HOUSTON — E.J. Warner delivered an impressive performance with three touchdown passes as Rice held off a late comeback attempt by South Florida to secure a 35-28 win in their regular-season finale on Saturday.
Warner completed 27 of 42 passes, accumulating 430 yards, with a remarkable showing in the first half where he threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns. The Owls (4-6, 3-5 in the American Athletic Conference) dominated the first half, amassing 367 yards of offense and earning 19 first downs, which allowed them to establish a solid 27-7 lead at halftime.
South Florida fought back in the final moments of the game, trailing 35-14 with just five minutes remaining. Quarterback Bryce Archie exited following a late hit, and backup Israel Carter stepped in to throw two touchdown passes within the last three minutes, narrowing the gap to seven points. However, after Rice recovered an onside kick, they effectively ran down the clock to just 27 seconds left using six consecutive runs by Christian Francisco. They eventually turned the ball over on downs at the USF 28-yard line. A last-ditch effort by USF involving a hook-and-lateral play advanced deep into Rice territory but was ultimately thwarted by a penalty.
Rice’s Matt Sykes made significant contributions with 118 receiving yards, while Dean Connors added 91 yards and a touchdown. The Owls’ other touchdown passes were caught by Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman and Drayden Dickmann.
On the other side of the field, Archie recorded 19 completions on 35 attempts for 227 yards, along with a touchdown and an interception for USF (6-6, 4-4). Sean Atkins surpassed the 2,000 career receiving yards mark with 110 yards, and Keshaun Singleton also had a strong outing with 107 yards receiving and a touchdown.
Despite entering the game with a record of winning four of their last five, USF was outgained by Rice, who finished with 550 total yards against 431 for the Bulls.
The game kicked off with a tie at 7-7 before Quinton Jackson scored on a 12-yard run just three plays after Francisco’s impressive 45-yard kickoff return to the USF 38. Tim Horn added a field goal in the closing moments of the first quarter, extending the lead to 17-7 after Josh Pearcy recovered a fumble in USF territory. Connors later caught a 23-yard touchdown pass, and another field goal just before halftime pushed Rice’s lead to a commanding 20 points.
