Rice Game Notes

Oct. 17, 2009

Rice captains for the East Carolina game were WR Toren Dixon, DE Cheta Ozougwu, DB Andrew Sendejo and TE Taylor Wardlow. Rice won the toss and deferred to the second half. ECU received the opening kickoff and began the game defending the west end zone.

Clark Fangmeier's 33-yard field goal capped the Owls' first offensive series. The field goal marked the first time during the 2009 season Rice scored on its opening drive. Prior to the ECU game, Rice had scored just seven, first-quarter points. The Owls' 10, first-half points against ECU equaled a season high.

After having a streak of at least one field goal in each of the Owls' first five games come to an end last week against Navy, Fangmeier kicked his sixth field goal of the season for Rice's first points. Fangmeier also knocked through a 24-yard field goal in the third quarter. He now has four, multiple field goal games. The last was against Memphis in 2008.

Fangmeier has now scored 251 points and heads into the UCF game needing 10 to pass Trevor Cobb (1989-92) and move into second on the Rice all-time scoring list. Jarett Dillard's 360 points is the school career record.

Fangmeier also moved into a tie with Virginia Tech's Shayne Graham (1996-99) and Florida's Jeff Chandler (1997-01) for 20th on the NCAA's all-time conversion list with 167 career PATs. He has now booted 99 straight attempts.

Toren Dixon moved his current active streak to 33 consecutive games with a reception when he grabbed a four-yard catch early in the second quarter. Dixon went on to catch eight passes for 115 yards. With 1,469 career yards, he passed Melvin Robinson (1,409 from 1981-84) for sixth on the career list. Doug Cunningham is fifth on the chart with 1,522 career yards.

Dixon's 115 receiving yards marked his fourth, 100-yard receiving game. He fell just short of his career highs of nine receptions (Oklahoma State) and 120 receiving yards (OSU & UAB).

Dixon's 80-yard touchdown catch from Nick Fanuzzi late in the second quarter was the Owls' longest offensive play of the year as well as a career-best statistically for both players. The tandem hooked up for a 72-yard touchdown earlier this year at Oklahoma State. The 80-yard play was the longest for Rice since Chase Clement tossed an 80-yard touchdown pass to Jarett Dillard in last year's game against Army.

Rice entered the East Carolina game with only one interception through the first six games of the season. The Owls had two picks against the Pirates. Sophomore linebacker Ronnie Lillard intercepted his first career pass in the opening quarter. Lillard was credited with a 22-yard return before fumbling the football. The Fort Myers, Fla., native also set a new career tackle high with five stops. His previous best was three tackles (vs. North Texas & Vanderbilt during the 2008 season).

Sophomore defensive back Jarrett Ben also had his first career interception to halt ECU's final first half possession.

Junior defensive end Cheta Ozougwu recorded his first career double-digit tackle game, finishing with 10 stops against East Carolina. Ozougwu had four solo stops including 2.5 tackles for lost yards.

Junior defensive end Scott Solomon had 1.5 tackles for lost yards against East Carolina, giving him 26 career tackles for lost yardage. He now shares 10th on the career list with Clenzie Pierson, ND Kalu and Brian Raines. He registered nine total tackles.

Sophomore defensive back Travis Bradshaw registered his seventh career double-figure tackle game including his second in the Owls' last three contests. He finished with 10 tackles against East Carolina, two shy of his career high of 12.

Senior defensive back Andrew Sendejo finished with nine tackles and now has 318 in his career. With 318 total stops he moved into a tie for second on the Rice all-time tackle list. Sendejo moved past Danny Burgess (310, 1983-86) and tied Dan Dawson (318, 1998-2001). O.J. Brigance (1987-90) is the all-time leader with 367 tackles.

ECU's Dwayne Harris' 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown was the longest against Rice since Tulsa's Ashlan Davis scored on a 96-yard return Oct. 15, 2005.

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