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Tulsa
Rice (Homecoming)
Big Second Half Carries Tulsa Past Rice, 63-28
10/4/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 5, 2008
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TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Tulsa scored over 60 points for the second straight game as the Hurricane tallied 42 second half points in capturing a 63-28 victory over the Rice Owls in front of 24,926 fans at H.A. Chapman Stadium.
Tulsa moved to 5-0 on the season for the first time since 1945, and has a 2-0 record in the Conference USA West Division. The Hurricane rushed for 386 yards and passed for another 191 yards. Rice fell to 3-3 and 2-1 in league play.
Tarrion Adams led the Hurricane rushing attack with 112 yards, followed by Charles Opeseyitan's 94 yards, AJ Whitmore with 83 yards and Jamad Williams with 47 yards. David Johnson completed 13-of-25 passes for 177 yards and four touchdowns, while the Hurricane defense forced four Rice turnovers that led to 14 points.
The Hurricane came out in the second half and scored two quick touchdowns within the first four minutes to take a 35-14 lead with 11:58 on the third quarter clock. The first came on a 25-yard punt return by Slick Shelley after the Hurricane defense held Rice on the opening second-half possession to two yards on three plays.
Tulsa's second third period score came after a Kenny D. Sims interception gave the Hurricane the ball at the 39-yard line. Johnson threw a 21-yard pass to Charles Clay to cap the five-yard drive.
Rice capitalized on an interception five plays later to cut the Tulsa lead to 14 points, 35-21, as James Casey threw two yards to Taylor Wardlow.
Tulsa followed that score with a 57-yard, 10-play drive in 2:05 as Johnson had his fourth straight game with at least four touchdown passes connecting for the second time on the day with Clay. This one went for two yards to give the Hurricane a 42-21 lead.
The Hurricane defense stuffed the Owls on the next possession, and Tulsa went 52 yards in two plays as AJ Whitmore's 51-yard run put the Hurricane at the one-yard line. Courtney Tennial had his fifth one-yard TD run of the season on the next play to put Tulsa ahead 49-21.
The Hurricane went over 50 points for the fourth straight game when AJ Whitmore ran in from nine yards out to give the Hurricane a 56-21 lead with 9:49 left in the contest. The drive capped a six-play, 40-yard drive. The Owls wasted little time in marching 65 yards for a score, as Casey caught a
Both teams failed to score on their first possessions of the game. Tulsa scored on its second possession of the game, going 88 yards in eight plays, as AJ Whitmore took the direct snap and raced in from 15 yards out to give the Hurricane a 7-0 lead with 7:27 left in the first quarter.
The Owls knotted the score 7-7 on a two-yard Casey run, capping a 12-play, 74-yard drive.
Tulsa began the second half with an eight-play, 72-yard drive that saw Johnson throw the final seven yards to Brennan Marion.
With 3:06 on the clock Rice's Chase Clement threw 25 yards to Jarett Dillard, making Dillard the new NCAA receiving leader with his 51st TD reception. The Hurricane took only 1:41 off the clock to go 57 yards in five plays as Johnson hit Damaris Johnson on a 20-yard touchdown.
At the intermission, Tulsa held a 277 to 237-yard edge while holding on to a 21-14 halftime lead.
Tulsa scored more than 50 points in its fourth consecutive game, something that hasn't happened since the 1919 season.
Tulsa goes on the road next week to play the SMU Mustangs on Saturday, October 11th in Dallas, Texas. Game time is 7:00 pm.
Scoring Summary 1st Quarter Tulsa (7:27) - A.J. Whitmore 15 run (Tracy kick) 7-0 Rice (2:00) - James Casey 2 run (Fangmeier kick) 7-72nd Quarter Tulsa (14:05) - David Johnson 7 pass to Brennan Marion (Tracy kick) 14-7 Rice (3:06) - Chase Clements 25 pass to Jarett Dillard (Fangmeier kick) 14-14 Tulsa (1:18) - David Johnson 20 pass to Damaris Johnson (Tracy kick) 21-14
3rd Quarter Tulsa (14:12) - Slick Shelley 25 punt return (Tracy kick) 28-14 Tulsa (11:58) - David Johnson 21 pass to Charles Clay (Tracy kick) 35-14 Rice (6:20) - James Casey 2 pass to Taylor Wardlow (Fangmeier kick) 35-21 Tulsa (2:05) - David Johnson 2 pass to Charles Clay (Tracy kick) 42-21
4th Quarter Tulsa (14:28) - Courtney Tennial 1 run (Tracy kick) 49-21 Tulsa (9:49) - A.J. Whitmore 9 run (Tracy kick) 56-21 Rice (8:39) - Chase Clement 6 pass to James Casey (Fangmeier kick) 56-28 Tulsa (5:54) - Charles Opeseyitan 35 run (Tracy kick) 63-28
