SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 21, 2013
Rice 37, Alabama-Birmingham 34 (OT): Freshman Jawon Davis rushed for a career-high 130 yards and a touchdown while Luke Turner scored the game-winning TD in the extra period as the visiting Owls downed the Blazers.
After Rice (8-3, 6-1 Conference USA) sacked Alabama-Birmingham quarterback Jonathan Perry twice on the first possession of overtime to force a 43-yard field goal, Davisกฏ powerful 17-yard run set the Owls up for Turner to take a กฐWildcatกฑ snap two plays later and run it in from a yard out to end it.
Taylor McHargue threw for two scores and accounted for 231 total yards (139 passing and 92 rushing) for Rice, which took a half-game lead over North Texas in the West Division with one game remaining. Perry passed for a touchdown and ran for another for the Blazers (2-9, 1-6), who lost their fifth straight.
McHargueกฏs 12-yard TD toss to Jordan Taylor sent the Owls into the break with a 17-7 advantage, but Alabama-Birmingham stormed back with touchdowns on consecutive third-quarter drives to take its first lead. Rice rallied with McHargueกฏs second touchdown pass later in the quarter and reestablished its 10-point margin with 7:20 left in the final stanza on Davisกฏ 2-yard scoring run.
Perry found Darius Powell for a 20-yard touchdown and turned a late fumble by McHargue into a game-tying 24-yard field goal from Ty Long with 37 seconds remaining. Rice got a 41-yard catch from Donte Moore to get Chris Boswell into position for a 48-yard field-goal in the final seconds of regulation, but his attempt sailed wide right as time expired.