TULSA, Okla. (AP) - David Johnson threw for 177 yards and four touchdowns and A.J. Whitmore had 83 yards and two scores as Tulsa shook off Rice in the second half and rolled to a 63-28 victory Saturday night.
"To say the least, we're pretty excited," said Tulsa head coach Todd Graham. "The guys played extremely well. I'm real proud of our guys. We knew this game would be very important for us to meet our goal of winning the (Conference USA) West.
"We played at a different level tonight as a team. We really played a complete game."
The Golden Hurricane (5-0, 2-0 Conference USA) had a 21-14 halftime lead when they broke open the game early in the third quarter. Tulsa's Slick Shelley caught a rollout punt from Rice punter Kyle Martens at the Rice 25 and raced to the end zone.
Then Kenny Sims picked off Chase Clement, setting up a Tulsa drive capped by Johnson's 21-yard pass to Charles Clay for the score.
Rice cut the lead to 35-21, but the Golden Hurricane defense limited the Owls (3-3, 2-1 CUSA) to one more score after that.
Clement completed 22 of 42 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns, but besides being intercepted, he fumbled once and was sacked three times.
Tarrion Adams led all rushers with 112 yards and Charles Opeseyitan had 93. The Golden Hurricane piled up 577 yards, including a season-high 386 on the ground.
Despite the outcome, the first half was competitive. Tulsa, scored on a 15-yard run by Whitmore and Johnson's touchdown passes of 7 yards to Brennan Marion and 20 yards to Damaris Johnson.
Rice countered with a 2-yard run by James Casey and a 25-yard strike from Clement to Jarett Dillard, his 51st career touchdown reception. That broke an NCAA record of 50 held by Troy Edwards of Louisiana Tech.
It was the 42nd time Dillard and Clements have hooked up for a touchdown reception, adding to their NCAA mark set the previous week.
Tulsa scored more than 50 points in its fourth consecutive game, something that hasn't happened since the 1919 season.
Post-Game Notes
• Tulsa game captains were David Johnson, Charles Clay, Moton Hopkins, Tarrion Adams, Jesse Meyer, Mike Bryan, Roy Roberts, Justin Morsey and Rod Thomas.
• Tulsa's honorary captain tonight was TU Athletic Hall of Famer Al Humphrey (1971-74). The honorary coach was F.A. Dry (1972-76).
• Moton Hopkins started his 28th consecutive game at defensive end and offensive guard Justin Morsey started his 29th straight contest.
• When Tulsa did not score on its first drive, it broke a four-game streak of opening-drive touchdowns.
• With his 9th carry of the game in the 2nd quarter, Tarrion Adams moved past Uril Parrish for 5th on Tulsa's career rushing chart (2,467 yards). He ended the game with 2,526 yards for his career.
• With his first touchdown pass of the game, David Johnson tied Paul Smith (2005) for 7th most touchdown passes in a season (20).
• With his second touchdown pass of the game, David Johnson tied Gus Frerotte (1993) for 6th most touchdown passes in a season (21)
• With his third touchdown pass of the game, David Johnson tied T.J. Rubley (1989) and James Kilian (2003) for 4th most touchdown passes in a season (22).
• With his fourth touchdown pass of the game, David Johnson surpassed T.J. Rubley (1989) and James Kilian (2003) for 4th place on Tulsa's season touchdown pass chart (23). It also marks the 4th consecutive game that Johnson has thrown for at least four touchdown passes.
• In the 2nd quarter, Michael Such booted his 1st punt since the second game of the year (North Texas). It was only his 4th punt of the season for Such and 7th total punt on the season.
• With his touchdown reception in the 2nd quarter, Damaris Johnson surpassed Tarrion Adams (2005) for 7th on Tulsa's single season freshman receiving yards chart (292 yards). With his 4th reception of the game, Johnson surpassed Clay Martin (1994) for 6th on Tulsa's single season freshman receiving yards chart (301 yards).
• Slick Shelley's 25-yard punt return for a touchdown was Tulsa's first since Jermaine Landrum's 41-yard punt return for a touchdown against Arkansas State on September 20, 2003.
• This is the third straight game in which Slick Shelley has scored a touchdown. He has scored four during that same span.
• With his fifth PAT of the game, Jarod Tracy tied Nate Smith of Louisville for 2nd on the CUSA career PAT kicks made chart (143). Tracy finished the game with 147 career PAT's made in CUSA.
• With his fifth PAT attempt of the game, Jarod Tracy surpassed Nate Smith of Louisville for 2nd on the CUSA career PAT kicks attempted chart (148). Tracy finished the game with 152 career PAT kicks attempted in CUSA.
• With his 21st carry of the game, Tarrion Adams surpassed the 100-yard mark for the 10th time in his career. This is Adams' second consecutive 100-yard rushing game.
• Tulsa has scored at least 40 points in all five games this season and 10 out of its last 11 games.
• Tulsa has scored at 50 points in four consecutive games marking the 1st time Tulsa has achieved that feat since the 1919 season when Tulsa had five consecutive games with at least 50 points.
• With 577 yards, this marks the 6th consecutive game in which Tulsa has compiled at least 500 yards and the 9th game in the last 10 games in which Tulsa has reached that milestone.
• Tulsa's 63 points are the most scored against Rice in 14 meetings surpassing last season's 48 points.
• Tulsa and Rice 91 combined points ties for the most points scored in 14 meetings between the two teams.
Rice defeated Tulsa 59-32 in 2001 and Tulsa defeated Rice 48-43 in 2007.
• The last time Tulsa started 5-0 was 1945 when the team started 5-0 before finishing 8-3 with an appearance in the Oil Bowl.
• The last time Tulsa scored 60 or more points in consecutive games was in 1975 when Tulsa beat Drake 70-7 and Indiana State 62-7.
• For the second consecutive game, Tulsa compiled more rushing yards (386) than passing yards (191).
• With only 191 total passing yards, Tulsa snaps its 18-game streak with at least 300 yards.