Rice University
3-3 , 1-1
UCONN
1-5 , 0-0
Miscues Sidetrack Owls in Loss to Huskies
10/7/2023 9:16:00 PM | Football
Otoviano and McCaffrey score twice
Details-The Owls stormed out of the gate in the first quarter, scoring on back-to-back drives to take a 14-0 lead thanks to a pair of scoring dashes by Otoviano. He opened the scoring with a 24-yard burst up the middle and used the same pathway to cover seven yards and score multiple touchdowns in a game for the first time since his freshman season in 2018. But the Huskies answered the Owls' outburst with 20 points in the second quarter, the first two scores set up by Rice turnovers. Rice opened the second half by limiting UConn to five yards on its first three plays, but a muffed punt moved set UConn up in Rice territory, leading a touchdown and two-point conversion to extend the lead to 14. Daniels and the Owls responded with a 14-play, 80-yard march, capped by a four-yard scoring toss to McCaffrey near the end of the third quarter. Daniels and McCaffrey combined on a 30-yard touchdown to cut the margin to 31-28 with 6:49 to play, but UConn answered with another score to put the deficit back to 10. Rice made one last charge, covering 60 yards in eight plays, settling for a field goal to move to within a touchdown, but UConn recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt to close out the game.
Up Next-The Owls (3-3, 1-1) will be off next Saturday before opening the closing stretch of six conference games with a Thursday night road assignment at Tulsa (3-3, 1-1).
Notes
- This was the first-ever meeting between Rice and UCONN.
- Rice's 76 first-quarter points are the most in a season since scoring 81 in 2013… The Owls have outscored opponents 76-10 in the first quarter.
- QB JT Daniels was 33-of-49 for 362 yards and two touchdowns.
- It was his third 300-yard passing game this year and the 10th of his career.
- Daniels went over 8,500 career passing yards.
- He now has 15 touchdowns on the year and 60 in his career.
- Daniels' 33 completions are the seventh-most in a game in school history and the most since Tyler Stehling had 35 at Charlotte on Nov. 12, 2016.
- RB Juma Otoviano rushed six times for 51 yards and two touchdowns.
- Otoviano's rushing touchdowns came from 24 and seven yards. The 24-yarder was his longest run of the year.
- WR Luke McCaffrey caught seven passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns.
- He now has six receiving touchdowns this year and 12 in his career, one shy of moving into a five-way tie for ninth in school history.
- It was also his second 100-yard receiving game this year and the fifth of his career.
- WR Rawson MacNeill set career-highs with seven receptions for 91 yards.
- RB Quinton Jackson's 41-yard kick return in the second quarter was a career-long and the longest kick return of the season.
- It is also the longest kick return since Otoviano had a 50-yarder vs. UAB on Oct. 23, 2021.
- S Plae Wyatt led all players with a career-high 10 tackles.
- Peyton Stevenson blocked UConn's first PAT attempt, the first by an Owl since Greyson Schantz and Louisiana Tech on 10/29/16.
Team Stats
CON 0, RIC 7
RIC - Otoviano,Juma 24 yd run (Horn,Tim kick), 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:21
CON 0, RIC 14
RIC - Otoviano,Juma 7 yd run (Horn,Tim kick), 8 plays, 78 yards, TOP 04:36
CON 6, RIC 14
CON - Stafford,Jelani 1 yd run (), 2 plays, 2 yards, TOP 00:44
CON 13, RIC 14
CON - Mitchell,Jackson 50 yd fumble recovery (McFadden,Joe kick)
CON 20, RIC 14
CON - Ross,Cameron 41 yd pass from Roberson,Ta'Quan (McFadden,Joe kick) 7 plays, 67 yards, TOP 04:23
CON 28, RIC 14
CON - Stafford,Jelani 1 yd run (Joly,Justin pass), 7 plays, 41 yards, TOP 03:34
CON 28, RIC 21
RIC - McCaffrey,Luke 4 yd pass from Daniels,JT (Horn,Tim kick) 14 plays, 80 yards, TOP 07:45
CON 31, RIC 21
CON - McFadden,Joe 47 yd field goal 7 plays, 46 yards, TOP 02:58
CON 31, RIC 28
RIC - McCaffrey,Luke 30 yd pass from Daniels,JT (Horn,Tim kick) 5 plays, 80 yards, TOP 02:22
CON 38, RIC 28
CON - Joly,Justin 59 yd pass from Roberson,Ta'Quan (McFadden,Joe kick) 3 plays, 76 yards, TOP 01:43
CON 38, RIC 31
RIC - Horn,Tim 23 yd field goal 8 plays, 60 yards, TOP 01:30
