Owls Fly Past UTEP, 56-48
HOUSTON (AP) — Chase Clement threw for six touchdowns and ran for two more and Rice scored the final 28 points in a 56-48 victory against Texas-El Paso on Saturday.
Clement, who set a Conference USA record by accounting for eight touchdowns, completed 32 of 58 passes for 395 yards and ran for 103 yards. The six passing touchdowns set a Rice record and tied the conference mark, and his 498 total yards were a school record.
The Owls (2-7, 2-3 C-USA) trailed 48-28 when Clement threw three touchdown passes in a span of five minutes, the last a 6-yarder to Jarett Dillard that put Rice ahead 49-48 with 6:19 remaining. Clement capped the scoring on a 9-yard run that finished a four-play, 74-yard drive.
The Miners (4-5, 2-3) had two chances to score in the final 3 1/2 minutes, but a Rice defense that allowed 422 yards stiffened.
UTEP’s Trevor Vittatoe nearly matched Clement by passing for five touchdowns, but the Miners lost three fumbles in the second half to boost Rice’s rally.
Dillard, a junior, became Rice’s career leader in receiving yards with 2,524 after catching 11 passes for 168 yards. David Houser had held the record of 2,358 since 1978.
UTEP special teams player Brandon Jordan, a redshirt freshman from the Houston area, was taken off the field on a stretcher in the first quarter after taking a knee to the helmet. After the game, he was walking around wearing a neck brace.
