Houston’s defense makes 2 big plays late in win over Rice

HOUSTON (AP) — Nelson Ceaser returned a fumble for an 11-yard score with 3:34 left in the fourth quarter and Thabo Mwaniki intercepted a tipped pass on the next possession as Houston beat Rice 34-27 on Saturday to retain the Bayou Bucket for a record seventh consecutive time. Houston pinned Rice at its 6-yard line with 24 seconds left. The Owls made two catches to get to their 40 before clocking it at eight seconds. TJ McMahon launched it, Bradley Rozner came down with the ball in traffic at the Houston 9 and the officials ruled there was one second left. Rice had no timeouts remaining but Houston took one to set up its defense. McMahon was pressured into a rushed pass and it was batted down in the end zone.