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Troy goes for first bowl win against Rice

Dec 22, 2006 - 2:41 PM Rice (7-5) at Troy (7-5) December 22 New Orleans Bowl 8:00 pm EST

NEW ORLEANS (Ticker) - Troy overcame a rough start to have a successful season. Now the Trojans are looking to make history.

The Sun Belt Conference champions, Troy looks for its first bowl victory when it meets Rice in the New Orleans Bowl on Friday.

Playing a tough non-conference slate to open the season, the Trojans (7-5) won their opener, then lost four straight. Among the losses were road setbacks to perennial powers Florida State, Georgia Tech and Nebraska.

After a loss to UAB left them at 1-4, the Trojans won four straight games and six of their last seven to finish the season with their first Sun Belt Conference crown.

To come up with its first bowl win, Troy will have to overcome recent history. The Sun Belt champion is 1-4 in the five-year history of the New Orleans Bowl, including three straight losses to teams from Conference USA.

If the Trojans are to buck the trend, it likely will be due to the play of running back Kenny Cattouse and quarterback Omar Haugabook.

Cattouse came on late to rush for 774 yards and four TDs. He averaged 99.2 yards in his final six games after averaging 35.8 in his first five.

Haugabook led the Sun Belt in passing yards (2,184), touchdowns (17), completions (227) and completion percentage (62.2). The junior also threw 16 interceptions, the most in the conference.

Rice was 1-10 last year and looked to be headed for another disastrous season after losing its first four games. The Owls rebounded to win six straight to close the season and earn their first bowl berth since 1961, when they lost to Kansas in the Bluebonnet Bowl.

The Owls (7-5) have their own offensive weapon in wide receiver Jarrett Dillard.

The sophomore set new school single-season records for catches (82), yards (1,176) and TD catches (20). He tied the NCAA record by catching a TD pass in 12 consecutive games this season and his overall streak of 14 consecutive games with a TD reception is the second longest in NCAA history.

This is the first bowl game played in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina. Last year, this contest was played in Lafayette, Louisiana.