Rice Drops LendingTree Bowl to Southern Miss

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Football

vs Prairie View A&M

Sep 13

6 PM

Rice Stadium

Football

at Charlotte

Sep 18

6:30 PM

Charlotte, NC

Football

at Navy

Sep 27

2:30 PM

Annapolis, Md.

Football

vs Florida Atlantic

Oct 4

TBA

Rice Stadium

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at UTSA

Oct 11

TBA

San Antonio, TX

Football

vs UCONN

Oct 25

TBA

Rice Stadium

Football

vs Memphis

Oct 31

6 PM

Rice Stadium

The Lead

Rice gained 425 yards of offense, but Frank Gore, Jr., rushed for 329 yards and the Owls fell to Southern Miss, 38-24, in the LendingTree Bowl.

The Story

Southern Miss opened the game needing just five plays to get in the end zone. After the teams traded punts, Rice drove into USM territory. But, after AJ Padgett connected on a 26-yard pass Jack Bradley, he fumbled and Southern Miss recovered. Two possessions later, the Golden Eagles doubled their lead when Gore went 64 yards for a touchdown. Rice got on the board when it drove to the USM 15-yard line, but had to settle for a Christian VanSickle 34-yard field goal. But Southern Miss answered with a field goal of its own and Rice went into halftime trailing 17-3.

Rice began the second half firing on all cylinders. Padgett was 4-for-4 on their opening drive, finishing with a 26-yard touchdown to Isaiah Esdale. The Owls defense then stepped up as Izeya Floyd forced a fumble, which was recovered by Ikenna Enechukwu, and Rice took over at the Southern Miss 32. One play later, Padgett connected with Esdale for his second touchdown to tie the game. Rice forced a punt and immediately took advantage. After Cameron Montgomery went up the middle for 57 yards, Padgett hit Bradley Rozner in the corner of the end zone, giving Rice the 24-17 lead. But, the Golden Eagles came right back, needing just five plays to score and tie the game. The Owls again drove into USM territory, but were forced to punt. Southern Miss then retook the lead on a 26-yard touchdown pass. Rice had a chance to tie the game, moving the ball to the Southern Miss nine-yard line. But, on fourth-and-six, Padgett's pass attempt to Rozner was knocked away. Gore then put the game away, rushing up the middle for a 55-yard touchdown.

Postgame Notes
Team

This was the 13th meeting between Rice and Southern Miss.
Rice has a 6-6 record in the series.
This was the first meeting as non-conference opponents.
Rice is 7-5 all-time in bowl games.
Rice won the toss and deferred to the second half.
The Owls gained 425 yards of offense, the seventh time this year they went over 400 yards.
Rice's 21 points in the third quarter tied the most in a quarter in a bowl game. Rice also scored 21 in the second quarter of the 1938 Cotton Bowls against Colorado.

Individual

OL Shea Baker made his 54^th career start and played in his 55^th career game, both of which are Rice records.
RB Quinton Jackson saw his first career action, rushing three times for 15 yards and making two catches for 54 yards.
QB AJ Padgett was 19-of-37 for 295 yards and three touchdowns.
Padgett's three touchdowns tied a Rice bowl record.
RB Cameron Montgomery ran seven times for 63 yards.
WR Isiah Esdale caught three passes for a season-high 83 yards and two touchdowns.
They were his first two touchdowns of the year and gave him his first career multi-touchdown game.
He became the second player with at least two touchdowns in a bowl game, joining Jordan Taylor, who had three in the 2012 Armed Forces Bowl.
WR Bradley Rozner caught three passes for 42 yards. He now has 876 receiving yards this year, passing Jordan Taylor (2013 and 2014) for seventh-place on Rice's single-season list.
Rozner now has 101 receptions in his career, becoming the 15^th player in Rice history with 100 career receptions.
WR Braylen Walker's 20-yard run in the second quarter was the first carry of his career.
S George Nyakwol recorded three tackles to go over 200 in his career.
K Christian VanSickle connected on a 34-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
VanSickle now has 12 field goals on the year, tying Alan Pringle (1973) and Matt Huelsman (1994) for eighth on Rice's single season list.
DE Josh Pearcy led the Owls with seven tackles.
LB Treshawn Chamberlain and LB Myron Morrison also had seven tackles.
He also recorded a sack to give him a team-high 6.5 on the year and 12.0 in his career.
DE Ikenna Enechukwu recorded a sack to give him 4.5 on the year and 10.5 in his career.

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