Owls Outlast Pirates to Win AAC Home Debut
9/30/2023 11:41:00 PM | Football
Defense tops three fourth downs in the final 3:32
The Details: Daniels-who had been limited all week due to a lower-body injury sustained last week at USF-and the Owls (3-2; 1-1) were limited to just 90 yards in the first half, but took a 10-9 lead into the locker room, thanks to the Rice defense which held the Pirates (1-4, 0-1) to three field goals on four trips inside the red zone. The defense opened the second half by denying ECU at the one-yard line with the first of four, fourth-down stops. Daniels moved the Owls out of the shadow of their own goalposts after the goal-line stand to flip the field and one possession later, marched Rice 53 yards in seven plays to a score. True freshman QB Chase Jenkins scored on a four-yard run to push the margin to 17-9, but ECU answered with a 17-play, 80-yard march to finally reach the end zone. The Pirates then converted the two-point conversion to tie the game with 8:24 remaining. Daniels swiftly retook the lead for Rice, moving the Owls 75 yards in four plays. He was 3-3 for 70 yards, the last 44 to true freshman Landon Ransom-Goelz, who along with Jenkins was among four freshmen who entered Rice last January. That left it to the Owls' defense to fend off the Pirates' final threats. Co-captain Josh Pearcy dropped ECU's Chase Sowell two yards short of the line to gain on fourth down with 3:32 left. Daveon Hook broke up an Alex Finn fourth-down pass with 2:17 remaining and Chike Anigbogu sacked Finn on fourth down with 24 seconds left to seal the victory.
Up Next: Rice steps back out of conference for the final time in the 2023 regular season when they host UConn next Saturday at 4 p.m. at Rice Stadium.
NOTES
- All three touchdowns for Rice were scored by freshman (redshirt freshman Rawson MacNeill and true freshmen Chase Jenkins and Landon Rawson-Goelz).
- Rice improved to 3-2 on the year and 1-1 in the American Athletic Conference.
- This was the fifth meeting between Rice and East Carolina and the first since 2010.
- Rice is 3-2 in the series and 3-0 at home.
- The 17 points allowed tied the fewest allowed in the series.
- It is also the fewest points allowed in a conference home game since allowing 14 to North Texas on Nov. 23, 2019.
- Rice moves to 2-2 in conference home debuts. It also won its home debut in the WAC, a 35-17 victory on Oct. 19, 1996.
- The Owls held ECU to just 2-of-6 on fourth down, improving their mark to 5-of-14 on the year.
Individual
- OL Miguel Cedeno made his first career start.
- QB JT Daniels' two TD passes gives him 13 touchdowns on the year and 58 in his career.
- His 13 touchdown passes move him into 10th-place in a season in school history.
- WR Rawson MacNeill caught four passes for 51 yards and a touchdown.
- WR Landon Ransom-Goelz had two catches for 54 yards and his first career touchdown reception.
- TE Boden Groen set career-highs with five catches for 49 yards.
- S Marcus Williams led all players with a career-high nine tackles.
- DE Coleman Coco had a season-high eight tackles.
- LB Chris Conti had seven tackles and recorded his first career interception in the first quarter.
- S Gabriel Taylor recorded his first career sack in the second quarter.
Team Stats

ECU 3, RIC 0
ECU - Conrad,Andrew 35 yd field goal 14 plays, 56 yards, TOP 06:16

ECU 3, RIC 3
RIC - Horn,Tim 41 yd field goal 5 plays, 24 yards, TOP 01:50

ECU 3, RIC 10
RIC - MacNeill,Rawson 4 yd pass from Daniels,JT (Horn,Tim kick) 7 plays, 59 yards, TOP 03:28

ECU 6, RIC 10
ECU - Conrad,Andrew 27 yd field goal 10 plays, 44 yards, TOP 04:43

ECU 9, RIC 10
ECU - Conrad,Andrew 38 yd field goal 8 plays, 39 yards, TOP 01:20

ECU 9, RIC 17
RIC - Jenkins,Chase 4 yd run (Horn,Tim kick), 7 plays, 53 yards, TOP 04:10

ECU 17, RIC 17
ECU - Harris,Rahjai 1 yd run (Sowell,Chase pass), 17 plays, 80 yards, TOP 07:19

ECU 17, RIC 24
RIC - Ransom-Goelz,Landon 44 yd pass from Daniels,JT (Horn,Tim kick) 4 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:00