Saturday, October 26
East Hartford, CT
2:30 PM
Rice University
2-6 , 1-3
10
at
17
UCONN
5-3 , 0-0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Rice
3
0
0
7
10
UConn
0
0
7
10
17
Photo by: Brian Foley for Foley Photograph
Rice Falls at UCONN
10/26/2024 7:10:00 PM | Football
The Lead
The Rice defense forced two turnovers and returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. However, the offense was held to just a field goal as UCONN scored 17 straight second half points on its way to a 17-10 victory, Saturday afternoon at Pratt & Whitney Stadium.
The Story
The first half was a defensive struggle, as both teams combined for just 173 yards. After both teams punted on their first two possessions, Daveon Hook and Ty Morris combined for a strip sack, and Charlie Looes recovered the fumble at the UCONN 25. Rice took it down to the five, but had to settle for a Tim Horn 23-yard field goal. Rice forced its second turnover of the half when Gabriel Taylor recorded his first interceptions of the year. But the Owls were forced to punt, and Rice went into halftime with a 3-0 lead, as Rice held the Huskies to just 70 first half yards.
The second half began like the first, with both teams punting. However, on UCONN's second possession, Durell Robinson took the first play 68-yards for a touchdown. On its next three possessions, Rice picked up just 28 yards. The Huskies then scored on back-to-back possessions, first going 72 yards in seven plays, scoring on a four-yard touchdown before Chris Freeman connected on a 30-yard field goal to give UCONN a two touchdown lead with 3:40 to play. The Owls weren't done, as Quinton Jackson took the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, the longest kickoff return in school history. But the Huskies ran almost three minutes off the clock, as Rice got the ball with 22 seconds left at its own nine-yard line. After a sack and an incompletion, Drew Devillier for 20 yards. But he fumbled trying to pitch it and UCONN recovered, ending the game.
Postgame Notes
Series vs. Connecticut
• Rice and Connecticut met for the second straight year and the second time overall.
• Rice moves to 0-2 against the Huskies.
• This was the first meeting in Pratt & Whitney Stadium.
Team Notes
• Rice won the toss and deferred to the second half.
• Rice held Connecticut scoreless in the first half. It is the third time it held an opponent scoreless in the first half this year (Sept. 7 vs. Texas Southern, Sept. 28 vs. Charlotte).
• QB Drew Devillier made his first career start.
Individual Notes - Offense
• WR Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman saw his first action at Rice.
• RB Dean Connors ran a career-high 20 times for 46 yards.
• With 46 rushing yards, Connors went over 1,400 career.
• Connors became the fourth player in school history with 1,400 rushing yards and 700 receiving yards.
• He also caught four passes for 13 yards.
• Connors has 45 catches on the season to move into third-place for the most catches by a running back in a season in school history.
• He also has 96 career catches, passing Travor Cobb (1989-92) for the second-most in a career by a running back.
• Devillier became the first true freshman to start at quarterback for the Owls since JoVoni Johnson-McCray at No. 15 Marshall on Dec. 5, 2020.
• Devillier was 14-of-30 for 88 yards.
• RB Quinton Jackson ran six times for 37 yards.
• With a career-high 182 all-purpose yards, Jackson went over 1,000 for his career.
Individual Notes - Defense
• DT Blake Boenisch set a career-high with eight tackles.
• LB Tyson Flowers tied a career-high with eight tackles.
• DT Izeya Floyd recorded his first sack of the season and second of his career in the first quarter.
• LB Ty Morris had six tackles.
• Morris recorded a career-high two sacks
• He has four on the season and 4.5 sacks in his career.
• CB Gabriel Taylor recorded his first interception of the season in the second quarter.
• It was the eighth interception of his career.
Individual - Special Teams
• P Alex Bacchetta's 50-yard punt in the first quarter was his ninth 50-yard punt of the year.
• K Tim Horn connected on a 23-yard field goal with 2:35 to play in the first quarter.
• He's now 2-of-3 on the year and 10-of-15 in his career.
• Horn converted his only PAT attempt of the game.
• Horn is 4-of-4 on the year and a perfect 54-of-54 in his career, including 51-of-51 at Rice.
• Jackson's 100-yard kickoff return was the first returned for a touchdown since 2012 and was the longest in school history.
• He had 145 total kickoff return yards.
The Rice defense forced two turnovers and returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. However, the offense was held to just a field goal as UCONN scored 17 straight second half points on its way to a 17-10 victory, Saturday afternoon at Pratt & Whitney Stadium.
