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Quick facts about Rice

Sept. 12, 2008

ticketthumb.jpgBuy Tickets: Sept. 13 vs. Rice – Only $12 | Visit Gameday Central

Learn more about Vanderbilt’s opponent this week: the Rice Owls. Saturday’s matchup is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT at Vanderbilt Stadium. Tickets are still available for $12 and can be purchased by calling (615) 322-GOLD.

factsrice_coach.jpgHead Coach David Bailiff
A graduate of Texas State in 1984, Bailiff is in his second season as the head coach of Rice, compiling a record of 5-9. Bailiff enters Saturday’s game with an overall record of 26-24, including a 16-11 record in conference play. Prior to coaching at Rice, Bailiff spent three years as the head coach of his alma mater Texas State. In 2005, the 49-year-old San Antonio, Texas native was named the AFCA Region 5 Coach of the Year after leading the Bobcats to their first Southland Conference Title and the Division I-AA semifinals.

factsrice_qb.jpgQB #16 Chase Clement (6’1″ 208 lbs. Sr.)
Clement comes into the game ranked seventh nationally in total offense with 371.5 yards per game. The senior quarterback set 18 offensive school records in 2007 and with five more completions he will move past Randy Hertel for the top mark in school history. Prior to the season opener, Clement was named to the Davey O’Brien Award and Johnny Unitas Award Watch List. Clement has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 12 consecutive games overall, including 18 straight in Conference USA. In the first game of 2008, Clement tied his conference and school record by tossing six TD passes against SMU. Clement leads an offensive attack that is averaging 48 points per contest.

factsrice_wr.jpgWR #81 Jarett Dillard (5’11” 185 lbs. Sr.)
The preseason All-American wideout has established himself as one of the best receivers in the country. Prior to his senior season, Dillard was named to the Biletnikoff, Walter Camp, and Maxwell Award Watch List. With a fourth quarter touchdown reception against Memphis, Dillard now has 44 career touchdown passes, ranking him third in NCAA Division I-A history. He needs only six more TD receptions to match Troy Edwards for the NCAA career mark. Dillard has caught at least two passes in each game of his career (38 games), the longest streak of its kind in the country. In the season opener against SMU, he tied his school record by catching three TD passes. Dillard’s 220 career receptions are more than the Owls completed in the three years prior to his arrival (187).

factsrice_lb.jpgLB #31 Brian Raines (6’1″ 222 lbs. Sr.)
The two-time Butkus Award candidate comes into Saturday’s game second on the team in tackles. In three seasons, Rains has recorded 233 career tackles and needs 46 stops to crack into he Owls career top 10. The All C-USA linebacker was added to the watch list for the Rotary Lombardi Award last week. The Missouri City, Texas native has 23.5 tackles for a loss in his career.

Quick Hits on the Owls:

In last week’s comeback win at Memphis, the Owls scored the final 22 points of the game, including 15 in the final 1:15, to start the season 2-0 for the first time since 2004.

The Owls are tied with Texas and Texas Tech as the only FBS teams that have scored 30 or mores points in six consecutive games.

Rice’s defense is tied for second and sixth nationally with 2.0 interceptions per game and total turnovers (7) respectively.

The Owls are tied for fourth in the NCAA for fewest penalties per game (2.5) and are tied for sixth nationally with a 57.1 conversion rate on third downs.

Rice returns its top five rushers, eight of the nine receivers who caught at least 10 passes last year and its top five tacklers.

The catch-and-throw duo Clement and Dillard, moved within three touchdown passes of tying the NCAA career record for a passing duo.

In the past three years of Conference USA action, the Owls have won four games on their last offensive play of the game (UAB, Tulsa, East Carolina and SMU)

Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt will be Rice’s first game against a team from the Southeastern Conference since they fell to LSU 52-7 in 1995.

This will be the fourth career meeting between Vanderbilt and Rice. The Commodores hold a 2-1 advantage. This will also be the first game played in Nashville, Tenn. between the two schools.

Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt will be Rice’s first game against a team from the Southeastern Conference since they fell to LSU 52-7 in 1995.

The Owls have not returned a kickoff for a touchdown since Antonio Brinkley took one to the paydirt vs. Baylor on Nov. 11, 1984. The 262-game drought ranked second nationally.

Saturday’s game matches two college programs closely associated with Hall of Fame coach Jess Neely. Neely was a Vanderbilt standout from 1920-22 who was one of three teammates who went on to earn berths in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Neely became the head coach of Rice in 1940, leading the program to seven bowl berths and an overall record of 144-124-10 in 26 seasons before becoming the Director of Athletics at Vanderbilt in 1967.