Rice absolutely stampeded Houston Christian on Saturday, crushing them 31-3 to kick off the season with a bang. We’re talking 465 rushing yards, folks! Seriously, 465! That wasn’t just a number; it was almost their entire offensive output for the night, and it totally set the tone for a dominant win at Rice Stadium.
The Ground and Pound Attack No One Could Stop
When the Owls decided to keep it on the ground, HCU’s defense, which actually came in hot off a 34-28 road upset over nationally ranked Southeastern Louisiana, just couldn’t handle it. Rice ripped off those massive 465 rushing yards out of their 487 total yards, making their mere 28 passing yards look almost irrelevant. Talk about a run-first offense! D’Andre Hardeman got things rolling with a 2-yard touchdown run, the first score for Rice after HCU snatched an early 3-0 lead with Lukasz Smolen’s 42-yard field goal midway through the first quarter. Then Quinton Jackson took over, punching in two more touchdowns from 7 and 12 yards out. Tyvonn Byars led the way with 104 rushing yards on 16 carries, while quarterback Jacurri Brown, a UCF transfer and the ninth different signal-caller to start an opener for Rice in the last 11 seasons, added 98 yards on 13 carries, including a huge 32-yard burst. Hardeman chipped in 77 yards, and Jackson had 61 yards on his own, with Gael Ochoa adding a 29-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Enock Gota also tacked on a 26-yard field goal.
Coach Abell’s Start and Total Control
This wasn’t just a big win; it was head coach Scott Abell’s second straight season-opening victory, making him the eighth Owls coach to achieve that feat. Pretty cool, right? HCU did show some early fight, scoring their only points from Smolen’s field goal, giving them a brief lead. But after that, it was all Rice, dominating the clock for 39 minutes and 32 seconds compared to HCU’s 20 minutes and 28 seconds. Even a 20-minute lightning delay that pushed back kickoff couldn’t slow the Owls down. They racked up 27 first downs to HCU’s 13, running an incredible 70 plays compared to HCU’s 35. This was a total ground assault, even if HCU’s solid defense limited those massive, long gainers. The sheer volume was just too much, showing why Rice prevailed in their first-ever meeting against Houston Christian.
So, Rice clearly showed what kind of team they’re gonna be this season, with that ground attack already looking absolutely unstoppable. If they keep running the ball like this, churning out nearly 500 yards on the ground, good luck to anyone trying to stop them. You gotta wonder what kind of numbers these guys will put up next time out. That ground game is definitely something to keep an eye on as the season gets rolling!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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