Rice University
0-1 , 0-1
Middle Tennessee
2-5 , 2-3
Owls Drop Overtime Thriller
10/24/2020 8:25:00 PM | Football
Fall to Middle Tennessee 40-34
The Details: After waiting nearly two months to join in the 2020 football season, the Owls jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to a pair of field goals by grad transfer Collin Riccitelli. MTSU bracketed a Mike Collins touchdown pass to August Pitre III with a pair of touchdowns of their own to take a 14-13 lead into the locker room. They doubled their point total to extend the lead to 28-13 on a 21-yard pass from O'Hara to CJ Windham and a return of a Collins fumble for a score. Collins, who threw for four touchdowns and 242 yards, hit senior Austin Trammell for the first of his two touchdowns near the end of the quarter to cut the margin to 28-19 after a try for two points was stopped. The Owls defense stiffened after MTSU pounced on a muffed punt at the Owls 17 to force a field goal, setting the stage for a wild final quarter. Collins marched Rice 83 yards in only six plays, cutting the margin to 31-26 with a 22-yard scoring pass to Jack Bradley. After forcing a pair of MTSU punts, the Owls found themselves again at their own 17 with just 2:24 left on the clock. Eight plays had gained just 15 yards and burned away most of the game clock and the Owls were faced with a fourth and 24. Trammell broke free down the middle and Collins found him for a 48-yard gain. After a penalty moved it to the Blue Raiders 20, Collins and Trammell again connected, this time for the score to give the Owls their first lead since it was 13-7. The pair connected one more time for a two-point conversion to increase the lead to 34-31. However, MTSU tied it up with a field goal as time ran out to force the 13th overtime game in Rice history. After a missed field goal by the Blue Raiders, Riccitelli lofted a 45-yard field goal attempt that struck both uprights as well as the cross bar twice before bouncing back into play.
The Notes:
- After staring the game 2-10, Mike Collins finished the game 18-35 for 242 yards. He became the first Rice quarterback to throw four touchdown passes in a game since Tyler Stehling threw five vs. Prairie View in 2016.
- Austin Trammell did not record a catch until his first TD of the night, but finished with three catches for 76 yards. His two TDs' raised his career total to nine. His first TD catch allowed him to extend his streak of games with a reception to 28. He also returned 1 kickoff for 33 yards to move past Shane Turner into seventh on the Owls career list with 1,047 yards.
- Jordan Myers caught a career-high six passes for 65 yards.
- Jack Bradley caught two passes for 49 yards and a touchdown, his first career touchdown.
- Blaze Alldredge recorded 13 tackles. It was his sixth career double-digit tackle game.
- Kirk Lockhart recorded a career-high 12 tackles. It is his first career double-digit tackle game.
- Rice is now 57-50-2 all-time in season openers.
- Rice opened the season at home for the 73rd time. The Owls are 51-22 when opening the season at home.
- Rice is 6-7 all-time in overtime and has lost its last three.
- Rice kicked a field goal on its opening possession. Last year, the Owls scored on their opening possession six times.
- Rice's 18-play scoring drive in the second quarter was its longest since a 19-play drive that resulted in a field goal at Stanford on Nov. 26, 2016.
Team Stats
MT 0, RICE 3
RICE - RICCITELLI, C. 34 yd field goal 8 plays, 63 yards, TOP 3:49
MT 0, RICE 6
RICE - RICCITELLI, C. 45 yd field goal 9 plays, 29 yards, TOP 3:56
MT 7, RICE 6
MT - ALI, Yusuf 25 yd pass from O'HARA, Asher (HOLT, Crews kick) 7 plays, 68 yards, TOP 2:22
MT 7, RICE 13
RICE - PITRE III, A. 3 yd pass from COLLINS, Mike (RICCITELLI, C. kick) 18 plays, 80 yards, TOP 9:07
MT 14, RICE 13
MT - WINDHAM, CJ 21 yd pass from O'HARA, Asher (HOLT, Crews kick) 6 plays, 66 yards, TOP 1:03
MT 21, RICE 13
MT - O'HARA, Asher 2 yd run (HOLT, Crews kick), 7 plays, 62 yards, TOP 3:08
MT 28, RICE 13
MT - BUTLER, J. 32 yd fumble recovery (HOLT, Crews kick)
MT 28, RICE 19
RICE - TRAMMELL, A. 8 yd pass from COLLINS, Mike (COLLINS, Mike passfailed) 5 plays, 65 yards, TOP 2:21
MT 31, RICE 19
MT - HOLT, Crews 20 yd field goal 5 plays, 15 yards, TOP 1:52
MT 31, RICE 26
RICE - BRADLEY, Jack 22 yd pass from COLLINS, Mike (RICCITELLI, C. kick) 6 plays, 83 yards, TOP 3:26
MT 31, RICE 34
RICE - TRAMMELL, A. 20 yd pass from COLLINS, Mike (TRAMMELL, A. pass) 10 plays, 83 yards, TOP 1:50
MT 34, RICE 34
MT - HOLT, Crews 48 yd field goal 5 plays, 35 yards, TOP 0:34
MT 40, RICE 34
MT - O'HARA, Asher 14 yd run (), 4 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
