Rice defeats Kansas 25-24

Holding on to a narrow two-point lead with 4:47 left to go in the game, Senior quarterback Dayne Crist threw up a desperate pass in attempt to keep Kansas on the field and extend their drive. Instead of connecting with junior wide receiver Chris Omigie, Rice’s cornerback Bryce Callahan, jumped up and snagged an interception at the 47-yard line to give the Owls new life.

Rice quarterback Taylor McHargue advanced the ball to the 27-yard line and set up junior Chris Boswell for a 45-yard game-winning field goal that he sent through the uprights as time expired, lifting Rice over Kansas, 25-24.

Kansas held a 24-13 lead late in the third quarter before Rice scored 12 unanswered points to comeback and win.

“My biggest disappointment was that we didn’t finish,” Kansas coach Charlie Weis said. “You’re up by two scores in a game. The whole motto this week was to finish the game, because I didn’t think we finished last week very well either. We didn’t finish on offense, we didn’t finish on defense and we didn’t finish on special teams. When that happens there is a good chance you’ll lose.”

Weis said Kansas struggled on all three phases of the game and pointed out its flaws. The Jayhawks turned the ball over three times and missed a pair of field goals that could have helped increase their lead.

No player on the team was more disappointed than Crist, who was trying to help his team down the stretch to run down the clock. His goal was to hold possession of the ball by completing a pass to his intended target. Little did he know that the throw he made was a risky pass and that it would result in Rice’s favor.

Crist hoped to make strides in his second game as a Jayhawk, but took a step back against Rice.

“I’m so disappointed,” Crist said. “I didn’t make enough plays and at the end of the day, that’s the most valued trait in a quarterback and it is to make enough plays to win and we didn’t do that today. Naturally, I’m upset.”

On Rice’s offensive side, McHargue, a dual-threat quarterback, gave the Jayhawks defense a lot of issues in the fourth quarter. On a fourth-and-four play, McHargue completed a pass to senior wide receiver Vance McDonald. McHargue was pressured by the Jayhawks defense, but he escaped to keep Rice on the field.

Three plays later, McHargue pulled through again for Rice on third-and-seven when scrambled for 12 yards despite being hit by a Jayhawk defender behind the line of scrimmage. That play  set up the Owl’s game-winning field goal.

“Obviously that was a crucial moment in the game where the game is over if we make that play,” senior defensive end Toben Opurum said. “He just made a play. We had an opportunity to bring him down and it just didn’t happen.” We had opportunities to close the game and they made the plays that we didn’t. I think it is one that we let slip away.”

Although Kansas blew an 11-point lead and were shut out in the fourth quarter, the team is not ready to throw in the towel. With conference play coming up against TCU next week, the Jayhawks will work on changing their mindset in practice this week.

Kansas can only use this game as a learning experience as they move forward with a 1-1 record.

“I think in years past, we kind of let that hang over us like a dark cloud,” junior linebacker Holden Tharp said. “Part of the growing pains with this team is being able to overcome a loss, being able to overcome that adversity and I think this next week is going to be a true test to what kind of team we can be.”

 

• Updated Sep. 8, 2012 at 11:04 pm