HOUSTON (AP) — TJ McMahon threw for 303 yards with three touchdown passes to lead Rice over Louisiana-Lafayette 33-21 on Saturday night in a Conference USA opener.
McMahon, who threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Luke McCaffrey late in the second quarter, hit Bradley Rozner for a 12-yard score early in the third. McCaffrey added a 6-yard TD pass to McCaffrey in the fourth quarter.
Louisiana-Lafayette (2-1, 0-1) built a 14-13 halftime lead behind Caleb Anderson’s pick-6 and Chandler Fields’ 11-yard touchdown pass to Terrence Williams. Chris Smith broke loose for a 22-yard touchdown to pull the Ragin’ Cajuns to 27-21 with 9:17 left.
But on the ensuing possession, Rice (2-1, 1-0) ate up more than six minutes with an 11-play, 70-yard drive capped by Ari Broussard’s 2-yard touchdown run.
McMahon was 25-of-36 passing but was intercepted three times. McCaffrey finished with 10 catches for 105 yards.
Louisiana was held to 175 total yards compared to Rice’s 449.
It was the sixth meeting between the teams but first since Sept. 23, 1989 when Louisiana-Lafayette won 18-3.
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