Robinson accounts for three TDs as Oklahoma St. rebounds vs. Rice

 

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Top 25 Overview

It was over when... Oklahoma State started the game with two TDs, which Rice could only follow up with a field goal in the first half. Gameball goes to... Zac Robinson, who threw for his 55th and 56th TD passes against Rice. That makes him the QB with the most passing TDs in team history. Stat of the game... 2-9. Oklahoma State's offense struggled a bit, especially on third down, when the Cowboys were successful just twice in nine tries. Complete Top 25 Overview

Team Stat Comparison
1st Downs	23	18
Total Yards	377	351
Passing	301	227
Rushing	76	124
Penalties	8-60	6-54
3rd Down Conversions	7-16	2-9
4th Down Conversions	1-2	1-1
Turnovers	2	2
Possession	34:26	25:34

Air/Ground Leaders
Rice Passing   C/ATT YDS TD INT Fanuzzi 16/28 182 0 1 Shepherd 12/23 119 0 0	Oklahoma State Passing   C/ATT YDS TD INT Robinson 14/20 227 2 0
Rice Rushing   CAR YDS TD LG Goodson 12 55 0 13 Fanuzzi 4 42 0 23	Oklahoma State Rushing   CAR YDS TD LG Toston 18 75 0 11 Johnson 12 28 1 7
Rice Receiving   REC YDS TD LG Dixon 9 120 0 72 Goodson 3 40 0 28	Oklahoma State Receiving   REC YDS TD LG Bryant 9 161 2 38 Cooper 2 36 0 19

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER				RICE	OKST
	TD	10:15	Dez Bryant 23 Yd Pass From Zac Robinson (Dan Bailey Kick)	0	7
SECOND QUARTER				RICE	OKST
	TD	14:44	Donald Booker 51 Yd Fumble Return (Dan Bailey Kick)	0	14
	FG	05:50	Clark Fangmeier 34 Yd	3	14
	TD	03:30	Dez Bryant 10 Yd Pass From Zac Robinson (Dan Bailey Kick)	3	21
THIRD QUARTER				RICE	OKST
	TD	11:14	Zac Robinson 1 Yd Run (Dan Bailey Kick)	3	28
	TD	09:09	Charles Ross 2 Yd Run (Clark Fangmeier Kick)	10	28
	TD	06:46	Charles Ross 1 Yd Run (Clark Fangmeier Kick)	17	28
	TD	01:56	Beau Johnson 2 Yd Run (Dan Bailey Kick)	17	35
FOURTH QUARTER				RICE	OKST
	TD	12:24	Charles Ross 3 Yd Run (Clark Fangmeier Kick)	24	35
	FG	09:02	Dan Bailey 28 Yd	24	38
	FG	04:30	Dan Bailey 42 Yd	24	41

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Zac Robinson's performance against Rice on Saturday might not quiet the Oklahoma State quarterback's critics.

Coach Mike Gundy is not one of them.

Robinson rushed for one touchdown and threw for two others -- both to Dez Bryant -- as No. 16 Oklahoma State rebounded from a home loss to Houston to beat Rice 41-24.

Zac Attack

Zac Robinson tossed his 55th and 56th career TD passes in Saturday's 41-24 victory over Rice, eclipsing Josh Fields' all-time mark for Oklahoma State quarterbacks.

Most Passing TDs Oklahoma State History

Years	Player	TDs
'06-pres.	Zac Robinson	56
'01-'03	Josh Fields	55
'86-'89	Mike Gundy	54

"He had a couple passes that I thought he could have thrown better," Gundy said. "I thought he ran the ball and played better. He took care of it. Overall, I thought it was the best he had played" this season.

Oklahoma State (2-1) didn't exactly get its offense rolling -- which Gundy attributed to a lack of snaps -- but the Cowboys did enough to beat Rice (0-3).

Robinson completed 14 of 20 passes for 227 yards -- about nine yards below last season's per-game average -- against a defense that entered the game ranked last against the pass. And Bryant had nine catches for 161 yards, including touchdown grabs of 23 and 10 yards.

Their play helped Oklahoma State overcome the absence of star running back Kendall Hunter, who missed the game with a sprained right ankle.

Rice opened the season with three straight road games, including two against Big 12 Conference foes. The Owls were within 35-24 after a touchdown with 12:24 left, but Dan Bailey hit field goals of 28 and 42 yards in the final 9:02 for the Cowboys.

That the Cowboys needed those points and defensive stops to feel comfortable at the end of the game was a credit to the perseverance of Rice, which trailed 28-3 after Robinson's 1-yard touchdown run with 11:14 left in the third quarter.

Andre Sexton set up that score with a 35-yard interception return to the Rice 14.

But Rice responded with touchdown runs of 2 yards and 1 yard by Charles Ross, the latter after Travis Bradshaw recovered a fumble by Oklahoma State kickoff returner Perrish Cox, to pull within 28-17.

"I am very proud of this football team," Rice coach David Bailiff said. "I thought they fought valiantly for four quarters.

"To achieve anything in life, you have to have great enthusiasm, and this game of football, it's a tough game played by tough men. If you don't have passion and enthusiasm, it doesn't ever work."

Each time Rice threatened, Oklahoma State answered with points. Beau Johnson, who joined Keith Toston in subbing for Hunter, followed a 38-yard Robinson-to-Bryant pass with a 2-yard scoring run with 1:56 left in the third quarter.

Toston carried 18 times for 75 yards, while Johnson had 12 carries for 28 yards. The Cowboys had just 56 offensive snaps.

"I'm not frustrated, but we still have to play better," Gundy said. "We've got to find a way to get more big plays. ... We just have to keep pushing forward."

Robinson's two touchdown passes raised his career total to 56, pushing him past Josh Fields for the Oklahoma State career lead.

Oklahoma State held the ball for only 11 minutes in the first half but still had 212 yards of offense and led 21-3 at halftime.

The Cowboys took the opening kickoff and went 60 yards in 10 plays, with Robinson hitting Bryant for a touchdown from 23 yards out. It was Oklahoma State's first touchdown in the first quarter this season.

"The players on our offense, we're missing it here and there by one little mistake," Toston said. "We're practicing hard trying to overcome those little mistakes, but it happened today as well. I guess we have to practice harder."

Rice drove from its own 37 to the Oklahoma State 18 early in the second quarter and lined up for a field goal, but the snap went through the hands of holder Randy Kitchens. After a scramble, Donald Booker scooped up the football and ran 49 yards for Oklahoma State's second touchdown.

Clark Fangmeier pulled the Owls within 14-3 with a 34-yard field goal, but the Cowboys quickly answered as Robinson connected with Bryant on a 10-yard scoring play. It was the 29th Robinson-to-Bryant touchdown pass, the most by an active combo in the FBS. Bryant finished the half with eight catches for 123 yards.

Nick Fanuzzi (182 yards passing) and John Thomas Shepherd (119) continued to rotate at quarterback for Rice. Their primary target was Toren Dixon, who caught nine passes for 120 yards.

Fangmeier's three extra-point kicks raised his career total to 161, breaking a Conference USA record formerly held by Stephen Gostowski of Memphis.