Rice Drops Non-Conference Finale at Fresno State

Saturday, September 26

Fresno, CA

9 PM

Rice University

1-3 , 0-0

Fresno State

3-1 , 0-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Rice	7	10	0	7	24
Fresno St.	0	14	10	14	38

Game Notes (PDF)

Photo by: Kevin Landeros

Rice Drops Non-Conference Finale at Fresno State

9/27/2026 12:31:00 AM | Football

Box Score

By: Tim Andrzejewski (tra3@rice.edu)

The Lead

Rice gained 463 yards of offense, but was outscored in the second half, 24-7, as it fell at Fresno State, 38-24, Saturday night from Valley Children's Stadium.

The Story
After both teams punted, Rice needed just one play, as Ben Grice took a Jacurri Brown pitch 88-yards for his first career touchdown, tying the fifth longest run in school history. Fresno State answered in the second quarter, going 69 yards before Jayden Mandal hit Josiah Freeman for an eight-yard touchdown to tie the game. The Owls came right back, as Brown hit Max Mosey for a 40-yard touchdown. Fresno State had a chance to tie the game, but Seth Clarke broke up Mandal's pass on fourth-and-goal from the Rice four-yard line. Rice had a chance to increase it's lead late in the half. But, Enock Gota's 56-yard field goal attempt had plenty of leg, but hit the right upright. The Bulldogs took advantage, going 64 yards in just 46 seconds, scoring on a Jahill McClain 28-yard touchdown catch to tie the game at 14. The Owls, though, responded, driving 72 yards in 1:04, ending with an Enock Gota 22-yard field goal to send them into the half with a 17-14 lead.

The Bulldogs opened the second half by recovering an onside kick, but Rice held them to a field goal. On the Owls' opening possession of the half, Brown was sacked on third down, fumbled, and Fresno State recovered at the Rice 19. The Bulldogs needed five plays to get into the end zone on a seven-yard Ezekiel Avit touchdown catch to give them their first lead of the game. Rice then went three-and-out, and Fresno State extended its lead to 31-17 on a Julius Gillick five-yard touchdown run. The Owls pulled within a touchdown when, on fourth-and four from the 50-yard line, Brown rushed right and beat everyone to the end zone. However, the Bulldogs needed just three plays to answer, as Rayshon Luke rushed 52-yards for the score.

Next Up

Rice returns home next Saturday, Oct. 3, when it opens American Conference play against UTSA. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., and will be streamed by ESPN+

Postgame Notes
Series vs. Fresno State
•This is the eighth meeting between Rice and Fresno State, but the first as a non-conference, regular season game.
•The Bulldogs won each of the previous six regular season match-ups when the teams were a part of the Western Athletic Conference.
•Rice won the only other non-conference meeting in the 2014 Hawai'i Bowl.

Rice vs. the Pac-12
•This was the 18th meeting against the Pac-12, with Rice holding a 4-13-2 record.
•The Owls have lost their last seven games against the Pac-12.

Team Notes
•Fresno State won the toss and elected to receive.
•Rice's 88-yard scoring drive in the first quarter was its longest of the season.
•Rice tied Army for most number of players in the country to rush for 100 yards since the start of 2025 with six.
•Rice had two 100-yard rushers in a game for the first time since Tyler Smith (170) and Turner Petersen (140) both went over 100 against Houston on Oct. 27, 2011.

Individual Notes - Offense
#11 QB Jacurri Brown
•Brown was 8-of-17 for 119 yards a touchdown.
•He now has three passing touchdowns on the year and nine in his career.
•He also ran 19 times for a season-high 141 yards and a touchdown.
•It's his fourth career 100-yard rushing game.
•The 138 rushing yards are the most by a quarterback since Taylor McHargue had 153 against Marshall on Sept. 22, 2012.
• Brown became the first player with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games since Austin Walter had three straight in 2019.
•Brown scored on a 50-yard run with 8:58 to play in the fourth quarter.
•It was his longest run of the season.
•It was his second rushing touchdown of the season and the 10th of his career.

#6 WR Ben Grice
•Grice ran seven times for a career-high 109 yards and a touchdown.
•It is his first career 100-yard rushing game.
•Grice scored on an 88-yard run with 5:45 to play in the first quarter.
•It was his first career touchdown.
•The 88-yard run ties the fifth longest in school history and is the longest since Tyler Smith's school record 97-yard touchdown at Houston on Oct. 27, 2011.

#13 WR Max Mosey
•Mosey caught a 40-yard touchdown with 8:34 to play in the second quarter.
•It was his first receiving touchdown this year and the seventh of his career.

Individual Notes - Defense
#3 S Koa Akui
•Akui tied a season-high with five tackles.
•Akui recorded his first tackle for loss of the season in the third quarter.

#12 CB Jamir Benjamin
•Benjamin recorded a career-high two tackles for loss.

#2 VIPER Jo Chavez
•Chavez recorded a season-high five tackles.

#54 LB Austin Harnetiaux
•Harnetiaux tied a season-high with nine tackles.

Individual - Special Teams
#29 P Charlie Durkin
•Durkin punted two times for 42.0 yards per punt.

#28 K Enock Gota
•Gota connected on all three of his PAT attempts.
•He has converted 10-of-10 this year and 51-of-52 in his career.
•Gota connected on a 22-yard field goal to end the first half.
•He is 2-of-4 this season and 17-of-25 in his career.
•With 17 career field goals, Gota passes Christian VanSickle (2021-22) for 10th on Rice's all-time list.