Rice vs. UTEP Game Notes
11/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 2, 2008
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- This evening's game against UTEP is the 12th meeting in the series between these two Lone Star state foes. The series began in 1996 when the Owls joined the WAC. Rice improves to 7-5 all-time and 3-3 against the Miners in El Paso.
- Rice game captains for the UTEP game were DB Ja'Corey Shepherd, QB Chase Clement, DB Andrew Sendejo and WR Jarett Dilllard. UTEP won the toss and elected to receive.
- Rice had one first-time starter in LB Aaron Williams, who filled in for LB Terrance Garmon.
- Rice has scored at least 42 points in seven of its last nine C-USA games dating back to the UTEP game last season.
- Six of Rice's seven touchdown drives covered at least 75 yards, including a pair of 90-yard marches in the second quarter. The Owls have notched 17 drives this season of 75 yards or more.
- Rice scored on its opening drive for the fourth time this season. The five-play, 76-yard drive was capped by a 31-yard scoring strike from Clement to WR Pierre Beasley. The touchdown reception was the first of Beasley's career.
- Clement's TD pass to Beasley in the first quarter was his 100th career touchdown. The Alamo Heights' product is the third player in C-USA history to rack up 100 career touchdowns joining Houston's Kevin Kolb (2003-06) and Tulsa's Paul Smith (2005-07).
- Clement is now responsible for 105 career touchdowns (84 pass, 21 rush). He moves to within one TD of tying Kolb for second place on the C-USA list. Over the last three seasons, Clement has accounted for 18 career touchdowns against UTEP.
- Clement finished with 372 passing yards on 28-of-41 and five touchdowns. The Owls improve to 5-4 when Clement throws for more than 300 yards.
- Clement surpassed East Carolina's James Pinkney (2003-06) for 11th place on the C-USA career passing yards list. He now has 8,398 passing yards and is 198 yards away from eclipsing Louisville's Dave Ragone (1999-2002) for 10th place.
- The five touchdown passes marked the sixth time in his career that Clement has reached that feat. He now has tossed 84 career touchdown passes and moved past Memphis' Danny Wimprine (2001-04), Tulsa's Paul Smith (2005-07) and moved into a second place tie with Louisville's Chris Redman (1996-99) on the C-USA list. Houston's Kevin Kolb (2003-06) holds the league mark with 85 scoring strikes.
- WR Jarett Dillard has caught at least two passes in all 45 career appearances. He hauled in a six-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter from Clement to extend their NCAA record to 46 career connections.
- Dillard also moved his NCAA record to 55 career touchdown receptions. He is now five scores away from tying Memphis' DeAngelo Williams (2002-05) for the overall C-USA touchdown record.
- Dillard finished with 93 yards on eight receptions. He vaulted past Houston's Vincent Marshall (2003-06) for first place on the C-USA career receiving yards list. Dillard now has 3,776 receving yards on 270 career catches. He moves to within two catches of Marshall for second place on the C-USA receptions list.
- WR James Casey has recorded at least five receptions in 15 straight games dating back to the Houston game last season. The Azle native matched a career-best with 12 receptions and it allowed him surpass Doug Cunningham (1975-78) for fourth place on Rice's all-time list. Casey now has 125 career receptions and is 27 catches shy of equaling David Houser (1974, 76-78) for third place.
- Casey has scored at least two touchdowns in four consecutive games and recorded his first career four touchdown performance (3 pass, 1 rush).
- Casey racked up his fifth 100-yard receiving game of the season and eighth of his career. His 142 yards receving allowed him to move past Melvin Robinson (1981-84) and Doug Cunningham (1975-78) for fourth place on Rice's career list.
- Dating back to the Houston game last season, the Rice offense has had at least one player record a 100-yard receiving game in 10 of its last 13 games.
- WR Corbin Smiter registered a career-best 75 yards on three catches. His previous career-best was 48 yards against Troy during the 2006 New Orleans Bowl.
- WR Toren Dixon has caught a pass in 21 consecutive games. He finished with two catches for 27 yards.
- RB C.J. Ugokwe rushed for 103 yards on 19 carries. He is the first Rice running back to register back-to-back 100-yards games since Quinton Smith during the 2006 season
- P Kyle Martens boomed a career-best 57-yard punt in the second quarter. His previous long was a 52-yard punt at Tulsa.
- KR Ja'Corey Shepherd opened the second half with a career-long 43-yard kickoff return. The Owls capped the nine-play, 57-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by James Casey to open the second half.
- PK Clark Fangmeier added seven PATs which allowed him to pass Tulane's Brad Palazzo (1996-98) and Cincinnati's Jonathan Ruffin (1999-2002). He now has 131 career PATs and is in a tie for fifth place with East Carolina's Kevin Miller (1999-2002) on the C-USA list.
- DB Andrew Sendejo returned to the lineup after missing the last two games. He paced the Owls with eight tackles.
- DB Christopher Douglas notched his team-leading third interception in the endzone during the second quarter. The Fort Worth native's three INTs have come over the last five games. He also chipped in a career-best six tackles.
- DT Chance Talbert totaled a career-best six tackles.
- The Owls return to Rice Stadium and finish the regular season with three consecutive home games. Rice faces Army in its annual Homecoming game at 2 p.m. on November 8. Rice heads back into C-USA action against Marshall on November 22.
Players Mentioned
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