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HOUSTON (AP) -- Preston Stone threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score to lead SMU to a 36-31 victory over Rice on Saturday night.

Rice (4-5, 2/3 American Athletic Conference) jumped out to a 7-0 lead when Peyton Stevenson blocked a punt and Chike Anigbogu returned it 15 yards for a touchdown. Stone answered with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Roderick Daniels Jr. and a 20-yard touchdown run to give SMU (7-2, 5-0) a 14-7 lead after one quarter.

JT Daniels had a 4-yard scoring toss to Luke McCaffrey to pull the Owls even. Collin Rogers' 41-yard field goal put the Mustangs up 17-14 at the half.

SMU used Tyler Lavine's 3-yard touchdown run and Rogers' 37-yard field goal to take a 33-21 lead. Dean Connors scored on a fourth-and-goal run from the 1 to pull the Owls within five points heading to the final quarter.

Rice used a 57-yard run by Connors to get to the Mustangs' 17-yard line, but a holding penalty stymied the drive and the Owls settled for Tim Horn's 32-yard field goal to get within 33-31 with 7:44 left to play. Rogers capped the scoring with a 51-yard field goal with 2:49 remaining.

Stone completed 15 of 28 passes for 224 yards for the Mustangs. He also carried eight times for 81 yards.

 

• [-/rv] SMU 36, Rice 31
• SMU (7-2, 5-0 American), Rice (4-5, 2-3 American)
• Rice Stadium – Houston, Texas

• North Texas - Friday, November 10 – 8pm CT – Gerald J. Ford Stadium – Dallas, Texas
• TV: ESPN2
• Radio: KTCK 96.7 FM/1310 AM | SMU Mobile App/Varsity Network App

• Captains: Jake Bailey #12, WR, Sr.), Elijah Chatman (#40, DT, Sr.), Brandon Crossley (#1, S, Sr.), Tyler Lavine (#31, RB, Sr.), Jonathan McGill (#2, S, Sr.), Justin Osborne (#51, OL, Sr.), Preston Stone (#2, QB, So.)
• SMU is 5-0 in conference play this season and 10-3 in AAC games under Rhett Lashlee
• First 5-0 start in conference play since starting 7-0 in 1982 (went 7-0-1 in the SWC) 
• SMU has won 6 straight AAC games, including 5 this season
  • First time SMU has won 5 straight conference games in the same season since 1997
  • Longest conference winning streak since 7 straight overlapping the 1983 and 1984 seasons
• Collin Rogers made a career-long 51-yard FG with 2:49 left to put SMU up 36-31 then Isaiah Nwokobia had an interception with 1:07 left to seal the victory
• SMU had a season-high 3 takeaways (2 interceptions, 1 fumble)
  • Fifth straight game SMU defense has at least one interception
  • Multiple takeaways in 3 of the past 4 games
• SMU held Rice to 2-12 on third downs (entered the game leading the AAC and 10^th in FBS at 29.3% allowed)
• SMU had 4 sacks, 9 TFLs, 4 pass breakups, 5 QB hurries with a season-high 3 takeaways (2 interceptions, 1 fumble)
  • Sacks: Elijah Roberts (2.5 - career high), Elijah Chatman (1.5)
    • Now have 31 sacks on the season, T-5^th in a season at SMU
  • TFLs: Elijah Roberts (2.5), Jonathan McGill (2), Ahmad Walker (2), Elijah Chatman (1.5), Jordan Miller (1)
  • Fumble Recoveries: Nelson Paul
  • Forced Fumbles: Elijah Roberts (sack), Cale Sanders Jr.
  • Interception: Kobe Wilson, Isaiah Nwokobia (2^nd straight game with an interception for Nwokobia) 

