SB Nation Dallas - SMU vs. Rice: Bowl eligibility at stakehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48887/dallas-fave.png2012-11-17T16:08:44-06:00http://dallas.sbnation.com/rss/stream/34034872012-11-17T16:08:44-06:002012-11-17T16:08:44-06:00Owls lead Mustangs, 20-7, at halftime
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<p>A pair of touchdown passes by junior quarterback <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/115767/taylor-mchargue" class="sbn-auto-link">Taylor McHargue</a> and field goals by <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/115762/chris-boswell" class="sbn-auto-link">Chris Boswell</a> has helped the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/rice-owls" class="sbn-auto-link">Rice Owls</a> earn a 20-7 halftime lead over the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/smu-mustangs" class="sbn-auto-link">SMU Mustangs</a> in a Conference USA college football game at Rice Stadium.</p>
<p>McHargue's second touchdown pass came with just 20 seconds remaining and helped the Owls (4-6, 2-4 C-USA) end the half with 17 straight points. The Mustangs (5-5, 4-2 C-USA) have gained just 68 yards of total offense.</p>
<p>McHargue finished the half 16 of 23 with 215 yards, and his favorite target was wide receiver <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75820/vance-mcdonald" class="sbn-auto-link">Vance McDonald</a>, who caught five passes for 64 yards. One of the receptions was a 19-yard touchdown that helped give the Owls a 13-7 lead with 2:35 to go in the second quarter.</p>
<p>The scoring drive was set up by a sack and forced fumble from junior defensive end <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75821/cody-bauer" class="sbn-auto-link">Cody Bauer</a> on SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert. The ball was recovered at the Mustangs' 19-yard line by senior defensive tackle <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75812/jamael-thomas" class="sbn-auto-link">Jamael Thomas</a>.</p>
<p>Two plays later, McHargue found McDonald.</p>
<p>The last touchdown came on a 7-yard pass to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75819/donte-moore" class="sbn-auto-link">Donte Moore</a> with 20 seconds remaining. Boswell has made kicks from 56 and 51 yards. He also missed a 45-yarder.</p>
<p>SMU scored its lone points in the first quarter on a 7-yard rush by junior running back <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135294/zach-line" class="sbn-auto-link">Zach Line</a>.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/smu-mustangs/2012/11/17/3659200/smu-vs-rice-score-2012Jared E. Smith2012-11-17T07:00:41-06:002012-11-17T07:00:41-06:00SMU vs. Rice: Game time, TV schedule, odds
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<figcaption>Jim Cowsert-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The Southern Methodist Mustangs will look to move above .500 on the season this Saturday against Rice.</p> <p>Eager to become bowl-eligible with a victory, the Southern Methodist Mustangs will hit the field this Saturday for a Conference USA showdown with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/rice-owls">Rice Owls</a>.</p>
<p>The Mustangs moved to 4-2 in conference play with a 28-point win over Southern Miss in Week 11, and will enter Saturday's game in search of their fourth consecutive win over the Owls. Still reeling from their disastrous 42-17 loss to Central Florida on Nov. 3, the Mustangs will continue ride the arm of junior signal caller Garrett Gilbert. The 6'4, 210-pound Gilbert completed 13 passes for 239 yards and one touchdown against Rice while playing with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/texas-longhorns">Texas Longhorns</a> last season.</p>
<p>Hopeful to also become eligible for a bowl needed two wins to close out their schedule, the Owls have reeled off three victories over their last four games after starting the year with a miserable 1-5 record. Dual-threat junior quarterback <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/115767/taylor-mchargue">Taylor McHargue</a> leads a rushing attack that ranks 28th in the country at 204.3 yards per game, but he has not tossed multiple touchdowns in a game since Week 4.</p>
<p><b>Game time:</b> 2:30 CT</p>
<p><b>TV channel:</b> n/a</p>
<p><b><a href="http://www.oddsshark.com/ncaaf/southern-methodist-rice-odds-november-17-2012">Spread</a></b>: SMU -3.5</p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PL3FF4E82DBEA5AD7E&hl=en_US" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/smu-mustangs/2012/11/17/3643398/rice-smu-2012-game-time-schedule-oddsDave Ryan2012-11-15T08:49:28-06:002012-11-15T08:49:28-06:00SMU's Gilbert: 'We are getting better'
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<figcaption>Jim Cowsert-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Quarterback Garrett Gilbert and the SMU Mustangs face a must-win game against Rice on the road this weekend.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/smu-mustangs">SMU Mustangs</a> have played better as the season has gone along, winning three of their past four games after starting the season 2-4. Now at 5-5, they have a shot at bowl eligibility this weekend on the road against in-state, Conference USA rival Rice (4-6, 2-4).</p>
<p>The Mustangs have struggled away from home, however, with their only win away from the Hilltop coming at UTEP. But a win over Rice and a Tulsa loss to Central Florida this weekend will open the door for a shot at the Conference USA title game. SMU has to win this week to keep its conference title hopes alive.</p>
