Bucket List IV
10/13/2010 10:13:00 PM | General, Blog
With the latest edition of the Bayou Bucket set for this Saturday at Rice Stadium, the R Blog will spend this week looking back at some of the Owls' memorable moments in the series with the Cougars since it began in 1971.
In our fourth installment, we take a look back at how the Owls rallied to bring a storied era to a close.
November 29, 1986
Rice 14, Houston 13
The Astrodome
Exactly six years to the date when they last took possession of the Bayou Bucket, a coach in his first year at Rice sent a legendary coach out with a loss as the Owls scored 14 points in the last 5:36 of the game to defeat Houston 14-13.
Jerry Berndt was in his first year at the helm of the Rice football program and was looking to build upon the momentum that had started one week earlier with an upset of Air Force.
Houston's Bill Yeoman, was looking to avoid going winless in his final Southwest Conference campaign, after building the program from an independent to a team that captured at least a share of four SWC titles.
The inspired Cougars seemed destined to present Yeoman with his 161st career victory, holding a 13-0 lead after Chad Browndyke's second field goal of the game with 9:04 left in the game.
But Quentis Roper struck back with 5:36 left in the game, scoring from one yard out after the Owls were set up deep in Houston territory thanks to a blocked punt by Eddie Burgoyne, who then scooped up the deflected boot and returned it to the Houston 14.
Rice took possession of the ball one last time, 61 yards away from the Cougar goal line in the game's final moments. Twice the Owls converted on fourth down to keep the fateful drive alive, setting the stage for Roper's winning toss to Darrell Goolsby.
Berndt became the third Rice coach to capture the Bayou Bucket, while Yeoman closed out his career with 10 wins when the trophy was on the line.
