Bucs 24, Texans 17
Houston, TX (Sports Network) – Rudy Carpenter threw a pair of touchdowns as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took down the Houston Texans, 24-17, in the preseason finale for both squads.
Carpenter was 15-for-22 for 203 yards for the Buccaneers, who went 2-2 in the preseason and will begin their regular season campaign at home against the Browns on September 12. Arrelious Benn caught both touchdowns and finished the game with three receptions for 33 yards.
John David Booty went 17-for-37 with 209 yards and two scores for the Texans, who managed to win just one of their four preseason games and will open the regular season at home against the reigning AFC-Champion Colts on September 12. James Casey had eight catches for 81 yards in the loss.
It was all Tampa Bay in the first half as the team scored 17 points in the first 30 minutes to take a 17-0 lead into the locker room.
Connor Barth punched a 38-yard field goal for the only points of the first quarter.
In the second, Corey Lynch picked off a Dan Orlovsky pass and returned it 91 yards into the end zone.
Lynch picked off Orlovsky later in the quarter to set up a three-yard touchdown catch by Benn from Carpenter.
Houston got back into the game in the third as Booty threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Williams and Neil Rackers added a 21-yard field goal later in the frame to make it a 17-10 contest.
Carpenter, though, hooked up with Benn again, this time on a 21-yard score for a 24-10 lead in the fourth.
Later in the fourth, Booty tossed a 16-yard score to Derek Fine to make it a 24-17 contest.