Chase Clement threw three touchdown passes, ran for a score and caught a TD pass from Jarett Dillard to lead the Owls to a 38-14 win over the Broncos at Reliant Stadium on Tuesday night.
Dillard also caught his nation-leading 20th touchdown pass of the season as the Owls (10-3) won a bowl game for the first time since the 1954 Cotton Bowl and reached 10 victories for the first time since 1949.
Clement went 30-for-44 for 307 yards and was the game’s Most Valuable Player. Dillard caught his 60th career touchdown, adding to his NCAA record, and also tied former Memphis running back DeAngelo Williams’ Conference USA record for career touchdowns.
The performance by Rice’s defense may have been just as remarkable.
The Owls were giving up 467 yards and 35 points per game, but shut out the high-scoring Broncos for more than three quarters before Tim Hiller threw a 2-yard TD pass to Kirk Elsworth with 6:33 left in the game.
Western Michigan, ranked 24th in total offense coming in, gained only 278 yards and went 3-for-14 on third down. Hiller, who led the Mid-American Conference in yards passing, went 19-for-42 for 198 yards with two interceptions.
The Broncos (9-4) dropped to 0-4 in bowls and missed their chance for the first 10-win season.
Jamarko Simmons caught a 9-yard pass on the Broncos’ first play from scrimmage, setting a school record with his 99th reception of the season. But Juan Nunez dropped a touchdown pass behind the Rice defense and John Potter missed a 51-yard field-goal try, setting the tone for the Broncos’ night.
Western Michigan safety Louis Delmas was called for pass interference to set up Clement’s 26-yard touchdown run with 5:21 left in the first quarter. It was Clement’s 12th rushing TD of the season.
The Owls’ 102nd-ranked rush defense stuffed Brandon West on a third-and-1 from the Western 39, Clement threw a 29-yard pass to James Casey and Clark Fangmeier kicked a 30-yard field goal to put the Owls up 10-0.
Corbin Smiter couldn’t handle a third-down pass from Clement early in the second quarter, but Broncos safety Mario Armstrong was flagged for a high hit that knocked off Smiter’s helmet. A pass interference call on cornerback Londen Fryar gave the Owls a first down at the 2 and Toren Dixon caught a TD pass from Clement with 6:53 left in the first half to make it 17-0.
Rice safety Andrew Sendejo leaped for an interception on the Broncos’ next drive. The Owls led Conference USA in turnover margin during the regular season (plus-13). Under heavy pressure, Clement threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Casey with 1:15 remaining in the half for a 24-0 lead.
The Broncos had 90 yards and six first downs in the opening half. Hiller went 10-for-22 for 69 yards and was intercepted by Rice’s Chris Jones on the last play before the break.
Western Michigan receivers dropped third-down passes on the first two series of the second half.
Rice converted a fourth down from the Broncos 25. Then, Clement passed to Dillard, who threw back to a wide-open Clement for a touchdown and a 31-0 lead.
It was Dillard’s first career completion and the 51st touchdown produced by the duo, but the first with the roles reversed.
Dillard caught an 18-yard pass from Clement in the fourth quarter to give Rice a 38-0 lead. The Owls had never scored more than 28 points in eight previous bowls.
The Broncos drove for one more score in the final minute, with Hiller finding Schneider Julien open in the end zone with 25 seconds left.
Before the game, Western Michigan announced that coach Bill Cubit agreed to a new five-year contract.
