McHargue C-USA Offensive Player of the Week

After joining Chase Clement as the only other Owl QB to produce over 450 yards of Offense in a single game, Rice junior QB Taylor McHargue was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.

The Defensive Player of the Week honor went to Tulsa senior DB Dexter McCoil, who had a strong all-around performance in a win over Fresno State, while special teams recognition was given to Marshall freshman P Tyler Williams, who played a key role in field position in the Thundering Herd's win. Williams booted a 66 yard punt late in the game against the Owls to pin them deep in their own territory.

C-USA Football Players of the Week are voted on by a panel of the league's media.

McHargue became the second player in Rice history to top 450 yards of total offense in a game, finishing with 467 yards, 129 of them in the final four minutes of regulation to force overtime before an injury prevented him from finishing the game. With the Owls down 41-31, McHargue scored on a 43-yard run to close the gap to three with 3:17 left on the clock. After the Owls forced a Herd punt with 2:29 left, McHargue drove Rice 77 yards, the last 47 on a scramble put the ball at the Marshall two, but was injured on the play and watched from the sideline as Marshall forced a field goal to send the game into overtime.

After being held to just eight yards passing in the first quarter, McHargue threw for a career-high 316 yards and three touchdowns and added a career-high 153 on the ground and one rushing score to join Chase Clement as the only Owls with more than 450 yards of offense in a game.

His 467 yards rank as the fourth-best total in school history.

Though the Owls ended up losing a heartbreaking game, McHargue posted positive and encouraging words for his team afterwards and maintains that he'll play in Saturday's Bayou Bucket game against arch-rival Houston.

He joins teammates Cameron Nwosu (Special Teams after UCLA) and Chris Boswell (Special Teams after Kansas) as Owls who've earned C-USA honors this season.

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