UCLA's big plays spoil Rice's football opener

On UCLA's first offensive play from scrimmage, quarterback Brett Hundley took off along the right side, picked up a block near the goal line and scored on a 72-yard run.

The Rice defense put up more resistance on the next series: UCLA needed three plays to find the end zone.

On the Bruins' next drive, Johnathan Franklin busted up the middle for a 74-yard score.

Five plays. Three touchdowns. 71 seconds.

"Once again the big play got us," Rice coach David Bailiff said after the Owls' season-opening 49-24 loss to UCLA on Thursday night before a crowd of 23,105 at Rice Stadium.

The same big plays that haunted the Owls throughout last season were around in the first half as the Bruins broke off three runs of at least 70 yards for touchdowns. Those three plays accounted for 224 of the Bruins' 343 rushing yards.

Franklin finished with a game-high 214 yards and touchdown runs of 74, 78 and 22 yards.

In his first career start, Hundley was 21-of-28 for 202 yards and two touchdowns He also rushed for 68 yards and another score.

"It's little things that are leading to the big plays," said Bailiff, who cited communication breakdowns and blown assignments for the big plays.

Down 19-0, the Owls rallied for 17 unanswered points as quarterback Taylor McHargue hooked up with tight end Luke Willson for an 8-yard touchdown, Chris Boswell hit a 53-yard field goal and McHargue scored on a 1-yard run.

"I saw a lot of spirit in them," Bailiff said. "I saw a lot of fight in them."

Just before halftime and UCLA leading 29-24, Hundley had a pass intercepted by Rice linebacker Cameron Nwosu to stall a drive deep in Owls territory. On the ensuing possession, McHargue had to briefly exit the game when he had the wind knocked out of him. His replacement, running back Turner Petersen, fumbled the handoff exchange with Jeremy Eddington and UCLA's Damien Holmes scooped up the loose ball for a 44-yard touchdown.

"At halftime we had that feeling we could have been ahead," Bailiff said. "We really had that feeling. We weren't deflated at all."

The Owls had 281 yards total offense in the first half. They were held to no points and 77 yards in the second half.

McHargue was 17-of-28 for 172 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He was able to find running lanes in the first half but those disappeared in the second half as he accounted for only four of his 95 yards after halftime.

Sam McGuffie had a game-high eight receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown.

"There is a lot of good to take from this," McHargue said. "The mistakes we made offensively, especially in the second half, are easily correctable."

Along with his interception, Nwosu blocked three extra-points in the first half to set a NCAA single-game record.

Source: http://www.chron.com/sports/rice/article/Owls-unable-to-overcome-early-deficit-3829378.php

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