<p>Quarterback Garrett Gilbert <a href="http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/2012/11/garrett-gilbert-says-improving-smu-ready-for-must-win-game-against-rice.html/" target="_blank">told the Dallas Morning News this week </a>he believes the team is improving with every game:</p>
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<p>"I do think we all believe in this team, and we all do believe we are getting better," said Gilbert. "We've done a good job the past few weeks of taking things from the practice field to the game field, and that's something we need to do. I think we've actually been a good practice team since the beginning of the year, but we just had trouble bringing that to the game. Now, I think we feel more confident we can do that."</p>
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<p>Gilbert himself is improving, though head coach June Jones wants to see even more improvement from a passing attack that ranks just 111th nationally:</p>
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<p>"We still need to throw the ball more efficiently," Jones said. "Some of the reason for that is protection has not been as good as it needs to be, and we haven't been as accurate as we need to be."</p>
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<p>SMU and Rice meet Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT in a game televised by CSS.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/smu-mustangs/2012/11/15/3649120/garrett-gilbert-smu-qbKevin Jeffers2012-11-13T14:18:08-06:002012-11-13T14:18:08-06:00SMU vs. Rice Odds: Mustangs are narrow favorites
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<figcaption>Troy Taormina-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>SMU is being given a field goal edge for their game on Saturday against an old Southwest Conference rival.</p> <p>Fresh off a 34-6 beating they gave to winless Southern Miss, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/smu-mustangs">SMU Mustangs</a> are <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/odds">-3.5 point favorites</a> for their game at Rice this Saturday.</p>
<p>With a 5-5 record this season, SMU would clinch bowl eligibility for the fourth consecutive season with a win, which would be the longest streak in school history. And with a game at 8-2 Tulsa in the last week of the season, the Mustangs can ill afford to waste the opportunity presented by the Owls.</p>
<p>Rice, in their sixth year under coach David Bailiff, has crawled their way towards respectability this season at 4-6, but none of their wins this season have come against teams with a winning record.</p>
<p>Both teams have fairly suspect defenses, but while the Owls will try to attack through a ground game ranked 28th in the country, the Mustangs prefer to air the ball out. </p>
<p>As a result, the odds-makers are projecting a fairly high-scoring game, with an over/under at 57 points.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/smu-mustangs/2012/11/13/3641488/smu-rice-football-2012-oddsJonathan Tjarks2012-11-12T17:35:05-06:002012-11-12T17:35:05-06:00SMU vs. Rice: Bowl eligibility at stake
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<figcaption>Ivan Pierre Aguirre-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The hopes and dreams of postseason play for both SMU and Rice hinge on this in-state matchup at Rice Stadium.</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/smu-mustangs" class="sbn-auto-link">SMU Mustangs</a> have the postseason in sight as they visit the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/rice-owls" class="sbn-auto-link">Rice Owls</a> on Saturday in Houston, playing to lock up 2012 bowl eligibility.</p>
<p>SMU moved to 5-5 on the season on Nov. 10 with a 34-6 victory over winless Southern Miss. The Mustangs are also 4-2 in Conference USA play, good for second place in the West Division. With a touchdown pass in the win, quarterback Garrett Gilbert evened out his touchdowns and interceptions to 13 each on the season. Even with running back <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135294/zach-line" class="sbn-auto-link">Zach Line</a> having already eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards on the season, SMU's offense ranks just 86th nationally at 377 yards per game.</p>
<p>Rice enters the game after winning two straight games. By improving to a 4-6 record, a bowl game now seems in reach, but a loss ends those hopes. Behind running backs Turner Peterson and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75803/charles-ross" class="sbn-auto-link">Charles Ross</a>, in those two wins the Owls averaged 205 rushing yards per game. Offensively, Rice has been fairly solid, gaining an average of 418 yards per game. But its defense allows 456 yards, which ranks 102nd nationally.</p>
<p><b>Date/Time</b>: Sat., Nov. 17, 2:30 p.m. CT</p>
<p><b>TV</b>: Comcast Sports South</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/odds" target="_blank">Odds</a>: SMU is favored by 3.5 points</p>
<p><b>For more on this game</b> stay tuned to <a href="http://dallas.sbnation.com/" target="_blank">SB Nation Dallas</a>.</p>
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https://dallas.sbnation.com/smu-mustangs/2012/11/12/3637506/smu-rice-2012-stream-schedule-tv-oddsBrett Hein