Final Score: Rice 41, Texas-El Paso 37

Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Nick Fanuzzi threw for a career-high 405 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Rice Owls to a 41-37 victory over the Texas- El Paso Miners in a Conference USA affair at Rice Stadium.

Fanuzzi completed 30-of-43 to pace Rice (3-6, 2-4 C-USA) in the win, while Tyler Smith led a Rice ground attack which amassed 224 total yards with an 89- yard effort. Turner Peterson added 74 yards on the ground with a touchdown as well, while Vance McDonald caught eight passes for 157 yards and a score. The Owls snapped a three-game skid with the victory.

Nick Lamaison threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns in a losing effort for UTEP (4-5, 1-4), but the Miners signal-caller was also responsible for a pair of costly interceptions as well. Mike Edwards pulled in seven receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns.

A 74-yard toss from Lamaison to Edwards early in the opening frame gave the Miners a 7-0 lead.

The Owls responded just minutes later, however, as Peterson found the end zone on a 44-yard run. Rice earned a 14-0 lead midway through the stanza, following a Jeremy Eddington seven-yard run. A 37-yard Chris Boswell field goal gave the Owls a 17-7 advantage.

The Miners converted a 33-yard Dakota Warren kick just minutes later.

Boswell converted a 23-yard field goal midway through the frame to give Rice a 20-10 lead.

The Miners pulled to within three points less than two minutes later following a one-yard plunge by Leilyon Myers. Myers gave UTEP the 24-20 lead with just over a minute remaining in the half with another one-yard TD run.

A 25-yard scoring toss from Fanuzzi to McDonald midway through the third period reclaimed the lead for Rice, but a 26-yard strike from Lamaison to Edwards late in the frame swayed the advantage back to the Miners, 31-27.

Rice took a 34-31 lead midway through the final period of play with a six-yard connection from Fanuzzi to Jordan Taylor.

Fanuzzi then found Randy Kitchens late in the frame with a 23-yard scoring toss to stake Rice a 41-31 lead.

The Miners found the end zone again with under a minute remaining with a 17- yard completion from Lamaison to Jordan Leslie. An extra-point attempt failed however, and the Owls held on for the four-point win.

The Owls amassed 671 yards of total offense on the day, the third-highest total in school history.