The Story
The first half was a defensive struggle, as both teams combined for just 173 yards. After both teams punted on their first two possessions, Daveon Hook and Ty Morris combined for a strip sack, and Charlie Looes recovered the fumble at the UCONN 25. Rice took it down to the five, but had to settle for a Tim Horn 23-yard field goal. Rice forced its second turnover of the half when Gabriel Taylor recorded his first interceptions of the year. But the Owls were forced to punt, and Rice went into halftime with a 3-0 lead, as Rice held the Huskies to just 70 first half yards.
The second half began like the first, with both teams punting. However, on UCONN's second possession, Durell Robinson took the first play 68-yards for a touchdown. On its next three possessions, Rice picked up just 28 yards. The Huskies then scored on back-to-back possessions, first going 72 yards in seven plays, scoring on a four-yard touchdown before Chris Freeman connected on a 30-yard field goal to give UCONN a two touchdown lead with 3:40 to play. The Owls weren't done, as Quinton Jackson took the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, the longest kickoff return in school history. But the Huskies ran almost three minutes off the clock, as Rice got the ball with 22 seconds left at its own nine-yard line. After a sack and an incompletion, Drew Devillier for 20 yards. But he fumbled trying to pitch it and UCONN recovered, ending the game.
Postgame Notes
Series vs. Connecticut
• Rice and Connecticut met for the second straight year and the second time overall.
• Rice moves to 0-2 against the Huskies.
• This was the first meeting in Pratt & Whitney Stadium.
Team Notes
• Rice won the toss and deferred to the second half.
• Rice held Connecticut scoreless in the first half. It is the third time it held an opponent scoreless in the first half this year (Sept. 7 vs. Texas Southern, Sept. 28 vs. Charlotte).
• QB Drew Devillier made his first career start.
Individual Notes - Offense
• WR Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman saw his first action at Rice.
• RB Dean Connors ran a career-high 20 times for 46 yards.
• With 46 rushing yards, Connors went over 1,400 career.
• Connors became the fourth player in school history with 1,400 rushing yards and 700 receiving yards.
• He also caught four passes for 13 yards.
• Connors has 45 catches on the season to move into third-place for the most catches by a running back in a season in school history.
• He also has 96 career catches, passing Travor Cobb (1989-92) for the second-most in a career by a running back.
• Devillier became the first true freshman to start at quarterback for the Owls since JoVoni Johnson-McCray at No. 15 Marshall on Dec. 5, 2020.
• Devillier was 14-of-30 for 88 yards.
• RB Quinton Jackson ran six times for 37 yards.
• With a career-high 182 all-purpose yards, Jackson went over 1,000 for his career.
Individual Notes - Defense
• DT Blake Boenisch set a career-high with eight tackles.
• LB Tyson Flowers tied a career-high with eight tackles.
• DT Izeya Floyd recorded his first sack of the season and second of his career in the first quarter.
• LB Ty Morris had six tackles.
• Morris recorded a career-high two sacks
• He has four on the season and 4.5 sacks in his career.
• CB Gabriel Taylor recorded his first interception of the season in the second quarter.
• It was the eighth interception of his career.
Individual - Special Teams
• P Alex Bacchetta's 50-yard punt in the first quarter was his ninth 50-yard punt of the year.
• K Tim Horn connected on a 23-yard field goal with 2:35 to play in the first quarter.
• He's now 2-of-3 on the year and 10-of-15 in his career.
• Horn converted his only PAT attempt of the game.
• Horn is 4-of-4 on the year and a perfect 54-of-54 in his career, including 51-of-51 at Rice.
• Jackson's 100-yard kickoff return was the first returned for a touchdown since 2012 and was the longest in school history.
• He had 145 total kickoff return yards.
Team Stats
RIC
UCO
Total Yards
178
309
Pass Yards
88
128
Rushing Yards
90
181
Penalty Yards
95
50
1st Downs
10
18
3rd Downs
2
3
4th Downs
0
0
TOP
28:26
31:34
1st Quarter
RIC 3, UCO 0
RIC - Horn,Tim 23 yd field goal 5 plays, 20 yards, TOP 02:13
3rd Quarter
RIC 3, UCO 7
UCO - Robinson,Durell 68 yd run (Freeman,Chris kick), 1 plays, 68 yards, TOP 00:10
4th Quarter
RIC 3, UCO 14
UCO - Edwards,Cam 4 yd run (Freeman,Chris kick), 7 plays, 72 yards, TOP 03:52
RIC 3, UCO 17
UCO - Freeman,Chris 30 yd field goal 9 plays, 31 yards, TOP 04:54
RIC 10, UCO 17
RIC - Jackson,Quinton 100 yd kickoff return (Horn,Tim kick)
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
14
TD
0
YDS
88
INT
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ Football
WR
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RB
/ FootballQB
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SAF
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DL
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SAF
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RB
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WR
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DL
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SAF
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