Offensive woes continue as Owls sputter against Panthers
Despite a sluggish start Saturday night, the Rice Owls had a chance, down by six with less than two minutes remaining against Florida International.
A 9-yard Kylen Granson catch gave Rice a first down inside FIU’s 10-yard line. On first down, 9 yards from a game-tying touchdown, running back Emmanuel Esukpa was stuffed. Receiver Austin Walter was tackled 2 yards behind the line on a well-contained sweep the next play.
On third down, quarterback Jackson Tyner was swallowed at the line of scrimmage for no gain; fourth-and-goal from 11 yards out.
Tyner took the snap and maneuvered right, feeling pressure, then overthrew 6-4 receiver Aaron Cephus. FIU won 13-7. “That was really a tough loss tonight,” coach David Bailiff said. “When you give yourself an opportunity at the end of it to win and can’t seize the moment. We’ve got to make plays.”
Again, a sluggish offense crippled the Owls. Tyner, starting for the injured Sam Glaesmann, threw for 131 yards and an interception. He also rushed for 16 yards and a score. The offense gained 248 total yards.
“Offensively we’ve been absolutely anemic,” Bailiff said. “We’re disappointed. We had a lot of opportunities to go out there and win this one.”
Panthers quarterback Alex McGough made the plays, dancing around Rice defenders, buying enough time to find his teammates for critical first downs to move FIU in position to score. He passed for 172 yards and a touchdown, adding 11 rushing yards.
McGough found Pharoah McKever for the goahead touchdown in the second quarter of a tight defensive battle, but Rice responded on its next series.
Tyner, who made his second career start against FIU, shined in the lone scoring drive. Early in the second quarter, a roughing-the kicker penalty on fourthand-13 brought new life to a promising drive. Tyner rushed for a 14-yard first down two plays later.
On a reverse-pass, receiver Parker Smith found Tyner for a 17-yard catch 3 yards from the pylon. Drifting left, he punched the ball in for a score the next play, evening the game.
Six plays into the Pan- thers’ next offensive drive, cornerback Justin Bickham made a leaping interception at the 5-yard line, robbing FIU of a rebuttal and igniting the Owls gathered on the sideline.
“I’m proud of the defensive players as a whole. I saw a lot of great effort out there tonight,” linebacker Brian Womac said.
But second- and thirdquarter field goals proved too much for Rice’s offense to overcome .“Scoring seven points is pretty unacceptable as an offense,” Tyner said.“We just didn’t execute down there in the red zone.”