Rice Players Find Source of Strength

Dale Lloyd’s parents asked the Rice football team to play on.

“Honor our son,” Lloyd’s mother, Bridgette, told the team. “Play for him,” his father, Dale Sr., said.

The Owls did more than that.

On the eve of Lloyd’s funeral, which many of his teammates plan to attend, the Owls defeated Army, 48-14, ending a six-game losing streak.

Lloyd, a 19-year-old defensive back, died Monday, one day after becoming ill during a light workout. The cause of death is pending autopsy results.

The funeral service will be held today in Lloyd’s hometown of Houston.

“On Monday, the last thing on our minds was playing a football game this weekend,” said running back Andray Downs. “Once we spoke with [Lloyd’s] family and saw the faith they had ... that motivated us and helped us to focus.”

The Owls brought Lloyd’s No. 39 jersey to the game and it hung in their locker room and their helmets bore a No. 39 decal. The team plans to carry Lloyd’s jersey on every trip before presenting it to his parents at the end of the season.

“He’ll be there for the rest of the season,” said quarterback Chase Clement, who passed for 299 yards and a school-record five touchdowns.

Coach Todd Graham, whose team had been outscored, 107-14, in its previous two games, said preparing his team for Saturday’s game was “the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.” He said a memorial service Thursday with the team and Lloyd’s parents helped pull his team through a difficult time.

“I think that helped our kids,” Graham said. “I know it helped me. The faith that the Lloyd family has shown to this coaching staff and our players has really helped this football team. We’re going to go home and naturally celebrate this victory, and then tomorrow we’re going to have a celebration of Dale’s life.”

Then, in the fourth quarter Saturday, as if Rice hadn’t had enough scary moments for one week, the Owls had to watch as Army’s Ricky Lay fell to the ground and his legs reportedly began twitching after getting hit on a kickoff return.

Lay was on the ground for 10 minutes as medical personnel attended to him. He was immobilized and taken to a hospital by ambulance.

The extent and nature of his injury was not immediately clear, but Army athletic spokesman Bob Beretta said initial indications on his condition were positive.

Didn’t He Quit?

South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier was back in his old stomping grounds for the second time in a month, honored again by Florida on Saturday for his contributions as a player and coach for the Gators.

Four weeks ago, the school recognized the Gators’ 1996 national championship team, which Spurrier coached. Saturday, the 1966 Heisman Trophy winner joined fellow former Gators Emmitt Smith, Danny Wuerffel and Jack Youngblood as the first inductees in the Florida Ring of Honor.

Spurrier, who left Florida after the 2001 season to coach the NFL’s Washington Redskins, said his second trip to Gainesville in less than a month shouldn’t raise questions about his allegiance to the Gamecocks. Both trips were part of Florida’s 100 years of football celebration.

“Sometimes a writer tries to create some turmoil, but that’s OK,” Spurrier said. “People understand my commitment to trying to build South Carolina football and absolutely have no problem with me coming down here for this 100-year celebration.”

The next time Spurrier visits, however, he won’t get the red-carpet treatment. South Carolina plays at Florida on Nov. 11.

Still Recovering

Michigan State apparently hasn’t gotten over blowing a 16-point, fourth-quarter lead against Notre Dame on Sept. 23.

At least that’s what the Spartans’ performance in Saturday’s 23-20 loss to Illinois would indicate.

The Illini were 26-point underdogs, had lost 24 of their last 25 Big Ten Conference games and hadn’t defeated the Spartans since 1994.

Plus, it was Michigan State’s homecoming.

“We didn’t get the kids prepared to play the game,” Coach John L. Smith said. “And if you go out unprepared emotionally and mentally, you’re going to lose and you deserve to lose.”

Illinois last won a Big Ten game Nov. 6, 2004 -- 26-22 over Indiana.

Experience Over Youth

When Northwestern played at Penn State on Saturday, it was a matchup between the oldest and youngest head coaches in Division I-A.

Penn State’s Joe Paterno, 79, came out victorious over Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald, 31, as the Nittany Lions won, 33-7.

Penn State’s Deon Butler set a school record with 216 yards receiving in the game.

Still One Short

New Hampshire defeated Delaware, 52-49, and receiver David Ball had seven catches for 126 yards, but he did not find the end zone and remains tied with Jerry Rice for the Division I-AA record of 50 touchdown receptions.

Record Setters

JaMarcus Russell passed for a career-best 330 yards and matched a school record with 14 consecutive completions as No. 9 Louisiana State defeated Mississippi State 48-17.... Purdue’s Selwyn Lymon had 238 yards receiving in a 35-21 loss to Notre Dame -- the second most ever by a Purdue receiver and the most ever by an Irish opponent.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

peter.yoon@latimes.com