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Wise suffers season ending injury in the opening game as Rice falls to the Idaho Vandals 31-28 in the Kibbe Dome
By:Forest Green of HootOwlNetwork.com
MOSCOW, Id. -- Consistency is what 2nd year Rice HC Joe Mothers preached to his team going into the fight against the Vandals. The resulting performance certainly left Mothers disappointed as the back-and-forth battle left the Owls with an L.
Tragedy struck early in the first quarter as star senior RB Ryan Wise went out with an injury. As he walked to the locker-room many visioned a grim outlook. Their worries were right as Wise suffered a broken collarbone, ending his career as a Rice Owl. "Ryan is not just a phenomenal athlete; he's a leader on and off the field. It's a tough situation, but injuries are part of the game. We have a strong group of players who will step up and fill the void." stated Coach Mothers.
While the run game void might be tough to fill, the passing game exploded onto the scene with first time starter Austin Dixon as the Owl’s field general. Dixon went 25/35 for 379 with matching pairs of TDs and INTs. Tight end Dan Patrick hauled in both of those passing TDs while also adding 9 receptions and 186 to his stat sheet.
Both teams went on long scoring droughts while also going on massive scoring streaks but in the closing minutes the Vandals dialed in a long go-ahead drive to take a lead they wouldn’t let go of.
Notables
- With Wise down senior Jeff Key took over and had 21 carries for 63 yards with two TDs on the ground. Key brings a more bruising play style to the offense, so expect a lot more downhill running scheme in the coming weeks.
- Robert Scruggs and Chris Lloyd both tallied solid tackling performances with 8 and 9 totals respectively.
- Idaho freshman QB Steve Harris made the most of his first college game with a 20/27 279 yard and 3 TDs performance. The Vandals certainly hope that Harris can continue this for the next 4 years inside and beyond the Kibbe Dome.
- Idaho’s run game left much to be desired with in total only 25 yards coming on the ground.
- Rice in total gained 454 yards which was 150 yards more than the Vandals.
- Out of five trips to the redzone the Owls only scored two times off TDs while Idaho made the most of their four visits with three TDs and an FG
What Happened – First Half
- The first quarter was highlighted by only an Idaho FG as both defenses came out strong. After the Ryan Wise injury, the Rice team was shell-shocked which allowed the Vandals to storm their way to a 24-0 lead. The first of those TDs came off a 69-yard sling from the young buck Harris to his receiver John Pitts.
- In the final minutes of the first half the Owls kicked it into gear and with 27 seconds left Dixon completed his first TD pass to Dan Patrick. Making a halftime score of 24-7.
What Happened – Second Half
- The third was Rice’s quarter as a 21-yard Jeff Key run, a massive 55-yard Dan Patrick TD catch, and a goal line punch-in by Key got the Owls the lead 28-24.
- The defenses resumed their hold on the game as the sole score in the closing quarter was a Vandal TD pass with 2:41 left to make it 31-28. This TD came off a long backbreaking drive for the Rice defense. The defense broke at the worst time and on the pursing offensive drive for the Owls Austin Dixon threw his second INT to seal the game.
Next Week
The Owls will face the (0-1) Navy Midshipmen in the home opener at Rice Stadium. The triple option offense will pose a unique problem for a streaky Rice defense. The Navel Academy never lacks the athletes that can crack off a massive run and took #5 LSU to its limit, only losing 28-21. If both offenses show up with a fire to get their team a win, then this should be a battle.
