SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 26, 2013
Rice 45, Texas-El Paso 7: Taylor McHargue threw a career-high four touchdown passes - three to Jordan Taylor - to lift the host Owls to their fifth consecutive victory.
McHargue completed only 8-of-19 passes but had scoring strikes of 60, 72 and 23 yards to Taylor as Rice (6-2, 4-0 Conference USA) beat the Miners for the fourth time in five meetings. Taylor had four receptions for a career-high 185 yards.
Charles Ross rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown and Dennis Parks had a 17-yard scoring reception as the Owls amassed a season-high 524 yards of total offense and tied their season-best point total set last week against New Mexico State.
Aaron Jones rushed for 186 yards on 29 carries and Blaire Sullivan connected with Ian Hamilton on a 50-yard touchdown reception for UTEP (1-6, 0-4), which tumbled to its fifth straight defeat.
The momentum swung in Rice's favor late in the first half after Jones broke loose for an 81-yard run, only to fumble two plays later at the 1-yard line. The Owls responded by driving 99 yards in 11 plays, capped by Ross' 1-yard run with 17 seconds left in the half for a 24-7 lead.