2006 New Orleans Bowl
| MVP | Troy QB Omar Haugabook |
|---|---|
The 2006 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl featured the Troy Trojans and the Rice Owls. Rice was making its first bowl appearance since 1961.
Troy quarterback Omar Haugabook started the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run to give Troy an early 7-0 lead. Less than a minute later, Haugabook hooked up with Gary Banks for a 3-yard touchdown pass to give Troy a 14-0 lead. With 5:12 left in the 1st quarter, Rice got on the board with an 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Joel Armstrong to wide receiver Mike Falco, making the score 14-7, Troy.
With just 2 seconds left in the 1st quarter, Haugabook connected with wide receiver Mikeal Terry for a 56-yard touchdown pass, and a 21-7 lead. Clark Fangmeier connected on a 43-yard field goal to cut the lead to 21-10. Omar Haugabook later found Andrew Davis for a 7-yard touchdown pass to give Troy a 28-10 lead.
Late in the third quarter, Greg Whibbs hit a 25-yard field goal to increase the lead to 31-10. He connected on a 26-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to increase the lead to 34-10. Wide receiver Jarett Dillard caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Joel Armstrong to bring Rice to within 34-17. With two minutes left in the game, Haugabook connected with Toris Rutledge for a 5-yard touchdown pass to close the scoring.