BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Fans of the passing game were thrilled as Rice beat #14 Western Kentucky on the road this week after both teams combined for 558 yards and four touchdowns through the air. The Owls scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for the come-back win after being down 21-18 on a WKU pick-six.

Rice Head Coach Coachy McCoachface was happy with the way his offense responded to adversity over the course of the contest.

“Although we had a slow start, our QB clicked with our WR corps. It helped that their defense had been preparing for us to run the ball more, and was caught unawares by our change in style. The ability of our offense to convert allowed the game to come down to the defensive side of the ball, which we had been our plan going into the game.”

Rice had a 15-14 lead at half time but fell behind early in the fourth quarter after the WKU cornerback read the play and returned the interception 89 yards for the score. Despite the success on defense, the Hilltoppers’ head coach Viking Fishbird wasn’t happy with his team’s performance.

“There wasn’t much to like. I’d say the best effort came at the end of the first quarter and beginning of second where we scored two long touchdowns.”

Coach McCoachface was happy with the Owl’s offensive production on the day but wants to see his team limit turnovers as they move forward.

“We had two interceptions in WKU’s territory, one of which was run back for a Western Kentucky TD and the other [lead to] a WKU TD on the next play. Although this is better than it was at points last season, the frequency of which we give up turnovers could cost us games down the road.”

Coach Fishbird, on the other hand, pointed his finger at the Hilltoppers offense when asked about disappointments in the second half.

“I would say the points allowed was primarily the fault of my offense. We converted 0/7 fourth downs and had punt returned back to ten yards past the line of scrimmage. All this led to 5 possessions starting on my side of the field for Rice.”

Fishbird was already focused on Week Six and had some sharp words for his squad as they prepare for the next conference foe.

“We can’t give up once down in the game. A quick stretch in the late 1st half destroyed our early momentum and our offense fell stagnant for the rest of the game. As an offensive team, we can’t let that happen. The key to winning against our next opponent, a top 10 ODU team, will be to consistently produce offensively.”

Coach McCoachface was upbeat about the victory over a ranked opponent on the road and wants to carry that momentum forward over the rest of the year.

“This game has been circled on our calendars for a while. We knew coming into this season we’d be facing a monster offense, possibly the toughest we’ve ever faced, and this was confirmed after WKU’s week 1 slaughter of FIU. However, a win like this doesn’t only give us a win in conference play, but shows that we can contend, and beat, the best of the C-USA. Although we faltered towards the end of last year, if we can keep the momentum that we have now we can be a solid contender for divisional champs, and a potential NY6 or playoff birth.”

Rice will face Southern Miss next week and look to build on their 3-2 record. WKU falls to 3-2 and will have a chance to make a case for staying ranked against a tough Old Dominion squad in Week Six.