AUSTIN, Texas – Freshman Jamaal Charles ran for 189 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start to lead No. 2 Texas to a 51-10 win over Rice on Saturday night.
Charles had a pair of 25-yard scoring runs in the first quarter and added another 4-yard TD in the second as Texas (3-0) built a 42-0 lead by halftime. He had four runs of 20 or more yards in his first 10 carries.
Charles threatened the Texas freshman record of 213 yards set by Cedric Benson against Kansas in 2001 before leaving the game in the third quarter. Benson finished his career last season as the fifth-leading rusher in major college history.
Texas has won 38 of the last 39 meetings in a rivalry that dates back to 1914. Rice (0-2) managed just 209 total yards Saturday night and has been outscored by Texas 134-30 in the last three years.
After playing a major role coming off the bench in Texas’ win a week earlier at Ohio State, Charles got his first start in place of the banged up Selvin Young, who has struggled to stay healthy in his return from a broken ankle last season.
Rice gave up 63 points in a season-opening loss at UCLA and Owls defenders looked lost when trying to stop the shifty Charles, who cut and weaved his way through tacklers. His first touchdown capped a 6-play drive that covered 80 yards.
A Rice punt then pinned Texas at the Longhorns’ 1 before Horns’ quarterback Vince Young scrambled for 51 yards. Charles then ran the next four plays, breaking a couple of tackles on the last one for his second TD.
Charles then had runs of 26 and 20 yards before scoring his third TD that made it 21-0 in the second quarter.
About the only thing the Longhorns didn’t do was pad Vince Young’s stats to help his bid for the Heisman Trophy.
After passing for 270 yards and two scores against Ohio State, Young was 8-for-14 for 101 yards with one interception, no touchdowns and 77 yards rushing. He was 3-of-6 before completing three passes for 47 yards on the final drive of the half that ended with Henry Melton’s 1-yard touchdown. Young left the game midway through the third quarter.
Texas also scored a pair of defensive touchdowns in the first half.
Safety Michael Huff scored his fifth career TD with a 21-yard fumble return and Frank Okam fell on a fumble by Rice quarterback Chase Clement in the end zone.
Texas is off next week before opening Big 12 play Oct. 1 at Missouri.
AP-ES-09-17-05 2241EDT
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