson led the defense with eight tackles in addition to a career-high six pass breakups. He also recovered a fumble.
The Owls will travel to Dallas next week to meet SMU, before returning to Houston to wrap up the season with games against Tulane and Tulsa.
Team Stats
UTEP 0, RICE 7
RICE - DIXON, Toren 11 yd pass from CLEMENT, Chase (FANGMEIER, C. kick) 1 plays, 11 yards, TOP 0:04
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UTEP 3, RICE 7
UTEP - MARTINEZ, Jose 39 yd field goal 7 plays, 21 yards, TOP 2:46
UTEP 3, RICE 14
RICE - HENDERSON, Tom. 13 yd pass from CLEMENT, Chase (FANGMEIER, C. kick) 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:19
UTEP 6, RICE 14
UTEP - MARTINEZ, Jose 33 yd field goal 12 plays, 59 yards, TOP 4:56
UTEP 13, RICE 14
UTEP - THOMAS, Marcus 7 yd pass from VITTATOE, Trevo (MARTINEZ, Jose kick) 3 plays, 22 yards, TOP 1:13
UTEP 20, RICE 14
UTEP - SEARS, Jake 5 yd pass from VITTATOE, Trevo (MARTINEZ, Jose kick) 1 plays, 5 yards, TOP 0:03
UTEP 20, RICE 21
RICE - DILLARD, Jarett 2 yd pass from CLEMENT, Chase (FANGMEIER, C. kick) 10 plays, 68 yards, TOP 1:49
UTEP 27, RICE 21
UTEP - ROUSE, Fred 76 yd pass from VITTATOE, Trevo (MARTINEZ, Jose kick) 5 plays, 89 yards, TOP 2:05
UTEP 35, RICE 21
UTEP - THOMAS, Marcus 2 yd run (SAM, Lorne rush), 5 plays, 55 yards, TOP 1:37
UTEP 35, RICE 28
RICE - CLEMENT, Chase 8 yd run (FANGMEIER, C. kick), 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:41
UTEP 42, RICE 28
UTEP - MOTURI, Jeff 11 yd pass from VITTATOE, Trevo (MARTINEZ, Jose kick) 9 plays, 79 yards, TOP 3:34
UTEP 48, RICE 28
UTEP - WEST, Joe 23 yd pass from VITTATOE, Trevo (MARTINEZ, Jose kickblocked) 2 plays, 28 yards, TOP 0:17
UTEP 48, RICE 35
RICE - HENDERSON, Tom. 8 yd pass from CLEMENT, Chase (FANGMEIER, C. kick) 10 plays, 66 yards, TOP 1:59
UTEP 48, RICE 42
RICE - DIXON, Toren 6 yd pass from CLEMENT, Chase (FANGMEIER, C. kick) 8 plays, 46 yards, TOP 2:18
UTEP 48, RICE 49
RICE - DILLARD, Jarett 6 yd pass from CLEMENT, Chase (FANGMEIER, C. kick) 4 plays, 11 yards, TOP 0:56
UTEP 48, RICE 56
RICE - CLEMENT, Chase 9 yd run (FANGMEIER, C. kick), 4 plays, 74 yards, TOP 2:08
