clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Rice vs. Tulane final: Owls win 49-47

After taking an 18-point lead to halftime with a dominating defensive performance in the first two quarters, the Rice Owls had to pull off a rally in the fourth quarter to combat an offensive explosion by the Tulane Green Wave and managed to hold them off for a 49-47 victory.

Tulane scored four touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 38-35 lead over the Owls but, with a 2-yard touchdown run by Luke Turner with 2:42 remaining in the fourth quarter, Rice earned an 8-point lead. That proved crucial as the Green Wave scored what could have been a game-tying touchdown with less than a minute remaining.

After Ryan Griffin found Wilson Van Hooser for a 33-yard touchdown, Tulane was unable to hit the game-tying 2-point conversion and the Owls were able to hold on to a 2-point win.

Box Score Hero: Ryan Griffin finished the game with 476 yards passing and four touchdowns, including a touchdown with less than a minute remaining. However, his two interceptions proved costly as one was returned for a touchdown in the second quarter.

Rankings Ramifications: Neither team was ranked and a 2-point victory over Tulane will not be nearly enough to give the Owls a spot in the rankings.

But Did They Cover? The Owls were 7-point favorites, but gave up a touchdown with less than a minute remaining to win by 2.

Next Week's Schedule: Rice will look to keep the wins coming when they head back home to host the SMU Mustangs after a bye week, while the Green Wave will look to bounce back on the road against Memphis.

This story was originally published on SB Nation.com.

Images by eflon used in background images under a Creative Commons license. Thank you.