Johnston, Stanley lead UAB to XX-XX win over Rice

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Tyler Johnston III passed for 282 yards and 3 touchdowns, Lucious Stanley ran for two scores, and UAB beat Rice 35-20 on Saturday night.

The game was delayed twice — once at halftime and once in the fourth quarter — for a total of about 2 ½ hours due to lightning strikes in the area.

Stanley finished with 19 carries for 88 yards and Kendall Parham had three receptions for 109 yards and two TDs for UAB (4-1, 1-1 Conference USA).

The Owls (0-6, 0-2) took a 7-0 lead on the second play from scrimmage when Aston Walter scored on a 64-yard run. Johnston threw touchdown passes of 46 yards to Parham and 36 yards to Austin Watkins in about a two-minute span to give the Blazers at 14-7 lead with 12:34 left in the first half.

Rice's Wiley Green threw 3-yard scoring pass to August Pitre III late in the second quarter but UAB blocked the extra point and went into halftime with a 21-20 lead.

Stanley scored on runs of 25 and 7 yards in the third quarter to cap the scoring.

Walter finished with 16 carries for 102 yards and Austin Trammell had five receptions for 113 yards for the Owls.

Rice has lost 17 of its last 18 games dating to last season.

The Blazers have won 15 straight at home.