TULSA, Okla. (AP) — JT Daniels passed for two touchdowns and ran for another TD, Dean Connors ran for 120 yards and three touchdowns and Rice beat Tulsa 42-10 Thursday night.
Rice (4-3, 2-1 American Athletic Conference) went three-and-out on the opening drive but Gabriel Taylor intercepted Braylon Braxton’s first pass of the game, Daniels connected with Luke McCaffrey for a 16-yard gain and then Connors burst up the middle for a 54-yard touchdown that made it 7-0 with 12:37 left in the first quarter.
De’Braylon Carroll recovered a fumble by Braxton near midfield and Daniels hit Matt Sykes for 32 yards before he threw a 21-yard TD pass that gave the Owls a 14-0 lead going into the second quarter.
Kamdyn Benjamin caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Cardell Williams that trimmed the Golden Hurricane’s deficit to 14-20 with 1:14 left in the half but Daniels led a six-play, 73-yard drive that lasted just 36 seconds and culminated with his 17-yard scoring strike to Landon Ransom-Goelz.
Connors, a junior, went into the game with 308 yards rushing and one touchdown in his career.
Daniels, who was 24-of-37 passing for 342 yards, scored on an 8-yard run early in the third quarter before Connors added TD runs of 2 and 10 yards to cap the scoring.
Williams finished 7-of-14 passing for 101 yards for Tulsa (3-4, 1-2). Braxton completed 4 of 8 passes for 37 yards and added 83 yards rushing on 11 carries.
McCaffrey had six receptions for 99 yards.
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