HOUSTON, Texas—Dean Connors rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, E.J. Warner completed 28 of his 40 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown, while the Rice (3-6, 2-3 in the American Athletic Conference) defense held Navy (6-2, 4-1 in the American Athletic Conference) to 260 yards of total offense in a 24-10 win in front of 21,253 fans in Rice head coach Pete Alomar's debut. 
 
The game was delayed three times due to severe lightning and almost three inches of rain for a total of five hours and six minutes, including a two hour and 25-minute delay to start the game. 
 
After the Navy defense forced a punt on Rice's first drive, quarterback Blake Horvath gave it right back on the first play. Horvath tried to complete a deep pass down the right sideline that was intercepted by Tyson Flowers, who returned it to the Navy 45.
 
Rice ran four plays that got the ball down to the Navy five-yard line before another lengthy lightning delay. When play resumed, Rice scored on the first play with Connors scoring from the five to make it 7-0 Owls.
 
The MIds were able to pick up one first down on the next drive before being forced to punt again and the Owls immediately went right down the field against the Navy defense with Warner completing five of his six passes on the drive, the final one being a 17-yard touchdown strike to Matt Sykes that gave Rice a 14-0 first quarter lead.
 
The Owls made it 17-0 on its next series when Tim Horn knocked in a 47-yard field goal with 12:41 left in the second quarter.
 
Navy finally was able to stop the bleeding with Horvath leading an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that he capped off with a nine-yard touchdown run. 
 
The score would remain 17-7 at the half thanks to Navy corner Dashaun Peele picking off his fourth pass of the season in the end zone.
 
The Navy offense gained 75 yards on its eight-play scoring drive, but managed just 32 yards on its other 17 plays in the first half.
 
Navy had a chance to cut the deficit to three points midway through the third quarter, but Eli Heidenreich slipped on the Rice sponge turf on a fourth-and-two from the Rice 19, losing a yard and turning the ball back to the Owls.
 
Rice capitalized by going 80 yards in 11 plays with Connors scoring on a nine-yard run to make the score 24-7 with 2:00 left in the third quarter.
 
Navy managed a 21-yard field goal by Nathan Kirkwood with 8:34 left in the game to end the scoring.
 
Horvath completed 10 of his 21 pass attempts for 120 yards, while rushing for 64 yards on 16 carries and Navy's lone touchdown.
 
Colin Ramos led the Navy defense with 9 stops.
 
Despite the loss, Navy still controls its own destiny to play in the American Athletic Conference Championship game.
 
The Mids will play at USF next Saturday at 12 noon at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on ESPN2 and the Navy Radio Network.