Rice Falls to North Texas in Regular Season Finale

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Sep 6

6 PM

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Sep 13

6 PM

Rice Stadium

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Sep 18

6:30 PM

Charlotte, NC

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2:30 PM

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vs Florida Atlantic

Oct 4

TBA

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at UTSA

Oct 11

TBA

San Antonio, TX

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vs UCONN

Oct 25

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The Lead

AJ Padgett threw for 229 yards in his first career start, but Rice fell to North Texas, 21-17, in its regular season finale, Saturday afternoon from Apogee Stadium.

The Story

Both teams had chances early. After North Texas drove to the Rice 29-yard line, Kenny Seymour, Jr., blocked the ensuing field goal attempt. The Owls then drove to the UNT 31-yard line. But on third-and-one, AJ Padgett fumbled and North Texas recovered the ball. After the teams exchanged punts, North Texas got on the board first when Austin Aude connected with Jyaire Shorter on a 45-yard touchdown. Rice came right back. After Juma Otoviano caught a career-long 48-yard pass to set up the Owls inside the 10-yard line, Uriah West capped it off with a one-yard touchdown run. The Mean Green retook the lead on a seven-yard touchdown run, but Rice again tied it, as AJ Padgett connected with Braylen Walker on a 48-yard touchdown pass, and the teams went into halftime tied at 14.

The teams played a scoreless third quarter. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Christian VanSickle hit a 24-yard field goal to give Rice a 17-14 lead, its first of the game. But North Texas answered, driving 75 yards in eight plays, scoring on an Ikaika Ragsdale six-yard touchdown catch. Rice had one last chance to take the lead, getting the ball back with 4:43 left in the game. After gaining 22 yards, Padgett took an eight-yard sack. But on fourth-and 23, his pass to Isaiah Esdale was intercepted with 1:12 left, and North Texas ran out the clock.

Postgame Notes
Team

This was the 13th meeting between Rice and North Texas.
Rice has a 5-8 record in the series and is 2-4 in Denton.
Rice won the toss and deferred to the second half.
The Owls gained 415 yards of offense, the sixth time this year they went over 400 yards.

Individual

QB AJ Padgett made his first career start, going 13-of-22 for 229 yards and a touchdown.
He is the seventh true freshman quarterback to start since 2006 and the first since JoVoni Johnson against Marshall on Nov. 2, 2019.
WR Braylen Walker saw his first career action, catching four passes for 77 yards and a touchdown.
RB Juma Otoviano ran 14 times for 94 yards.
With his 94 rushing yards, Otoviano went over 1,000 for his career.
He also caught a 48-yard reception in the second quarter, the longest reception of his career.
WR Isaish Esdale caught five passes for a season-high 69 yards.
WR Bradley Rozner caught two passes for 28 yards. He now has 834 receiving yards this year, passing Jordan Taylor (2012) for ninth-place on Rice's single-season list.
RB Uriah West's one-yard touchdown run was his third of the year and the 16^th of his career.
S George Nyakwol tied a career-high with 11 tackles.
LB Treshawn Chamberlain tied a season-high with seven tackles.
With eight tackles, LB Myron Morrison went over 100 for his career.
LB Kenny Seymour, Jr., blocked a field in the first quarter. It was the first blocked field goal since Desmyn Baker at Charlotte on Nov. 6, 2021.
K Christian VanSickle connected on a 24-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
VanSickle now has 11 field goals on the year, tying James Hamrick (1984) and Chris Boswell (2010) or 10^th on Rice's single season list.
He also has 15 in his career at Rice, passing Darrell Richardson (1991-92) for 10^th most on Rice's career list.

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