McCaffrey Leads Five Owls on All-AAC Football Team

HOUSTON-Rice wide receiver Luke McCaffrey leads the list of five Owls who were named to the 2023 All-American Athletic Conference football team which was announced on Wednesday.

The junior wide receiver, who leads the conference and is tied for seventh nationally with 12 touchdown receptions, was named to the All-AAC first team in voting by conference coaches and he was joined by running back Dean Connors, linebacker Myron Morrison, rush end Josh Pearcy and safety Gabriel Taylor who earned honorable mention honors.

McCaffrey finished the regular season reaching career highs with 68 receptions and 963 yards in addition to his 12 receiving touchdowns. He ranks fourth in the conference in receptions and fifth in yards while his conference-leading 12 touchdowns are tied for the eighth most in conference history. He ranks fifth on the Rice season list with 963 yards and 12 TDs, and seventh with 68 receptions while he is tied for third on the career list with 17 touchdowns and ranks eighth with 120 career receptions and 1,686 yards. He has been invited to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl after the season.

Connors enjoyed a breakout season, leading the Owls in rushing (707 yards), rushing touchdowns (5), and all-purpose yards (1,117) while also catching 42 passes for 395 yards and three scores. He averaged 6.7 yards per carry, the best by a Rice running back (minimum 100 carries) since Thomas Lott Jr. averaged 7.29 in 2003.

Morrison started all 12 games at the Will LB this season and finished second on the team with 71 tackles while serving as a co-captain.

Pearcy also served as a co-captain this year and led the team with six quarterback hits. He was tied for second on the team with 17 hurries and third with 25 total pressures while finishing with 42 tackles in 12 starts.
Taylor started 11 games and was second on the squad with 10 passes defending, including a pair of interceptions to tie for the team lead. He averaged a career-best 5.1 tackles per game.

Rice will return to the practice field for the first of three practices this week in advance of learning the destination for the Owls' 14^th postseason bowl appearance on Sunday.

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