You could have been there.

Rice fans who managed to find something else to do this bright, shiny fall Saturday can be thankful they were not present at H. A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, to observe one of the more disheartening demolition jobs yet visited on their Owls in the post-SWC era.

Todd Graham's University of Tulsa team, fresh off a stunning win over Notre Dame in South Bend last week, continued its winning ways with a disappointingly, if not disastrously, easy 64-27 win over the Owls.

And strange thing was, the game seemed to start out so darned positively

After the Owls shut down Tulsa's opening possession of the game and then surged to an early 7-0 lead, the Golden Hurricane proceeded to score literally at will, picking up seven touchdowns in seven possessions -- now there's a familiar theme -- en route to a 41-7 halftime lead.

Tulsa's offensive machine hummed like a Ferrrari throughout the game, as quarterback Gary Joe Kinne went to the air for 371 yards and four touchdowns. By the time the halftime clock expired, the Hurricane had rolled up 458 yards of total offense.

When Rice defensive backs played deep and soft to protect against the bomb, QB Kinne simply threw underneath to amply-open receivers. When the receiver and the defender were one on one, G. J.'s passes were laser sharp, the receivers' routes precise, and the whole scene had an exacting sense of organization that has so often has been honored in the breach by the Owls' offensive scheme.

Tulsa had an answer for every Rice pass coverage scheme, and that opened up the running lanes for even more Hurricane mischief.

Owls appeared bent on matching Tulsa blow-for-blow

Still, at the onset, it appeared the Owls had come to play and were bent on matching Tulsa blow for blow. For starters, the Flock three-and-outed Tulsa on the opening possession of the game via two broken-up passing attempts and a Trey Briggs lock on QB Kinne for no gain.

After a 38-yard Michael Such punt which cause howls of derision in the Tulsa stands after an Owl was blocked into the punter, Rice set up at its own 42. First play, Sam McGuffie banged into the line -- it's required by law, you know -- and he bucked and prodded for eight yards.

Second and two from midfield, and the Rice offensive coaches had found to way to create a mismatch in favor of senior wide receiver Patrick Randolph. Pat ran a little hitch pattern but suddenly found himself wide open 25 yards downfield. Nick Fanuzzi got the ball out to him; Patrick agonizingly bounced it off his own fingertips a couple of times, but managed to haul it in and spring the remaining 20 or so yards into the end zone untouched.

One might imagine the pandemonium and general hell-raising that erupted on the Tulsa sideline over that ostensible blown play. We learned four new cuss words from some moon-faced guy with a crew cut, light blue windbreaker and a head-set.

And then there was Tulsa assistant coach Paul Randolph, who happens to be Pat's father, and the assistant head coach in charge of defensive endeavors. This was a battle that clearly went to Junior, although in the end the overall war turned out to be no contest in favor of papa.

Tulsa quickly got rolling its next possession, when, on second and seven, Kinne tossed the ball high into the wind in the general direction of his receiver Terence Robinson. Chris Jammer appeared to have position on Robinson and the play defended, but the wind knocked the ball down and the Tulsa wideout was able hitch back and scoop up the reception, 39 yards downfield. That opened the floodgates.

Four straight more completions culminated a 12-yard touchdown strike to Trae Johnson. But on the extra point attempt, Phillip Gaines roared in to make the block, to preserve a 7-6 Owl lead.

Would-be return TD turned into disaster for Rice

Never mind, though -- the lead would last for less than a minutes, as on the ensuing kickoff, Denzel Wells blasted a couple of Tulsa special teamers, found some daylight, and appeared to be heading for gridiron glory, when Ja’Terian Douglas managed an oblique hit that sent Denzel one way and the ball the other. That set up the 'Cane on Rice's 43-yard line, where it took them exactly three, quick-strike passes to score again, Kinne hooking up with Demaris Johnson from 19 yards out to give the home team the lead for good, at 13-7 with 10:06 left in the first quarter.

