Rice defeats UTEP 33-24 to become bowl-eligible

EL PASO, Texas (AP) Charles Ross ran for 154 yards and two touchdowns and Rice became bowl-eligible with a 33-24 win over UTEP Saturday night.

Ross scored on a 9-yard run to give Rice a 26-21 lead in the fourth quarter and after UTEP answered with a field goal, Jeremy Eddington returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. Eddington also ran for another score for the Owls (6-6, 4-4 Conference USA), who have won four in a row. Taylor McHargue threw for 207 yards to help give Rice a chance to go to its first postseason game since the 2008 Texas Bowl.

Nick Lamaison threw a pair of touchdown passes for the Miners (3-9, 2-6). The game was the final one for UTEP's Mike Price, who is retiring after 31 years as a college head coach.

Updated November 24, 2012