Texas vs Rice: Inside the Numbers

Bullets? Bullets.

• Why does Rice play Texas? Not sure. The Longhorns have won the last 11 meetings and 39 of the last 40. The last loss to the Owls was in 1994, when the 12th-ranked Horns fell in Rice Stadium, 19-17. Shame on you Mackovic.
• The 17 points given up to Rice accounted for half of the points Texas has allowed in four total games at Reliant stadium. The overall count in the home of the Texans? 204-34, Texas.
• Halftime adjustments: On 11 plays in the first quarter, Rice picked up one first down and zero total yards.
• Another Acho forced fumble/recovery. This time Acho Ocho Uno, forcing the fumble recovered by Keenan Robinson and turned into a touchdown.
  
• Garrett Gilbert still hasn't lost a game as a starter since September of 2007.
• The fumble recovery and interception by Keenan Robinson were both the first of his career.
• Rice ranked 102nd last season against the run, giving up 4.7 ypc and more than 190 ypg (and over 7 ypc against UAB and Houston). Texas averaged 4.3 ypc and 197 yards.
• Texas had two negative runs, a loss of four yards by Marquise Goodwin on a reverse and the toss sweep on 4th and goal.
• The Longhorns failed to pick up a 3rd and 2 in the third quarter.
• The average starting field position for Rice following Texas kickoffs was the 29 yardline. Justin Tucker failed to drive the ball into the end zone even once.
• After starting nine of 12 in the first half, Garrett Gilbert failed to complete passes on each of three third downs in the second half and finished five of 11 overall after the intermission.
• Gilbert attempted only one pass down the middle of the field, the 31-yard strike to John Chiles.
• On his 51-yard field goal at the beginning of the second quarter, Justin Tucker became the fourth Longhorn to make a 50+-yard field goal on his first collegiate attempt (Kris Stockton, Phil Dawson, and Mark Schultis).
• Rice gained more than a quarter of their total yards for the game on their opening drive. Remove the fluke 47-yard touchdown pass (go for the ball Blake Gideon!) and the number jumps to 35%.
• Zero. The number of times Rice running back and YouTube sensation Sam McGuffie (aka the Leaping Supa Wigga) tried to hurdle a Longhorn defender. Wanted to see that.
• 3A. High school classification several Rice players, including McGuffie, must have thought Texas played in after failing spectacularly to reverse field against one of the fastest defenses in the country. The days of playing La Grange are over, fellas.
• Texas left a number of points on the board -- seven for failing to score at the goalline on the toss sweep, three for missing a makable 44-yard field goal, and 14 total for failing to corral two interceptions that would have gone for easy touchdowns. In all, the Longhorns left 24 points on the board. Take away the tipped pass for Rice and Texas would have won 51-6. And fans would be feeling much better today. However, Texas didn't take advantage of those opportunities, revealilng just how far they have to go as a team.