Rice then setttled into its usual pattern of using Sam McGuffie to test the interior of the Tulsa line, and Tulsa usually passed that test -- except for once.

Down 20-7, and facing first and ten from his own 33, Sam took the handoff, bounced through a hole well-formed by the Rice offensive line, and suddenly was in the clear, heading down the visitors' sideline. Fifty yards later he was bumped out of bounds by Tulsa's Dexter McCoil, who barely  had the angle on Sam. It was that close to being a 67-yard TD run, but nonetheless the Owls were at the Tulsa 17, with a chance to climb back into the game with a quick score.

The effort went nowhere, however, as Nick Fanuzzi misfired in the end zone to Luke Willson; then went down for a loss of seven under a heavy rush. One knew things were getting ready to go from bad to worse when Chris Boswell subsequently missed a straight-on field goal attempt from 27 yards out. A lot of fireworks from Big Sam, but no points.

Sam did finish the day with a personal best near-180 yards rushing -- and that includes his games played in a Michigan Wolverine uniform. "I'm very proud of Sam McGuffie's effort.," Rice head coach David Bailiff said afterwards. "I believe he had 178 yards rushing and we can build on that. We can build the offense around Sam."

Boom, boom, boom -- three more Tulsa TDs

Meanwhile, Tulsa was doing a little construction work its own self, rolling to three more touchdowns before the first half ended, driving 90 yards in six plays, 80 yards in nine plays, and 70 yards in ten plays on consecutive possessions.

The 34-point halftime deficit was the largest the Owls had faced since, well, since last year's 59 point intermission deficit against the Houston Cougars. So maybe that means we'll beat these guys next year. Maybe.

The Owls did get to start out the second half with the ball, and, as a sure sign that the Rice coaching staff had whizzed on the fire and called in the dogs, Taylor Cook came out to run the team. He responded with a crisp, quick, drive that covered 83 yards in six plays, the last of them a 55-yard scoring strike down the middle to Luke Willson, who made an acrobatic catch, following a juggled ball until he was able to bring it in, and then roaring in for the score.

It was the second straight toss that Taylor was able to launch on a deep drop and under a heavy rush, the previous being a 10-yarder to Vance McDonald,   and each time he kept his cool.

However....as J. Fred used to say, Tulsa blocked the Rice extra point attempt, Chris Boswell vainly tried to fall on and cover the ball, but Tulsa's John Flanders grabbed it and took it to the house the other way.

Then, on the ensuing kickoff, Demaris Johnson gathered in the ball at his own six and pinballed his way 94 yards for the touchdown. So, do the math....Rice had the ball for six plays and had traveled 83 yards for a touchdown; meanwhile Tulsa had run zero offensive plays but had outscored the Owls 9-6 during that juncture. Now, that's bad.

Let the record reflect: aside from two, minimal-time possessions at the end of the first half and the last few seconds of the game, Taylor Cook captained the Owl offense for four possessions. The results: 83 yards, six plays, Rice touchdown. Three and out. 68 yards, seven plays, touchdown. 68 yards, 15 plays, touchdown.

We've already mentioned the first of those three touchdown drives. A few words about the other two...

Second drive: Taylor Cook kept the drive alive on a key third-and-seven from the Rice 45 by standing up in a stgrong rush and getting the ball downfield to LukeWillson, who carried several defenders for a 30-yard gain. Next play,   Sam McGuffie popped for 18 more. A couple plays later, Sam scored easily from five yards out.

Third drive: On third and nine at the Rice 33, Taylor Cook got the drive going by hitting Vance McDonald surging out of the flat for a 10 yards and a first down. Cook's precision passing loosened up the Tulsa rushing defense, and Sam McGuffie began to chip away, not by diving up the middle, but by probing off tackle and beyond. On consecutive carries, Sam got 2, 7, 5 14, 5, 9 yards. Then a fresh Tyler Smith spelled him.

On third and 12 from the Tulsa 17, Taylor hit Tyler coming out of the backfield, and he got 11 yards, the last five of them with a couple of Tulsa players on his back.

