Rice Football threw the first punch but it was North Texas that delivered the knockout blow, handing the Owls a one-sided loss on Senior Night.
On a night with free ice cream and adult beverages being passed around in the stands, Rice football did its best to get the party started on the right foot. Once those initial cheers subsided, though, a ranked North Texas squad took control of the game and began to rack up style points to improve its perception in the eyes of the College Football Playoff committee. Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:
Picture Perfect Start
You couldn’t have scripted a more picture-perfect start on Saturday night. Rice football received the opening kickoff and promptly marched 86 yards in 12 plays, grinding six minutes off the clock before quarterback Chase Jenkins delivered a slashing touchdown run to put the home underdogs on top.
It would get even better from there. Following a quick three-and-out forced by the defense, the offense took over and doubled down with a 10-play, 71-yard drive which also ended in the endzone, this time courtesy of Aaron Turner.
Playing keep away from the prolific North Texas offense was always going to be the Owls’ best chance at pulling off this upset. Still, it’s one thing to know what to do and another thing to execute it. Rice held the ball for 11:56 on their first two drives, preventing the Mean Green from doing damage with their explosive offense.
Game of Inches Leads to Quick Momentum Shift
Rice football found out just how narrow those margins were soon afterward. North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker ripped a 74-yard touchdown pass to Wyatt Young on the next possession. But that wasn’t the blow that stung the most.
On the ensuing Rice possession with the Owls leading 14-7, Rice was stonewalled on fourth-and-one in North Texas territory. The Mean Green took over and converted a fourth-and-one of their own before punching in the equalizing score.
“When they scored it to make it 14 all, you really felt, I don’t know it was a tension on our sideline or we kind of lost that energy that we had so much in the first quarter,” head coach Scott Abell said.
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During the next Rice possession, Jenkins fired low on a third down pass, just missing out on a first down play by inches. The Owls punted, their first three-and-out of the game. Mestemaker hit Tre Williams on a 56-yard bomb on that next possessions and the Owls’ hot start had quickly turned into a first half deficit.
So much was going right for Rice in those opening moments, but the sheer athleticism and effectiveness of North Texas in those got-to-have-it moments turned this game on its head in a matter of minutes. That the Mean Green would convert an additional fourth down in the quarter only furthered the Owls’ misery.
“Some of that is we’ve got to grow up. They punched back. So how do you respond after you get punched back?” Abell asked. “And we didn’t respond very well. We came out and we threw the first couple of blows, it really could not have started better. And when they punched back, we didn’t respond after that.”
You Can’t Hide from Speed
That would be the beginning of 42 unanswered points from the visiting team, turning a would-be-upset into a battle to avoid being blown off the field in the second half. And although North Texas running back Caleb Hawkins would put up an efficient 97-yard, three touchdown performance, it was the aerial attack of Mestemaker and the North Texas offense that proved impossible for Rice to combat.
Rice knew coming into this game they had to stop Wyatt Young, but it didn’t matter how they tried to cover him, the star receiver hauled in five passes for 295 yards and two long touchdowns. That yardage tally represented an American Conference record and was the most receiving yards by any player in the FBS this season, falling not too far short from a North Texas program record, too.
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That doesn’t bode well for the Owls’ upcoming game against South Florida, which has it’s fair share of speed in their skill position ranks.
And Then There Was One
In many ways, the way things transpired against North Texas didn’t unearth new ground. A leaky secondary and an inconsistent offense were both well known deficiencies this program had carried throughout the season. But being able to explain a loss doesn’t mean much for a program still fighting to steal a sixth win.
Abell noted that North Texas a similar position not too long ago, but they’ve taken that next step to become a bonafide conference championship contender.
“When you build something, it doesn’t happen over night. I think our guys have done an incredible job this year. I’m proud of the steps we’ve taken for the program so far this year,” he said. “With the opportunity to get win six, which would speak volumes for this program and how young we are, when you look around our roster and the guys who are taking the field for us.”
Many of those issues can’t be waved away or drastically changed before Rice takes the field again next Saturday in Tampa. Still, this is a program that remains confident and daring despite a tough setback against the Mean Green.
“We know what’s at stake,” quarterback Chase Jenkins said. “We’re putting all our chips in to go to a bowl game.”
Digging Deeper
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