Owls will play bowl game in Houston

By Yan Digilov     12/4/08 6:00pm

At a Wednesday press conference, athletics director Chris Del Conte officially announced that Rice had accepted an invitation to play in the 2008 Texas Bowl Reliant Stadium on Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. The game will be the final chapter in the saga of a senior class that has made an imprint on nearly every column of the football team's history books. "To be able to come and have our student athletes, our fans, our faculty, and students to participate in a bowl game right here in the city of Houston, we couldn't ask for anything better," Del Conte said. "Rice belongs in a bowl and not on a plate."

After finishing the regular season 9-3, Rice considered offers from both the GMAC Bowl, to be held on Jan. 6 in Mobile, Ala., and the Texas Bowl. The decision to forgo a road trip for a game less than three miles away was well received by members of the team that went undefeated at home all year.

"It was the bowl we wanted," head coach David Bailiff said. "It's another opportunity for the city of Houston to go watch these Rice Owls. It is going to be another opportunity for Chase [Clement] and Jarett [Dillard] to hook up at home."

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Speculation over the Owls' opponent began even before the official announcement was made. The Texas Bowl is usually affiliated with Conference-USA and the Big 12 Conferences, but it is highly likely that a representative from the Big 12 will not be filling the spot.

The team most expected to take the other slot is the University of Notre Dame, which is unaffiliated with a conference, but could be given at at-large bid. The Fighting Irish are one of the most storied football programs in the nation, but have struggled since star quarterback Brady Quinn departed in 2007.

Other opponents could be selected from the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big Ten Conference, or the Big East Conference. Rutgers University, a Big East member, has also been mentioned in contention for the spot.

"I really want a tough opponent, because that makes you up your game," senior wide-receiver Jarrett Dillard said. "Everybody in a bowl game is going to be competitive, but you want that opponent that nobody gives you a chance with, that you don't even have a shot, and everybody is telling you that you are going to lose. That is going to make all these Owls up their game and play to their potential."

For Dillard, the chance to play his final game in Reliant Stadium seems like destiny. In their first game as Owls, Dillard and quarterback Chase Clement sat on the sideline at Reliant Stadium as redshirt freshmen and watched Rice defeat the University of Houston in the 2004 Bayou Bucket.

The historic duo could not replicate the success of their first-ever game until last week, when they crossed defeating the Cougars off their to do list. Now, only one item remains, a task that no Owl squad has accomplished since 1953 - to win a bowl game. The senior class will have one final shot to cap off their recently unprecedented success with a win in a venue that is perhaps the finest of all NCAA bowl game facilities

Under former head coach Todd Graham in 2006, the Owls were invited to the New Orleans Bowl after a 2006 8-4 season, where the squad suffered a convincing 41-17 loss. The team entered a state of flux after Graham left the team the following season, going 3-9 in 2007. One year later, the numbers in the columns are reversed, and the second time around, going bowling feels a little different.

"In 2006, we were just happy to be there," Dillard said. "Now, we are focused on what are we going to do there, what we are going to do when the lights are on and the ball is in play. I think the guys are focused this year on winning."

A win in the Texas Bowl would tie the school record with ten for the season, a tally achieved only once before in 1949. The burden of history will weigh heavily on the shoulder of the senior class in their final opportunity to take the field with one another in NCAA competition.

All eyes will be on the Clement- Dillard duo, both of whom have the daunting task of running an NFL combine schedule as soon as they play their final game in a Rice uniform.

After over 35,000 fans packed Rice Stadium for the Bayou Bucket, one of the largest crowds in Rice history is expected to attend on Dec. 6, which is another part of the 2008 campaign that makes it feel different than 2006.

"Everything that the Rice fans have brought to the table is phenomenal," Dillard said. "It went from almost no people at game to having the student body coming out and enjoying themselves."

With the final battleground set, the Owls need only to wait as the players prepare to perform on the biggest stage of their careers. It is expected that they will find out the identity of their opponent in the coming week.

"Whoever it is, we will be thrilled to play them," Bailiff said. "I am anxious to find out who we are playing, so we can start looking at the video and get to work on them."

The game will be televised on NFL Network and broadcast on KTRH 740 AM and ESPN 97.5 The Ticket.

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