While they entered as just touchdown favorites against the Tulane Green Wave, the Rice Owls managed to earn a 14-point lead less than five minutes in to the game and extend it to a 28-10 lead at halftime.
Quarterback Taylor McHargue was the scorer for the Owls early as he rushed in to the end zone from nine yards out to give Rice a 7-0 lead less than three minutes in to the game. Just under two minutes later, McHargue rushed in from 11 yards to extend that lead to 14.
Although the Owls defense allowed a 35-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Griffin to Wilson Van Hooser in the first quarter, they held Griffin to under a 50 percent completion ratio and forced an interception that was returned for a touchdown in the second quarter. They also didn't allow a single yard rushing, as the Green Wave finished the first half with negative-11 yards on the ground.
The Owls controlled their own run game, though, running an astounding 37 times in the first half for 109 yards.