• SMU had 484 yards of total offense (261 passing, 223 rushing) and held Rice to 290
  • SMU has held 6 opponents under 300 total yards
• SMU had 223 yards rushing and 2 rushing TDs (Preston Stone, Tyler Lavine)
  • 4^th game this season with over 200 rushing yards (season high is 228 vs Charlotte)
  • Had 3 different rushers over 50 yards for the first time this season (Preston Stone 81, LJ Johnson 73, Jaylan Knighton 55)
  • Multiple rushing TDs in 6 of past 7 games
• Preston Stone was 15-28 passing for 224 yards with 2 TDs and 8-81rushing (career high yards) with a TD
  • Had a career-high 81 rushing yards, including 2 of the 3 longest runs of his career (34 yards 1^st, 20-yard TD 3^rd)
  • TDs: Roderick Daniels Jr. (34 yards), Jordan Hudson (30 yards)
• SMU led 14-7 after the first quarter and outgained Rice 204 to -1 (Rice did not have a first down in the opening quarter)
• Lowest first quarter yards allowed since -5 vs Pittsburgh in the Compass Bowl on 1/7/12
• Has scored at least 14 points in the 1^st Qtr in 7 of 9 games
  • Has outscored AAC opponents 84-10 in the first quarter and has not allowed an offensive TD (Rice blocked punt return TD)
• ESPN Highlights
  • Elijah Chatman sack
  • LJ Johnson Jr. 19-yard rush
  • Preston Stone 34-yard TD pass to Roderick Daniels Jr.
  • Preston Stone 20-yard rush TD
  • Jaylan Knighton 13-yard rush
  • Preston Stone 30-yard TD pass to Jordan Hudson
  • Preston Stone 34-yard rush
  • Tyler Lavine 3-yard rushing TD
  • Full Highlights
• SMU Radio Highlights and Head Coach Rhett Lashlee postgame radio | SMU Radio Network on KTCK "The Ticket" 96.7 FM, 1310 AM (Rich Phillips pxp, Scott Garner analyst, Steve Lansdale sideline) – Credit: Learfield / SMU Radio Network
  • Highlights
  • Rhett Lashlee postgame
• Series History vs Rice: SMU is now 49-41-1
  • SMU wins the Mayor's Cup 

• Collin Rogers #41, K, So.)
  • 3-3 on PATs, now 101-102 for his career
  • 3-4 FGs (made 41, 37, career-long 51; missed 48)
    • Career-high 3 FGs made 

• Preston Stone (#2, QB, So.) - Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List, Davey O'Brien Class of 2023, Manning Award Watch List
  • 15-28 passing for 224 yards and 2 TDs plus 8-81 rushing with a TD
  • Career-high 81 rushing yards
  • 305 yards of total offense, 4^th straight game over 300
  • 3 rushing TDs this season, 5 in his career 

• Jake Bailey (#12, WR, Sr.)
  • 4-73 receiving (one yard short of season high)
• Ryan Bujcevski (#92, P, Sr.) – Ray Guy Award Watch List
  • 1-39 punting
• Elijah Chatman (#40, DT, Sr.) - Outland Trophy Watch List
  • Had 4 tackles including 1.5 sacks
  • Has 3.5 sacks in the past 3 games
• Roderick Daniels Jr. (#13, WR, Jr.)
  • 2-42 receiving with a TD
  • 4 TDs this season, 8 for his career
• Branson Hickman (#56, C, Jr.) – Rimington Trophy Watch List
  • Has started 28 straight games that he has played (missed one game in 2022)
• Jordan Hudson (#8, WR, So.)
  • 3-37 receiving with a TD
  • 5 TDs this season
• Jaylan Knighton (#4, RB, Sr.)
  • 11-55 rushing and 1-28 receiving
  • Season-long 28-yard reception
• Tyler Lavine (#31, RB, Sr.)
  • 2-7 rushing with a TD
  • 21^st rushing TD of his career
• Isaiah Nwokobia (#23, S, Jr.)
  • 3 tackles and an interception
  • 2^nd straight game with an interception
• Justin Osborne (#51, OL, Sr.) - Outland Trophy Watch List
  • 37^th start at SMU (40 games played)
• Nelson Paul (#9, DE, Sr.)
  • 2 tackles
  • Had a fumble recovery, 3^rd of his career
• Elijah Roberts (#5, DE, Sr.)
  • Career-high tying 5 tackles with a career-high 2.5 sacks
• Ahmad Walker (#34, LB, Jr.)
  • Had 5 tackles, including 2 TFLs
• Kobe Wilson (#24, LB, Jr.)
  • Team-high 7 tackles
  • First career interception