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A season ago, Rice knocked Houston out of the Conference USA title game. Saturday, Houston just plain knocked out Rice.Judging from the final tally, a few scoreboard operators likely went down for the count, too.
The Cougars scored a school-record 59 points in the first half against the Owls on the way to a 73-14 beating that could've have been so much worse had coach Kevin Sumlin not substituted generously in the second half.
It was a big number for college football, the largest amount of points scored by a top division team this year. Heck, it was a big number for Tiger Woods.
"We had that bitter taste in our mouth all year," wide receiver Tyron Carrier said. "So it was really important to come out and start early. We set the tone at the beginning for the rest of the game."
They set the tone and sent a message to the engineering school: Bring your calculators.
The first-half tally bested the school's all-time record for points in the first two quarters, impressive for a school with a history of running up points like a fast-break basketball team. The previous mark of 54 points was set 20 years ago against SMU in the Mustangs' first season after returning from the NCAA's death penalty. That Houston team, led by Heisman winner Andre Ware, was, coincidentally, honored at halftime.
The numbers were as ugly as they were staggering. Houston outgained Rice 465-144 in total yardage in the first half. The Owls threw for fewer yards (53) in the first half than Houston managed points. Case Keenum, the Cougars former Heisman hopeful QB, completed 25-of-32 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, all before halftime.
Carrier returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. The Cougars scored on each of their seven offensive possessions.
In retrospect, it might've been a predictable result, even if the numbers rolled up like the federal debt. The Owls were 119th (out of 120 teams) in scoring defense and pass efficiency defense, and were 110th in total defense entering Saturday; meanwhile, they were 108 in scoring offense. Houston, which upset Oklahoma State in the second week of the season, was first in total and pass offense and third in scoring.
Fortunately for Rice, most of Houston's starters took the second half off, allowing the Owls to tie Houston 14-14 after the break and keep the '89 Cougar's record 95-point output against SMU safely in the record books.
That would be the only defense the Owls played all night.
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