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McCoy, Texas rout Rice

Sep 23, 2007 - 6:11 AM AUSTIN, Texas (Ticker) -- Colt McCoy made sure Texas would not have to sweat out a game for the third straight week.

McCoy threw for 333 yards and three touchdowns to lead seventh-ranked Texas to a dominating 58-14 victory over Rice on Saturday.

Last week, the Longhorns (4-0) trailed in the fourth quarter at Central Florida before winning the game, 35-32. Texas also had to rally from a 10-0 third-quarter deficit against TCU the week before.

But Texas pulled away early in this one, as McCoy threw for 295 yards and three scores in the first half - leading the Longhorns to a 41-7 lead after two quarters.

"Our guys were ready to play," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "I thought that was the best I have seen Colt (McCoy). I felt like it was a very good win for us, in the fashion we need to win, because we haven't really done that as a team yet this year."

It was the ninth straight time Texas has beaten its intrastate foe. The Longhorns have defeated Rice (0-4) in 37 of their past 38 meetings.

McCoy led Texas to another score on their first possession of the second half before sitting out the rest of the game with most of the other offensive starters. He finished 20-of-29 without an interception.

"I felt like we executed really well," McCoy said. "Our defense gave us really good field position and gave us a lot of opportunities to convert short fields, and I felt like we did a good job of that tonight. This is what we were hoping for coming into the game."

Limas Sweed caught five passes for a career-high 139 yards and two touchdowns while Jamaal Charles rushed for 74 yards and three scores for the Longhorns, who begin Big 12 Conference play next week against Kansas State.

After Charles fumbled on Texas' first possession, McCoy led the Longhorns down the field on a 13-play, 67-yard drive on their second possession, capped by an 18-yard touchdown pass to Quan Cosby.

The sophomore quarterback completed all seven pass attempts on the drive to give the Longhorns a 7-0 lead with 8:28 left in the first quarter.

Texas added three more when Ryan Bailey kicked a 43-yard field goal to make the score 10-0 with 4:34 left in the opening quarter.

Texas scored on its first five possessions of the second quarter to put the game out of reach.

Charles scored on a two-yard run to give the Longhorns a 17-0 lead early in the second. After Bailey added a career-long 52-yard field goal, McCoy connected with Sweed for a 52-yard TD and Charles added another five-yard plunge to make the score 34-0.

Following an interception, McCoy found Sweed in the right corner of the end zone for a 24-yard score, giving Texas a 41-0 advantage with 1:05 left in the half.

"Everybody went out and played hard," Sweed said. "I think the whole (offensive) line did a great job of blocking and executing. Colt (McCoy) did a great job of reading the defense, and the defensive guys went out there and played to a standard. So I definitely think that the team came out and played at the level that we're capable of playing."

Charles ran for his third touchdown of the game on a two-yard run up the middle with 10:17 left in the third quarter to make the score 48-7. Vondrell McGee added a nine-yard touchdown run, and Bailey made his third field goal of the game - this one from 19 yards - at the beginning of the fourth to finish the assault.

"Texas is absolutely the best, most athletic, biggest, fastest and strongest football team we are going to play all year," Rice coach David Bailiff said.

Rice quarterback Chase Clement hit Toren Dixon for an 18-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left in the second quarter for the Owls' lone score of the first half.

James Casey scored on a one-yard run midway through the fourth quarter to cap the scoring. Rice was held to minus-11 yards rushing on 30 carries for the game.

Clement completed 18-of-32 passes for 220 yards, two interceptions and one touchdown.

"When we did not capitalize on the turnover (Charles fumble), it definitely hurt a little bit," Clement said. "We got a turnover right at the beginning of the game and the momentum was on our side. We needed to make something happen and come out showing that we were ready to play. When we did not, it hurt the momentum."