Rice University
3-2
North Texas
0-4
Owls Roll to Record Win
9/27/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 27, 2008
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery 
HOUSTON - Chase Clement and Jarett Dillard established one NCAA record, while Dillard tied a second to highlight a record-setting night as Rice blasted North Texas 77-20 at Rice Stadium on Saturday.
The point total set a Conference USA record and were the most points by a Rice team in the modern era. The only Owl football team to score more points in a game was the 1916 unit who defeated SMU 146-3. The margin of victory was the largest by Rice since 1944 when the Owls defeated Galveston Air Force Base 57-0.
The senior duo from San Antonio, who came to Rice as unheralded recruits destined to run an option attack, became the most productive duo in NCAA history by connecting on three touchdown passes to raise their career total to 41. The pair came into the game one shy of the record first set by Tim Rattay and Troy Edwards of Louisiana Tech in 1997-98 and matched last season by Colt Brennan and Davone Bess of Hawaii.
They matched those combos when they connected on a three-yard scoring play in the first quarter and they made the record their own on a 18-yard strike with strike with 4:40 left in the second quarter.
Dillard finished the night with a school-record four touchdown catches, which also matched the C-USA record, and his final score of the night, a four-yarder from Clement just before halftime, allowed him to tie Troy Edwards for the NCAA career record for touchdown receptions with 50. He caught eight passes and topped 100 yards for the third consecutive game, finishing with 114 yards.
The game was a wide open affair at the start as the teams combined for nearly 400 yards in the first quarter as the Owls took a 21-13 lead. Clement hit on all 11 attempts for 164 yards and two touchdowns in the first frame, while North Texas' Giovanni Vizza, who played at the same high school as Clement, nearly matched his production, throwing for 161 yards.
But the Owls defense produced six turnovers in the next three quarters and held the Mean Green passing attack to just seven points and 96 more passing yards, while the Owls' offense continued to roll. The Owls recovered three muffed punts, turning two into touchdowns, intercepted three passes, returning two for scores, and blocked a pair of kicks.
Rice scored on its first six possessions to move the lead to 42-20. North Texas' first stop of the game backfired when they fumbled the Owls first punt of the day and Rice scored three plays later. Dillard and Clement's record-setting touchdown pass closed out the flurry of first half points to give the Owls a 56-20 lead at the half.
After Clement connected on a seven-yard scoring pass to Patrick Randolph, his night was through and the Owls final two touchdowns came courtesy of the defense.
Freshman defensive end Arnaud Gascon-Nadon picked off a pass in the flat and returned it 13 yards for a score, and less than two minutes later, junior Christopher Douglas grabbed a pass that had been deflected by defensive end Kramer Lucio and returned it 40 yards for a score.
Clement finished the night 22 of 28 for 298 yards and five touchdowns, and he added a pair of scores on the ground to go with 69 yards rushing. Toren Dixon, who opened the scoring parade by hauling in a career-long, 50-yard pass from Clement, topped 100 yards receiving for the first time in his career (4 for 101), while James Casey just missed giving the Owls three receivers with 100 yards, finishing with eight catches for 92 yards.
Rice place kicker Clark Fangmeier etched his name in the school and conference record books by converting all 11 PATs during the game. He raised his career total 109 PATs, nine shy of the school career record.
Rice heads back on the road next week for a C-USA showdown with Tulsa next Saturday night. The game will be televised nationally on CBS College Sports.
Team Stats
NT 0, RICE 7
RICE - DIXON, Toren 50 yd pass from CLEMENT, Chase (FANGMEIER, Clar kick) 5 plays, 77 yards, TOP 1:53
NT 6, RICE 7
NT - Montgomery,C. 1 yd run (Knott,Jeremy kickblocked), 9 plays, 71 yards, TOP 3:35
NT 6, RICE 14
RICE - DILLARD, Jarett 3 yd pass from CLEMENT, Chase (FANGMEIER, Clar kick) 6 plays, 61 yards, TOP 2:26
NT 6, RICE 21
RICE - CLEMENT, Chase 25 yd run (FANGMEIER, Clar kick), 3 plays, 56 yards, TOP 0:48
NT 13, RICE 21
NT - Montgomery,C. 15 yd run (Knott,Jeremy kick), 4 plays, 63 yards, TOP 1:37
NT 13, RICE 28
RICE - DILLARD, Jarett 30 yd pass from GOODSON, Jeramy (FANGMEIER, Clar kick) 5 plays, 63 yards, TOP 1:58
NT 20, RICE 28
NT - Dunbar,Lance 7 yd pass from Vizza,Giovanni (Knott,Jeremy kick) 7 plays, 76 yards, TOP 2:55
NT 20, RICE 35
RICE - CLEMENT, Chase 6 yd run (FANGMEIER, Clar kick), 9 plays, 70 yards, TOP 4:00
NT 20, RICE 42
RICE - KNOX, Marcus 3 yd run (FANGMEIER, Clar kick), 2 plays, 19 yards, TOP 0:17
NT 20, RICE 49
RICE - DILLARD, Jarett 18 yd pass from CLEMENT, Chase (FANGMEIER, Clar kick) 3 plays, 21 yards, TOP 1:01
NT 20, RICE 56
RICE - DILLARD, Jarett 4 yd pass from CLEMENT, Chase (FANGMEIER, Clar kick) 10 plays, 84 yards, TOP 2:22
NT 20, RICE 63
RICE - RANDOLPH, Patri 7 yd pass from CLEMENT, Chase (FANGMEIER, Clar kick) 4 plays, 41 yards, TOP 2:07
NT 20, RICE 70
RICE - GASCON-NADON, A 13 yd interception (FANGMEIER, Clar kick)
NT 20, RICE 77
RICE - DOUGLAS, Chris 40 yd interception (FANGMEIER, Clar kick)
