Carpenter's punt return score sparks UTSA to 34-14 victory over Rice
Rice Owls vs. UTSA Roadrunners: Full Highlights
Rice Owls vs. UTSA Roadrunners: Full Highlights
SAN ANTONIO -- — Chris Carpenter returned a punt 50 yards for a touchdown in the middle of a 21-point third quarter and UTSA pulled away in the second half to beat Rice 34-14 on Saturday night.
Chase Allen kicked a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter and Frank Harris had a 6-yard touchdown toss to Joshua Cephus with 57 seconds left before halftime to give UTSA (7-3, 6-0 American Athletic Conference) a 10-0 lead. However, AJ Padgett needed just four plays before connecting with Luke McCaffrey for a 27-yard touchdown 35 seconds later and Rice (4-6, 2-4) trailed by three at halftime.
The Roadrunners broke the game open in the third quarter. Robert Henry capped a nine-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to put UTSA up 17-7. Carpenter followed with his punt return, Rocko Griffin ran it in from a yard out and UTSA took a 31-7 lead into the final quarter.
Freshman Tate Sandell kicked his first career field goal — a 47-yarder with 5:09 left to play to complete the scoring for UTSA. Padgett connected with Landon Ransom-Goelz for a 22-yard touchdown with 1:11 remaining for the Owls.
Harris completed 15 of 24 passes for 175 yards for the Roadrunners. Griffin carried 12 times for 81 yards.
Padgett totaled 182 yards on 17-of-28 passing for the Owls.
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Game Information
2023 American Athletic Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| SMU | 8-0 | 11-3 |
| Tulane | 8-0 | 11-3 |
| UTSA | 7-1 | 9-4 |
| Memphis | 6-2 | 10-3 |
| South Florida | 4-4 | 7-6 |
| Rice | 4-4 | 6-7 |
| Navy | 4-4 | 5-7 |
| North Texas | 3-5 | 5-7 |
| UAB | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Florida Atlantic | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Charlotte | 2-6 | 3-9 |
| Tulsa | 2-6 | 4-8 |
| Temple | 1-7 | 3-9 |
| East Carolina | 1-7 | 2-10 |
NCAAF News