The Pecan Park Eagle

63 Year Old Rice Stadium in 2013. – GO OWLS!

The following (AP) story appeared in the Sunday, October 1, 1950 edition of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Thank you Newspaper Archive (dot) Com for making this kind of wonderful information available to the digital world:

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Rice Triumphs, 27-7, on Glass’ Passing

HOUSTON, Sept. 30 (AP) – Quarterback Vernon Glass, who didn’t see much action last year, threw four touchdown passes tonight as Rice’s Owls walloped Santa Clara, 27-7, in an intersectional game that dedicated Houston’s new stadium.

A near capacity crowd of 68,000 saw the 21-year old senior from Corpus Christi, whose talents had been hidden for two years by the quarterbacking of Tobin Rote, come into his own.

Decimated by the loss of Rote and 20 other letterman from the team that won the Southwest Conference championship last year and drubbed North Carolina, 27 to 13, in the 1950 Cotton Bowl game. Rice looked like it again had the makings of a major football power.

Glass completed 12 out of 21 passes as Rice totaled 217 yards in its first aerial offensive of the new season.

A blocked kick and two fumbles set up three of the Owls’ touchdowns, but Glass, who previously had enjoyed only fleeting moments of glory, gave Santa Clara nothing but trouble all night.

Outweighed Santa Clara, 1950 Orange Bowl champions, warded off two Rice touchdown bids with sporadic exhibitions of defensive brilliance.

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Historical Notes: Rice left end Bill Howton scored the first points in the new Rice Stadium in the first quarter when he caught a pass from Glass on the Santa Clara 35 and raced it home to the end zone for the first touchdown in the brand new history of  the venue. – In the third quarter, Abraham Dung of Santa Clara reeled in a pass on the Rice 22 and scored with it to post the first opposition TD and score in the new book on Rice Stadium.

Happy 63rd Birthday, Rice Stadium!