Rice football has one game left in the 2018 campaign and we’ve got 10 stats that paint a picture of the LSU loss and the upcoming matchup with Old Dominion.
1 – career rushing touchdown for Juma Otoviano. He entered the year buried on the Owls’ running back depth chart. He became the team’s wildcat quarterback midway through the season and scored his first career touchdown on Saturday, at night, in Death Valley. That’s pretty cool.
2 – consecutive games. With a win over VMI in Week 12, Old Dominion has won two games in a row and four overall. That’s their first winning streak of any kind since they beat Rice last year, their third win in a row.
3 – different kinds of touches for all-purpose talent D’Angelo Ellis. Listed as a corner on the preseason depth chart, Ellis registered one tackle, one carry and a team-leading three receptions for 66 yards against LSU.
4 – forced fumbles by Old Dominion defensive end Oshane Ximines, the most of any player in Conference USA.
5 – Old Dominion players with 100 or more yards rushing, part of a balanced attack that ranks second in yards per game in Conference USA. ODU ranks in the top eight in both passing and rushing yards.
6 – points separating Rice and Old Dominion in two meetings all-time between the schools. The Monarchs have won each of the games by a field goal margin, the first in 2014 and the most recent game last season.
7 – completions by Rice quarterbacks against LSU, the lowest number of completions registered by the team this year. The 101 total passing yards ranked third from fewest.
8 – yards per attempt by Old Dominion quarterback Blake LaRussa, a top five mark in Conference USA. He leads an offense that has produced 53 pass plays of 20 yards or more, the most in the conference.
9 – receiving touchdowns by Old Dominion receiver Jonathan Duhart which leads the Monarchs and ranks second-most among all CUSA pass catchers.
10 – field goals this season for Hayden Tobola. His 51-yard kick against LSU was a career long and the longest field goal made by Rice this season.
