Owl defenders backs got their hands on the ball five times during Baylor’s four initial TD drives, twice with smooth sailing to the end zone for an intercepting linebacker or corner.

Only the Rice players were unable to complete a single pick.  "When you have that many opportunities to get a takeway, and you get none..." Coach Bailiff's voice trailed off afterward. "We had had a lot of opportunities that we didn't convert on. That changes this football game."

And the one time they were able to convert a turnover, the Bears made lemonade out of the lemon, putting up a goal-line stand to turn the Owls away though their possession started at the BU 4 yard line after Marcus Knox, playing on the punt team, alertly grabbed a misplayed punt.

On first and goal from that point, Chase Clement appeared to hold the ball for a smidgen too long, trying to find an open receiver in the end zone. So instead of being able to dive for two or three yards, Chase was forced to struggle to get back to the line of scrimmage.

On second down, Chase threw incomplete to Jarett Dillard, though the pattern was not the deep corner fade that the two of them had been so successful in connecting on last season.

On third down, a quick out to Toren Dixon should have been a touchdown, but the young Owl receiver had planted his feet a few inches outside the goal line instead of a few inches behind it.

Then on fourth and inches, the coaches in the press box sent frosh halfback Justin Hill off-tackle, and although it appeared he had crossed the plane, the officials denied the Owls the points.

Even so, during that lamentable first half of play, the Rice offense, despite its lapses, was at times very, very good.

The Owls’ first offensive possession was a fingertip away from starting with a bang, when on third and short, Chase Clement found Taylor Wardlow open ten yards deep in the flat with green real estate ahead of him. But the pass was tipped away at the last instant by Baylor defender Jordan Lake, who was out of position on the play but made a quick recovery.

Rice’s second offensive possession was a thing of beauty. On first and ten from the Rice 24, Chase connected with Jarett Dillard wide open down the middle. It appeared he might go all the way but BU’s Jordan Lake had the angle on him, and despite being at least a step slower was able to cause JD to hitch his stride, whereupon the Bears’ Dwain Crawford brought him down after a 51-yard gain – the longest play from scrimmage for the Owls thus far in this benighted season.

Next, play, Chase connected with Taylor Wardlow for 11 yards, on the same play that had been tipped away to end the Owls’ first possession.

Chase needed only one more play to take it in, scoring on the quarterback draw from 14 yards out.

That made it 14-7, Baylor, only halfway deep into the first quarter. A subsequent defensive stop would have been a certain momentum-changer.  But the Owls continued to be unable to put pressure on the Baylor quarterback, who dinged the Rice defense for three short-yardage completions, and, aided by a Rice defensive holding penalty, set up shop at the Rice 24, where he found his receiver, Brad Taylor, several yards behind an Owl defender for an easy score.

At that point, down 21-7, the Rice offense got the ball back and marched goalward once more. As the quarter ended, the Owls were camped out with second and eight at the Bear 20, thanks in no small part to a nifty end around by reserve Patrick Randolph that picked up 21 yards to the BU 33, in a show of encouraging Rice offensive creativity.

First play of the second quarter, C. J. Ugokwe took the handoff and went nine yards for the first down to the Baylor 11. But before the Owls could get off the next play, a Rice OL was called for a false start.

Facing first and 15 from the Baylor 16, the Owls saw the Bears just pin their ears back and flood the backfield. First play, a hurried pass to Jarett Dillard went awry. On second down, Chase never had a chance as he was smothered for a loss to the 18. On third down, the Owls tried C. J. Ugokwe off-tackle, but he never made the line of scrimmage.

Thus, what would have been chippie field goal range was now a less-than-certain 38 yards, and the Owls were kicking into a light, but swirling southeast wind. Clark Fangmeier’s try had plenty of leg but barely missed outside the left upright, and the Owls thus had no points to show for all their effort in that series.

Well, not just at first, that is. After taking the second-half kickoff, the Flock went three-and-out. But then the Rice defense replied with its first and only three-and-out sticking of its own, on the day – and looked impressive, doing so.

Blake Szymanski was pressure and harrassed for all three plays, lofting two hurried throws into the sideline sandwiched around a six-yard scramble.

When the Owls regained possession after the punt to their own 36, Chase immediately connected to JD on the sideline for 26 yards, first play. Ah, but wipe that out, as an Owl lineman was downfield on the play and the refs were all over it. They must wear some kind of special contact lenses that highlight out-of-position technical infractions but screen out holds.

Never mind that, though, as the Owls came back and continued to move the ball with authority. Chase mixed four receivers into the short passing game to move the ball resolutely down the field. Tommy Henderson had three catches going underneath and picking up six or eight yards each time. And Toren Dixon finally clicked on the sideline route to pick up a key first down at the Baylor 14.

This time, when it was first and goal from the Baylor three yard line, the Rice offensive master-minds didn’t get fancy, electing instead to send in backup utility man James Casey to run the "Thor" set, and he took the ball in for the score on his first snap.

Owl defender holds on for dear life as Baylor receiver is about to use ref for blocker (PTH photo)

On the ensuing kickoff, Rice coverage broke down and BU’s Mikail Baker was able to return a deep Luke Juist kick to near midfield. Six straight pass completions later, Baylor’s Szymanski found a wide-open Thomas White crossing in front of the post, and he delivered the mail for touchdown pass number five on the night.

With the score thus standing at 35-14 with 3:23 to go in the third quarter, it was pretty much ‘save the equipment’ time for the Owls for the duration of the evening.

Chase Clement tried to push the ball downfield to get the points back in a hurry, and was in fact able to connect with JD for 21 yards on the first play of the ensuing series.

But he went to the well once too often, for on the next play Chase’s deep pass was picked off by a centerfield-playing Alton Widemon, thus ending Rice’s nascent threat.

With a Rice defense’s being pretty much down in the mouth at that point, the Baylor contingent decided to have a little fun, tossing a deep fade pattern to his intended receiver, Ernest Smith, into the Rice end zone twice in a row from the Owl 20-yard line – and the second time, it worked.

"I would have done the same thing," Rice wide receiver Jarett Dillard said, after finishing the evening with five receptions for 93 yards. "I don’t want to play a team that feels like they have to ease up. That’s how you play football; that’s how you learn to win games."

The Rice offense was able to muster at least a little firepower in the final quarter, as backup quarterback Jon Thomas Shepherd moved the team 45 yards in ten plays, abetted by runs of seven, five, eight and three yards by frosh running back Justin Hill, who might have just played himself into a starting position, given the lack of rushing game otherwise demonstrated.