The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Texas 48, Rice 7
09.20.2003 | Football
HOUSTON -- In a game dominated by the Longhorns, Texas scored on its second possession of the game and did not look back en route to a 48-7 win over Rice in front of 45,764 fans Saturday at Reliant Stadium in Houston.
The Longhorns offense amassed 515 total yards, as it cleared the 500-yard for the 14th time in the Mack Brown era. It was also a record-setting night for senior wide receiver Roy Williams, who became the Longhorns all-time leader in career receiving yards with 3,077, passing Mike Adams (3,032).
On its second drive of the game, the Longhorns completed an eight-play, 80-yard drive that was capped by a three-yard touchdown run by RB Cedric Benson for a 7-0 lead. Benson rushed a total of six times for 48 yards on the drive and would later add two more scores in the game on a 59-yard reception from Chance Mock and a 17-yard run. The 59-yard reception was the 10th-longest reception by a running back in school history, and Benson's 130 yards on the ground moved him into eighth place all-time in career rushing yards with 2,543.
Selvin Young also added two touchdowns in the first half on four-yard and two-yard runs, but it was Roy Williams 18-yard TD reception with 11:04 remaining in the second quarter that secured him the all-time career receiving yardage lead. The pass came from Mock, who finished the night a perfect 8-of-8 passing for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
The half concluded with the Longhorns leading 41-0, the most since scoring 48 in a half versus Stanford in 1999. Those 41 points also included 34 in the second quarter, the most scored in a quarter in the Mack Brown era.
The final score of the game for Texas came with 4:33 remaining in the third quarter when Vince Young took the ball over the top from one-yard out to extend the lead to 48-0. For the night, Young finished 3-for-5 for 34 yards passing and had seven carries for 54 yards, as he combined with Mock to complete 11 passes to six different receivers.
The Owls broke through with 5:18 remaining in the game on a six-yard run by QB Greg Henderson, but for the game, the Longhorn defense held Rice to 192 total yards, including only 27 in the air. It marked the 16th time in the Mack Brown era the defense has held an opponent to fewer than 200 yards in a game.
Individually on the defensive side, Derrick Johnson made his fourth career fumble recovery, while freshman Eric Foreman made his first, and Nathan Vasher made his 13th career interception in the third quarter to tie him for fourth on UT's all-time list.