On fourth and one from the six, the give was to Tyler Smith trapping the inside, and he walked across the goal line.

Graham by implication denigrated Taylor C's efforts

This was not taking place against Tulsa's defensive scrubs. Todd Graham is not one to allow quarter. True, he was running defensive substitutes in and out throughout most of the second half, but he kept his defensive unit intact. "It was really hard to, once we started subbing in, to keep our level of intensity and I didn't like that," Graham said afterwards.

Taylor Cook finished the day 6-of-11 for 122 yards and one touchdown passing. “When opportunity came his way he was ready,” Coach Bailiff said. “That’s important when you’re a number two."

So perhaps there is a light at the end of the tunnel, at least on offense. But the Owl defense left this game reeling.

"What it comes down to is making plays, and that’s what we’re not doing right now,” free safety Travis Bradshaw said afterwards. Perhaps true, but one senses that the Owls are being given padded pugil sticks to fight off chain mail. The result: sheer demoralization. It's there. How can it not be?

“When something bad happens, you have to strengthen your resolve as a man and as a football team,” Rice head coach David Bailiff said in his postgamer. “You have to show you have some grit and gut, and I think we went flat. That is something that we have to change."

--P.T.H.

The heart of Sam McGuffie

TULSA (Nov. 6) -- Rice's Michigan transfer and youtube sensation Sam McGuffie appeared to have turned a corner with his collegiate personal best 178 yards rushing against Tulsa Saturday. But personal exploits and accomplishments turn out to be the farthest thing from his mind.

Within that broad chest and between those tatooieo'ed biceps beats a heart so huge that it threatens to overwhelm his emotions even to the point of diminishing his effectiveness. Rice coaches have been aware of that fact since the day Sam first matriculated on South Main, and have sheltered him from the prying lenses and microphones of the news hounds.

Sam McGuffie spoke to media for the first time after Saturday's loss to Tulsa. It was clear: the lad cares so much, it's as if he almost cares too much. In so doing, he also offers a ready lesson to any paunchy, jaded sophisticate Rice grad two or three times his age.

"It's about being a family," he said of his Rice experience, an observation that can be applied equally as well both on the football field and in the colleges. "It's about coming out and giving everything you have, and don't be worrying about what comes next."

"This is all we have. These are the memories you're going to look back on for the rest of your life."

"College football is only a four year or five year span, that's it. And some of it's shortened, when you have injuries or whatever. So I just think the time we have here is so valuable, that we've got to make the most of it. That's all you can do."

Sam McGuffie clearly gets it. It's just that he gets it so intensely; he would gladly push his heart to bursting, could he hoist the entire fortunes of Rice football on his back and carry it alone to glory.

Thus in his toils, without specifically intending to, he goes about defending the value of each Rice diploma to a greater extent than many others who wear the blue and gray team colors, or for that matter, the Rice ring.

When he finally speaks, again  inadvertently, he reveals experience beyond his years, expressed in a succinctness of language that any turgid liberal arts major (like this one) can aspire to.

"People don't remember great players, they remember the great teams," he insists. "And that's really what it all comes down to."

But what about playing for pride? With league crowns and bowl game opportunities having fallen by the wayside, surely there remains the appropriate response, to play in quest of personal achievement.

"You can play for whatever you want to play for," Sam responds, with more than a hint of exasperation in his voice. "Bottom line is, you've always got to play to win. That's it."

He shakes his head wearily, trudging back toward the locker room to pull off the pads.

--P.T.H.

Graham:  No chance of Hurricane hangover
Answer to Rice-Tulsa riddle may lie not in stars, but between combatants' ears

HOUSTON (Nov. 5) -- Perhaps it's a truism, but the great Rice football teams of yore, in the days of Jess Neely, just flat owned outright the month of November.

When that first blue norther came howling into town, and the days began to grow ever shorter, the Institute Boys typically began to pop the pads with an urgency that occasionally escaped them during the Dog Days of August, and the Indian Summers of early fall.