ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Jarrett Dillard caught a touchdown pass for
the 10th straight game and Quinton Smith rushed for 183 yards and
three touchdowns to help Rice beat Central Florida 40-29 on
Saturday.
Rice (3-5, 2-2 Conference USA) won its second straight game
while UCF (2-5, 1-2) lost at home for the fourth consecutive time.
Dillard caught a 26-yard scoring pass from quarterback Chase
Clement to give Rice a 27-16 lead with 48 seconds left in the third
quarter. Dillard, who has 12 TD catches on the season, finished
with seven receptions for 86 yards.
Mike Walker, who had 13 receptions for 169 yards, hauled in a
20-yard scoring pass from Kyle Israel to close the gap to 27-22,
but that was as close as the Golden Knights would get.
The Owls, meanwhile, ran the ball seven straight times on their
next possession, the last a 19-yard burst up the middle by Smith to
up their advantage to 34-22.
Brandon King intercepted a pass on UCF's next possession, giving
Rice the ball at the Knights' 6-yard line. Three plays later, Smith
scored his third TD to seal the game.
Israel, making his first start of the season, was 27-for-42 for
327 yards and three touchdowns. His final scoring pass, a 3-yarder
to Rocky Ross with 4 seconds left in the game, closed out the
scoring.
